1st time hunting Colorado OTC this year-advice?

[bownarrow]

I have only hunted LE units in the past (NM, WY, UT), and I did not draw this year. I have been told by buddies taking me that OTC in Colorado is the almost impossible to shoot a bull. We will be going the fist two weeks of archery, leaving a few days before muzzle loader. My buddies have hunted the spot and know where the elk generally hang out. The elk tend to feed high above tree line and then come lower to timber to bed. They have been in elk but have not scored. My questions is: What has worked for you pre-rut in OTC colorado? Please be specific: water holes? Tree stand hunting? Cow calls? Get in close and bugle? Spot and Stalk? Decoy as they are headed back to bedding areas and soft cow call to move them toward you? I am getting really nervous that OTC elk are all but impossible to find and shoot. On the other hand, LE elk have humbled my on plenty of occasions, so I am used to it!

Thank you for your advice.

Bownarrow.

[Indian Summer]

Sounds like the main ingredient is there: elk. Your buddys have a good general idea of where they are and some of their habits. You just need to close the deal. I'd say start low impact. Be sneaky, lay low and learn. Later in the hunt get more aggressive. Patience and determination, as always, will be the name of the game. Good luck.

[patdel]

They aren't impossible. Guys do it every year. I'm not one of them. I do have a friend who is consistently successful. His advice? "If you hear or see one, go after it.". Simple right? Thanks buddy. I was watching Nate Simmons the other day and his public land strategy is to get as close as possible, and wait for something good to happen. Limited calling, doesn't give up his position. Seems like sound advice. Good luck to you!

[brun]

The elk don't know they are in an OTC unit. They are just elk, if you can find them you can hunt them. Get close, find water holes and sit, stalk any elk you hear, try calling. Try everything. I have called bulls into bow range in August, I've also scared them away, just like any other time. Have fun, hunt hard and who knows what will happen. You can't kill one if you don't get in the woods. Good luck.

[patdel]

The other advice that guy gave me was that if I couldn't hear or see one, cover ground with optics or my legs until I could. Again, easier said than done, but I Dont think there are any shortcuts.

[Trophyhill]

Don't let your buddy's mindset of "impossible" rub off on you. Or you will be defeated before you step foot in the elkwoods.

[jrnorton4]

I am going OTC Colorado on my first elk hunt this year, so in kinda the same boat as you. As far as nearly impossible, doubtful, but the toughness of it is what will make even a cow a trophy for me. Worst case scenario, if we don't see a single elk, I tell myself that other people spend more money to go and ride around and look at mountains; we are hiking and sleeping and hunting in the midst of them. You can't beat that.

[bownarrow]

Do you guys think it makes sense to call much? Cow call or Bugle or both and why? I have had good success cow calling with decoys, but I have not hunted this early (or in OTC).

Thanks!

[under H2O hunter]

Early season hunting is pretty quite in my OTC unit. However I have been really successful with a few things. I would look for wallows as most early season bulls will be using them to cool off. Sit and be patient for a day or two if you find one that is heavily used. Use cow calls as cows are vocal all year long. You just never know when that bull will get interested and come take a look. If you hear a true elk be ready to cover ground quickly and efficiently meaning that you're gonna be covering some distance in a hurry but do so with the wind in your favor. Look for good ambush points. Elk like to travel the path of least resistance if they can so if you spot a feeding elk look to see where he is headed and where you may intersect him and be patient and quite. These have all worked for me in early season. Good luck and lose the negative train of though. Remember where there is a will there's a way. You just have to stay positive and positive things will happen. Make your own luck.

[Trophyhill]

I like early season. A couple things that have helped me is understanding what elk are doing at that time and why they are doing it. For instance knowing when the bulls rub their velvet off, what sets this off in correlation with the first estrus cycle, when that happens and how often these estrus cycles take place can give you a good idea what to expect the elk will be doing those first couple weeks of September.

It's true that a lot of "herd bulls" or "dominant bulls" aren't herded up just yet but don't think for a second that some of them aren't. I've seen big bulls with a lot of cows during the first week of September these last few years. Are they talking during this time? You better believe it. Maybe not very loud but rest assured they are communicating with each other. I've also seen them fired up during this time and you can get them fired up during this time with well placed, well timed calling. This can also be a time when you the hunter should exercise patience.

Mid day bulls will bugle from there beds. Sometimes not very loud and very short lazy bugles but hey, sometimes that's all a hunter needs is a hint of where that bull is bedded. During those times for me, patience is key. When I hear this I don't back away but either stay put or move to a position where I think I'll have an opportunity later. Patience is your friend when playing the waiting game but you have to know when it's time to make something happen which for me is still trial and error. When it's go time you'll just have to read the mood of the elk and the mood of the elkwoods. Sometimes I actually get it right.

Again knowing what elk are doing, when they are doing it and why they are doing it can be a huge asset. When others are not hearing anything you very well could be when you learn these little nuances. North American Elk Ecology and management tells you a lot about certain things while leaving just enough out that we still need to connect the dots and only experience will help us make the connections whether that comes from spending a lot of time in elk country during the off season or during hunting season. Make the most of it and leave it all in the elkwoods kinda like a hockey player leaves it all on the ice.

[dtrkyman]

I had never stepped foot in Elk country, got packed into an otc Co unit, passed a small 5x5 and had close calls on three good bulls in a weeks time.

Impossible hardly.

[Swamp Buck]

There are elk in EVERY OTC unit in Colorado. Even huge ones. Odds are you will not get one or see one, but if you do, you will feel like you have just won the lotto. Here is my winning lotto elk from last year. Now I get to live with the realization that I will (probably) never shoot a bull this big again in an OTC or draw unit. I truly feel blessed. You can show this to your buddies and say "hard yes, impossible NO."

[Trophyhill]

There are elk in EVERY OTC unit in Colorado. Even huge ones. Odds are you will not get one or see one, but if you do, you will feel like you have just won the lotto. Here is my winning lotto elk from last year. Now I get to live with the realization that I will (probably) never shoot a bull this big again in an OTC or draw unit. I truly feel blessed. You can show this to your buddies and say "hard yes, impossible NO."

I can't tell you how many guys have told me I'm wasting my time hunting CO and the bulls are dinks in CO. That's a great bull Swamp Buck and 1 of many reasons I love hunting CO