When is the Best Week?

[BuckSmasher]

Howdy,

My name is Brandon and I am new here. I am definitely an Elk NUT! I live in the Houston, TX area and I have one week a year to chase Wapiti.


That leads to my question:

If you could hunt only one week of Colorado's Archery Season which would it be?

Later on in September hoping for more bugling?

Earlier on in September less educated Bulls?


I am sure this topic has been approached on this forum before but I couldn't find it with my feeble search skills This is a topic which I am sure y'all all have an opinion about so won't mind sharing again anyway.

[BuckSmasher]

Nevermind.... I found a thread like this.... Still...


Howdy Y'all!

[JohnFitzgerald]

Later in September is my vote. But I'm a locate and hunt fanatic.

[eltaco]

Depends on a lot of factors, but the big one for me is the fact that muzzleloader season is 3rd week in CO. Avoid that at all costs if you're an archer!

So then it comes down to the area for the other 3 weeks. If it's highly pressured, I like first week for a lot of reasons: The elk aren't educated yet, I've been waiting all year already, and I like to rub it in when I tag out opening week. LOL!

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them. If you don't kill a bull it's not because of the week you hunted them. Just need to pick a week and focus on learning the area of your choice. Make sure to have a backup plan or two if you're coming to CO. A lot of this state is open with an OTC tag in your pocket, so if your Plan A area is surrounded by hunters, a good backup plan might have you in an area with low pressure.

19-days until opener... I forgot the question... that's all I can think about right now!

[CrazyElkHunter]

Welcome Brandon! My hunting buddies that I have been hunting with for over 25 years also live in your area, Houston and Cleveland. Too hot and humid for me. As far as for favorite weeks, they are the 1st and last. I only hunt with a bow and have taken elk from opening day to the last day. Taken several during the muzzleloading season with my bow, but there is a lot more pressure that week. You kinda covered it about the 1st week and elk being caught off guard from a lazy summer. They tend to be more plentiful and visuals are more often. After the 1 st week ( on public land ) they will be more scattered and bugle shy, and tend to drop off the face of earth from all the pressure. 3rd week a lot of orange vests in the woods. Elk will start talking a little more depending on the phase of the rut, but you might end up with a few orange vests joining your set up if you get a a bull screaming. If you want your best bet at hearing and calling a elk, hunt the last week. Hormones kick in and by Wed. of the last week they have settled down a little from muzzleloaders leaving the prior weekend. Spend a lot of time glassing northeast slopes where it is cooler. I like hunting well covered benches on northeast slopes. I am fortunate to have the entire archery season to hunt and have I watched this pattern for several years. Good luck, 1 week will go by realllllly fast.

[cantgetdrawn]

Thanks Crazy, good info.

I don't mean to steal the thread but how would you hunt those first couple of days after the muzzle load hunters leave.

[CrazyElkHunter]

The 1st couple of days they still tend to hide out, but I usually hear more bugling. It just takes a few days for things to settle down from muzzy season ending and with fewer hunters in the woods I will tend to start calling a little more. I have a few ridges over some deep basins where I can glass and call bulls at the beginning of the 4 th week. I got some good video footage last year of bulls I called out into the open and watched them tear up a few trees and bushes while answering my calls. The bulls will work there way out of those deep basins as the rut picks up and less people on top late in the 4th week. Find yourself a deep basin where you can glass from the ridge, do a little calling both cow and bugling early and late in the day, and you should be able to locate a bull. If you locate one late in the evening, he will be near that area early the next morning. Try and slip into within a 100yds, where you last saw him, get set up and start calling. Works for me. Good Luck!

