Author Topic: elk hunting advice  (Read 803 times)

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Offline handyman06

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elk hunting advice
« on: September 02, 2006, 04:19:20 PM »
a friend and myself are looking at the feasability of an elk hunt, any adivice would be greatly appreciated. so far the plan is to travel by truck to colorado ( we live in sw missouri ) and camp and hunt on public land. as far as equipment he has 300 win i have 25/06, we have access to GPS, we have been told we can rent horses and tack in colorado, we have no binoculars, we have butchering equipment suitable for whitetail. cost is a major consideration. a few specific questions are below, but any advice is welcome

1. is 25/06 120 gr.sp suitable?
2. butchering is going to be a whole different world any info appreciated
3. recommendations for needed equipment
4. what to expect in the thin air ( were both in our late twenties and in reasonable good shape )
5. any specific area we should look at in CO or other states
6. we have a vague idea of the tactics for elk, cover lots of ground, scope with bioculars then stalk within range and shoot untill it drops, id expect theres alot more to it any good info appreciated
7. out of state permit process

i realize thats a pretty tall order so please just write what you can. thanks in advance

Offline beemanbeme

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2006, 06:26:24 AM »
FWIW, I'd leave the 25-06 home.  I know that will bring screams of rage from all the 25-06 shooters that have killed millions of elk with their rifle but, in the real world, you are not going to get a shot at a classically posed elk like you see on the cover of magazines.  You need a rifle that will drive a heavy bullet into the animals vitals at a less than ideal angle.

I think first off, I'd get in touch with the Colorado DNR.  They should be able to give you some good info as well as a list of outfitters that can do drop camps.  Those are unguided hunts where the outfitter puts you in the way-back on your own and comes back and gets you after so many days.  What gear they provide and what gear you provide is kinda negosible. 

Get in shape.  Really good shape.

Offline handyman06

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2006, 01:25:24 PM »
thanks beemanbeme! id never heard of a drop camp, something ill have to investigate. as far as the 25/06 thats kinda what i expected. thinking of trading for 300 mag savage or 35 wheelen barrel for the handi rifle. i assumed a quartering shot was out of the question even with the big calibers, so that opens up some opprotunities i hadn't considered. after checking the colorado dept of wildlife webpage we are also looking at a muzzleloading hunt if we cannot get rifle permits. thanks again!

Offline Coppertop

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2006, 06:18:50 AM »
Hello Handyman

I agree with beemanbeme. about the 25/06, especially for your first hunt. An Elk can go a long ways even with some lead in him. Butchering is the same but on a bigger scale. The biggest thing about equiptment is dress in layers and have quite a few of those as it can go from 80 degrees to snowing at 0 in less than a day.  The only things that help in altitude are time there and what kind of shape you are in. Just watch for altitude sickness. If you wanted a "lower" elevation hunt try around Rangely CO and Craig CO. They don't have the Vista's that the Rockies do but are easier to get around on and as i said lower elevation. Just a bit more private land so a GPS and a good map would be a good idea. JMHO

Offline handyman06

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2006, 11:50:45 AM »
much appreciated coppertop! the 25/06 is out for sure. were planning for next year not this one so that gives me some time to find a suitable rifle and get used to it. ive shot the 300 win mag a little and i like it, the recoil doesent seem excessive. thats what im looking at right now, but im open to other suggestions.

ill start zeroing in on rangely and craig co as my partner is a smoker and well likely be packing out quarters by hand. i once went to vail and breckenridge, didnt really notice much difference on the mountains, are they considered high altitude?

as far as clothing thats the general concensus im getting from folks in our local community that make the hunt yearly.

thanks again for the reply!

Offline alsatian

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2006, 07:11:20 AM »
Go to the Colorado Department of Wildlife web page and do some investigation.  You will definitely want to look over the hunting regulations.  You can and should order a copy of the "Colorado Big Game CD" that you can locate at this web site.  This CD provides a wealth of information on harvest success on a unit-by-unit/season-by-season basis.  The CD also provides information on drawing probabilities, which will also be important for you to understand.  Some units you can expect to draw a permit on your first try; other units you may need to try 10 years before you draw.  One thought to consider is doing a cow elk hunt on your first trip: cow elk are easier to hunt, the license cost is about 1/2 that of a bull license, and cow elk meat is probably better tasting than bull elk meat.  Additionally, you might be able to get away with using your .25-06 on a cow hunt (use heavy bullets of tough construction, for example nosler partition), but the others are right to steer you away from using the .25-06 for bull elk.  These are very big animals -- about three times larger than deer, on average.  Colorado has the highest probability of drawing for non-residents.

