Solo Elk Hunt in Colorado: Am I About to Embark on a Glorious Disaster?

If I'm alone, I make sure I have gas in the tank to make the hike from camp to where I am at 7 times. That's what it will take me to pack out an elk. 4 heavy loads to the truck. 3 more trips empty. Don't gas yourself just finding elk. If you can keep that in mind and be honest with yourself I would go. Or go for a back pack trip and see some new country.
 
If you’re full of doubt and worry at this stage I’d say don’t make the investment. Mountain hunting in a new spot for a new animal is beyond hard. When I commit to a hunt like this I have to have a “hope for the best” and detailed plan. Otherwise the temptation to quit will win.
 
If from only the point of view of intelligence gathering, if you can afford to do it then do it. You can e scout and get a lot of good information but nothing replaces boots on the ground. Go for the experience and learning opportunity. If you have never hunted elk before, realistically your odds of filling your tag is low, especially if you plan on not getting far from your truck, but you get experience, and you keep building on experience. You've got to start sometime and somewhere.

I'd definitely spend some time watching how to quarter an elk, ensuring you have the proper gear, mountain survival, and terrain features. Randy has some excellent videos on YouTube that would benefit you. From my experience, if you

As far as waiting for next year, I recently discovered that plans get interrupted. I have a bull tag here for this year, and in August, blew out one of my lumbar discs. The likelihood that I am going to get to do that hunt is almost zero now. Take the opportunity if you have it.

And as a personal note, if you do come out, don't drive slow in the fast lane on the interstates.

Best of luck to you.
 
Suggest you read this thread from the infamous DouglasR.

1st Solo elk confessions/lessons learned

First and foremost I want to thank Randman Newberg and the other forum members that helped me. You know who you are, I will not mention you by name because I do not want to tarnish you’re reputations by associating you with this fiasco. I’m afraid mrsmuley or twsnow18 might light my ass up for...
www.hunttalk.com www.hunttalk.com
 
Madman said:
If from only the point of view of intelligence gathering, if you can afford to do it then do it. You can e scout and get a lot of good information but nothing replaces boots on the ground. Go for the experience and learning opportunity. If you have never hunted elk before, realistically your odds of filling your tag is low, especially if you plan on not getting far from your truck, but you get experience, and you keep building on experience. You've got to start sometime and somewhere.

I'd definitely spend some time watching how to quarter an elk, ensuring you have the proper gear, mountain survival, and terrain features. Randy has some excellent videos on YouTube that would benefit you. From my experience, if you

As far as waiting for next year, I recently discovered that plans get interrupted. I have a bull tag here for this year, and in August, blew out one of my lumbar discs. The likelihood that I am going to get to do that hunt is almost zero now. Take the opportunity if you have it.

And as a personal note, if you do come out, don't drive slow in the fast lane on the interstates.

Best of luck to you.
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Appreciate the advice, Madman. I’ll definitely do my homework on quartering and gear. And don’t worry, if I make it out there, I’ll be sure to stay out of the fast lane—wouldn’t want to slow you down! Sorry to hear about your injury, hope you heal up quick.
 
Go for the experience. Can't learn affectively about how to hunt elk in your easy chair. The curve will be steep, but there is nothing like getting into elk and watching what they do if they are not disturbed. Just be very aware of your distance from the truck/trailhead. Don't just keep going and going until you are a long way away, that may be when you run into the elk. Not a good situation solo if the temps are very high. Above all else have fun and cherish the experience, learn something and then do it again next year.
 
I say go for it and that’s what I did in 2018 in that unit for ML. I was successful on a cow and next time I will debone the quarters. I got her out in 3 trips including my camp but spent 2 days really sick afterwards. Good luck.
 
Do it!! Even just for the ass kicking and #fitness. Even on my diet of poptarts and easy cheese I always come out toned with buns of steel by the end of elk hunting.

Do you know anyone in CO? Many friends will always offer to haul for us if we give them a cut of the meat and we've taken a helping hand over the years depending on how brutal the haul has been.
 
