Elk

My Experience

I started hunting elk after moving to Colorado in 1993.  For a hunter, this is a nice situation.  Instead of the $250 that non-residents pay, I got my tag for $35, what a plus.  At any rate, I lived in Colorado for about 5 years and during that period of time, I lived to hunt elk.  I had dreamed of big bulls while reading various hunting stories for years but had never had the good fortune to be able to hunt them.

I started reading everything I could get my hands on about the animals and hunting them.  The first thing I discovered was that most elk migrate, some quite a distance. This migration is based on the time of year, actually the weather and food sources available.  This suddenly introduces a new variable that I had never dealt with as a whitetail hunter.  How do you scout these animals before the season, when they may well move to a new area by the time you go hunting?  This is a problem. I was used to whitetails hiding when the guns started going off and the countryside filled with hunters, but they remained in the immediate area at least. The second problem was the vastness of the area. Up in the high country it can take all day to walk from one ridge to the next.  You can't just go for a casual little stroll for a few hours and scout the area.  The next thing I discovered was that while the elk may well use a mountain, they don't use all of it, and they’re rather picky about where they go.  They may well only use 5 or 10% of the mountain that you find them on.  There are, however, some areas that hold elk all year long which are referred to as resident herds.  These herds will usually be found in or near the winter range for many other migrating animals.  After I found out about resident herds, I decided that this was the solution. I could treat these elk sort of like whitetails, something I kind of understood.

So I began spending lots of time in the mountains scouting for elk. Unfortunately, I had no idea what impact the woods filling up with hunters was going to do to the elk.  I saw elk all summer long and patterned them just like I would whitetails.  I knew just where to go to ambush my bull.  I was so confident that I even invited my brother and a few friends out to hunt.  That first year, when we got up on the mountain to hunt, you couldn't get to where I had scouted and found all the animals.  We had a foot of snow on the ground and got more almost every day.  Being the nimrod that I was, I was shocked that I had to chain-up my 4x4 all the way around and still couldn't get to where I wanted to go.  It was an eye opening experience for a "flat-lander" and I was clueless.  My oldest son did manage to take a small 5x5 that year.  That was the only elk any of us even saw.

After CJ took that little 5x5, I got to learn another important lesson.  After you get an elk down the fun really starts.  This young bull weighed probably 600-650 pounds. You don't just field dress one and drag it back to the truck like a whitetail.  I knew they were big, but I really didn't realize how big until this one decided to die at 10,000 feet, 3/4 of mile and 1000 feet below the nearest jeep trail with the snow a foot an half deep.  That "drag" gave me a whole new perspective on elk hunting.  This was an ordeal for out of shape hunters particularly when not used to the altitude.  We got him out and he ate real good, but there had to be a better way to get an elk off a mountain than on ones back in pieces.  This was actually far from the worse place you could have to retrieve an elk from in the mountains, just a word of caution for those unfamiliar with hunting in the high country.  Think about getting an animal out when you decide where to hunt.  This may eliminate a lot of great hunting areas but think about the reality of your physical condition and the resources available to you.

On the way home from the meat processor after that first hunt, we encountered the pictured herd of elk about 3 miles from my house.  When we first saw them, they were in the process of crossing the road.  There were elk on both sides and several just standing in the middle of the road.  Among them was the largest bull I've ever seen in the wild.  A 7x7 that dwarfed the 6x6 shown in the photo.  He took the rest of the herd back into the treeline before we could get a picture of him.  The picture is just the leftovers.

The next year I bought a 4x4 Polaris four-wheeler.  This little gem was very helpful while scouting and would, hopefully, prove to be a big help getting an elk off the mountain with out dying of a heart attack in the process.  The second year I tried hunting the same area I had the year before. I had a good idea where the elk were and confirmed it with several scouting trips.  When I went hunting this time the weather was cooperating and I could get around just fine.  So could every one else that ever thought about going elk hunting.  There were hunters everywhere.  They made all kinds of strange noises and smells that managed to drive the elk into the deepest, darkest holes they could find.  I was again very disappointed that the elk I had scouted all summer were nowhere to be found.  We saw a few cows and calves but no bulls and as a result, we found no elk in the freezer following this season.

