New Elk hunter looking for direction

[hank4elk]

Sorry about the bad NM outfitter experience.
There are no elks in NM.LOL

I remember Randy had a few trips to a garage to fix rental truck tires here in NM.
No way I would take a uhaul into the Rockies to hunt. In the snow? LOLOLOLOLOL
Rentals use P rated tires. PARK on pavement is what it means.

Or you can spend the trip, tripping.

If you have watched any videos here or listened you would know, it takes more than most hunts just to find them. At times.
I hunt alone because I want to. No excuses.
I also know my limitations. These days more than ever.

Vacations with the ex provided a lot of checking it out or scouting time for me.
Hell we even went together and she stayed in town while I hunted. Yeah I had to be reasonable and cut time hunting. But not the next time.
Not now. LOL

The 4 days of travel are normal. In most cases. IMHO

 

[Elktrack]

The cow tag option is a great way to start. There’s a lot of opportunities to get a tag without any points and the chances of coming home with meat is very good compared to starting out chasing bulls. I personally wouldn’t drive through a bunch of states with elk just to get to Colorado.

WY is probably your closest and easiest option to get a cow tag. I’d personally rather be a cow elk hunter than a bull elk point collector. The beauty is, you can hunt cows, learn elk and the areas, and be building points for a bull tag at the same time. Learning elk is addictive and fun and frustrating and rewarding and frustrating and not complicated and frustrating.

Can’t kill em from the couch so get after it. You won’t regret it.

 

[cgasner1]

To me the only reason I’d go the cow tag scout route is because I can’t get my hands on a bull tag. For not much more money I’d rather have the bull tag in the scheme of things. If you can cow hunt the unit for a couple years while waiting for the bull tag then hell ya. I killed this bull on a scout tag in Wyoming it was good for 5 point or less and I was wondering if I wanted to burn a pile of points on the big bull tag after the hunt I realized I didn’t want to got a bull for my efforts and kept my points

 

[Elky Welky]

My only advice is if something doesn't work, don't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. Lots of sound wisdom from folks on here, and everyone has means and methods that work for them. Try everything, and find what works for you.

For example: my old man is the best elk killer I know, and half of what he does are things the "experts" say not to do. Instead of sitting and glassing forever, he hikes hard. It works for him and he kills elk. I hunted with him for 10 years doing the same thing; he still killed elk, I didn't. Once I picked up a bugle tube the elk started telling me where they were, and my success rate went up significantly.

 

[cgasner1]

I completely disagree that boots on the ground is a requirement.
And I understand that most people don't have an extra week to scout.
I hunt 2-3 states per year for the last 12 years. At least 1 of the states is always an OTC. I don't do any boots on the ground scouting at all. Every unit I hunt is the first time I step foot in the unit. Come a day early if you want to learn the roads. You simply need to become a professional at Google Earth Pro and OnX or Basemap. Huge learning curve. I do 99% of my scouting virtually. Always shoot my bull. Don't listen to the noise.
If you want to cut the learning curve take a treeline academy course.

Let’s see some grip and grins it’s almost season everyone wants to see the slain wapati

 

[Creedance91]

Like everyone has said, there is success to be found with or without scouting in person. Have to accept that your success % will probably suffer, but isn't impossible. With each hunt you go on, you will gain universal knowledge that translates to all Elk (or other species) hunting. I think a lot of us would love to take a dedicated scouting trip or multiple days pre-season, but it isn't in the cards due to work or family. Unless you're an independently wealthy, single, killing machine; all of us have some level of compromise with money, time, effort, fitness, ability, etc.

 

[shb]

It's a 2 day drive. So 4 day round trip. I'd have to use a weeks vacation just to scout.

Elk hunting might not be a good fit for you.

 

[clint0481]

The cow tag option is a great way to start. There’s a lot of opportunities to get a tag without any points and the chances of coming home with meat is very good compared to starting out chasing bulls. I personally wouldn’t drive through a bunch of states with elk just to get to Colorado.

WY is probably your closest and easiest option to get a cow tag. I’d personally rather be a cow elk hunter than a bull elk point collector. The beauty is, you can hunt cows, learn elk and the areas, and be building points for a bull tag at the same time. Learning elk is addictive and fun and frustrating and rewarding and frustrating and not complicated and frustrating.

Can’t kill em from the couch so get after it. You won’t regret it.

Colorado is the closest state to me with elk aside from Kentucky. I put in for KY every year, but my odds of getting drawn are very slim and getting slimmer every year.

 

[Elktrack]

Colorado is the closest state to me with elk aside from Kentucky. I put in for KY every year, but my odds of getting drawn are very slim and getting slimmer every year.

Right on. Colorado definitely has elk and isn’t a tough state to get a tag.

 

[Schaaf]

I'd check out Rock Creek. Lots of Bulls up Rock Creek!

 

[cgasner1]

I'd check out Rock Creek. Lots of Bulls up Rock Creek!

Way to burn a spot out you need to edit this wtf

 

[Rie Bread]

Pick a unit or area and learn it.

Way to burn a spot out you need to edit this wtf

lol relax there’s like 6 different rock creeks

 

[Rie Bread]

I highly recommend the cow elk hunts in the west! Look into MT as well

Some advantages is that the season goes late and don’t interfere with most states October season dates so you have lots of time to try and fit a hunt into your schedule.

 

[cgasner1]

Pick a unit or area and learn it.

lol relax there’s like 6 different rock creeks

My sarcasm must not be very good today

 

[Rie Bread]

My sarcasm must not be very good today

Got it! Same page as rock creek is pretty vague

 

[perma]

My sarcasm must not be very good today

IYKYK….

 

[jvanhoy]

My sarcasm must not be very good today

Just as long as yall don’t burn my spot in elk park we are good.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Advice #1 Consider not being defensive or explaining yourself.

I came to this site 5 years ago seeking direction to get my first bull, much like you. I’ve been bluntly told that I’m wrong, misinformed, ignorant, etc. dozens of times over, and save for a time here or there, others were right. There is a trove of good info on here if you look, and ask the right questions. I had to unlearn most everything I thought I knew about elk and elk hunting, and then build it back up with the right knowledge.

Advice #2

Make sure self-guided elk hunting is your cup of tea before investing in points in multiple states. I’ve been on 3 elk hunts, all in premium units, where elk act like elk, and finding them was easy. I have not applied for elk for 2 years now. My moniker when I joined was “Elkfever”. I had the itch and I had it bad. I loved my elk trips, and I love elk meat. I also have no desire to hunt a hard unit for the challenge, as many on this site do. I learned that I like antelope and bear hunting better. When I do hunt elk again, I’ll pick up a cow tag in a premium unit and harvest a cow for the meat.

Advice #3

Set out some goals, be honest about them, and rank them. Are you wanting a chance at a trophy bull? Hear bugles? Any bull will do? Lot of encounters? No crowds? Camaraderie and camp life Enjoy the scenery? Horns on the wall? Elk steaks?

The answers to those questions and twenty more like them will guide your planning. Some hunters are content to grind it out in CO year after year. Others put in apps for a half dozen or more premium tags every year and hunt when they eventually hit pay dirt. Some exclusively hunt cows.