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First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

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First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Kessler10 » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Which bucket do you prefer and have had more success with and why? I began hunting more in the last 2 weeks but over the last few years have been going earlier. Will be hunting opening weekend and the following week this year.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Elkhunttoo » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 2]

13-25 are my favorite days. Although I have had good luck opening day over the years too. It's impossible to schedule but I would choose weather over what days anytime
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Indian Summer » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 3]

So many times replies to questions are based on a person’s experience in a specific area. Any answers to this question would definitely be the same. That depends on weather, hunting pressure and habits of the elk in a given area. It can’t hurt to be the first one to hunt a place. But mid day action in early season heat can be non existent. I know spots where the bulls are ready to start the party asap and others where they are just laying low staying out of the sun until they know their efforts will be rewarded.

As a general rule I’d say if you took a poll the most popular answer would be the 10th to 25th. If you only had 10 days Id say 15 to 25. People who hunt Colorado might say different because of the muzzleloader season. Good luck this year Luke.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Lefty » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 4]

In reality they are two different hunts for me.
Since I dont kill elk :o I hunt both times.

For me the encounters and opportunities on big bulls has been early.
getting in and seeing more elk happens later,..

I like early the most,.. fewer if any hunters
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Jhg » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Indian Summer wrote:So many times replies to questions are based on a person’s experience in a specific area. ...
X2 on that.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Swede » 08 10, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Indian Summer is right. His explanation is perfect. I have had most of my success the first week of the season. Hunting pressure has made killing elk later much more difficult, especially the last 10 years.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby saddlesore » 08 11, 2018 •  [Post 7]

First off let's put some thing to bed and stop this ML vs archers. In almost all units in Colorado no more than 100 ML bull tag are awarded in each unit. Spread that 100 over a couple hundred thousand acres and the ML are spread out very thin.You will see way more archery hunters than ML hunter.
I got back today from 3 days in the the country. it is dry,dry,dry.hot, hot ,hot, with no change in sight over the next two weeks. I advise anyone contemplating Colorado to hunt later. An outfitter, I know very well,is not taking any huntes out the first two weeks.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Indian Summer » 08 11, 2018 •  [Post 8]

saddlesore wrote:First off let's put some thing to bed and stop this ML vs archers. In almost all units in Colorado no more than 100 ML bull tag are awarded in each unit. Spread that 100 over a couple hundred thousand acres and the ML are spread out very thin.You will see way more archery hunters than ML hunter.
I got back today from 3 days in the the country. it is dry,dry,dry.hot, hot ,hot, with no change in sight over the next two weeks. I advise anyone contemplating Colorado to hunt later. An outfitter, I know very well,is not taking any huntes out the first two weeks.


I’ve always wondered how many ML hunters there were down there. To me those guys wouldn’t make a difference. In Wyoming deer season (rifle) starts September 15. It has no affect. They hunt completely different areas and styles. Waaaaaay up high glassing all day. They can actually be a good source of information.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Jhg » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 9]

ML do affect where I sometimes hunt. A lot. I think debate is healthy and we only hurt ourselves when we try to limit it. Maybe this thread isn't the place for an in depth discussion, but ML is no longer the primitive activity it started out as. As a result, more and more participants mirror many of rifle seasons less attractive characteristics and impacts the archery experience. Many archers I talk to in my area plan around the ML season. And yes, I also hunt elk with a rifle.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby saddlesore » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Jhg wrote:ML do affect where I sometimes hunt. A lot. I think debate is healthy and we only hurt ourselves when we try to limit it. Maybe this thread isn't the place for an in depth discussion, but ML is no longer the primitive activity it started out as. As a result, more and more participants mirror many of rifle seasons less attractive characteristics and impacts the archery experience. Many archers I talk to in my area plan around the ML season. And yes, I also hunt elk with a rifle.


Ah!, archery equipment is not the primitive gear that it was when archery seasons were introduced either. So that is a no starter..Also there are more and more participants in archery season that mirror many of those less attractive characteristics. I think both those remarks add to my comment of it's us vs them in terms of both.I have never had verbal abuse from other ML hunters, have encountered some with rifle hunters,but the majority has come from archers. Fact is I am very good friends with the OP of this thread.

Public land is multi use.That is hiking, cycling, ATV's grazing, logging, rifle hunting ,muzzle loader hunting , archery hunting, small game hunting to name a few.Anyone who buys a hunting license should know that he/she may encounter other hunters not using the same means. A good hunter figures out where,why, and when elk move because of other hunters or public land users and tune their hunt to that.I am a muzzle loader hunter and center fire rifle hunter, but many times help archers finding areas,how to hunt them, packing their elk out etc.

This should probably be in Swede's Fact, Observation, Speculation post.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Swede » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Obnoxious hunters are like bad weather. They always show up when you least want to deal with them. As far as what time to hunt, this too is like obnoxious hunters. You just never know what you will run into. In our area it is hunter numbers and cattle. After the cattle leave, an elk would need to carry a sack lunch just to get through the allotments.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Lefty » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 12]

saddlesore wrote:
Jhg wrote:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, A good hunter figures out where,why, and when elk move because of other hunters or public land users and tune their hunt to that.I am a muzzle loader hunter and center fire rifle hunter, but many times help archers finding areas,how to hunt them, packing their elk out etc..


Dead on

we could be those poor guys that have almost no public lands
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby Jhg » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 13]

I knew if I mentioned the change ML has undergone someone would call out archery changes as well, and make that fact reason enough not to debate the subject. Thats not the point of course, and I don't take it as meant that way. I agree its the individuals themselves and their actions, all methods of take, who determine perception. Anyway, my main point was ML season does impact where I hunt. I will stand by that observation. I don't mean to step on any toes btw. I am new here. Not looking to cause trouble with my point of view.
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Re: First 2 weeks or last 2 weeks of archery

Postby saddlesore » 08 12, 2018 •  [Post 14]

Swede wrote: You just never know what you will run into. In our area it is hunter numbers and cattle. After the cattle leave, an elk would need to carry a sack lunch just to get through the allotments.


Where I hunt it's sheep. I was up there this past week and any water I found, which was darn little, was so fouled with sheep feces,etc that the mules would not even put their nose down. They get into those little seep sand springs and churn it all up so all there is is mud. Elk will move back into an area fairly quick if there are cattle around and it is not over grazed,With sheep,it' s weeks.The guy that has the grazing lease where I hunt runs 9000 head, and about 3000 of them are where I hunt.
Sheep are suppose to be gone August 31, cattle usually Sept 15. Which is why my advice is hunt the latter part of September if there are grazing leases in the unit.

Another thing to take into account is that outfitters are moving their camps in all of August. If they are drop camps, they are usually very near prime elk habitat. All that noise from pack strings, setting up tents, cutting tent poles,driving stakes in,cutting firewood moves those elk out of the immediate area
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