Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
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Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
I saw there was a 2022 CO archery thread and all the posts were from 2021. Well my last child is finally graduating high school so the years of sitting in bleachers and attending countless school and athletic functions is over… so my oldest son and I are planning our next adventure… I’m 48 and he’s 24 so I figure I have few good years left to get some diy elk hunts in, lol. We are in the process of getting our gear and bodies ready, and I’m wondering if anyone else is heading out west to chase elk this fall? We are planning to do CO OTC this year and hopefully draw for MT next year. I’ve heard the last few years of CO OTC archery has been nuts with people… any tips for us that might help these flatland Beast hunters from WI?
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
No tips from me but I'll be following as I'm waiting to hear on rifle draw results. Applied to one tough draw and a couple easy ones so hopefully we will get a first season hunt. Will be my first time out there so I'm sure there will be quite the learing curve. Tempering my expectations but am super excited for the adventure. Are you planning a truck based hunt or back country?
It only takes 15 seconds for the hunt of a lifetime.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
We are planning to try and stay mobile with a truck camp, but have the option to bivy / spike camp if we need to. We are in the process of putting our gear together (tent, sleep system, cook system, etc)
- seazofcheeze
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
gostovp wrote:I saw there was a 2022 CO archery thread and all the posts were from 2021. Well my last child is finally graduating high school so the years of sitting in bleachers and attending countless school and athletic functions is over… so my oldest son and I are planning our next adventure… I’m 48 and he’s 24 so I figure I have few good years left to get some diy elk hunts in, lol. We are in the process of getting our gear and bodies ready, and I’m wondering if anyone else is heading out west to chase elk this fall? We are planning to do CO OTC this year and hopefully draw for MT next year. I’ve heard the last few years of CO OTC archery has been nuts with people… any tips for us that might help these flatland Beast hunters from WI?
Start getting in the best physical condition you can a.s.a.p. Have comfortable boots. Public elk hunting in the mountains is a GRIND. I'd say the hardest part as a non-resident is finding animals, and that usually requires covering lots of ground, so the higher your fitness level, the better odds of finding animals. Call biologists/wardens in a few different areas to get a feel for the elk herds on public, they will usually shoot you straight.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Yeah fitness is definitely something I’m focusing on. Actually this has motivated me to really start exercising way more regularly. I did a high intensity cardio routine with my daughter and her boyfriend today (she’s going to play volleyball in college and he’s a full-ride commit o-lineman to Ohio State)… I was smoked!
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Just be in shape to walk a lot….. I mean a lot. I went last year a pressure was high. First day we pulled into the area we wanted to hunt we had to spent 40 min just trying to find a camp site. Then after two days we got up and left to a new area. Don’t be afraid to move a lot. People will be pushing elk left and right. And don’t get too fired up when you hear a bunch of bugling right before sun set on the first evening, it might just be several hunters trying to locate bulls for the next day. We had that happen the first evening and we thought we were in for the the best hunt of our lives in the morning. Needless to say all we found was hunters. We learned are lesson after that day. Bulls won’t bugle too much if they are dealing with a lot of pressure, even if it is the rut.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it but be in shape
I went last fall
I was in extreme condition. (Not just saying that). But I live at sea level.
I hiked miles (55-60#) with my pack on.
Tons of cardio (stairs, bike etc)
Walked the railroad tracks with my pack on (to experience uneven ground)
I did restricted breathing exercises
Day 1 in the mtn kicked my bum.
I had the power, and stamina, but couldn’t get my breath.
Day 2 better
Day 3 much much better
Day 4 it was pretty much not an issue.
I cannot imagine not training as hard and as extensively as you possibly can for many months before going. It’s not worth losing an amazing experience because of conditioning.
2 of the people in our 4 - some didn’t take it seriously and they ended up window shopping out of the truck all week.
Not worth that.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
I went last fall
I was in extreme condition. (Not just saying that). But I live at sea level.
I hiked miles (55-60#) with my pack on.
Tons of cardio (stairs, bike etc)
Walked the railroad tracks with my pack on (to experience uneven ground)
I did restricted breathing exercises
Day 1 in the mtn kicked my bum.
I had the power, and stamina, but couldn’t get my breath.
