Tips for Finding Success on a Colorado Elk Hunt
Colorado is well known for big elk populations. But that doesn’t mean they come easy. The terrain is steep and elk are notoriously difficult to pin down. Arriving with a game plan, calling skills and physical fitness are all factors that can make a difference on public land hunts.
Whether you’re joining us on a guided hunt or working to plan a DIY adventure, here are a few tips to help you find success on your next Colorado elk hunt…
Diversify Your Elk Calling Strategies
Ask five experts about their elk calling strategies and you will receive five different answers. Everyone has a different style but adaptability is a major asset for public land hunters. Practice like crazy ahead of the season. Learn to bugle, chuckle and cow call. The more tools in your arsenal, the more you can project.
During the pre-rut and early rut, an aggressive calling strategy can sometimes pay off. Go loud and challenge the herd bull to pull him within range. However, in many over-the-counter units in Colorado, pressured elk will quickly become call shy. Therefore, having the ability to dial it back is advantageous. Use your locator calls early, get close and be ready to experiment and read the situation based on the way elk are responding.
As we’ve said before – sometimes the best calling strategy is not calling at all! The silent approach is often the most deadly in high-pressure OTC units. To learn more, see our previous article that covers elk calling strategies.
Pre-Scout and Use In-Field Mapping
If you’re joining us on a guided hunt, you have the advantage of our guides’ experience with the landscape and localized animal behavior. If you’re hunting on your own this year, we recommend using mapping tools that make it possible to pre-scout an area. Satellite imagery, topo maps and hunting specific apps are all useful in the scouting process.
Ideally, a pre-season visit is in order. But many traveling hunters must rely on digital maps to prepare. Luckily, you can study the terrain and topography while locating water sources, cover, potential feeding areas and glassing locations. Take the time to mark specific areas and load these points into a GPS or mapping app that you can use in the field. Mark your favorite points to build a primary game plan. But also get creative and work through backup plans so you can call an audible when necessary.
Find the Vantage Points
When your hunt begins, utilize the vantage points found from e-scouting. But also look for other advantageous glassing locations. Some things are simply not visible from satellite imagery and will become obvious when you hit the trails. Find the best glassing locations possible. Especially when hunting a new area, glassing can save you a ton of time and boot leather to locate game.
Be prepared to put in time behind the glass at first and last light to locate elk. Depending on the distance, this could mean leaving camp long before daylight and hiking back in the dark. You want to be set up behind the glass as soon as it’s light enough to see. Those first few minutes of daylight can be critical.
You’ve probably heard it said before – let your binoculars do the walking. This is a great strategy to locate animals. But for it to be effective, you must be in that glassing location before daylight. It might not be easy – but certainly worth the effort. Once located, you can make a game plan to go after the elk.
Show Up In Great Shape
Welcome to Colorado. The altitude is real. And there are no easy shortcuts on the terrain. Show up in shape and ready to hunt hard. Not only does being in shape give you a better chance for success. But it will also make your hunt more enjoyable.
Hit your local trails, spend time in the gym and get your legs trained for the vertical nature of elk hunting. The guides and your hunting team are all critical players when it comes to calling and packing out a bull. But often times, simply getting into position to be able to make a shot requires being in good condition.
Contact Us With Questions
Have questions about elk hunting in Colorado or would you like to know more about our guided hunts? Please take a few minutes to review our hunts outlined here on the website. For availability and other details, please send us a message. Or call Adam directly at (208) 691-3014. We’d love to help you plan your next Colorado elk hunting adventure!
