New Elk Hunter here in Denver

[bcbassin20]

Hey yall whats going on? I just moved to Denver for the next year while I work on my next construction project. I had the opportunity to go hunt with some good friends of mine from Indiana last year up near Flagstaff, AZ and had a blast chasing those bulls around up there. I spent most of last year working in AZ and chasing mulies around everywhere with my bow and actually missed a huge 4X4 on only my second hunt by myself at 42 yds. I am going to buy an over the counter archery tag this year for a bull and cow elk and possibly a mulie as well. My best friend is going to come out from FL with me and try his luck as well. If anyone can give me any pointers on areas to look for some elk and mulies it would be greatly appreciated. I was not a big fan of glassing until I had to hunt mule deer in southern Arizona nor hiking up and down the mountains but I know what to expect now and I will be prepared. I plan on spending every weekend until season starts scouting, searching, etc for them. Not looking for your "honey hole" areas or anything like that. I am young and able to go......miles after them. Again I would appreciate any info you can throw my way. Thank you

BC

[Fridaythe13th]

Welcome BC, glad to have you here. I don't have much help just wanted to welcome you.

[otcWill]

Welcome to CO! Pick any spot West of the Eisenhower. Do some preliminary scouting online and figure out where you want to go. Once you have a general area picked, ask again or send me a pm. Good luck!

[bcbassin20]

I appreciate it Fridaythe13th.....I didn't think there would be hospitality out here like we have in the South. Good luck this year!

[EVD]

Lot's of options in CO. What type of hunt are you looking for? How will you access your area? Trying to get away from crowds? The DOW site has harvest statics to check on success rates and # of hunters in various units. Same as Will, if you have questions on a specific area I'm happy to help if I can.

[Deafirishman]

Welcome to the forum BC. You'll find a wealth of information on here from a lot of veteran elk hunters. I am still in the amateur status here Best of luck in the search for a hunting area in Colorado. I've hunted in the far SW area of Colorado but nowhere near Denver. Best of luck this season !!

[ElkNut1]

Hey BC welcome to the Forum bud, as a CO resident you can now have the time to do lots of scouting before the season starts. PM Will, he offered & is a great guy to talk with, he can help you out with a direction to consider.

ElkNut1

[bcbassin20]

Thanks guys I appreciate the replies and the hospitality. My main goal is to find an area that holds elk way way off the beaten path away from the "crowds" and stay with them until season opens. I don't know if elk stay on one mountain, how far do they range and travel during the summer months, elevations they like to hang out at that time of year when season opens, etc. This is my first time ever joining a forum so I am learning as I go.

[duckdog28]

Use the big game maps published by the DOW. Turn on the game layers and look for concentration areas. Think about the elevation of those areas and what time of the year the elk will be there. Apply for tags accordingly. Good luck

[duckdog28]

http://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/inde ... ntingAtlas

[bcbassin20]

Am I reading the book right.....? There is an early rifle season during bow season out here? Everywhere I was thinking about archery hunting now I see there is an early rifle. When did this happen or has it been going on for a while?

[StartMyHunt]

Use the big game maps published by the DOW. Turn on the game layers and look for concentration areas. Think about the elevation of those areas and what time of the year the elk will be there. Apply for tags accordingly. Good luck

Welcome BC. The DOW maps can be very helpful in determining which units to hunt during which season. Once you narrow down your choices to a couple of units, you can further refine your search with my maps My maps show you specific areas within a unit where you are likely to find elk based upon the amount of suitable elk habitat.