Change in life and hunting plans, looking for ideas!

[timberland]

I\'m back after an extended absence with lots of questions. I was laid off in november and in a week will find out if I get hired at a new job that allows no extended vacation from mid june until mid october.....

Goodbye archery elk hunting during the rut.

I\'m am going to be starting from scratch when it comes to rifle hunting elk. I am even going to have to buy a gun.

I\'m going to have to address changes in weather, changes in elk behavior, access to areas I use to bowhunt, and crowds. I don\'t even think the areas I bowhunted in will have elk in them in november.

Looking at my success and the challenges i\'m facing it sure seems that archery hunting was the easy life.
So let\'s start. Do I abandon the areas I archery hunt and try to find a new spot or do I dig my heals in and grind it out with the crowds?

 

[Baby Huey]

Barry, good luck on the potential new job!

I suggest you at least make a plan to visit your bowhunting area during rifle, or scout just before the rifle season to see if the elk are there. Also have a couple of backup spots you want to look at for the rifle season. Some of the archery spots we hunt hold elk in the rifle seasons as well, but some don\'t. If you get boots on the ground and confirm it, then you will know and can either hunt there or try out one of your backup spots.

 

[colorado russ]

Barry, also check the Parks & Wildlife maps that show migration paths and resident herds. Those will sometimes help especially if you need to put in for the draw so doing it blind. Check hunt statistics for other seasons in your unit to give a broad idea of results. Also look at past leftover lists if you can find them. My research has been \"most\" with lots extra don\'t end up with a high harvest ratio so tend to avoid.

Good luck.

 

[cnelk]

Barry

Mid-October can be a great time to scout for September elk!

Get the fist October license you can and go hunt!
Even if its a cow license.

If there is snow, you can see trails and bedding areas that a person wouldnt necessarily see in Sept.
You can get away from crowds, or play play the pressure in your favor

Look for rubs [ they will only be a month old or less]

Look for carcasses too. [That is a key indicator that its a good spot!]

Remember, Game Agencies dont rely on archery season for herd management, so go do your part!

 

[cohunter14]

Barry, I wouldn\'t worry too much about the change. First of all, \'crowds\' are going to be in every OTC unit. The only way to avoid crowds is to go with a draw hunt, which in your case would probably mean 4th season, at least in Colorado. If you go OTC 3rd season there will be crowds, but just like the bow hunters you probably fight currently, if you get off the roads and trails a 1/2 mile, you will escape the majority of them. As far as if the elk will be in the same location, that all depends on the weather. If I was you, I would start researching where the elk migrate to from where you currently hunt them. You can do that by speaking with a wildlife officer for the area and/or utilizing the CPW mapping system if you hunt Colorado. Once you figure that out, it will be easy to determine a secondary option for hunting, should the weather get bad before or during your hunt. Plan to hunt them where you currently do, but have a backup in case the weather has pushed them down.