Hello folks! Newbie flatlander!

[bald9eagle]

Folks....I've caught the fever.

Let me tell you a little about me.

My name is Matt and I am 40 years old. I like long walks on the beach and movies.....wait....wrong website.
Seriously though....I am from North Alabama. Avid turkey and duck hunter. I am planning my very first elk hunt for this coming October. My father-in-law has been on a handful of hunts and has 3 bulls and a muley to show for it. I consider myself a woodsman, not just a hunter (hope that doesn't sound conceited!). By that I mean I don't just buy the latest gear and trample through woods wondering where the critters are. I've been hunting since I was old enough to carry a gun. I am self-taught when it comes to hunting turkeys. I get a thrill in learning the nuances of animal behavior.

My family and I took a trip out West in June 2012. Denver to Cody to Jackson to S. Utah to Four Corners to Salida to Breck and back to Denver (plus a few more stops). Found out how much I love that part of the world. That kind of blasted my desire to elk hunt into full gear.

I'm trying to research as much as I can. I want to be as prepared as possible. My goal is to take an elk....any legal elk. I'm not looking for trophy bulls....yet. I don't want to dampen the mood much but this trip means quite a bit to me. I lost my oldest daughter in April of 2013 in an automobile accident. My youngest suffered a brain injury that has completely changed our lives. This trip was meant to be for my oldest daughter and myself. But enough about that.

All of that having been said... I am here trying to pick the brains of experienced elk/muley hunters. I don't want to come in here trying to find out about someone's Honey-Hole. I want to find out how to hunt probably moreso than where to hunt. So for the next few months expect lots of questions.

[ElkNut1]

Welcome to the Forum & thank you for the nice intro! Sorry to hear about your daughters it's a terrible thing.

I can see you have a fire in you & the desire to hunt out West, we all here share those desires! Elk & Muley hunts in your future will no doubt be very appreciated by you as you proceed forward trying to digest all the info you can to make the best out of your hunts, this is a great place to start with many willing & good folks here. Thanks for stopping by, ask any questions you'd like sir!

ElkNut1

[dreamhunter]

Hello Matt,
Welcome to the best forum around. Elknut ( Paul ) really has put together an excellent way to educate yourself when it comes to elk hunting. My buddy from Louisiana got me started about six yrs ago. We do over the counter do it yourself ( archery ). I didn't know the first thing about it, but what I did know after my first trip was that I wanted to go back every year for as long as I can. My best suggestion to you is look through the store..elknut.com. Invest a few of your hard earned dollars into his playbook and the dvds and even some of the mouth reeds. The playbook is a great read while your set up waiting on your first elk. The dvds,well they are the best.Not only do Paul and his son go through and demonstrate the different elk calls but he also explains the how too. With the tools that the elknut crew have made available I have been able to learn new things every year. I read,watch and practice so when its time to head west I'm ready to put my learins to work. I have been able to locate,chat with and two yrs ago even call my first bull in to 12 yds away and ended up taking my shot at 38 yds. Missed him but the point is I learned how to make that happen from the tools elknut provides. This past Sept. another nice bull came in but I wasn't able to get a shot at him. Stay plugged into this site and get involved with the different conversations. Again welcome.
Dreamhunter

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum Matt. Glad to have you on board! So sorry to hear about the rough time your family has went through; I sincerely wish you strength and resilience as you move on. Please pull up a log by our campfire, grab a beverage of choice, and chime in whenever you wish. Lotsa good stuff to review in all the forums here but the Eknut Tips and Clips, and, the Archived Tips sections are a great place to start!

[oldillini]

Welcome Matt.

I am so sorry for the loss in your family. Every day I thank God for the blessings He has given us to share in our lives.

I too am a newbie here having jumped on board just a couple weeks ago. 2015 is to be my first elk hunt. But unlike you I have not been that life long hunter/outdoorsman. Spent most of my childhood outdoors, hunting, fishing, etc. but misplaced that desire for 30+ years while trying to raise a family, pushing the career, etc. I regret having pushed it to the side but have been "reborn" the past few years.

Hope your plans still grow and are achieved in 2015. Have you decided on where you want to go?

[bald9eagle]

I'm still studying on it. Right now I'm at two extremes. First is Unit 24/12...Flat Tops Wilderness, Sleepy Cat Mt. My FIL hunted there some years ago. It is full of elk, full of hunters, and has flatter terrain. On the other end is the Soap Basin/West Elk Wilderness/Castles area. Steep terrain, smaller herd numbers, fewer hunters.

I'm thinking that 2017 I may go in to Unit 54. Or I might just try to get a few points and see what else is there in 2017. I'm really, really determined to go in 2015.

[Wapiti]

Hi Matt,

I feel your pain as far as your family goes as I lost my brother on September 12th of this year !! Your life comes crashing down and your left standing there wondering where to go !! I took refuge in my favorite hills. I left all my family members behind and went hunting......................in all honesty I wasn't hunting but walking for miles and just thinking of my brother !! I came to our favorite ridge and just sat down to reflect. As I sat there I decided to bugle and then the whole forest lite up with bugles all around me !! It was a serenade to my brother is all I could think !! I sat there till dark just listening and enjoying the sounds. As I sat there they got closer and closer and when I was ready to leave the elk were all within 30-80 yards !! It's pure magic and it's almost like the elk knew I was hurting inside. I never even knocked an arrow !!

