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First DIY Elk Hunt

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First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 1]

Hey guys just joined and this is my first post, I am a hunter from Florida and did a private property 3rd season rifle hunt in Colorado Unit 73 last year and didn't see a thing because according to the owner the it hadn't snowed yet to bring the elk down onto his land. This year I'm trying again but a DIY in archery season (10 days starting opening day) and wanted to get some opinions on whether I should try Colorado again (After looking up all the statistics on the CPW.state website, the Colorado hunting atlas and on my Onxmap I was eyeing somewhere around the OTC Units 521, 53, 421, 42, and 43) or I was also looking at just an OTC spike hunt in Utah. I am not looking to get a trophy bull or anything close to that, although that would be awesome, but I just want some elk meat in my freezer for the first time. I'm just looking for some help to point me in the right direction for my best chance to fill my first elk tag. I'm willing to put in the hard work and hunt hard and far in if needed but the reason I was considering Utah is everything I'm reading online about Colorado OTC units makes me feel like it is 99% luck that you actually get an opportunity at a shot, no matter how hard you hunt or how far in you go because of the crowd. I might be thinking too negatively about it but that's why I just wanted to get some opinions on if I should stick to my Colorado plan or maybe try something like the Utah spike hunt which will be a little less crowded with other hunters. Especially since some of the OTC Colorado units are now a draw only which makes me think it will be even more crowded. Thank you for any guidance you guys can give, appreciate it.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby Swede » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Welcome to the forum firehunter. What difference does it make if you are hunting a 10% otc unit in Colorado or Utah or for that matter Idaho? The scenery changes and the weather from one area to another.
What I would advise it to find a unit with a fairly good success rate, learn the area and learn elk hunting. While you are doing that put in for points in a couple of States. Probably by the time you get drawn you will have a better idea how to effectively hunt elk. Don't holt out for those units that take forever to draw. Also follow this forum and plan to purchase some how-to material that will help you learn so that when you hit the road for Wyoming or wherever you will feel a little more confident on your chances. Good luck.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Thanks for the input swede, I think I am going to stick to finding a Colorado OTC unit I like and learning it over the next few years. Any one
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Any one certain how to material you would recommend?
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby Swede » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Find books that explain elk. I went into my basement and just picked out the following: Bowhunting modern elk by Patrick Meitin, High Pressure Elk Hinting by Mike Lapinski, Elk Talk by Don Laubach and Mark Henckel, Elk Tactics by Don Laubach and Mark Henckel, and Elk Hunting The West by Mike Eastman. These all help explain elk hunting. If you are really into learning elk, Elk of North America Ecology And Management By Jack Ward Thomas and Dale E. Toweill is a great resource. Just be forewarned that last book is not light reading.

You are going to get a lot of advise on calling, and then you are told to buy a diaphragm and grunt tube. Don't start there. Learn elk first and how to locate them. If you ever go into calling, just know it is a tool for use after you locate where they are, and like a hammer or saw is in a shop it is not a universal tool It is not a way to easily get elk. You really need to know what you are doing, and how to go about making one effectively help you get close.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby Indian Summer » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 6]

My advice would be to try Montana. Licenses are easy to get and you can get away from people and kill elk because of your planning and hard work instead of by luck. I’m about to head out the door right now so I’ll keep this short: I don’t know what you pay for those private land hunts but whatever it is you have to pay again every year to hunt. Have a look at my website, ask the elknuts on here if I know anything at all about elk, and if you’re interested and have questions let me know. I sell diy elk hunting plans in Montana and Wyoming. I can put you in a good area with a solid plan... bow or gun. I punched 13 tags in a row the last times I hunted Montana. My hunters have success rates 2-5 times higher than the rates on fish and game websites. I love to teach! I have reviews over on Bowsite if you want to have a look. I’ll check back on your thread in the morning. You have until the end of this month to apply for a license.

Welcome aboard pilgrim and good luck!
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby Swede » 03 06, 2020 •  [Post 7]

A couple of days ago I watched Elk Fever by Larry D. Jones, and tonight I watched Elk Fever III on YouTube. They are just plain fun and a great starting point in learning elk hunting. Elk Fever was filmed in 1986 and is still good. Elk Fever III was done very recently using mostly old film. Larry and Dwight Schuh were avid callers.
Like Elknut they were proficient at it and knew how to make it work where they hunted. One of the reasons I prefer to see new hunters learn their hunt area, and how to hunt, is that calling has been over used so much in the last 30 years. Elk have become call shy due to hunters misusing calls. I have more than once observed elk run away on hearing what should have been a great call.
BTW: I am familiar with the store in Riley Oregon and Dale Martin the store owner. That establishment was near my previous home near Burns Oregon.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 07, 2020 •  [Post 8]

Thanks for all the info swede and I definitely wasn’t planning on calling my first hunts for two reasons, one I’ve read a lot about the calls actually turning the elk off because they've had too many other hunters calling them and two I don’t know what I’m doing yet haha.
Indian summer that sounds awesome I’m definitely interested, I think I actually emailed you about the Montana plan because I saw it mentioned on a thread on here. I can’t PM on here yet but you can email me some more details at mcastro0220@gmail.com. I would definitely be willing to switch up my hunt to Montana this year for less of a crowd. I used to have family in Bozeman, beautiful country.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 07, 2020 •  [Post 9]

...and that private property I hunted last year was $2000 split between 3 guys, I’m guessing it was so cheap because there were no animals haha.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby saddlesore » 03 07, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Being a long time resident of Colorado, I can tell you that just about any OTC hunt,be it archery or rifle has become very crowded in the last ten years. CPW shut down a big area in SW CO that was OTC and is now draw only for archery this coming year due to low elk population and to many hunters.

Colorado is the dumping grounds for all the hunters that applied,but did not draw in other states, as they know they can get those OTC tags.

CPW ( Colorado Parks and Wildlife) has shifted their elk herd management from what is good for the over all herd to money management and what can bring in the most money . In general herd counts are down and most hunters believe CPW inflates their count numbers.

I would strongly suggest looking at Wyoming or Montana
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby firehunter » 03 07, 2020 •  [Post 11]

Thanks saddlesore, I think that’s what I’m going to do, try for a Montana tag. Indian summer said he has some nice diy hunt info.
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Re: First DIY Elk Hunt

Postby Lefty » 03 08, 2020 •  [Post 12]

saddlesore wrote:Colorado is the dumping grounds for all the hunters that applied,but did not draw in other states, as they know they can get those OTC tags.a

I thought the same about Idaho

I would say getting a tag in any state is most important
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