I have no real experience elk hunting other than what I\'m reading on here and from Extreme Elk magazine but my question is... if I hunt the first two weeks of archery season in Colorado, at what elevation are the majority of the elk going to be spending most of their time during the day? I have read some posts that say there are more elk below 9k than above but others say you find them near the timberline. I can only scout using maps and will likely arrive a day before season to scout. My plan is to camp as high as possible above the elk sign as I think it will be easier to hunt my way downhill and I would expect hunters coming up from the bottom and they may actually push some toward me. The highest elevations in the area I\'m looking at are right around 12k.
Early Season Elevation
- Thread starter razorback
- Start date
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,345
A lot depends on the area you are hunting. In general, elk can be found at 12,000+ feet that time of year, but can also be found below 9,000 feet. If you have decided on a general area, check out the CPW Hunting Atlas here: http://ndis-flex.nrel.colostate.edu/HuntingAtlas/. You can use the tools on the left to get a general idea of the summer concentration areas, which should give you a better idea.
Here is what I would do...
If you think elk are at a certain elevation, hunt them there.
I wouldn\'t expect or rely on other hunters in any way.
That IMO would make for a long day
And I would never hunt downhill in the morning
That again could make for a long day.
But that\'s just me
If you think elk are at a certain elevation, hunt them there.
I wouldn\'t expect or rely on other hunters in any way.
That IMO would make for a long day
And I would never hunt downhill in the morning
That again could make for a long day.
But that\'s just me
So if I suspect elk are at a certain elevation, how about camping higher but not directly above them. Say a mile East or West of them and then get on the same level and work my way toward them. Where I hunt in Missouri you can almost alway count on a S to SW wind. I plan on having one of those little windcheckers in my pocket and letting that tell me how to make my approach. I\'m just not sure how far away an elk can smell.
I like to hunt uphill in the mornings for a couple key reasons.
1- Downhill thermals
2 - My legs are fresh. When the morning hunt is over its DOWNHILL to camp [ Believe me, it makes a difference]
Elk can smell quite a ways, but you dont have to camp a long ways away from them.
1- Downhill thermals
2 - My legs are fresh. When the morning hunt is over its DOWNHILL to camp [ Believe me, it makes a difference]
Elk can smell quite a ways, but you dont have to camp a long ways away from them.
we have had elk bugle within a couple hundred yards of our camp at nite. an seen them closer. i wouldnt suggest that, it just happened to be where we found a flat spot big enuf to set the tent up. as far as elevation the other guys are right. i have one spot i hunt that is around 7500 feet that has elk in it at the start of the season. another is 9500 an we have to go up to see elk.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
Several years back, in the second week in CO, we set up camp at about 9K. First afternoon hunt, we saw our first bull up on the tippy top at 11,500. So, the next morning, we humped all the way up there. That\'s when we glassed the second bull down at 9K very near where we were camped :evil:
Most of our encounters that trip were between 8500 and 9K...including one 360 bull that didn\'t bugle, he kinda \"roared\" like a bear. Very rare to see a bull like that where we hunt!
Most of our encounters that trip were between 8500 and 9K...including one 360 bull that didn\'t bugle, he kinda \"roared\" like a bear. Very rare to see a bull like that where we hunt!
