Colorado Elevation, vegetation: 2nd season Rifle

[lanewillhite@gmail.com]

Ok, less than 60 days until my first Elk hunt!!!!

October 20-28th

...Hoped my first hunt would be archery, but this will be good practice for 2019 archery elk. Just excited for the adventure!!

My question: The area my hunting partner and I are intending to start at first barely gets below 9000 elevation, even in the valleys and drainages. Most of the terrain is 10-12k elevation....has plenty of growth, water, food sources and cover.

My concern is whether even without an October snow, will they be MUCH lower post-rut?? Are we going somewhere they wont be, regardless of how cold of an October it might be?

Any insight to Elk elevation ranges in late October would be appreciated!!

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[cohunter14]

First of all, welcome to the site!  :welcome:


Elevation is a very difficult aspect to base elk hunting on. There are elk that live all year at less than 4,000? in Colorado, for example. The easiest thing I can tell you is elk can certainly be at those altitudes that time of year, as long as they haven?t been pushed out by a deep snow. Those snows have been more and more rare over the last few years, but I?ve been part of hunts with 15?+ of snow in the 1st rifle season, so it can happen. Pay attention to the weather both before and during your hunt and that should help. Assuming there?s no big snowfall, they can definitely be up that high.