Colorado - which week?

[Mad_Angler]

I\'ve read several threads on this question and I still can\'tmake up my mind?

- Early season: will you hear any bugles? For my first elk hunting trip, hearing bugles is one of my top priorities
- Mid season: how bad will the muzzleloader crowds be? As a newbi, I don\'t think I can compete with hundreds of guys with MLs
- Late season: how skittish will the elk be after being harrassed for 3 weeks?

As background, this will be my first elk hunt. I\'ve never even seen an elk before. I will be hunting OTC in Colorado. I have a StartMyHunt map coming. I really just want to kill an elk. It doesn\'t need to be a monster or even a bull.

 

[cnelk]

Early - you will hear some bugles. Prob first thing in morning and at evening. Can be pretty quiet most of the day but it depends.

Mid - ML hunters can impact an area. I know I won\'t hunt my OTC area the first weekend of ML season but they tend to leave about Wed/Thursday.

Late - elk can be even more quiet after the ML season but depends on the pressure they had.

Early is good because elk can be called in as they aren\'t herded up and they are interested in calls.
Mid is good because they are becoming more vocal and rutting active
Late is good because the rut is in full swing.

I have killed elk in every week of the season.
Not one is better or worse as there are factors that contribute to success and failure to each.

 

[Zpd307]

Early - you will hear some bugles. Prob first thing in morning and at evening. Can be pretty quiet most of the day but it depends.

Mid - ML hunters can impact an area. I know I won\'t hunt my OTC area the first weekend of ML season but they tend to leave about Wed/Thursday.

Late - elk can be even more quiet after the ML season but depends on the pressure they had.

Early is good because elk can be called in as they aren\'t herded up and they are interested in calls.
Mid is good because they are becoming more vocal and rutting active
Late is good because the rut is in full swing.

I have killed elk in every week of the season.
Not one is better or worse as there are factors that contribute to success and failure to each.

brad summed this up real well! I have hunted all three also. although the bulls did lighten up and bugle a couple of days after the end of the ml season ended...

 

[Deertick]

I\'m hunting for a week straight this year.

But next year, I\'m thinking about going for 2 half-weeks, to \"split the difference\" and capture some of the early, and some of the peak rut.

An old friend of mine used to say: \"When given a choice, take both.\" (I suppose he still does say that.)

Personally, I lean a bit toward the earlier. Better weather.