picking a license

[codyd]

first time elk hunter planning a public ground hunt for next year. I have a partner who will be going with me. I am having trouble deciding what license would be best. We are undecided on a state, but from what I have read it looks like Colorado would be our best chance at getting a tag, and it is also the closest state to us. I would prefer to hunt with a bow, and my partner would prefer to rifle hunt, but would do archery. I think we should go with Colorado OTC archery license since it is earlier in the season and I would think hunting pressure would be less. He thinks Colorado OTC second and third rifle since then we could use rifle or archery i believe. Any reasoning for one over the other? Or recommendations on another state or license. We are not after giants, just would like to go and see some elk and get some opportunities.

[saddlesore]

Colorado OTC archery hunts do have quite a bit of pressure. Especially foot hunters that stay close to access.

In any rifle season, you may use any legal means to hunt with that is center fire rifle,muzzle loaders,handguns, archery tackle. In fact I think even cross bows. However you lose the close inability as when hunting in the rut.I have personally been close enough to many elk to kill one with archery equipment in rifle , but if it is bull only that success rate goes WAY down. By 2nd-3rd season the elk have already been hunted 6-8 weeks and are tad more careful
BY that time,in many ares in CO the elk have either filtered down to private land or gone nocturnal.
Each method has pros and cons.

[CurlyTail]

If you try to hunt rifle season with archery equipment, your success rate would be well below the usual 9% archery success rate. Not my kind of odds.

Here is your solution.

Pick a unit that is both OTC Archery, and with decent muzzleloader draw odds. You hunt with Archey equipment while your buddy hunts Black Powder Rifle. This 9 day hunt is during peak rut, and you both would have a good chance with your weapon of choice.

Otherwise, you should both do Archery, as a hunt during peak rut is where the real excitement of Elk hunting can be appreciated.

In Wyoming, you could hunt with a bow, your buddy could use a Crossbow, and if you did not fill your tag, you could both go back during Rifle season. To hunt Wyoming with 0 points, you would want to apply in the more expensive "Special" draw.

[Osprey]

Not sure if you guys are pickly about bulls or cows but you could possibly draw a EF muzzy tag and one of you could have a ES archery tag to try and get a bull. I think you would have a real good chance at getting at least a cow in sept. I think as far as new comer goes your best bet to harvest would be rifle and your best chance to see elk is archery. The animals are just less disturbed as prev posted in sept however in rifle you just really need to find elk sometimes one is all you need to see and if you draw a ES or one of you has a bull and other cow you stand a really good chance to take at least one elk. Elk huntings hard esp a first timer even guys with a lot of expereince don't get one every season. In CO too from what i've seen theres a lot of spike bulls and cows for every legal bull. I think my last hunt in CO in 2015 in Rifle season I saw 3 legal bulls, 15-20 spikes, and about 100 - 150 cows. Could have shot a cow probably half the days I hunted although I filled my bull tag if I had a partner with a cow tag they could have tagged a cow the first evening at 20 yds! Also as far as archery hunting goes you really need to learn ELk behavior and how to talk Elk and or have good wallows located to stand hunt. Obviously theres a learning curve to the elk talk but if you want to go archery route I would start with the Elk nut dvds asap to be as good as you can be come sept it rolls around fast. Just remember your trying something where in most areas more than 80% of hunters go home empty if it was easy many of us probably would be doing something else I think the land the elk calls home and the difficulty of the hunt brings out sort of a primal back to the roots sort of hunt for most of us and spending a week or more in areas unspoiled by modern society makes it a incredible experience reguardless of the hunts outcome.

[Lefty]

As far as seasons, pre, during and early post and late post rut are all different hunts. Then the late December is even more different.

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum codyd. It is good to have you at the campfire along with all of the mischief-makers here. There are opportunities in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and others too. You could plan to fly into Boise, or Portland, or somewhere else and rent a vehicle to hunt with. Just another alternative. Best wishes. You are starting at the right time for planning a 2017 otc diy hunt.

[njdoxie]

Welcome to the forum codyd. It is good to have you at the campfire along with all of the mischief-makers here. There are opportunities in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and others too. You could plan to fly into Boise, or Portland, or somewhere else and rent a vehicle to hunt with. Just another alternative. Best wishes. You are starting at the right time for planning a 2017 otc diy hunt.

Thanks for talking up states not name Colorado, it's just so crowded.