Anyways enough about my life ! Now I can't help with your decision on where to hunt but what I can tell you is to start learning a few simple cow sounds and calf sounds and one simple location call. Get yourself a single latex reed and start now. Most of us on here call all year round as it takes practice to stay sharp and to really learn control on any reeds. Think of a reed as an instrument and as with any instrument it takes practise to really play them well.

Keep your calling very simple as you learn. all you need is cow and calf sounds and a location bugle. You will kill elk with those basic sounds.

Now rule number one !! WIND !!! You can fool an elks ears and eyes but never his nose !! Play the wind always and if you need to travel a mile to get it right do it !!

So welcome to the family and I wish you the best of luck.

Travis

[bald9eagle]

Thanks Travis.

The accident took place on the last day of turkey season in 2013. I had left work and was chasing a bird that morning. When the 2014 season came around I didn't know if I could make it into the woods. I spent a week down at one of my favorite spots hunting alone. On the first day of the hunt I took a bird. I kneeled down, said a prayer, and squalled like a baby. This was the place that the year before my daughter and I had spent 3 days camping/hunting. I know folks usually don't come on forums and share stuff like this but in an effort to let you guys know more about me and my motivation for doing this hunt I thought it was relevant. not only that but on some of the forums I visit I feel like some of the folks there are (in a weird way) family.

[under H2O hunter]

Welcome to the addiction. Hunting out west is more then just connections with family and the outdoors it truly will become an addiction. I have a few questions for you 9eagle. What type of hunting are you looking to do rifle or archery? Are you wanting to do a guided hunt or DIY? What state are you wanting to hunt? If taking an elk is your goal. I personally suggest a rifle hunt as it has a great success percentage. If you are looking at Colorado I would also recommend a 1st season hunt as the elk will be responsive to calls more then in the later seasons. The down side to a 1st season Colorado elk hunt is that it's only an elk hunt and not a combination Deer/elk season. You would need to do a 2nd or 3rd season if you want to hunt both. The down side to 2nd and 3rd season hunts is that there is a lot more hunters in the field and getting away from the crowds can be a challenge. Archery and Muzzleloading seasons are during the rut and offer an opportunity during the time of year when the aspen trees and weather are really changing. If you are looking to archery hunt then may I suggest hunting either the 3rd or 4th week of September as thats when I personally have seen the most success with calling elk to me. Regardless of which season you decide to hunt I suggest looking at the Colorado Division of Wildlife website as you can get statistics and information that can narrow down which units you're interested in getting more info on.

Other things to consider when deciding on your hunt are things like your hunting style. Still hunting with a rifle seams to be most productive for myself however spot and stalk can also be very productive. When archery hunting there are many proven ways to be successful. Calling is only one way to be successful but sitting over wallows or tree stand hunting can also produce. Archery hunting seems to be more physically demand for me personally as I like to cover lots of ground till I find the elk then form a game plan from there. Rifle hunting I tend to sit and wait all day and let others push elk to me or catch elk moving on their own between bedding and feeding areas.

There are plenty of guys and gals here that will offer up their opinion and what seems to work for them. Ask lots of questions and as others have stated already you can never over practice your calling nor can you get in to good of shape for hunting.

Best of luck and I look forward to seeing what questions you have.

James

[bald9eagle]

Boy....you said a lot in that little bit. Great stuff.

Here is the situation....the group that I am trying to get going is made up of guys that don't all archery hunt. Myself I want to go during the time in Sept. that you mentioned.

I wasn't aware that calling was effective anytime outside of the rut.

Thanks.

[under H2O hunter]

I have called elk in to me in almost every season including the 4th season. Elk are not always going to respond back to your calls but remember elk are herd animals and they want to be part of a herd so they will come and investigate your calls. Knowing what calls to make and when is the trick. Yes elk are more responsive during the rut because of their need to breed but don't get away from calling if you choose a rifle hunt. Cow/calf sounds are very productive during the rifle seasons.

If some of your group want to rifle hunt then may I suggest going 1st rifle season. You are welcome to use a bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, or rifle during a rifle season. So you don't have to use a rifle just because it's a rifle season. Elk are still bugling and responding to calls a lot of times during the first rifle season. Colorado division of wildlife schedules their seasons so that there is a 2 week gap between archery season and 1st rifle season as thats when the division of wildlife thinks the peak of the rut is and wants the elk to be un-harrassed during this peak breading time. The elk on the other hand have their own schedule and the last couple of rifle seasons for me have been very vocal and I have been able to call elk right to me during the 1st rifle season.

James

[bald9eagle]

That settles it....I was leaning towards 1st rifle and trying to draw.

[under H2O hunter]

Now that you have decided. Here is a link that will help you out some more. This is stats from 10 years past. It will help you figure out a unit to apply for. It may or not may have all of the 2014 stats by the time you have to apply but I have found that the stats don't change a whole lot from one year to the next so using the 2013 stats are just fine IMHO. http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/Statistics.aspx