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Colorado

Posted By: rolltidehunter

Colorado - 12/06/22 01:55 AM

Anybody been out elk hunting. My dream hunt is elk hunting and hoping to go in next couple years. Do any of y’all have an good outfitters you have used before that y’all recommend?
Posted By: TDog93

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 02:42 AM

Hear it’s like turkey hunting on steroids

Would Lov it but I got too many hobbies - sorry I am not any help - good luck
Posted By: Ar1220

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 02:52 AM

I start by looking in the Craig, rifle, meeker area
What kinda hunt are wanting rifle or archery?
Drop camp or lodge?
Full guided or semi?
Have any points to draw in a unit where there are better bulls?
Posted By: rolltidehunter

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 06:36 AM

Archery, if I can get some buddies t he at want to go I would like drop but might have to do lodge, No I don’t have any points. How many does it take normally to get drawn for archery? Rifle?
Posted By: Spec

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 10:46 AM

Craig, Co. Superior Outfitters. I believe this is the largest elk heard in N America. The group I went with had hunted with them for years and killed every year. I killed a decent 5x5. Don’t expect to see big elk but expect to see a lot of them.
Posted By: rolltidehunter

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 11:54 AM

Thanks spec I will check out
Posted By: BhamFred

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 12:13 PM

I have been 4 times DIY on public land. Killed 2 nice 5x5s with a rifle. Been a while. First two times into the Weiminuche(sp) Wilderness Area, second time into the Flattops Wilderness area. No vehicles allowed, we took horses from Bama with us to pack on. Get in shape, GOOD SHAPE. Run stairs, bleachers, up and down. A LOT.
Posted By: Antelope08

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 12:49 PM

I went to the San Juan NF several years ago to do a public land hunt and we stayed in Montrose, it's hard hunting and plenty of competition from other hunters, If i ever did it again, I would use an outfitter...we did see a lot of elk, but most of them were really in rough country and the group I was with were older guys, so we didn't really dive into some of those steep canyons and draws, that's where the big ones will spend most of the day and come out of the dark timber early morning and evening.......definitely be in shape, ready for long hours on foot and in some steep country....get a good pair of boots. I would do a rifle hunt again with the right group.......
Posted By: daylate

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by BhamFred
I have been 4 times DIY on public land. Killed 2 nice 5x5s with a rifle. Been a while. First two times into the Weiminuche(sp) Wilderness Area, second time into the Flattops Wilderness area. No vehicles allowed, we took horses from Bama with us to pack on. Get in shape, GOOD SHAPE. Run stairs, bleachers, up and down. A LOT.

Yep. Hunting out west in the mountains will expose your physical weaknesses REAL quick
Posted By: Wapiti55

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 01:16 PM

We’ve been rifle hunting the NW corner for 15 years. Lots of public access but that brings more hunters. Most of that area will require points to draw archery tags. Even residents won’t draw an archery tag every year. Much harder for non-res.
Posted By: rolltidehunter

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 01:34 PM

Thanks guys, I will be going with an outfitter most likely. This being a dream hunt for me sounds am going with an outfitter. . Probably do diy public land in like 5 years when my oldest son gets older. Definitely will get into shape before that.
Posted By: Huntinman

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 01:54 PM

1. Do yourself a favor and subscribe to GoHunt.com/insider. GoHunt Insider will allow you to choose the area best suited for your interests and preference points you have acquired. GoHunt will help you narrow down your unit search fairly quickly.

2. As others have said, train, train, train, and add some more weight to the pack and train some more. Spend the money and purchase a good pack. Your pack comfort can make or break your hunt. You'll be able to hunt harder and longer with a good comfortable pack.

3. Find wilderness. The wilderness areas are defined by limited or no road access. Thats where I have found the elk.

4. Develop a list based on every possible weather scenario you can imagine. The weather in the mountains is entirely unpredictable.

5. Once you've found your area you would like to hunt, do as much E-scouting as possible. Look for benches in topo, north facing slopes, green edges in meadows, and saddles in the terrain.


Give yourself time to learn prior to your hunt, My buddy and I spent 2 years developing the best plan we could think of. Put in the time, do your homework, and you will have a blast regardless of success.



[Linked Image]
Posted By: Ar1220

Re: Colorado - 12/06/22 05:16 PM

And to add to what huntinman said invest in a good pair of boots that are made for that terrain. You will need them especially trying to side hill or pack one out.
And take some friends not real good friends but friends them real gooduns may not be real gooduns if they help pack one out of a deep canyon..lol
Posted By: kodiak06

Re: Colorado - 12/09/22 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Huntinman
1. Do yourself a favor and subscribe to GoHunt.com/insider. GoHunt Insider will allow you to choose the area best suited for your interests and preference points you have acquired. GoHunt will help you narrow down your unit search fairly quickly.

2. As others have said, train, train, train, and add some more weight to the pack and train some more. Spend the money and purchase a good pack. Your pack comfort can make or break your hunt. You'll be able to hunt harder and longer with a good comfortable pack.

3. Find wilderness. The wilderness areas are defined by limited or no road access. Thats where I have found the elk.

4. Develop a list based on every possible weather scenario you can imagine. The weather in the mountains is entirely unpredictable.

5. Once you've found your area you would like to hunt, do as much E-scouting as possible. Look for benches in topo, north facing slopes, green edges in meadows, and saddles in the terrain.


