Location, Location, Location!!!

[Mikeha33]

Alright guys, I'm planning this years (2014) DIY CO archery hunt, and have/need to make a decision on something. Last year we hunted an area that I was told by numerous people on here and different sites, was supposed to be loaded with elk. We saw 1 cow elk. On our first morning, through the truck windshield. However, I do know for a fact that a person from here killed a 4x4 not far from where we were. We saw some sign, (rubs, tracks, an old wallow) but never got into the elk, and it was early September, so they were not vocal. What I need to decide on, is should I go back to that area? Should I try a new spot? I simply cannot go 14 hours to scout. It will only be my 2nd time in the mountains, and the area we hunted in 2013, I feel somewhat comfortable with (with the exception of 1 &%#! mountain lion) because I've been there. The area we were in was very low pressure, we didn't see another hunter or any signs on the forest roads that anybody else had been in there.
I think we just missed them. I think they were there. But I don't know. Would you guys go hunt an area that you didn't see any elk in again? So you think it's a waste of my time, redundant, per say? I loved the country, and in my heart, it's where I want to go back to, I just don't know if it's the right decision.

[Waygoner]

I can understand the itch to try a new area, but I think you should stick with it. It may take a few seasons to before you really learn the unit, but I think this is one of the keys to consistently killing elk. In time you'll find the game trails and honey holes that produce year after year. It sounds like the unit has elk and the pressure was low, which is a good combo. Get out your maps and pick some promising areas and go exploring. Cover a lot of ground and you'll find the elk. I switched units two years ago and the 1st year I saw one spike in the headlights and that was it. Last fall I moved to a different part of the unit and discovered some great areas. We were into elk almost everyday, but I failed to connect. I have high hopes for next season.

[cnelk]

Let me get this right...

You hunted an area for the 1st time
You hunted an area that had elk sign
You hunted an area that had low pressure
You hunted an area that is known to have elk


Tell us again why you want to leave this area?

[ishy]

Can't remember who it was that said it, but they dedicate at least two days a year to going somewhere new. It could be the other end of your unit or just over into the next drainage, but your learning new ground each year. Thought it was a great idea.

[Willie makit]

Ha33, as I read you post I find myself asking these questions,

"We" is that you plus 1, +2 etc? Did you scout as a group chatting along the mountain? OrIi'm going north, you go south, you go west type thing?

Base camp or stay in motel somewhere?

Were you able to glass a lot or was is it thick limiting optics?

How long were you able to hunt?

Did you try a midnight location bugle?

I ask these not so much as wanting an answer but as food for thought, I'm just wondering what I would do if in your shoes. It sounds like you really have the gut feeling to go back and I believe You should. It's a huge confidence thing to at least start off with familiar with an area, but definitely study up maps to locate another areas in the unit and expand your horizons a bit.

Your one step ahead of me in the elk game so take anything from me with the confidence of your local weather man. My apologies if any of my questions required a well place " duh" as you read it. It's my belief that these larger distance step cousins to the white tail are blessed with the same magical powers to pop out of the ground at any point then go back in the ground when least expected. That would explain why they were hard to see. If I'm way of key anywhere here I'm sure some of the experts will put me in my place and I'll scamper back to my lurker position.

[cnelk]

Mikeha33
I would be willing to review an aerial / topo of your area for you and look at things for you.
Send me some coordinates and descriptions of what/where you camped/hunted.
[Dont worry me hunting it, I have plenty of my own areas to chase elk]

By the way, I did this for 'Broken Arrow' last year and he shot his elk not far from some spots I recommended [without me ever being there]

[Wapiti]

I would go back later in the season if you can. Sept 24 is when the bulls really start bugling hard up here. I feel you just to early and the bulls were not fired up yet.

Also cover ground and listen intently for distant bugles. Also as said before do some night calling. Location bugles at 10 pm to midnight can pay off big !!

The elk could be 2 ridges over and you just will not hear them.

Trav

[Indian Summer]

Let me get this right...

You hunted an area for the 1st time
You hunted an area that had elk sign
You hunted an area that had low pressure
You hunted an area that is known to have elk


Tell us again why you want to leave this area?

Man.... thanks Brad, that saved me some typing! Read my post in the "Building Blocks for Killing Elk Consistently" thread. They're there pilgrim, just stick with it. Look over the maps, let Cnelk give you some ideas to chew on, and then go back and maybe cover more or dfferent ground and give it hell! For all you know they might be in the places you hunted this year. Colorado.... no pressure.... you won't improve on that! I'd be more than glad to look at the topos of the area and give you my input as well.

[>>>---WW---->]

You mentioned this was your first time in the mountains. You also cut plenty of sign reguardless of if it was old or fresh.

On my first hunt years ago, I didn't see even one single track, let alone an elk. But I've been killing elk in that same general area for more years than I care to remember since then. The school of hard nocks teaches a guy a whole lot. Stick with it!

