2013 Colorado elk

[NCelkhtr]

Going on my second elk hunt this year in Colorado. Last year we were successful but was in unit 55 with tons of people and an awful lot of ATV traffic. Being across the country we cant scout except on maps and Google earth so I was looking for some help. We have 0 preference points so it will have to be an OTC tag or a unit that has a lot of excess tags. Looking for an area that I should concentrate on. Unit, wilderness, drainage, anything that will help. Just looking for an area that will hold a lot of elk with minimal pressure, don't have to be trophy potential, just elk. A place that we can hunt with 0 preference points, preferably a wilderness, but not a must, and we are not afraid to get well back into an area. Everyone in our group is below 30 so rough country and long hikes are welcome as long as there's a chance at elk. thanks for anything you can help me with

[Chad44]

Any wilderness hunt in Colorado will hold plenty of elk. Get off the trails and get far away from popular spots for hikers. They usually stay on trails from what I can tell. Pick out a wilderness area then pick out a drainage then contact dow and ask for the officer in charge of that unit. They are a big help but won't give you lots of info unless you have a idea of where you want to go. Google earth is good but I've come to love the CDOW maps. You can switch seamlessly between topo and satellite image. That way you can actually see where a trail comes in or where a drainage starts. I know you're wanting a specific area but I can't just give out my spots online. This is the tactics I've used with success and you can too. Like I stated before, any wilderness area will have plenty of elk. The harder you work getting away from people the more ok you'll see.

[NCelkhtr]

Thanks for the help Chad. I'll be giving them a call soon. I'm just trying to narrow it down to a unit at the moment to concentrate on before I began my calling. Also a guy mentioned that it was a good idea to call the DOW and speak with them about how much snow they had in the areas that I was looking at hunting. The way he explained it if an area had alot of snow and a hard winter then the elk numbers in and area could be very low, how much weight should this carry in my selection of a place?

[easeup]

so if you were successful in 55, why are you wanting out?

[cnelk]

The CPW will be flying over the animals in March to get the herd counts.

There hasnt been much snow to speak of this winter but the snow season is just now starting.
The herds are in pretty good shape in most areas, some places are reaching herd objectives.
Other places are lagging some from prior winter kills, and some are over herd objectives.

Here is a helpful link
http://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/huntingatlas/

Between GE and that link you have a lot of info at your finger tips.

If ATVs are a big concern to you, look up the Forest Service Region once you selected an area and you can download trail maps where OHV use is permitted and where it is not.

Good Luck

[NCelkhtr]

easeup we are looking at getting out because we couldnt find a place to get away from the crowds or atvs, not saying that there isn't a place to get away from it we just couldnt find it last year. also interested in the wilderness land and theres only a small portion in the area we were in last year. knowing more about what to look for in a place and where to do the research at will help us this year, and the success was an aweful lot to do with luck, but ill take that anytime lol. and thanks cnelk i will be checking those out for sure

[Chad44]

As far as snow goes I think it's important but not for the reason you stated. Elk are very tough animals and we have no wolves so they will survive most any Colorado winter. I like to see a lot of snow in my area during winter because it promotes good vegetation in the spring. Last years archery hunt where I go was really low on numbers of elk compared to years past. The biologist said they hit their winter ranges really early because of lack of food up high due to poor snow fall that year. This years winter is already surpassed last years, in the mountains anyway.