CO Virtual Scouting

[Colberjs]

I am using this map link to try and find a target area for an archery elk hunt in Colorado. I'm considering unit 86 on the recommendation of a fellow Hunt Talker. This map is showing an area that is a migration route near both summer and winter ranging grounds for elk that is also near a camping area.

Is it really that easy? It's almost like there is an arrow saying "hunt here". Is there something else I need to be looking at or for?

At this point I don't have a hunting partner (the guy I had planned to go with had to back out due to other travel arrangements with his wife) but I have put the word out to some friends and family that I am looking for one since my wife is completely freaked out at the thought of me running around in the big, scary mountains alone.

If somebody can give me some virtual scouting pointers it would be greatly appreciated. This will be my second elk hunting trip to CO, my first trip to this unit, and my first time to do it completely on my own. My previous trip was a drop camp rifle hunt with 3 other guys that had been in that exact camp previously.


Thanks!!

 

[EODRay]

I'll leave the map scouting advice to the experts. However, I too am planing on doing a archery elk hunt. Send me a PM if you wanna discuss it. Good luck either way

 

[kmf]

Find the area farthest from the roads and put an x there. If you find elk between the vehicle and the x shoot it and consider yourself lucky.

 

[spook12]

Never go to the end of the road................................That's where everyone else starts.

 

[Colberjs]

Thanks for the replys.

I'll leave the map scouting advice to the experts. However, I too am planing on doing a archery elk hunt. Send me a PM if you wanna discuss it. Good luck either way

Ray, I have a few people that I am waiting to hear back from and I'll let you know what I find out. Thanks for the offer. I'll let you know something in a couple days I hope.

 

[Hatchie Dawg]

I don't archery hunt and have been elk hunting only twice but this is what I look for. The Hunting Atlas is the old NDIS system and I have used it extensively in prep for both my hunts. Here is what I do and have managed to get into elk both hunts. I grind the unit harvest stats and make a top ten list of available units OTC or draw that I can get. I start looking at the top three units based on hunter success. I then look the Hunting Atlas and highlight the summer and winter concentration areas as well as the general migration directions and migration corridors. In certain areas there are also resident populations of elk that do not really migrate. I then look for rugged out of the way areas where as many of the afore mentioned concentration areas overlap then really focus down there with google earth, wardens, and biologists then repeat as needed. With archery I suspect you would lean towards the summer concentration areas.

That's what I do

Good luck
HD