Day 2 better
Day 3 much much better
Day 4 it was pretty much not an issue.
I cannot imagine not training as hard and as extensively as you possibly can for many months before going. It’s not worth losing an amazing experience because of conditioning.
2 of the people in our 4 - some didn’t take it seriously and they ended up window shopping out of the truck all week.
Not worth that.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
Sailfish_WC <-- Deer watcher
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
So you’re saying I should be in shape, lol
Actually all good advise and I’m going to do my best to make sure I’m as prepared as possible for that aspect.
To the guys that went last year, did you get into elk? Any opportunities? Tell me more about the pressure… I’m a public land whitetail Hunter from WI, so others on here that went that from WI, MI, and PA have got to be used to some level of pressure back home… is it not even comparable??
Actually all good advise and I’m going to do my best to make sure I’m as prepared as possible for that aspect.
To the guys that went last year, did you get into elk? Any opportunities? Tell me more about the pressure… I’m a public land whitetail Hunter from WI, so others on here that went that from WI, MI, and PA have got to be used to some level of pressure back home… is it not even comparable??
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Following along.
If all goes well I plan on heading to CO in 2023 for OTC archery hunt.
My down fall is I’ll be solo. But I want to give it a shot
Does anyone have advice on narrowing down a unit? There’s so many to pick from..as many of you know.
If all goes well I plan on heading to CO in 2023 for OTC archery hunt.
My down fall is I’ll be solo. But I want to give it a shot
Does anyone have advice on narrowing down a unit? There’s so many to pick from..as many of you know.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Getting OTC unit info from online forums is nearly impossible, and I do understand why. From what I’ve gathered it’s pretty much just “there are elk in all of them, pick a unit and go”. I know that’s not helpful but at a high level that’s what I’ve been able to gather. My biggest question is roads in the unit… knowing which roads can be driven by my F150 and which can’t.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
I can't speak to Colorado cuz I've never hunted there...my wife and I did a hunt last year in a different state.
My take; if you can afford a deer tag, I'd buy one too, I had multiple oppurtunities at mulies and no tag. I don't like to commit to a place until I find animals. We had a pretty cool encounter a few days in but we were ready to pack up and leave to go an hour away if we hadn't found them that day. I found the most sign in dark timber near water, and seemed like they browsed on clearcuts in young aspen. We didn't physically lay eyes on elk until the second to last day. When we drove through Colorado the trailheads were packed but you can't get them if you don't go. We hunted between 9 and 10 k, and ramped up our activity very slowly to acclimate to elevation. Only a mile or 2 the first day, I was seeing stars just from pounding tent stakes. Fitness wasnt as big a deal as elevation was. We both do crossfit 5x a week and did an extra 30 minutes of biking everyday to build aerobic capacity. I'd say a hill about 2 flights of stairs and I was gasping for air, until about the 5th day, I think I was pretty well acclimated by then. FWIW if we were going back this year I was gonna take a treestand and setup on a wallow. I posted a video of my hunt on a traditional bowhunting forum and a guy told me he's shot a few bulls on wallows from treestands, hunting the thermals. The wallows we found wind was squirrely during the day but in hindsight I feel like morning and evening thermals may have been worth a shot. I had quite a few trailcam pictures of elk in daylight on the one wallow, and we busted one out that my wife heard. Bring plenty of food and water, I eat a ton when I'm on western hunts. I'm a little jealous of you elk hunting. I'm cutting my distance in half and doing a deer hunt because of the high prices.
