Patterning Hunting Pressure

[ryancolter96]

Hey all,


I'll be heading to CO this August for an archery hunt. I've posted quite a bit on elk101 recently and gotten a ton of great info. The people on here are extremely helpful. I've learned thatamong some other things, using hunting pressure to your advantage is one of the most highly used pieces of advice regarding how to come back with some meat. Unfortunately, I live 10 hours from where I'll be hunting. So, I'm wondering if I could get some tips on how to pattern hunting pressure from far away. Are there people or departments I could call? Or if someone could tell me what areas NOT to go to, I would greatly appreciate it. Looking to head to Weminuche.


Thanks!

 

[adamds22]

Stay away from roads, there are a ton of hunters who hunt within a mile from the nearest roads, if you can get in and back to an area away from roads before daylight you might have some luck when the road hunters wake up and start pushing any elk away from the roads!

 

[windymtnman]

    Here's some thoughts I have on your post.  There's no shortage of Outfitters in Colorado.  If you do manage to find an area far from the roads, there might be one in that drainage as well?  I've called the Forest Service Recreational Specialist assigned to a particular forest district, and asked them if an Outfitter was working in a specific drainage, and believe it or not, they to date haven't given me a straight answer.  In that they're permitted, one would think they'd have a quick answer?  (Note: this may not be a universal response to this, perhaps just this area).
    Where I live, I do know where an area Outfitter has his camps, and in the past, I've intentionally hunted the peripheral areas that I deemed possible escape routes for spooked Elk.  Sometimes that can be an effective strategy.
      Here's another dilemma I've seen.  When you scout from Google Earth and other similar sources, you're able to see the lay of the land, the roads, and what seems like good Elk habitat.  What you may not see, is what goes on before hunting season.  For example,  I've packed into wilderness drainages in the Summer months, as it looked like a great camp spot, and of course I too look for new hunting areas.  When I've gotten fairly deep into the country, I've run into several thousand sheep, the herder and his passel of sheepdogs. They are there for the entire Summer.  This isn't uncommon, and they're smack dab in the middle of the Summer range for Elk.  Sheep will chew the grass down, crap up the turf and trample things enough to convince the Elkto go elsewhere.  Open range cattle are the norm also, but I don't think they I mpact the Elk like thousands of Sheep can
  In other scenarios, some great looking trailheads on a map, are also known to the Trout fishermen, the backpackers and the folks like me that like to horse camp.  I've seen trailheads in the South San Juan Wilderness with no place to park amongst the daytrippers, etc..  Be aware that a lot of Colorado's continental divide trail network will have trekkers on it all Summer.  For the most part, they are low impact, low key users, but nevertheless they can bump Elk herds. 
    These are a few of the things you may or not may see on Google Earth.  (Actually, if you have a Google Earth image taken in the Summer months, you MAY see vehicles at a trailhead).  Don't mean to be a downer here, it's just a reality.  Just know that when you pull up to a trailhead, it may  or may not be a popular use area, and while it's deserted when you arrive, that doesn't mean it's been that way all Summer season.