Any Updates for Colorado?

[Nuck]

Ok, it has been week plus a holiday weekend. How about some updates on what the elk are doing in Colorado. Need something to help pacify us that still have a week before we get hit the timber!!

[BuckyHunter13]

Very quiet in Northern Colorado. First bulls I’ve heard were last night and tonight, and last night was only a very short chuckle. I think the camping pressure had them quieted down hard all over where I hunt. Finally relocated tonight and heard a bull bugle a half hour before dark. Had I gone with my gut on setup location I’d have been 250 yards or less away. He was still in there after dark so I’ll be back in the morning. Just have to figure out where he’s going to bed.

[six]

Ok, it has been week plus a holiday weekend. How about some updates on what the elk are doing in Colorado. Need something to help pacify us that still have a week before we get hit the timber!!

Nuck they must be waiting for us to get there. Leaving zero dark thirty Sept 9th.

[saddlesore]

Two hunters in southern CO have been calling in bulls and cows since opening day.They come in quite though.They tagged one cow last Thursday I believe.Active bugling is still about a week to go.

I'm heading up NW CO tomorrow for ML season that opens Sat. Usually they are just starting then

[Hot Cow]

Had 1 bugle on the 2nd day of the season and called him into 10 yards. Not legal
That was the only bugle we heard after 4 days of hunting. Spoke to another hunter and he had heard 2. We are in unit 12.
Heading out again in one week so hopefully they will be talking more.

[Nuck]

Sounds good to me ‘six’. We leave out on the 12th.

[Nuck]

There was a lot more activity on the meat pole last year at this time.

[WapitiTalk1]

The meat pole will pick up speed very soon Nuck, stay tuned

[Losefreeze]

Saw a TON of sign over labor day weekend and some pretty impressive rubs. The morning of Labor Day as I was sitting to hunt my deer tag, as we hadn't actually seen or heard an elk yet, a faint bugle came out of the bottom of the draw we were sitting. Thought, well most likely a hunter as it was fairly weak and nothing special. That all changed a half hour later when a deep, echo'y, chuckle with no bugle before or after solidified that that was no hunter. The deer hunt was thrown out the window and off we went to hopefully get close before he made it up into the very steep timber to bed. He lightly bugled and chuckled a few more times over the next hour and then went silent. This all started at about 7 am so just after real shooting light in the canyon was possible.

Had I not been doing a morning only hunt, gotta make the wife happy if I want to get out a third time this season, I would have tried to chase him like my buddy did. Said he felt that he got within 50yrds or so but couldn't see them but heard him panting, pawing the ground and light grunts so he definitely was starting to get fired up. Excited to hear my first, confirmed, real bugle and just gets me pumped to hopefully getting another 3-4 days the final week which should be in full rut action. Couple pics of the rub areas we ran into. This monster was up rooting sapplings and in the taller tree pic the slight marking at the very top was about 11 ft.

Labor Day 18 Rub tall.jpg (211.48 KiB) Viewed 4495 times

Labor Day 18 Uproot.jpg (493.8 KiB) Viewed 4495 times

[Kessler10]

where I hunted in CO for the last 2 weeks the bulls are getting fired up as of a few days ago. Heard unsolicited bugles early morning this week. And bugled in a nice bull that actually had 1 cow with him. Which surprised me. Cow called in 2 other bulls as well.

Also heard some bed bugles midday. The first week was a little slower in terms of bugles. The smaller bulls were bugling opening weekend more in the evening just before dark. Called in a couple spikes/raghorns, but spikes were not legal to shoot in this area.

It seemed to me the big bulls are on their own in their staging areas getting fired up.

Good Luck!

[adamds22]

Been seeing a lot of herd in central CO, had one heard of about 100 elk with one decent bull pushing them around and bugling, had a few other herds with some smaller bulls but no bugling. One of the smaller herds watched a smaller bull start to lock horns with a raghorn which was pretty cool to watch!

[Nuck]

Sounds good. We We leave in five days. I hope the action keeps picking up

[Jhg]

Had a bull with six or so cows at 40 yds Sept 1st. Heard him bugle at 4:30 AM right behind my camp as they were moving from one area to another. Thought it was a hunter messing with me the bugles were so awful sounding. I got on them first light. He was chuckling, bulging a round up or two and thrashing some trees. Broadside at 40, which is my max range with a recurve, but the situation was perfect for a long shot except brush across the vitals. I listened to them the next two days in the next drainage over but hunting solo and the high temps it was not ethical for me to go after them. I would have lost meat for sure. This was at 9500 to 10,000' in broken black timber with aspen seeps peetering out as elevation gained. My experience this early this area they won't tolerate much calling. You have to be very careful, patient with calling.

[nrocchio]

I was supposed to be hunting with Losefreeze last weekend, but shot my deer early and missed out on all the exciting elk action. I heard from another buddy of mine that the rutting activity started picking up steam a few days ago in N Colorado where he hunts. I'm heading out tonight for a 5 day hunt. I am extremely lucky this year, and will be chasing moose, but will also have my elk tag. I will chime in again if the elk hunting is good.

[Elkduds]

Good reports! Tuesday I'm off to some spots southeast of Sunny Gunny, w a reissued muzzy cow tag. Camping @ 9.5K along a road that climbs to 10.5. I hunted there 30 years ago, probably won't cover as much elevation in my 1st hunt as a 60 year old. Plenty of mixed cover, aspens and beetlekill pine, around big meadows and grassy south-facing slopes. Hope to camp beneath the most deluxe meat pole I've seen in CO. Weather forecast is balmy. Trying out the new Kodiak canvas tent, hoping for the 1st shot @ game w the CVA Optima I picked up last year. Hopefully some gaudy gold and red aspen groves. Might even spike in a night or 2. Opening day remains the thrill of the year for me, I'm so READY

[Nuck]

Sounds like things may be picking up. Leaving crack-30 Wednesday morning!! Can’t wait, just need this dang hurricane to turn back into the Atlantic so we we won’t have to worry about the love ones as we head west.