My take; if you can afford a deer tag, I'd buy one too, I had multiple oppurtunities at mulies and no tag. I don't like to commit to a place until I find animals. We had a pretty cool encounter a few days in but we were ready to pack up and leave to go an hour away if we hadn't found them that day. I found the most sign in dark timber near water, and seemed like they browsed on clearcuts in young aspen. We didn't physically lay eyes on elk until the second to last day. When we drove through Colorado the trailheads were packed but you can't get them if you don't go. We hunted between 9 and 10 k, and ramped up our activity very slowly to acclimate to elevation. Only a mile or 2 the first day, I was seeing stars just from pounding tent stakes. Fitness wasnt as big a deal as elevation was. We both do crossfit 5x a week and did an extra 30 minutes of biking everyday to build aerobic capacity. I'd say a hill about 2 flights of stairs and I was gasping for air, until about the 5th day, I think I was pretty well acclimated by then. FWIW if we were going back this year I was gonna take a treestand and setup on a wallow. I posted a video of my hunt on a traditional bowhunting forum and a guy told me he's shot a few bulls on wallows from treestands, hunting the thermals. The wallows we found wind was squirrely during the day but in hindsight I feel like morning and evening thermals may have been worth a shot. I had quite a few trailcam pictures of elk in daylight on the one wallow, and we busted one out that my wife heard. Bring plenty of food and water, I eat a ton when I'm on western hunts. I'm a little jealous of you elk hunting. I'm cutting my distance in half and doing a deer hunt because of the high prices.
gostovp wrote:I saw there was a 2022 CO archery thread and all the posts were from 2021. Well my last child is finally graduating high school so the years of sitting in bleachers and attending countless school and athletic functions is over… so my oldest son and I are planning our next adventure… I’m 48 and he’s 24 so I figure I have few good years left to get some diy elk hunts in, lol. We are in the process of getting our gear and bodies ready, and I’m wondering if anyone else is heading out west to chase elk this fall? We are planning to do CO OTC this year and hopefully draw for MT next year. I’ve heard the last few years of CO OTC archery has been nuts with people… any tips for us that might help these flatland Beast hunters from WI?
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
I have hunted Colorado a lot and always loved it. We stopped going to our spot once an outfitter moved into the area. Things really changed and now there is practically a road going to the top of the mountain.
We are going back to Colorado but a new location with friends who hunt that area every year. I would say call the local biologist and warden and don't just ask "where should I hunt", that is what everyone asks. Tell him you are doing your homework and would like to see some animals and trying to avoid the over crowded areas.
Physical condition is huge. Even at that it will take you 2 or 3 days to acclimate to the elevation. Typically for us we hunted mornings and evenings only. Trying to hunt them during the day, unless they are vocal, is a waste of time and a good way to drive them out of the area. If dry, find water. There is not one elk I can think of that we killed on an evening hunt that wasn't over water. Learn to bugle and more importantly cow call with a reed call.
Plan on layers since you have no idea what the weather will bring. We tent camped off the road but also used spike camps if needed. It was nothing to put in 6-8 miles on a morning hunt. Above all, have fun.
Elk101 has a great online course you can download for $. I have it and love it. I learned a lot from those guys.
PM me if you have questions. Good luck!!!!
We are going back to Colorado but a new location with friends who hunt that area every year. I would say call the local biologist and warden and don't just ask "where should I hunt", that is what everyone asks. Tell him you are doing your homework and would like to see some animals and trying to avoid the over crowded areas.
Physical condition is huge. Even at that it will take you 2 or 3 days to acclimate to the elevation. Typically for us we hunted mornings and evenings only. Trying to hunt them during the day, unless they are vocal, is a waste of time and a good way to drive them out of the area. If dry, find water. There is not one elk I can think of that we killed on an evening hunt that wasn't over water. Learn to bugle and more importantly cow call with a reed call.
Plan on layers since you have no idea what the weather will bring. We tent camped off the road but also used spike camps if needed. It was nothing to put in 6-8 miles on a morning hunt. Above all, have fun.
Elk101 has a great online course you can download for $. I have it and love it. I learned a lot from those guys.
PM me if you have questions. Good luck!!!!
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
I'm not sure if you'd call it a tip or not but I was just out there hunting for high country mule deer. It was my first try for mule deer and the wife and I started off at 11-12000 ft figuring they might be above tree line. Put in a couple days up there glassing and looking for sign, found some sign and glassed no deer or elk or anything, lots of dry elk sign. Made a move down to 10-11000 and , even though we didn't get into mule deer I did get into elk and they we're just starting to gather harems and just started bugling on Sep 4 or 5th. Also glassed a couple moose and had coyotes yipping and there was just generally a lot more life at that lower elevation.
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Thanks! My son and I are leaving tomorrow!
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Re: Colorado 2022 Archery Elk
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
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