Planning first elk hunt.

[archerynut611]

Hello everyone out there, I am new to this sight. I am in the process of trying to plan my 1st elk hunt. Myself and a friend want to try to take an elk with our bows.
Neither of us have ever elk hunted before so I am in search of all the information I can find.
We are wondering if we would be better off to go it on our own or to use an outfitter.
Any help from all you experienced elk hunters would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
Henry

 

[birddog]

There are a few of us just like you on here me and rich z are in the same boat. We are going diy archery in Colorado this fall. I can tell you this is a great site and will learn more then you ever thought possible there is so much experience on here and people will share it with you. Welcome to the club.

 

[Jeremiah Johnson]

There is a lot to learn and there will be trials and tribulations along the way, but that just adds to the ELKOHOLISM............Good luck and enjoy the journey
   

 

[archerynut611]

Thanks. That is what I am hoping for. There is so much we need to learn and figure out before we do this. I just want to make sure we have everything in order before we go for it.
We were trying to figure out whether to go semi guided or diy.
Good luck to you.

 

[farmboy]

I had a friend who was experienced in elk hunting teach me a few basics.  Then it was up to my partner and I to learn thru experience.  My preference is DIY.  I'm sure going with a guide would really up your chances of taggin out on ur first trip.  However, in my opinion the gratification lies in locating, calling, and creating close encounters on your own.  When you do that all yourself then it makes shooting one that much more special.  The idea of not doing the whole experience by myself is less appealing.  If you do decide to go with a guide they will teach u enough in one season to give you a decent foundation from which to build. Just be aware that sticking one on public land will require a lot more effort and persistence than those private ranches.  It sounds like ur traveling from afar so I understand the conundrum.  I live 90 min fom my elk spots so I might not see things thru your lenses.  Good luck and be ready for the most enjoyable frustration known to man.  Addiction is an understatement.

 

[wapiti_will]

Well, you came to the best source of info onthe internet.  What kind of time will you have for this season?  Personally I'm DIY all the way, even if I only have a weekend to get it done.  But if you're unfamiliar with any good spots and you're limited to a few days of hunting, an outfitter my be able to help you fill your tag.  That said, the only way you're going to learn to be successful on your own is to put in the prep time and get out there and start spending time in the woods.  Elk will teach you something every day you're out there with them.  And the satisfaction of a successful DIY is something you will never forget and never get tired of 

 

[archerynut611]

We will have about a week, and that is 1 of the biggest reasons we were thinking about going with a semi guided hunt. For no other reason except to help is get our gear in and out of the woods. We both agreed that we would much rather do the actual hunting on our own. The other thing I got to figure out, I have no idea how to go about finding a piece of than to hunt in Colorado when I am living in NH.lol. If someone could point me in the right direction for that it would be a great start.

 

[nclonghunter]

archerynut611, Two hunting buddies and myself, decided to do a DIY in Colorado the first time out. We called lots of people,emailed,studied maps and read everything we could. With several "Good" public land locations to scout, we headed west. The 28 hour exciting drive out and arrival to view the grandest mountains was fantastic. We then had another 12 hours of driving to examine the 5 areas we had selected. I recall one spot we had picked and planned on backpacking into, when we arrived it looked like climbing Mt. Everest. It was very, very humbling.
Afte a full year of knowledge seeking, we ended up pulling off a dirt road and throwing up a dome tent and crashing. We got there on Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend. That weekend was ATV's, trucks and people everywhere. After the weekend it was quiet again.
With a tremendous amount of LUCK, we stopped a local driving by and asked some questions about where we were. After a long talk and finding a connection, that helped open things up a bit, he gave us some valueable info. We ended up going to a place that we had no prior knowledge of and located some elk sign, which we had not found prior.
We have been able to take a couple elk in that area on DIY, but we got extremely lucky in my opinion.  My buddy took a 6x6 with his bow. We also took with us a lot of life learned skills for hunting and camping, so that was not a big learning curve to put into place once we found "home".
I have also said that if our second years trip, had been out first year, then I would never have gone back out. The second year was HOT and we saw 3 elk in two weeks of hunting. It totaly sucked, put like any elkoholic we were looking for that elk bugling high one more time... .
In my opinion, if you have the money for a semi guided hunt, do it. I believe it will shorten the learning curve. Also plan on driving around learning the country, making new friends and getting a feel for what is needed physically and mentally. The next trip would be a much better DIY with the knowledge you gain.
If you can, aside from the year long search for information, find a friend or someone that has been out and is willing to let you go with them or share a location. Someone who has paid the dues to the knowledge of where elk can be found.
A FIRST TIME OUT DIY is not easy, but it can be done. It will be your hardest trip and most likely your least odds of success.  I have heard, if you throw a dart at a map of Colorado, you will find elk "there". Probably true, but getting "there" is not nearly as simple as we hope.
Good LUCK, it's an adventure I will never regret.

 

[archerynut611]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I am going to sit down with my friend and figure out exactly what kind of hunt we want to do. After this, I will be back for more advice.


Thanks so much.
Henry

 

[firstcomefirstserve]

great thread Henry, i am also planning a first time elk trip to colorado this fall....super pupmed!!!!!good luck !!!!! chris lee