Give yourself time to learn prior to your hunt, My buddy and I spent 2 years developing the best plan we could think of. Put in the time, do your homework, and you will have a blast regardless of success.



[Linked Image]




Nice bull, what State? I had Gohunt recently for 3 weeks, hunt planner and saving hunts was pretty much OOC the entire time. Got my money back. while I could. Each State lists all of their draw odds as well as the free hunt fool along with OnX so I just do it the old fashion way again.
Had gohunt worked I would have kept it but, I would think those bugs have been worked out in the last two weeks.
Posted By: kodiak06

Re: Colorado - 12/09/22 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by daylate
Originally Posted by BhamFred
I have been 4 times DIY on public land. Killed 2 nice 5x5s with a rifle. Been a while. First two times into the Weiminuche(sp) Wilderness Area, second time into the Flattops Wilderness area. No vehicles allowed, we took horses from Bama with us to pack on. Get in shape, GOOD SHAPE. Run stairs, bleachers, up and down. A LOT.

Yep. Hunting out west in the mountains will expose your physical weaknesses REAL quick


It'll expose cheap boots too. I've seen guys have hunts ruined with blisters. Get boots early and get them broke in. Both pair of my Crispi boots were pretty good out the box
Posted By: Rebelman

Re: Colorado - 12/09/22 01:59 AM

I hunt Moffet county. It’s tough to find an affordable hunt.
Posted By: hosscat

Re: Colorado - 12/09/22 03:36 AM

I recently went to MT, used Elk Ridge Outfitters. All hunting was on private land, I would definitely recommend them. I probably saw 75-90 different bulls in the 8 days I was there, not counting the spikes and rag horns. No telling how many cows, probably 300+. The guide I lucked up and got paired with ended up 100% for the season on bulls. I believe the outfitter ended up close to 100% shot opportunity for the season on legal bulls though some were smallish. I heard of a few guys passing on small bulls and ended up shooting a cow on the last day.

I shot a 290" 7x6 my first morning, there were 8 of us hunting that week. 1 bull was 349-6/8", and another was 305", the smallest bull was a solid 5x5, everything else was a 6x6 or larger. I saw a 330" 5x5 that was a beast and a 340-350" 6x6 that was massive. All of the scores except the 349 are based on what the guides were saying. I'm from bama and have no idea, my guide did say the 349 was all over 350 so I would say he is pretty well calibrated.

I will definitely be going back, but it may take me a year or so to save up.
Posted By: todd w

Re: Colorado - 12/09/22 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by rolltidehunter
Thanks guys, I will be going with an outfitter most likely. This being a dream hunt for me sounds am going with an outfitter. . Probably do diy public land in like 5 years when my oldest son gets older. Definitely will get into shape before that.



I am looking into this same trip and would love to find someone wanting to go and team up.
Posted By: Huntinman

Re: Colorado - 12/10/22 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by kodiak06
Originally Posted by Huntinman
1. Do yourself a favor and subscribe to GoHunt.com/insider. GoHunt Insider will allow you to choose the area best suited for your interests and preference points you have acquired. GoHunt will help you narrow down your unit search fairly quickly.

2. As others have said, train, train, train, and add some more weight to the pack and train some more. Spend the money and purchase a good pack. Your pack comfort can make or break your hunt. You'll be able to hunt harder and longer with a good comfortable pack.

3. Find wilderness. The wilderness areas are defined by limited or no road access. Thats where I have found the elk.

4. Develop a list based on every possible weather scenario you can imagine. The weather in the mountains is entirely unpredictable.

5. Once you've found your area you would like to hunt, do as much E-scouting as possible. Look for benches in topo, north facing slopes, green edges in meadows, and saddles in the terrain.


Give yourself time to learn prior to your hunt, My buddy and I spent 2 years developing the best plan we could think of. Put in the time, do your homework, and you will have a blast regardless of success.



[Linked Image]




Nice bull, what State? I had Gohunt recently for 3 weeks, hunt planner and saving hunts was pretty much OOC the entire time. Got my money back. while I could. Each State lists all of their draw odds as well as the free hunt fool along with OnX so I just do it the old fashion way again.
Had gohunt worked I would have kept it but, I would think those bugs have been worked out in the last two weeks.


That’s a Colorado bull from this years 1st rifle season. It was hard hunting. We located 2 different bulls about 5 miles apart 2 days before season opened. The day before season the orange army showed up and 1 bull vanished while the other pushed about a mile deeper into wilderness. I ended up shooting this one on day 4 of the season 3 miles in. Ended up logging right at 20 miles hiking the day I shot him. I averaged 7-8 miles every other day. It took 3 guys 2 trips with 60-70 lb packs each time to pack him out.

We used GOHUNT to narrow down which unit we wanted to put in for based on points, success rates, total tags issued, bull:cow ratios, and %wilderness areas within the unit. It would have taken 5x’s the research to analyze the states draw odds and other parameters had we not used GoHunt. Granted, this was a DIY hunt, we didn’t use an outfitter.

We also used OnX offline maps for GPS and aerial map access considering we were without cell service.

If anyone plans to do this style hunt, I would highly recommend a Garmin inReach or some type of GPS SOS transmitter. There is some seriously rough country out there where you couldn’t be found very easily.
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