Contacting CO's

[Kessler10]

When looking into a new area to hunt do any of you recommend contacting the local Conservation Office or Game Warden for tips?

For example just calling and introducing yourself and letting him/her know you are interested in scouting a particular area for an upcoming hunt and wondering if they migh tbe able to share some quick tips.

Is this frowned upon or are they generally happy to help in terms of telling you "this would be a spot for a good base camp" or "you should start around this mountain and meadow and work around the area to see what you can find."

If so assuming the best place to find contact info for these individuals would be the states game and fish website?

Thanks!
Luke

[saddlesore]

Most of them I contacted in CO are very helpful. Sometime it is better to contact the local game biologist too

[Ilikefire]

Another thing I would add is when you are to your destination if you see a forest patrol either state, BLM or Forest service stop and ask them if they have any helpful tips on the local elk. I know the state forestry guys in my area are in their trucks driving around 6-8 hours a day and typically see lots of game moving around. I actually ended up moving to a whole new area years ago based off the info given by the state forestry guys and have been successful every year in locating elk

[Swede]

I think the game wardens would be a great source of help. If you talk to the foresters or biologists, I recommend asking about specific areas. Then say what you want to hunt, such as mature bulls only, or it just needs to be legal. If you are specific, they will discuss that area or may recommend a substitute. If you just ask where to go or something like that, you get nothing usable. Over the years, when I worked for the F.S., people would ask where are the elk? Well, there were elk all over the Forest/District. If the hunter said, "I am looking to hunt the Shady Mountain area. Have you seen any mature bulls in that area", I would address their query much better. I would even suggest a nearby substitute if Shady Mountain was poor. Some F.S. people love to talk hunting and for others it is boring, and they could care less about where the elk are. The moral is to ask several employees, and see if you can find any common recommendations.

[under H2O hunter]

IMHO Game Wardens are as full as $hit as a septic tank is. Biologist sometimes will help you out. I think your best bet is to get as much info about the summer and wintering ranges then look to see where they will be moving transition through as they move. There are lots of maps out there with this info. Once you have a few areas then set some cameras out and do some scouting on the ground with good optics. You will be surprised with what you see. Network with local people in the areas. A lot of time when you're doing your summer scouting if you ask various people who work in the area like Bartenders, Convenient Store attendants, Meat Processors, ext give more info then Parks and Wildlife people.

When asking people about where elk may be I find it is best to start off with other questions that may be more inviting to get them to talk rather then just coming out and saying "Hey, where might I find some elk" . If you ask them if they are hunters and they are they usually won't give you straight up answers if you're looking to come hunt as well but if you ask them for ideas where you could photograph some wildlife like deer and elk they are way more helpful. Hey trail cameras is photography...

[Indian Summer]

"this would be a spot for a good base camp" or "you should start around this mountain and meadow and work around the area to see what you can find."

That's hoping for a bit much. Those guys don't know about elk in that much detail. They know about spring counts and where the elk winter. Something more realistic would be to hope for "the big drainage that is XXX creek" a broader tip that is really all you should need to get on to online topo sites and come up with hunting routes and a place to camp.