tactics for finding elk during colorado's 1st rifle season

[Jim See]

msalm you wanker, quit giving away our secrets ;-)

don't listen to msalm he skipped out on the last 2 years hunts, while i babysat his father and law and his friends cut all the wood and put up the tents while they started on the bottle.

Ha Ha see you in a week Matt.

 

[roman1]

Ok, this is what we're looking at. Two days of hard hunting and have not seen one elk. Red creek nada, mill creek nada, beaver creek nada. Where are the elk? That is the ?

 

[KYHILLJACK]

If it's still green up there. they are still spread out. Always some up in the West Elk Wilderness and the resident elk hang from there down towards US 50. Have you been down in Beaver? US 50 west out of Gunnison, 9 miles,. turn right across from Coopers Landing, go down into the Harris ranch, turn right at the split up the old logging road follows the east side of Beaver, drop down in drainage on April Gulch road(it's a doosie). Always elk down in there though. Spread out on the side of the drainage(Beaver) and work the dark timber is how we usually bump some up. I know it's rough going in Beaver, but if it was easy everyone would do it. Good luck man.
Leave something for me to lay down in 3 weeks.

 

[fmajor]

Ha ha! Leave a couple somethings to lay down in the aspens! I'll be backpack hunting that area as well with a couple friends. We prepped our camp, though didn't set the tarps up on the frame we made. A lot of cattle grazing through there this year.....

Another friend is hunting that area 2nd rifle (I think he's gonna be in the West Antelope Creek and maybe north as far as Little Mill Creek) and he'll get me some info as soon as he comes back.

I believe it's gonna be chilly and snowy (OK, *hopefully* chilly and snowy) so hopefully those less-committed hunters stay closer to the roads and trails.

If you see a guy with an orange vest over a camo jacket it could very well be me

 

[roman1]

Every thing is very green. Running into the same hunters mixing things up. Nobody seeing elk. I was up Ohio creek today, snowing like crazy. At times you could only see a hundred yards. Two days left gun)

 

[fmajor]

Maybe they're further west up on/around that shelf near West Beaver Creek?

I hope today brings that nice, branch-antlered bull you've been dreaming of!!!

 

[roman1]

Well my hunt is over and although I didn't harvest wapiti the last two days was a hoot. We got on elk yesterday morning in what I will now call my honey hole. Arrived early this morning at the same place and we where on elk within a few hours. Six cows and a young bull came down opposite side of mtn. We glassed for a while and put together a plan to have one if us stay put while two of us went creeping. I was able to get within three hundred yards below them when my spotter told me that a Huge six x six came out of nowhere and started chasing the cows, he brought five more cows with him. Now things started to get serious while around four hours had all ready past. I doubled back and proceeded to go wide left on them so that I could come around and come out above them. I went out of site of my spotter when he told me that the bull was chasing the cows pretty aggressively. Long story short, I believe I was busted as they flanked me and were gone. Two bulls and eleven cows. I was beat to say the least. It made the trip worth every Penney. Well back to michigan and on the way I will be eating my tag sandwich.

 

[cohunter14]

Roman, you and I both! Had multiple people tell me that a heard of over 400 were hanging down on the private at Ohio Creek. Kind of weird considering there were only a few inches of snow up high, but not much was up there. Did come across a nice 5x5, but of course only had a cow tag this year (isn't that always how it goes?). Glad you enjoyed your trip though, never had a 'bad' time in elk camp. Beats the hell out of the office!