6-7 day hunt

[snake]

I will have approximately 6 or 7 days to hunt this year, and being a first time elk hunter, I know the odds are definitely against me. My question is: What are some of the best tactics that I can use to get a shot at an elk? Should I be patient? Try and hustle after some bugles? (If I hear any) Sit at a wallow? I know several of these are dependent on conditions, but just wondering in general. BTW, my hunt will be in SW Colorado the 2nd-3rd week of September. Thanks for any input.

[snake]

Crickets chirping......

[ferris bugler]

Not sure about what tactics to use, because they all work, but your timing should be just about perfect.

[CrazyElkHunter]

With the season being a week later this year, you should hear elk if they are in the area. Don't just concentrate on trying to hear bugles. Cows and calves communicate regularly, so keep a ear open for them. A bull will most likely be near by. Get off the beat'n path, roads and main trails. Work benches on North-East slopes but keep the wind in your face. Ive had a lot of success on the 2nd and 3rd bench just off the top. Wallows that show fresh sign can be productive in the afternoon and evening but bulls taper off from hitting them later in the season. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[cnelk]

Since you have 6-7 days to hunt, do these 2 things:

1- Concentrate on getting up and where you want to be EARLY. BEFORE DAYLIGHT

2- Stay late. Until you cant see your pins anymore

Will you be tired? Yes
You have 51 other weeks to sleep...

[Bullnuts]

Will you be tired? Yes
You have 51 other weeks to sleep...

Love that! If I had 6 days I would want to be the most exhausted person on day 7 that I could be. There's no way I would go home without knowing that I did everything I could to make it happen. Up before light, sit wallows and other water during mid day, park edges at night. Cold call, try to figure out where the elk are spending their time, be there early and stay late.

[snake]

I definitely plan on exhausting every effort to get into elk. I have been planning and preparing for this hunt for over a year now and I will do everything in my power to put an arrow into some vitals. I know that I won't be able to go elk hunting again at least for 2 more years due to money constraints next year for remodeling, so I'll be damned if I come back home kicking myself for not trying hard enough. If I fail to kill an elk, it will not be for lack of effort.

[Bullnuts]

That is the right attitude. Hunt hard but hunt smart! Good luck and I hope we get to see your elk hanging on the meat pole post later this fall.

[eltaco]

Do you have any info on an area picked out? Be diligent in your pre-season scouting, if only from your computer at home on Google Earth, be as familiar with the country as possible before arriving. If you haven't seen the country in person and you've spent a bunch of time on Google Earth, do yourself a favor and go into Tools - Options - Elevation Exaggeration and set it to 1.75. It'll give you a little bit of a better feel for what you're getting yourself into

Hit the ground prepared to put some MILES on your boots. You might get into them right away and not have to, but if you can't find the elk, keep moving (or glassing) until you do. I think a lot of people hunt the spot THEY want the elk to be instead of hunting the areas that the ELK want to be.

Learn to call if you haven't already! Just because you aren't hearing elk talking doesn't mean they aren't listening. A lot of guys give up on the calling before they even try it, simply because "the elk aren't talking here". If there are elk in the area (tracks, green poop, urine, smells like elk) they're listening, and you might get responses or silent elk coming in. Don't be afraid to make them come to you!

Don't be scared to move to a Plan B spot if things just aren't working out. This could be any number of things... tons of pressure, no sign, water, elk, etc. A backup plan is never a bad idea, and with CO, half the state is OTC and available to you.

Water holes in my area seem to get hit by the bulls right at nightfall. This does trickle off as season goes on, but if I were going to sit on a hot waterhole, it'd be the last hour of the day. Seems like every area is different though.

As other said: Hunt all day. Be to your spot well before daylight and don't even think about walking back to camp until shooting hours are over. You can nap a bit in the afternoon once the morning slows down. Too many people leave camp at daylight and head back so they aren't hiking thru the timber at night... and wonder why they can't find elk. 6-7 days straight hitting it as hard as you can is seriously going to wear you down, but it's sure to be a trip of a lifetime that you won't ever forget! Be safe out there and have fun!

[Trophyhill]

you'll be dealing with bulls that have cows or bulls that want to take those cows. use that to your advantage. since you don't have a lot of time you may want to consider taking a cow. it tastes much better than tag soup

[snake]

Thank you all for all the advice. I truly do appreciate it. I haven't been to the area that I will be hunting, but I was pointed to that place by a guy that hunts it about every year. He was actually kind enough to point me to the exact spot that he killed a 300" bull last year. He has had quite a bit of success there in the past as well. I know that doesn't mean that I will kill one there, but that gives me a good idea of where to start. This guy is a good family friend and wouldn't steer me in the wrong direction.

I have seriously considered taking a cow if given a chance, I just don't want to take one on the first day and then regret it. I will try and wait a couple days and see how things are going, then try and go from there. There will be 4 of us camping together and we will hunt in pairs. If just one of us kills an elk, we will be tickled. We have already decided too that we will split up all the meat that way everybody at least gets something even if only one of us kills an elk.