Elk are located at different places at different times of the year.  In warm weather elk like to be up high in cooler country, just at timberline when possible.  Being up high keeps them cool and also reduces the pesky insects that plague elk.  So, if you are going to hunt an early season such as archery, muzzleloader, or first rifle season you will want to consider hunting high country.  This means you probably don't want an early season license in a unit which has only low country because the elk might not be there but rather miles away, outside your unit, in high country.  Similarly, if you are looking at a late season hunt the snows will push the elk down out of the high country: don't plan to hunt the wilderness area in the national forest public land in mid-November.  Probably by then the elk will be pushed down to lower elevations, maybe on private land that you won't be allowed to hunt unless you shell out thousands of dollars.  Consult locals on what to expect in a given unit.  If you can't contact locals through this or other hunting forums, call a field office of the Colorado Department of Wildlife and talk to a field biologist.  Some general places to consider are the Flat Tops area, the West Elk Wilderness area, and the San Juan national forest area.  I suggest you get a Colorado Gazetteer which contains moderately detailed maps of the whole state.  When you have decided on a Game Management Unit (GMU) you will want to get more detailed maps, including 7.5 minute USGS topographic quadrangle maps of your specific planned hunting area.  These maps will provide detailed terrain information which are very helpful in planning your hunt and hiking plans.

You should try to get out to your selected hunting unit for a couple of days of scouting in the summer before your hunt.  You will want to know how to drive to your hunting area.  You will want to know what the lay of the land is.  You will want to identify several good camping spots, bearing in mind that others may get there before you for the elk season and already have taken one or more of your preferred camping spots.  You will want to identify good places to glass from to start your hunt.  Try to imagine how other hunters may hunt this area and plan to position yourself so the elk may tend to be driven to you.  If you don't do this during the summer, you are likely going to wind up doing this as part of your hunt.  Personally, I would rather have this kind of business handled in advance so I can focus on hunting during the hunting season.  Also, try to arrive at your hunting area a couple of days before the season to get set up and do some pre-season scouting.  Wouldn't it be nice to locate elk before opening morning, go to the known position of the elk on opening morning, and take your elk immediately, before they get spooked and stirred up by all the other hunters?

Be in excellent condition.  Being young has its advantages, but you will also need to condition yourselves through strenuous physical exercise.  Begin this process at least 4 months before your hunt, preferably 6 months before your hunt.  If you are overweight, lose the weight.  If you undertake a strenuous exercise program, which I suggest that you do, increase your intensity level over time, don't subject your body to sudden large increases in exercise intensity.  You can't achieve your end goal overnight and if you try to you WILL injure yourself and delay reaching your goal.  When exercising intensely, pay attention to eating sufficient protein.  Eggs, milk, meat, fish offer good sources of protein.  Protein supplements in the form of Whey powders can augment other sources of protein.  You want to focus your conditioning effort on aerobic exercise, which will help you adopt more readily to the high altitude, but strength training your upper body will help with handling the meat.  I condition on 6 days and rest the following 2 days.  On days 1, 3, and 5 I run 4.5 miles at 5.5 MPH, half of the distance with a 6 degree slope dialed into the treadmill.  On days 2, 4, and 6 I do strength training including two sets of push-ups, two sets of sit-ups, two sets of arm curls with 25 LBS dumbbells, two sets of leg squats holding a 25 LBS dumbbell in each hand, lunges, and various other leg and arm exercises.  On strength training days I run 2 miles at 6 MPH with no slope.  This has put me into just about the right kind of condition, I think, for my backpacking elk hunt I will do beginning in three weeks.  Remember, you want to be able to keep on hunting for at least 5 days, covering a lot of ground at high elevations.  Endurance and stamina are the key physical attributes, not short-term maximum strength.

Try to hunt well away from the roads.  It is said that 90% of hunters stay within 1 mile of roads.  To me that means get in more than 1 mile before beginning to hunt, in order to avoid crowds.  If you go into the woods, be sure to carry appropriate equipment including (1) map & compass (even if you have a GPS, have the magnetic compass and 7.5 minute USGS topographic map for your hunting area on hand -- electronics fail and batteries expire), (2) matches in a waterproof container, (3) fire starter material, (4) an emergency thermal blanket of some sort with which you can try to retain some warmth if you get stuck out overnight, (5) a knife, (6) extra food, (7) a flashlight with extra batteries, (8) some sort of first aid kit, (9) drinking water, (10) toilet paper, and (11) appropriate extra clothes in case it gets colder or begins raining.

Offline T.R.

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Re: elk hunting advice
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2006, 01:47:35 PM »


Back in 1972, a man could buy a statewide elk license as a non-resident. I often hunted the Colorado side of the Laramie Mts.  Just go to Steamboat and head north! But now Colorado is zoned into management units with specific harvest quotas and such.

I advise you to find out where licenses are available and get a good USDA Forest Service map. Plan on snow squalls and tough driving in semi-wilderness areas. Good tires, chains, and heavy rope will get you through about anything. Keep dry clothing, MRE meal, mirror, and a flare in your vehicle.  If  something goes wrong or if you get wet, you'll survive even if the motor does not start.

25-06 will kill any bull that walked but plan to use 117 grain Nosler Partitions and wait patiently for a broadside (double lung) shot placement.  25-06 is the wrong choice for raking shots or attempting to shoot through heavy shoulder bones. Know your limitations and your 25-06 will get the job done.

Plan on having three ways to make a fire and keep these items in your daypack.  I always carry two BIC lighters, matches, magnesium stick, and folded newspaper.  Pack a K-Bar USMC fighting knife on your hip. My Dad taught me this life saving advise. This tough knife can be used to make a shelter, cut kindling, or skin your elk. Plan ahead for a bad storm and you'll come out smiling. Fail to plan ahead and the crows will find you first.
TR