PikesPeakElkHunter said:
A field dressed, skinned cow elk with legs removed at the knee averages 300-320lbs. If you're very good at boning out an animal you'll get to about 150lbs of meat to pack out. That will be at least 3 trips at altitude. Probably more. If you are bow hunting in September, the mornings are great until they're not by around 9:30am. Important to have some idea of where you hope an animal will go down before taking a shot. Shade and cold at 7am may be direct sun by 9-10am.

Like everyone has said. Go for it! Just respect the animal too. If you aren't sure you can get the unspoiled meat out, please don't take the shot. You'll enjoy the memory for the rest of your life. I've been hunting elk for 36 years during archery and rifle. My goal every year is to get so close I can watch them blink without them knowing that I am there. I have passed on many, many easy shots because I hunt alone and knew I couldn't get all of the meat out before it spoiled. I live for each fall elk season. I scout them all year long. Nothing like being 10-20 feet from a sleeping elk that you've stumbled upon.

Most elk aren't going to be anywhere near truck access. Because truck access also means atv, sxs, dirt bike, mountain bike, and hiking access points too!
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Thanks for the insight! That’s exactly what I’m concerned about—finding that balance between getting deep enough to find elk and still being able to manage the pack out solo.
 
Bullshot said:
No reason not to try. Packing the elk out is where some of the fun stops, but it is satisfying as hell to do it so long as you don’t try to be superman and hurt yourself. I’d suggest you focus on morning hunts within a mile of a trail. If you hunt evenings, go ahead and hike in farther on a trail but cut the hunting distance to maybe 1/4 or 1/2 mile from the trail.

If you don’t get all the elk processed and out in the day, hopefully its good cool enough weather, otherwise you may have to work all night in unfamiliar terrain, solo, with who knows what weather, and dealing with scavengers. All that can mess with your head and lead to bad decisions, wrenched back or twisted knees (or worse) and lost meat. Always have emergency overnight kit, spare headlamp, spare batteries, spare GPS abilities and an InReach or similar when hunting alone.
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Appreciate this info, Bullshot
 
ammo said:
Do it!! Even just for the ass kicking and #fitness. Even on my diet of poptarts and easy cheese I always come out toned with buns of steel by the end of elk hunting.

Do you know anyone in CO? Many friends will always offer to haul for us if we give them a cut of the meat and we've taken a helping hand over the years depending on how brutal the haul has been.
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Buns of steel, here I come! Unfortunately, no CO connections yet.
 
Just go, if you’re going in archery season the OTC archery tags are going away so it’s not like you’ll always be able to head to Colorado anytime you want. In general though just temper your expectations and know it can be incredible and can royally suck all at the same time. If you get your tail kicked, you just paid for a great education and vacation hike in the mountains. If you’re successful, you’ll just feel like king of the world.
 
BQ12 said:
I’m from the Midwest with no experience hunting elk or navigating mountain terrain.
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If you don't go this year, this statement will still be true next year. I'd say go for it and commit hard to learning everything you can while you're at it.

If you have an early deer season locally, watch Randy's gutless method video, shoot a deer, and quarter it out before you go. It's way easier on a deer-sized animal, but the familiarity is key when you walk up to a dead elk. I killed my first elk solo and had quartered an antelope and two deer that season so I was prepared to take care of it in the dark by myself.

If you get the quarters off and hung in the shade quickly, meat will go a long time without spoiling, but still set reasonable limits for how far from the truck you're hunting. My limit if the packout is flat/downhill is 2-3 miles depending on how thick it is. If it's all uphill, cut that dramatically.
 
If you've got the time and money, do it. Depending on the season you're hunting, the timeline is getting tight for this season. (depending on your existing gear and prep levels)
 
I’m probably going to be off man out here. But I would prioritize whitetails over otc elk in Colorado. Much higher chance of success. OTC elk in Colorado sucks. Packing an elk out solo sucks. Been there done that.
 
HighDesertSage said:
I’m probably going to be off man out here. But I would prioritize whitetails over otc elk in Colorado. Much higher chance of success. OTC elk in Colorado sucks. Packing an elk out solo sucks. Been there done that.
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Hey man I appreciate that perspective. I've got some big ol bucks on my hit list this year
 
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