1st Elk Hunt 2nd Rifle Colorado OTC

[WVmike]

Just returned not long ago from my first elk hunt in Colorado. We flew out to Denver and rented a 4x4 and drove about 3 hours west to the area south of Carbondale/Glenwood Springs. We didn’t get to the area we were wanting to go until the next morning. Once we got to the areas we had marked on Onx we hiked in from our camp spot about a mile and a half to sit over a small park that overlooked a drainage for the evening. We didn’t see anything but signs of beaver and also some wallows with old elk scat. Closer to about 5-530 we had 2 cows and a calf walk out at the bottom of drainage at about 250 yards which is where we were setting up. One cow had a collar on which was interesting to see then we had a small bull with 3 on one side and only 2 on the right side come flying in pushing the cow with the collar. Since we had to have a 5 inch brow or 4 on one side, we couldn’t finish the deal with him.

 

[WVmike]

After the first sit that evening we headed back in the dark to get our camp set up for the night and we got stove running in the tipi tent since it was supposed to be in the teens that night. The next day we hiked back in further and saw plenty of sign of elk but just didn’t see anything that day. We hiked around 15 miles the 2nd day and tried to glass as best we could in the area we were in. I will say that when someone says the west is big country, you don’t fully understand that until you see it yourself. Some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen in my life.

 

[WVmike]

The 3rd day we decided to move to another location due to the weather that it was calling for with rain in the mid 30s with wind and changing to snow that night. We drove back down through Carbondale and Glenwood Springs to the unit north of New Castle and set up camp there the previous night after hunting the 2nd day. We drove on the back roads and pulled over to numerous places we thought of as a point of interest to glass and to no luck. Others we had talked to were having the same luck and the only animal we saw that had been harvested was a mule deer in the back of the trucks that drove by.

 

[WVmike]

All in all we were not successful at harvesting an elk but we did see some, we saw some amazing country and more importantly learned a lot.

We learned what we did right: which wasn’t a lot other than our fitness level and our gear we had. We did find elk and sign.

What we did wrong: flying wasn’t the best choice due to having make sure we could get back to Denver with the weather being difficult between where we were hunting and Denver, spending time the last full day trying to find elk in another unit and the lack of experience being from the East and only having whitetail hunted which we knew we didn’t have a clue what we were doing from the get go anyways lol I’m sure others could say what we did wrong also.

I will say, I cannot wait until we head west again to try and harvest an elk. I’ve heard some people say that elk hunting is a curse and I think the curse gave me and my friend both a touch of it already. It was a very humbling, enjoyable experience that I’ll use as a learning experience for next time.

 

[seeth07]

For sure plan A longer trip next time if the place is new. It usually takes at least 2 to 3 days to start to understand a place and that is why we don't normally get our elk on a trip until day 4 or 5.

 

[WVmike]

For sure plan A longer trip next time if the place is new. It usually takes at least 2 to 3 days to start to understand a place and that is why we don't normally get our elk on a trip until day 4 or 5.

I was planning on staying in that first unit the entire trip and attacking different drainages if we didn’t get on any elk in other ones. The weather forecast and our lack of experience in hunting at the elevation we were at shortened the trip. It was calling for 3-5 down around Carbondale the night after the rain but we were at 10,000 feet and another hunter that had a camp close to our site said it was calling for 12-18 up where we were. He was a nonresident but he had been there before. Maybe he told us that to make us move lol we will never know

 

[cohunter14]

Sounds like a great first elk hunting experience, and the fact you saw elk makes it even better! Build on what you've learned and it'll slowly get easier and easier, although I don't think it will ever be easy, lol!

 

[Reata]

Great pics and story, thanks for sharing! Keep at it!

 

[jphares44]

Man, those 2nd season OTC hunts can be tough, but kudos to you guys for getting out there and doing it and learning on the fly. That's the best way to do it, in my opinion. You were able to bank a lot of knowledge and know that area that much better if you decide to hunt there again. And you were able to get on some elk, so you were obviously doing something right. Good stuff. And great write-up!