First Season Rifle Strategy in CO

[realdyl75]

Hey guys.

Pretty new here, but going on my first elk hunt with my dad in first rifle season in CO.

I've spent countless hours studying and scouting with OnX, GoHunt, CPW website, and Google Earth. I've also watched several YouTube videos from Randy, Mark Livesay, and the BRO guys. I have a couple questions about strategy though.

I'll be hunting mostly USFS land, should I be focusing on the summer range or the winter range for early/mid October?

Also, I've been looking into buying a rooftop tent for my truck and using that as a mobile basecamp, rather than backpack camping. Is this an effective strategy?

Thanks in advance, looking forward to learning as much as I can.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

I would focus on the summer range/transition zones for early October. Depending on the weather though the elk may be closer to their winter range. Unlikely though. As for camping it depends on how far back in the woods you will be trying to get. You will want to have multiple spots to hunt Incase one is a blowout. The truck tent may be a good idea for that. Depending on the pressure of the unit you will want to get father off the road. Backpacking may help with that.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I second the above advice. Unless you get unusually snowy weather, look for elk to be much closer to summer range. Have several plans and be flexible. If you don't live at high elevation, do your best to give yourself some time to acclimate. Try to spend a night or two below 8000ft before you try to sleep at 10,000, etc. Have fun!

 

[realdyl75]

I would focus on the summer range/transition zones for early October. Depending on the weather though the elk may be closer to their winter range. Unlikely though. As for camping it depends on how far back in the woods you will be trying to get. You will want to have multiple spots to hunt Incase one is a blowout. The truck tent may be a good idea for that. Depending on the pressure of the unit you will want to get father off the road. Backpacking may help with that.

Thank you. My plan is to setup basecamp and hike around 10-15 miles a day around that camp.

 

[come2elmo]

Thank you. My plan is to setup basecamp and hike around 10-15 miles a day around that camp.

Take my one trip to CO first rifle this year with a grain of salt but one of the regrets I have is we were not mobile enough to chase after the elk. We had a sweet base camp with a warm tent and stove but we didn't have many elk near by so breaking camp would have been a pain but in hind sight we should have done it. Some things to keep in mind.

1. Camp mobility is good.
2. Depending on terrain 10-15 miles a day is not so easy in the mountains.
3. Driving or walking will take WAY WAY more time then e-scouting will ever be able to convey.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I agree that 10-15 miles a day will be tough if done every day. How old is your dad?

 

[nrpate05]

I would probably focus closer to summer range but I've seen elk from 8,000' to almost 12,000' during first rifle. The rooftop tent sounds like a good idea but I've never really seen people end up liking them. They're kind of a pain to setup and take down. If you're set on going that route then certainly use it a few times before going out. It may just be easier to setup a tent off a forest service road. As others have stated, I wouldn't plan on 10-15 miles a day. That's difficult on a trail, let alone chasing elk off trail. I'd pick some good glassing spots and try to "let your eyes do the walking." I used to think that just hammering out miles was the only way to find elk. It can work, but it is far easier to sit and glass and then try to go after them.

 

[Hertervillian]

Far from being an expert. It has been my experience that as a rule the elk are on the higher side. If >10,000 is available it might very well be worth the effort to get up there.

Every hunt and every season is to be treated as individual but I would err on the top high side.

 

[elkduds]

Any scouting days you can add before opening day will be very valuable.

 

[realdyl75]

Thanks guys. 10-15 miles is a little ambitious, but I definitely want to get away from the roads and other hunters.
Appreciate you guys' input.

 

[Phaseolus]

I’m sure a roof top tent would be a lot of fun if you got some snow or other slippery stuff. I camp on the ground level because there is less entropy.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Thanks guys. 10-15 miles is a little ambitious, but I definitely want to get away from the roads and other hunters.
Appreciate you guys' input.

As others have said, it's not always so simple when you're trying to get away from the crowds, especially in Colorado. You may see the numbers of other hunters dwindle as you get 2-3 miles back, then run into a big old outfitters camp 5 miles back and have lots of competition again. My advice is to pay attention to pressure, but pay alot more attention to just finding elk, even if other hunters are in the area.

