Hunt: away from roads or state elk density spots

[cbellosu]

General e-scouting/planning question from a beginner. I am planning a CO muzzleloader hunt and have been researching areas on google earth, onX, and the interactive Colorado state game atlas. The Colorado state game atlas shows summer/winter concentration areas, and resident elk populations. I have watched Randy's video on e-scouting and how he focuses on areas away from roads, which I would like to do for many reasons.

I have found a few different areas that are ~3 miles away from roads that interest me, but are listed outside the CO hunt atlas' concentration/resident elk areas (but still in their general range area). Do you guys concentrate much on hunting specifically in these "elk concentration areas", or would you suggest concentrating on more remote areas? Thanks for the input; I value all of the great info I gather on here while planning a long distance trip from Ohio in a couple of years, or until I move west in a couple of years

 

[Dougfirtree]

Well, there are much more experienced elk hunters on here than me, but I feel pretty safe saying that there are lots of elk outside of the concentration areas on the CO Hunt Atlas. If everything else looks right, I wouldn't hesitate to check it out.

 

[3855WIN]

How far can you pack an elk? Will you have help? The miles add up if you pack it yourself.

 

[HalfAce]

That data is just general type stuff. I wouldn't put too much thought into it. Wild game will do what they please, and go wherever they want to go. And they're driven by their needs and change in needs as seasons change. Its more realistic to assume Elk will be in their summer areas, which might as well be the whole western half of the state. While I do not know for a fact, the winter time concentration areas is where the herds in your unit may winter, long after the hunting seasons are over. During hunting season, they may be in that winter concentration area, may be close by, or may still be in an adjacent unit.

Ide rather be in a spot with no people and fewer Elk (but still some Elk) than in a place with a lot of Elk and ALL the hunters there concentrating on the Elk "Concentration" areas. So if it were me, ide check out the spots which look good to you away from the road and away from most of the pressure.

 

[Fulldraw1972]

When I first started hunting Co. I thought your best odds of being on elk were in the concentration areas.
By the 2nd year I started seeing elk in areas that were well outside concentration areas.
Last year I hunted a migration area. Everyone told me there were no elk in that area till they moved threw to wintering grounds. My partner and I were on elk every day. The best part is we had that ridge and a little basin all to ourselves.

With the amount of pressure in OTC units in Co your best bet is to look where people won't go or get over looked.
Since your hunting muzzleloader season that falls for the most part during the 3rd week of archery. You will have plenty of pressure from archery people out there.
Phone calls to the area game warden as well as the regional or local national forest office will help. Asking them about certain drainages will get you a better response then a broad "where are the elk" question.

 

[esracerx]

Everyone wants the thickest nastiest stuff...or close to roads or towns. There is a happy medium. If there's green stuff to eat and water to drink, you'll find elk....usually.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Last year hunting CO muzzleloader season it was warm, the moon was full and there hadn't been snow above treeline yet and the elk I found were in a summer concentration area between 5-7 miles in. OTC archery pressure was very significant by time muzzleloader season kicked in. The elk were clearly reacting to pressure and the summer range was very difficult to get to. OTC hunter days in the unit I was hunting were nearly equal to that of the 1st and 2nd rifle seasons which I did not expect.

 

[cbellosu]

The muzzleloader hunt I am planning with my dad, and uncle is not an OTC archery (unit 57/58), but still has ~180 tags allocated for archery. I am assuming the pressure will definitely move the animals around before our muzzleloader hunt.

I plan on stopping in the NF field office in Salida when I take a vacation there in a couple of weeks, and asking a few questions about the area. Do you guys find increased pressure around these published "concentration" areas? Thanks for the info on finding plenty of elk outside of these concentration areas that CO lists on their hunting atlas. I figured there were elk outside of these areas, just didn't know if the elk densities outside of the concentration areas are worth spending a significant amount of time on. Thanks again for everyone's thoughts.

 

[rmyoung1]

sent you a PM

 

[LuketheDog]

The hunting atlas is a great resource, but it's not the hunting Bible...

 

[HUNTNNW]

further isn't always better.. so many hunters drive to the end of roads or to gates and trail heads to start their hunt. Problem is these areas sometimes become more crowded 5 mi in than hunting next to a road. I have many spots right off heavily used roads that people drive right on by to get to the end of the road. Example Opening day of elk in N ID..I hunt my spot and drive up to the end of the road after my morning hunt and there was 11 trucks at the gate and 5 at another gate.. guess how many I saw driving to to them... none!