[Trophyhill]

Early Sept can be tough when the elk are silent. Still though with the right sounds they will respond either vocally or coming in silent. According to the DOW, there are between 6k and 7k elk in the unit(s). I've hunted about 5% of this area but know that 5% like the back of my hand so there is something to say about "knowing your area". I've missed out on some golden opportunities on some big bulls up there where you were hunting Mike and know of a few 350+ bulls taken in that area. And some of the sheds my buddy that grew up in the area has picked up leave me with no second thoughts about hunting the unit(s). If you are patient with the unit and learn it, I have no doubt you can have success. It's a big unit and I take advantage of that. If I'm not seeing fresh sign, hearing or seeing elk, I'll pack up camp and move 25 miles or more and continue my search. If I am seeing fresh sign, hearing or seeing elk, then I do stay put and try to figure out how to hunt them. The day I killed that 4 point I had moved 25 miles from where Jeremy and I were camped because I just wasn't seeing the amount of sign I normally see even though he killed a nice 5 point 2 days earlier. 1 well placed pleading cow sound with the "Long Ranger" is all it took to get 4 bulls bugling about an hour before dark on Sept. 4. Had I not killed or heard bugles that evening you can bet I would have been back in there looking for the elk that were leaving all that fresh sign the next day. I would have made adjustments to my methods and kept at it until hopefully getting it right. It sounds like you hunted hard. I have no doubt you were closer to more elk than you think. Hunting elk is a life long learning experience so whether you go back or not, chalk it up to the learning curve and stay diligent. Success doesn't always come over night. Let me know if you decide to go back. If I don't draw a tag I'll be back in the unit(s) again next year and will help with your "virtual" scouting and other questions you may have if I can

[ElkNut1]

Michael, listen to these guys they are a bunch of hardcore successful elk hunters with great insight! I agree with their thoughts as well. How will you ever get to know an area if you choose a different one every year? Elk hunting on TV is not the same as real life DIY Public Land Elk Hunting that you will & did experience. Not sure how much ground you covered or how far you penetrated away from roads & trails but that's an important aspect of finding un-harrassed elk. You mention elk sign & a 4-point was killed nearby, this shows me a couple of things here. Those elk are being hunted even if you did not see the pressure there during your hunt. With a 4-point bull killed shows also there are other elk around including at least one herd & most likely more. Elk are a herd animal & the 4-point was most likely a satellite hanging around the herd & was probably lured away by a hunter with cow calling? Maybe the hunters were after the herd bull & this guy came in first & rest of elk spooked out of there, hard to say but point is there are elk there that 4-point was not alone!

Keep hunting the area & get to know it intimately as Still Hunter mentions, this is a huge factor that can lead to many years of success as you slowly break the code! It can take 5 years of persistent hunting to nail down 90% of where the elk feed, bed, water, breed, etc. The other 10% will dribble in a bit at a time in the succeeding years. You will both find & stumble onto hidey holes miles in or 100's of yards off nearby roads, you just never know where these little spots will show up! In this time you will learn to be a better hunter, caller & reader of sign & situations. It's a process we all go through & the rewards are many as we cut our teeth on how to successfully hunt & kill elk. Being part of this Forum & digesting info here will help cut the learning curve down!

Our personal success over the years in bringing elk in is when "elk are quiet" -- Learn the methods & techniques that work when elk are not in a rutting vocal nature yet you know the elk are nearby! This is a huge asset when you're in a 5-6 day hunt & this is what can & does happen. Sure we all love screaming bulls but this is not generally the case in all hunts. Elk need to be hunted a little differently during Early Season which is late Aug to Sept 8th & Sept. 9th onward as the rutting picks up. There is no day elk cannot be called in during this time frame. Key ingredients are elk within earshot & sounds used that make sense to them for the phase of the rut you are hunting. Stay in your area & learn it my friend as well as boning up on learning the different aspects of calling & ambushing!

ElkNut1

[cnelk]

Mikeha33
I see your same post over on another forum and it looks like you are getting a general consensus to stay and keep hunting the area.
Take the information you are receiving and use it to your advantage.

Remember, the success rate in Colorado is ~20% for all manners of take.
Probably less than half of that is archery success rate.

That means you really need to put forth good effort(s) to beat the odds

Good luck

[Migolito]

A couple of years ago I backpacked in to the San Juan unit in Utah for deer. The San Juan unit is arguably the best elk hunting in the world (I said arguably). I was quiet as a church mouse, had a cold camp, did everything right, however, I didn't see or hear any elk. Right up until I jumped the biggest friggin elk ever created...period. The thing was truly massive.I walked to within 20 feet of this guy and I never saw him until he bolted. Then I started looking around and the area I walked in to had elk sign everywhere. It was a hell hole to get in to and out of. I backed out and hunted another area. Point is, elk can use just a little of the area they have available when not pushed around.

[Mikeha33]

Thanks guys for all of the feedback. It is what I expected, but still, having very limited elk experience, I like to have my thoughts reinforced. My gut tells me one thing, then my brain tells me that I don't know enough about elk to have a gut instinct.
Brad, your first post made me want to slap myself in the face for even asking the question, Lol. I guess I just needed it put into perspective for me. I'm gonna PM you, and any help would be fantastic!
I feel like we covered a lot of ground last year, some of it more than once, with the thought that they have to be here somewhere. We camped about 2.5 miles in from the trailhead, so I think we were away from the general pressure, and hunted from there daily, covering an average of 5-7 miles daily.
One issue that I had, was that my partner was not a fan of cold calling, so when I was with him, (who has elk hunted more than I, but still not killed) there was very little calling happening, which I didn't necessarily agree with. I got pretty decent at most of the basic calls before our trip, so I was confidant that I could at least spark a little interest. This year, as we're moving, there WILL be more calling (new partner also).
David (TrophyHill), I am 99% sure that I'll be back in the same area. I don't put in for points anywhere yet, and although a 350" bull would be amazing, I'm focusing on getting an arrow in any animal I can first, and DIY OTC is the way I'd like to do that. Looks like we'll probably be back in that area about 9/5 of this fall, so if you don't draw, holler at me. I'm glad you got to hear some bugling last fall, something that I was really looking forward to, but didn't. This year though, my confidence is already higher, just having barely dipped my toe in the elk pool.

Thanks guys, I appreciate all of this, and one thing I love about the ElkNut family, is there is no sugarcoating it. You could have hit me in the face with an oar, and if it's constructive, I'd love it and ask for another.