3rd season Colorado

[Camolife84]

So I found out I have some vacation time left over and I am considering a trip out for the 3rd season. Looking in the gunnison area. Are elk still high at this time and are the strategy for hunting them completely different then archery. Ps this will be my first elk hunt looking to either truck camp or be in a hotel due to inexperience with elk hunting. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[LCH]

I just came from the general Gunnison area, and there were elk at 7k and elk at 12k. I was hunting deer though.

It's a beautiful part of Colorado, good luck!

 

[Ben Sellers]

Leave some for me. I will be in that general area in 4th season. I don’t know for certain but I suspect the weather and snow depth will drive a lot of where they are.

I like that you’re going to just make it happen and not planning your first hunt for 2021 or something. Nothing wrong with that but you’ll likely learn more from 10 days of doing than two or three years of getting ready.

 

[kiwi hunter]

camping out would save a lot of wasted time travelling back n forth,,keep walking till you hit sign(fresh of course) out with the binos from a good vantage point and youre far more likely to see game right on dusk and wake up early on the job,,my 3c

 

[Elk Nut]

I assume you're talking about the OTC tag? If so, you'll be hunting for a bull. The rut will be over and the mature bulls will be resting trying to recover from the rut. They'll find some nasty area for some solitude. Don't be afraid to go in after them if you're any good at still hunting. It's my style and love that kind of hunting.

Younger bulls will still be with the cows. You'll have a better chance of seeing them but will also have a lot of cow eyes looking at you.

Good luck and have fun. Hunting is more than killing, so, enjoy it.

 

[redwoood]

I just came from the general Gunnison area, and there were elk at 7k and elk at 12k. I was hunting deer though.

It's a beautiful part of Colorado, good luck!

What unit were you in LCH? PM is fine if you if prefer.

I'll be out there 1st rifle.

Good luck to the OP!

 

[Elk Nut]

1st rifle will be a lot better than the OTC 2nd and 3rd seasons. Maybe 600-800 hunters instead of 3000. That would be unit 55. I hunt it sometimes in muzzleloader season. Not many hunters then.

 

[redwoood]

1st rifle will be a lot better than the OTC 2nd and 3rd seasons. Maybe 600-800 hunters instead of 3000. That would be unit 55. I hunt it sometimes in muzzleloader season. Not many hunters then.

I'll be in 54.

 

[Elk Nut]

I never hunted there but here's a guide that will show you the number of hunters and harvest. It looks 1000% better for 1st rifle compared to 55. Scrool down to find 54.

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/HuntGuides/SWHuntGuide.pdf

 

[redwoood]

The stats on that link are a lot different than what's on the CDOW website.

 

[Elk Nut]

Both come from their website.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

So I found out I have some vacation time left over and I am considering a trip out for the 3rd season. Looking in the gunnison area. Are elk still high at this time and are the strategy for hunting them completely different then archery. Ps this will be my first elk hunt looking to either truck camp or be in a hotel due to inexperience with elk hunting. Any help is greatly appreciated

I would assume bulls will be camping down i an oak brush hell hole or scratching out a living in some dark timber right at the very top of the mountain. Bulls don’t really need to move down until the snow is super deep.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Welcome to HT!

 

[ChrisAU]

I never hunted there but here's a guide that will show you the number of hunters and harvest. It looks 1000% better for 1st rifle compared to 55. Scrool down to find 54.

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/HuntGuides/SWHuntGuide.pdf

They screwed up the stats for 54 in that guide, the other link posted is correct.

 

[Elk Nut]

Screwing up is nothing new to the DOW.

 

[lifesupport4u]

Elk will have been highly pressured with archery, muzzleloader and 2 previous rifle seasons. Expect some snow with potential to get snowed off a mountain.