Of course, it's been three decades since I hunted elk in Colorado, but I'm a little surprised by the preference for Wyoming.

I still think the general hunt areas here see excessive pressure, so I much prefer limited-quota tags. Once the elk move, the game changes very quickly. We're very much affected by private landowners who either lease their land to an "outfitter" (I think "pimp" is a better word for many of them - they don't rise to the level of the guides with strings of horses and a camp way back in the wilderness somewhere) or charge you a trespass fee to shoot a cow (then they'll complain to G&F later about how too many elk are raiding their hay lot). Much of the good public elk land is bordered by private land and landowners who don't want you back there in it. So access can be difficult and very physical (own good boots, good maps, and a sturdy pack frame - and know how to use all three).

But, when you find yourself alone at daybreak in a valley full of bugling bulls ... yeah, I know why I like elk hunting in Wyoming.