 

[SFC B]

I don't know where you are coming from but along with dialing back the thought of that many miles do NOT down play any altitude sickness symptoms (and exertion will make them worse). It is NOT just annoying, you truly can die. Something to keep in mind when thinking about distance. Also, think about what your pack out would be based on distance and man-miles per round trip for each quarter.

 

[Kearnsie14]

I've hunted CO first rifle as well. A couple of things I found that may help you are:

1) Mobile base camp is a great idea. The first place I set up camp I didn't find any elk sign at all. I moved camp about 15 miles away and was into elk. It reinforced my notion to be as mobile as possible and willing to move camp if need be.

2) I probably hiked 6-8 miles a day and that's all I needed to get away from crowds. I found that so many guys stayed stuck in their 4 wheelers that all I needed to do was get about a mile or two from roads/trails (making sure that the mile or two has some steeper terrain involved) and I was all alone. That's also where the elk were.

 

[cedahm]

I don't know where you are coming from but along with dialing back the thought of that many miles do NOT down play any altitude sickness symptoms (and exertion will make them worse). It is NOT just annoying, you truly can die.

Anecdote: I had to make a visit to the UrgentCare at the bottom of Taos ski area on New years day. While chatting with the doc whilst she was adding 3 stitches to my ugly mug, she said 75% of their patients are AMS cases - I had no idea it was that high - watched 3 people come in with AMS symptoms in the hour I was in there. And that's just skiing, a lot less exertion than pounding through deadfall.

but pay alot more attention to just finding elk, even if other hunters are in the area.

100% this. If you're in a beautiful, 'elky' looking spot but aren't finding sign or elk, move. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the amount of guys in our little area that make the same loop every day because they 'got an elk in this meadow in 20XX'

And - given the relatively short season and the likely amount of exertion to get into elk - get there as early as you can. If you spend two days ahead of season poking around, you are in a WAY better position.

 

[davinski]

Some advice from a guy who usually hunts elk 3rd, or later, seasons but occasionally hunts first season elk and September other critters. I'd stay in their summer range unless early winter weather or verified hunting pressure pushes them down. Keep in mind you can't glass as much country 1st season as you can after all the leaves have fallen. Beware the altitude, not just sickness but how it will sap your energy and/or mess with your sleep if you're not used to it. Definitely have a plan for moving if you aren't encountering any elk. They do generally still bugle 1st season. But, in my experience, it's more round-up-the-ladies-into-cover bugles rather than the I-wanna-fight bugles. I shot my 2019 1st season bull in his bed after his late morning bugles gave him away...still kind of proud of that since it's a rare event for me!

 

[GrantK]

I tend to divide the first season in CO into two distinct periods: opening day, and the rest of the season... if at all possible get to your area a couple of days early to acclimate and scout, you should be able to find elk, they are usually making quite a bit of noise at that time, find the best option and make a plan to kill him opening morning, get up early enough to be in front of other hunters and in as close as you can make it before light, if they are bugling this is easier, and if things go well I think this is your best chance of filling a tag. things to think about with this tactic are if 20 other people are watching the same herd maybe find a different one, racing to elk may be effective if you are really fit but it isn't much fun...and try to think about if they are likely to be spooked before light by other hunters, IE elk that are right on a horse trail are likely to get bumped by someone going in deeper before light...

if opening morning doesn't pan out I usually spend the rest of opening day in a funnel or really high where I can glass a lot of country, there are going to be a ton of elk on the move as hunters push them around.

after opening day I look at it as a post-rut hunt, usually each day more bulls are splitting from cows and going into sanctuary mode, for sure if you see cows check to see if there is a bull, but in my experience there is less likely to be a bull with cows each day as season progresses, be mobile and glued to your glass.

 

[realdyl75]

Thank you guys for the feedback. Is it more beneficial to have a good spotting scope or good binoculars?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Thank you guys for the feedback. Is it more beneficial to have a good spotting scope or good binoculars?

$500 Binos over a $500 spotter

$500 binos and a $3000 spotter over $100 binos and a $3400 spotter

If you have less than $1000 to spend on optics put it all into good 10X42 binos and skip the spotter.

 

[realdyl75]

$500 Binos over a $500 spotter

$500 binos and a $3000 spotter over $100 binos and a $3400 spotter

If you have less than $1000 to spend on optics put it all into good 10X42 binos and skip the spotter.

Spotter as in tripod? Sorry for the ignorance lol