Question #1 from the Newbie....

[bald9eagle]

So here is the first lesson....lol.

I've been tearing up the Colorado Department of Wildlife website. I've poured over maps, checked various websites, read multiple forums. I've printed over 300 pages of info to read through.

The first thing everyone has said that needs to be done is decide which season you want to hunt. I really want Muzzleloader but zero points pretty much wipes that thought out. So I settled on first rifle.

The units I have kinda set my sights on are 54 (Soap Basin/Castles), 24 (Flat Tops Wilderness), 12 (Sleepy Cat Mt area). So I look over the topo maps pretty hard. I see that the Flat Tops and Sleepy Cat areas have a lot of timber whereas Unit 54 has some more high country meadows.

Unit 54 seems like you would use the time honored method of glassing the high meadows.

I guess the question is how do you hunt the more heavily timbered areas? Do the elk act much like whitetails in that they will come out to the meadows to feed early and late and then return to the timber during the biggest part of the day?

Let the learning commence....

[zpd307]

I am not familiar with the areas that you have picked out. but, I was given my first choice, a bull tag, for muzzleloader season in unit 44 without any points. why not put in for it and go the first rifle if not selected.

[bald9eagle]

I am not familiar with the areas that you have picked out. but, I was given my first choice, a bull tag, for muzzleloader season in unit 44 without any points. why not put in for it and go the first rifle if not selected.

Hmmm....good question. See to us guys out East this is like standing at an all you can eat buffet that has lobster, filet mignon, lamp chops, and cheeseburgers. Too often we go for the cheeseburger cause we don't see the lobster.

[Elkduds]

What about hunting cows the 1st year? CO nonresident cow tags cost $454, while bull tags cost $604. If you have a muzzleloader cow tag you can still call in elk and have that thrill. The odds of drawing a ML cow tag are greater than a bull tag, and "you can't eat them horns." If/when you see 400+ lb of cow elk laying dead, you will understand the sayings, '"any elk is a trophy," and "its all fun and games until you pull the trigger."

You can often draw a cow tag as 2nd choice, which would give you a preference point for your future hunt. Some units where you could certainly draw a ML cow tag as 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice include 54,21,22,30,31,32,53,85,11,13,131,211,35,36,361,41,42,43,44,45,47,52,411,421,471,444,521. All of these had leftover cow tags after all 4 rounds of the drawing, meaning they could be bought as leftover licenses after the drawing. You would have a year to get familiar w your chosen area, or pick another area. It takes several years to get a unit figured out.

And welcome to the forum

[zpd307]

sorry, i am also a northerner flatlander who has spent the last 3 years trying to figure out the game. elkduds has a good point, cow tags are easier to draw in colorado. the stats on their website should tell you what units had left over cow tags. most states also lists success stats per unit and hunter usage. its enough to make your head spin....

[Indian Summer]

If shooting a cow is an option why not hunt in an area where you can harvest either sex elk? Wyoming has units where you can hunt bulls all week and kill a cow in the end if it comes down to it.

[bald9eagle]

I'm torn on Wyoming. I want to get into the Wilderness areas but don't want a guide. I haven't studied Wyoming near as much but would love to get back out to Cody.

[Indian Summer]

"Wilderness" is just a word. Designated wilderness areas are just places with special regulations. They are also national forest. There are tons of non-wilderness national forest areas that are just as remote and rugged.

[bald9eagle]

I asked this on another forum...How would you compare/contrast Wyoming and Colorado?

Let's just say that I wanted to do an archery hunt in 2017. Since I know zilch about this I am going to ask the dumb question....Wyoming or Colorado? I know...beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but if you wanted the most "pure" elk hunting experience, what would it be? I'm a sucker for being able to sit on a quite ridge at daybreak and listen for a big tom to gobble and taking in all that is nature.

[under H2O hunter]

I asked this on another forum...How would you compare/contrast Wyoming and Colorado?

Let's just say that I wanted to do an archery hunt in 2017. Since I know zilch about this I am going to ask the dumb question....Wyoming or Colorado? I know...beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but if you wanted the most "pure" elk hunting experience, what would it be? I'm a sucker for being able to sit on a quite ridge at daybreak and listen for a big tom to gobble and taking in all that is nature.

I have hunted both states and I can tell you that there are vast differences between the two. Both have excellent elk hunting. Colorado has more elk but also more hunters. Wyoming gives you a better chance at harvesting an elk because you can buy one tag and hunt almost two months long. Between hunting archery and not filling your tag you can then hunt the general rifle season and units with a rifle. Not all units are either sex but a lot of them are so you have your choice of animal. Also Wyoming doesn't have the 4 point restriction law like Colorado does. On the other hand Colorado doesn't require an outfitter or resident to accompany you into designated wilderness areas. As Indian Summer pointed out there are plenty of places to hunt in Wyoming where its remote and not requiring an outfitter or Resident to accompany you.

Tags will be about the same price if you're after a bull.

Terrain is usually a little more gentle in Wyoming but that is a variable that can change based on exactly where you want to hunt.

Looking over your original question related to Colorado's unit 54, 24, and 12 You can draw muzzleloading tags if you want to hunt a cow. However drawing a bull tag will take some preference points. On the other hand drawing a first season rifle tag gives you the best opportunity to draw. The down side to the areas you're looking at is that they are units that are combined with other units and are pretty popular units because of the size herd that uses that area.

Elk will feed in the mornings and evenings and usually rest during the heat of the day. However depending on weather they can be up feeding all day long as well. I don't hunt a lot of whitetails so to say they are similar I really can't but I will say that elk tend to favor cooler dark timber during the heat of the day and work the edges of meadows as they feed or head to water. But this is a general rule and elk will change things up as pressure and weather dictate.

I think its best to figure out which way you want to hunt them before deciding on a unit to apply for. The higher altitude units with less dark timber play to spot and stalk or still hunting with long shots. Where as the units that have heavy dark timber will allow for close encounters but you must be aware of the wind direction constantly because the thermals will often change. It also will require more map study to figure out where the feeding grounds and travel routes will be.

[oldillini]

Matt, glad to hear you have made your decision for what season. If you happen to get to Sleepy Cat during the first season maybe we will run across each other. Surely we couldn't miss each other. LOL. Group I am going with is planning for Sleepy Cat. Although I am a newbie, the base group has gone there 16+ years.

Hope you don't mind me tagging along on your threads. Your questions are many of the same ones I have.

[bald9eagle]

Tag along all you want.

One thing I may be obsessing over is the crowd factor. Alabama public land turkey can be crowded yet I seem to do well there with less room to roam.

[CurlyTail]

I would consider sticking to your plan of hunting muzzleloader season. In my opinion Colorado muzzleloader season is a sweet deal - you hunt the peak of the rut, weather is pleasant and mild, and crowds are minimal. I would apply for a preference point as first choice, put a cow muzzleloader permit as 2nd choice in a unit that gives you a chance, and then hunt an open unlimited otc archery or rifle unit if you do not get the muzzleloader cow permit. The cow permit allows you to scout and learn the area so that when you eventually get the bull permit, you have a better chance for success. Your chances for success first year, OTC, no local guide or outfitter are not high ( but not zero either). Almost any unit is good - once you get to know it. You need boots on the ground to determine where the other hunters go, are where the elk hide. You can only learn so much from internet scouting. The sooner you start, the sooner you will become successful and get to know your area.