[BuckSmasher]

Welcome Brandon! My hunting buddies that I have been hunting with for over 25 years also live in your area, Houston and Cleveland. Too hot and humid for me. As far as for favorite weeks, they are the 1st and last. I only hunt with a bow and have taken elk from opening day to the last day. Taken several during the muzzleloading season with my bow, but there is a lot more pressure that week. You kinda covered it about the 1st week and elk being caught off guard from a lazy summer. They tend to be more plentiful and visuals are more often. After the 1 st week ( on public land ) they will be more scattered and bugle shy, and tend to drop off the face of earth from all the pressure. 3rd week a lot of orange vests in the woods. Elk will start talking a little more depending on the phase of the rut, but you might end up with a few orange vests joining your set up if you get a a bull screaming. If you want your best bet at hearing and calling a elk, hunt the last week. Hormones kick in and by Wed. of the last week they have settled down a little from muzzleloaders leaving the prior weekend. Spend a lot of time glassing northeast slopes where it is cooler. I like hunting well covered benches on northeast slopes. I am fortunate to have the entire archery season to hunt and have I watched this pattern for several years. Good luck, 1 week will go by realllllly fast.

It is a little too hot and humid at home for me..... Maybe one day I can spend deer season and the spring in Texas and Summer through September in Elk Country?


Thank you for the unbiased write up. As someone above said, whether or not I shoot a Bull will depend on me more than the week I choose.

I have a limited entry tag into a mid-level unit if that makes any difference to anyone.

[JimKirk]

if I had one day to pick and hunt it would be sept 19. i listened to jim horn a few years ago and he stated he has taken many elk the 1st week of sept. i kind of feel the earlier the better on public land.

[CrazyElkHunter]

if I had one day to pick and hunt it would be sept 19. i listened to jim horn a few years ago and he stated he has taken many elk the 1st week of sept. i kind of feel the earlier the better on public land.

Haven't heard that name in awhile! I called in Jim's 1st bull in 1985 in the Oregon Eagle Caps.

[one_elk]

Hunting during muzzle loader season, at least for me has been great. I have found that mloaders tend to stay within a mile or so of a road or pack in 3 or 4 miles leaving quite a gap that can provide some great hunting….I also agree that most mloaders are gone after day 3 or 4. But back the original question I like the last two weeks if nothing else just because it feels more like hunting season colors changing, a little cooler etc…also gestation for elk is about 250 days and say the peak of calving if June 10 so that would lead one to believe the majority of breeding is going the last week of September and the 1st week of October…..

[BobcatJerry]

I've hunted in Idaho twice, same place, public land, once first week (Sept 1-9) and second time Sept 9-18. First time got lots of action, got into 5 bulls and some cows, bulls responded to calls. Second time no bulls, one cow, several hunters in deep including a guy on a horse riding all over the place bugling every 30 minutes. Man could that guy cover ground. I was wondering if others experience this when the hunter all show up for the rut, I did notice a lot more hunters in the area the second time on the second week. First week seemed like they weren't educated yet and much more relaxed. I was expecting more action second time due the the closeness of the rut. Have to go there Sept 7-16 this year due to work. I guess I should expect the same. Plan on hunting them more as whitetails with a gun, on the ground stalking and listening.

[Bullnuts]

My favorite week is the one that my vacation is approved and I can get out and hunt. I've personally killed more elk early than late, though, and have more elk on the ground before September 5 than at any other time of the season.

[Magic]

Welcome Brandon to ElkNut.

[BuckSmasher]

Welcome Brandon to ElkNut.

Thank you! Elk and elk habitat represent one of the last best things left on our planet anymore. I love the Rockies!


I still haven't resolved this question in my mind and I think maybe I am putting to much thought into it.... just pick a week and go!!! My boss asked me again last week to nail down a week and I told him I would this weekend.....

[one_elk]

go with one of the last two weeks you will have a great adventure....

[Magic]

Yup, since I burned my Colorado PP's and drew Area 61, 2nd rifle season, the "Best Week" will begin October 20th for me.

[bowpackerrob]

The last 2 weeks of bow season or after September 15 til the end of bow season, especially if you love to hear them bugle. It is usually cooler as well which I also like. Just my opinion.

[ElkNut1]

Hey Magic, good luck to you!! It should be a fun one!!

ElkNut1

[Swatson]

Sept 5th through the 12th!!!!

[Magic]

Thanks Paul, and Congrats on the Elknut site.