I was becoming rather frustrated with this situation. I found elk when I scouted but not when I had a gun and a tag.  What should I do next in my quest for an elk? I was at a loss.  How do you manage to corner one of these critters on public land with a do it yourself hunt?  My next attempt was to enlist the aid of an experienced hunter to help me in my quest.  He offered to take me along and show me the ropes. I was in heaven, as he had been experiencing way above average success for years.  I thought I was finally going to get my elk.  Well to make along story relatively short, he hunted elk on their winter range during the third season, after snow up in the high country normally forces the elk down.  We got no snow or elk that season.

After three such successful seasons, you would think I would have learned my lesson and just booked a hunt with a good outfitter.  But no, that would be too easy. I was bound and determined to do this on my own.  So I spent another summer scouting elk in a more remote area that was harder to get in and out of.  That, hopefully, would eliminate most of the competition from other hunters.  All went well. I found some elk and was all set when the first season arrived.  This year found serious snowfall encountered on my way in.  Even chained up all the way around, I couldn't get close to the area I had scouted all summer.  I was 3 or 4 miles away. I might as well have stayed at home.  We did try to hunt up from below but really didn't have much of a chance and again went home empty handed.

I was on a real roll here.  I had a brainstorm, why not try the muzzleloader season?  It's earlier in the year, so the weather should be better.  There are fewer hunters.  It's during the rut, so the bulls will even tell you where they're at.  And since I had been accumulating preference points, this was a viable option.  So I applied for a tag, bought a muzzleloader and began to learn how to use it.  This is a story unto itself, which you'll find on the muzzleloader page.  The season rolled around, I knew where the elk were.  The woods weren't really full of hunters and I was very confident that this was the year.  Well, it wasn't the year.  While I knew where the elk were, I just couldn't seem to catch up with them.  I have absolutely no idea what the problem was. I knew where 3 herds of elk were during the rut and never managed to get close enough for a shot.  I really must be incompetent, unskilled, and unlucky.

That was the last time I went elk hunting.  In spite of being very frustrated, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of those hunts and can't wait to do it again.  I am, however, seriously considering solving the problem with money and an outfitter. (I did see Elk 2000 and Elk 2001)

Recommendations

I probably should recommend you talk to someone that has a clue about elk hunting.  I can at least provide a little advice and sources of information.  Colorado is the only state offering over the counter licenses and has the largest herd.  Approximately half of the total elk population in North America call Colorado home.  The hunter success averages around 20% historically statewide including guided hunters. My guess is that non-resident "do it yourself hunters" would be well below 10% unless one or more members of the group have been coming out here for several years.  That means that Colorado sells approximately 250,000 licenses, many to non-residents, and harvests approximately 50,000 elk.  While Colorado has lots of elk and public land, I would think long and hard before considering a "do it yourself" hunt if it's your first trip for elk.  I certainly don't profess to be an expert. I have included this bit of embarrassment to hopefully save someone else from a discouraging experience or at least prepare you for it.  These critters have definitely given me a lesson in humility.

As far as choice your of weapons goes, and this is all hearsay, elk are large tough animals requiring tough bullets and significant retained energy to stop.  While there are lots of hunters out west that swear by there 270s, I personally would start at a 30/06 with premium 180 gr bullets.  The one and only elk I've seen taken, was with a 30/06 loaded with 180 gr Nosler Partitions at about 75 yards. He took a couple of steps and collapsed.

If you are thinking of muzzle loading, be aware Colorado allows only open sights, no sabots, conical bullets not over 2 calibers in length, and outlawed in-lines for a year.  So be sure to check the regulations closely.  One solution to the conical problem may be found at Colorado Conicals.  They also explain the rules in more detail.  I selected a 54 cal for my hunt, which is probably the most common recommendation you will encounter.

Where to Go

If you would like to pursue this further, you might start with Colorado Division of Wildlife. Another good source of information is the Colorado Outfitters Association .  See Elk 2000 for info on New Mexico.