Tell me about your 3rd season hunts

6mm06guy

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Missouri
I'm heading to Colorado for a third season rifle hunt with SawBuck Outfitters in Crawford colorado.
I would like to hear your guys stories,tips, and any tips on what gear that you typically use
This is my first time elk hunting ever and first time hunting in Colorado.

Thx guys
 
I hunted Colorado 2nd season two years ago. Elevation over 9000' I believe. We got in a few days early to make camp and scout. The weather was quite warm until second day of our season. After that it cooled off considerably. Weather on the mountain would change very suddenly and unpredictably. We left with 3 days of our season remaining. It snowed during our last night there and the next morning. We tore down camp in a snow storm. Got the truck hung up on a boulder and high centered it leaving camp. I had talked with a local there a couple days before and heard stories of trucks, campers and ATV's being stranded on the mountain all winter due to snow plugging the road. All that being said, you will be fine with an outfitter. I would seek his advice on what you need for gear. He knows the area and what to expect regarding the unexpected. Good luck and enjoy the adventure!
 
Good boots should be #1 on your list. Add gaiters to your list as well. Wet, cold and sore feet will make your hunt miserable. It could be 70° one day and the next day you could be trekking around in a foot of snow.
 
I'm hunting right around crawford colorado, but not with a guide, I'm really looking forward to this hunt, and the closer it gets the more excited I get.

What type of boots do you recommend?
I have several pairs of muck boots but I doubt they do well in the rocks, a set of Danner snake boots that have a gortex liner, and a cheap set of rockies hunting boots, all three have served me well over the years.
 
My father-in-law uses Kennatrek and loves them. I use Lowa Tibet gtx hi. I was going to buy the kennatrek bit they didn't fit my feet well. I have used my Lowa's for everything from -25° pheasant hunting in ND to elk hunting at 11,000'. Never had wet or cold feet or one blister. Get a boot that fits you good from the start. If they feel like there going to take alot of breaking in its the wrong boot for your foot.
If I was you I would get them now. Like today now and start wearing them so they are well broken in when you get to Colorado. Cheep boots are a waste of money to me. Tried it for years, never was happy until I got the Lowa's.
 
Good advice on the boots and changing weather. 100% agree. As I've mentioned in a couple other threads recently...do some extra reading with places like this:
http://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/EHU.aspx

Tips/advice can take pages, especially for someone who hasn't hunted out West. Hopefully outfitter is steering you toward places to find elk, so that should help. Just be sure you are fit, have good personal gear, and are ready/able to shoot past 200-300 yards if required (it is very common to need to out West, since it is big open country).

Muck boots etc would be a disaster out here. In most cases, you'd hike around (a lot of up and down) for a few hours and your feet would be blistered and you'd be out of commission. Cheap boots will usually not give good support (or too much), not fit well, not keep you dry or some other combination. As others have said, invest in a well-made pair that fit well and that your feet don't slip at all in. Probably safe to get a lightly insulated pair for all-around use. Ideally, a person would have a lighter-weight, non-insulated boot for warm days with lots of hiking, a mid-weight insulated pair for a lot of the fall, and then a heavy insulated winter hiking boot (if hiking a lot) or a good pair of Pac boots, if not walking a lot and sitting a meadow, trying to keep feet warm. If I were you, third season, I'd get a good pair of mid-insulated hiking boots that you'll probably have to spend $200-$400 on and use them 90% of the time, but also maybe have a pair of dedicated, cold-weather boots, that even if they aren't great for hiking, you could wear and stick some foot warmers in, in case you end up sitting a meadow for hours. The goal is to stay warm and dry.

Clothes - no jeans or cotton. Find something that breathes and wicks moisture. Wool or some synthetic (something like smart wool is much better than some cotton t-shirt, that will get soaked with sweat and freeze you to death). Make sure you have layers that you can add and remove. You don't want the great big, insulated coveralls as your main source of clothing - unless you aren't going to walk far and just plop down on a meadow 200 yards from the road. Otherwise, you'll sweat to death walking and they'll rub and chaff. The tricky part is that usually when it's cold, you have to hike and spent a lot of energy getting where you want to go, and then if you get somewhere to sit, you need to stay warm (two completely different clothing requirements). So, stick the clothes/layers you'll need in a pack, head off in way less clothes than you think you'll need (it will seem crazy, but you'll be sweating soon enough) and then when you get where you plan to sit and watch you won't be completely soaked with sweat and you can start putting your warm layers on. Even if hiking all day and not sitting, good to have warm clothes along (and some basic survival stuff), in case you get stuck out for the night. That's a start at least. As others said, bug the outfitter too, it's there job and they should have a list of stuff and also tell you how much hiking vs sitting etc you'll probably be doing (but some of that will probably be up to you too).
 
I'm hunting right around crawford colorado, but not with a guide, I'm really looking forward to this hunt, and the closer it gets the more excited I get.

What type of boots do you recommend?
I have several pairs of muck boots but I doubt they do well in the rocks, a set of Danner snake boots that have a gortex liner, and a cheap set of rockies hunting boots, all three have served me well over the years.
Danner Pronghorns 400g insulation. I've had mine for 6 seasons with lots of miles on them. Still waterproof and going strong. NEVER one blister... EVER!!
 
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