Okay CDOW - Good Job!
06-17-2008, 11:13 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
Okay CDOW - Good Job!
I received my either sex elk tag for the first rilfe season (elk only, no deer, yea!).
I consider an either sex tag a "bull tag."
Now to just put in for the left over draw in August and pickup a cow tag.
Two licenses. Shoot the first legal cow of reasonable size that I see and then hold out thru the rest of the dayfora bull. If action is slow, then I might go for a pair of cows.
Works nice. Several of our group get left over tags.One side benefit, it sure does open up possiblities with out violating the"Party Hunting" crapolla.
I love it when a plan comes together! I'll be elk hunting with the cowboys from Nebraska along with a couple of hard core Coloradans. A nice little group, seasoned and savvy.
I consider an either sex tag a "bull tag."
Now to just put in for the left over draw in August and pickup a cow tag.
Two licenses. Shoot the first legal cow of reasonable size that I see and then hold out thru the rest of the dayfora bull. If action is slow, then I might go for a pair of cows.
Works nice. Several of our group get left over tags.One side benefit, it sure does open up possiblities with out violating the"Party Hunting" crapolla.
I love it when a plan comes together! I'll be elk hunting with the cowboys from Nebraska along with a couple of hard core Coloradans. A nice little group, seasoned and savvy.
06-18-2008, 08:58 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
RE: Okay CDOW - Good Job!
For the most part I am a meat hunter.I'd hunt the first day giving a bull opportunity a chance before taking a cow instead.... a lot depends on the action as I've seen as many as 500 in a day and as few as 15; one kind of has to play his hand accordingly. Elk hunting (for me) embodies so much more than just the killing partthat Iprefer to get that part taken care of promptly, that way Icanmove on to the packing out of the elk meat (horses) [my favorite], packing out the spike camp (horses) [not so much], doing thebutchering [runner up to packing outmeat], and then some partying thrown in (it takes a lot of beer to butcher an elk).
The season we hunt is a whopping5 days long andone's odds are by far the best the first day in this very high pressure public area, after that the elk get real scarce (smart). Since thehighest number ofhunters are out in the woods working for us thefirst day, it pays to take advantage of all that free labor and get while the getting is good. I've done the "full season" hunt to the last minute of the last hour of the last day and I've done the "get the job done on day one" hunt.I'll take the latter (kinda like the old "I've been rich and I've been poor and rich is better" line.)
For our group, elk hunting strategyis more military/tribal in nature, i.e."get 'er done" so we hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, hit 'em often. We usually get our share of "five day folks" stopping by camp to check out the handiwork once the leg bones start piling up outside the front of the wall tent during the butchering process.
IMHO a hunt don't have to be a long hunt to be a good hunt. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
The season we hunt is a whopping5 days long andone's odds are by far the best the first day in this very high pressure public area, after that the elk get real scarce (smart). Since thehighest number ofhunters are out in the woods working for us thefirst day, it pays to take advantage of all that free labor and get while the getting is good. I've done the "full season" hunt to the last minute of the last hour of the last day and I've done the "get the job done on day one" hunt.I'll take the latter (kinda like the old "I've been rich and I've been poor and rich is better" line.)
For our group, elk hunting strategyis more military/tribal in nature, i.e."get 'er done" so we hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, hit 'em often. We usually get our share of "five day folks" stopping by camp to check out the handiwork once the leg bones start piling up outside the front of the wall tent during the butchering process.
IMHO a hunt don't have to be a long hunt to be a good hunt. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
06-21-2008, 08:53 AM
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 211
RE: Okay CDOW - Good Job!
EKM, how early do you set up camp? 1,2 days before opening day?
I'm curious as we (3 of us) are planning our first elk 1st CO rifle elk hunt. Planning on picking up leftover cow tags as I couldn't get the other 2 guys to commit to the first season in time to apply. I like your idea about letting the masses work for you.
I'm curious as we (3 of us) are planning our first elk 1st CO rifle elk hunt. Planning on picking up leftover cow tags as I couldn't get the other 2 guys to commit to the first season in time to apply. I like your idea about letting the masses work for you.
06-21-2008, 12:18 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
RE: Okay CDOW - Good Job!
Partly to bugs11 and partly to whoever wants to read it.
We hunt high pressure pubic ground; which probably describes most of the public ground in Colorado.
We usually set up camp the weekend before the opener since I like to scout several drainages and socialize with the other hunting groups that come in year after year, then the bulk of our group shows upon or before Thursday before the Saturday opener
On the other hand I have done the fly weight hunt (hate it) where we arrived the Friday afternoon at 530pmbefore the Saturday opener, get up at 1 a.m., hiked back in 4 miles in the dark starting at230 a.m.and get set up, killed our elk the opening day, packed them out on Sunday, and went home on Monday and butchered them at home. A pitiful way to do an elk hunt, but better than nothing; sometimes duties call elsewhere.
================================================== =
If I was new to an area and short on time, then I would trade 2-3 days off of the tail end of the 5 day elk season for 2-3 days extra advance time. Watch carefully where the early camps are setting up, these are most often the most hard core long time hunters, talk to them, you can ask how long they've been coming to these parts (there is no crime in that), check out their transportation whether it is horses, or atv's [:'(], or on foot. If it is horses or atvs if you pay attention then you can sure figure out where they'reheaded because they're going to want to go scouting. Pay attention to these senior camps, ignore the amateurs. Most the seniorwill be positioning their camps to make it easy to get access to get back in tothe favorite spots, that will at least get you in the right direction, even though not necessarily in the perfect spot.
Look at the map in the direction they'll logically be headed, likely up or down a drainage. Study the map to a point3 to 4 miles back in. Look for saddles and natural funnels, it don't have to be a high altitude saddle between two 13,000 foot peaks. Pretend you are a tired elk running in the public forest getting bounced from one area to the next because there are just hunters everywhere. You are running with your tongue hanging out, your heart pounding in your headand you just wantthe easiest way to get frompoint A to point B. This is how you let the masses, that don't know what they are doing, travel only by day,and just feel they have to run around and "hunt," drive the elk to you. The more hunting camps near the "entry point" the more free help you are going to have.
In scouting, hike back in and check it out (go light and take it easy and take REAL GOOD care of your feet). Shop around and find trails that pass thru these saddles and natural funnels, a couple hundred feet of differential is enough to funnel them. Watch for last year's bone piles from earlier kills; a real good sign. Set up in the natural sniper's position with a command over the choke point. Plan to be sitting there an hour before sunrise the opening day and melt into your position without a trace. This means you either hike it in the dark (gps) or sleep out/spike camp it (gps still a good idea). [If you have a notebook computer [stays in thetruck of course]with the GPS software, such that you can load waypoints to places you have never been, and print out a map that you put in a one gallon ziplock so you can hike right back in and check out these areas usingGPS navigation.... then you're really hot stuff. If you are setting waypoints as you go then have a small notebook and pencil to make notes about the significant waypoints, waypointnumbers in agps cue are colorless and have no meaning.]
As for the hunting, once the opener starts, be patient, stay put, stay vigilant, it only takes one. You may hear other gunshots, lots of them (you hope). You may hear people in the distance (or close) yahoo'ing over their kill or even talking as they field dress. Stay true. All thru the first day elk will be getting bounced from A to B, and even if all the elk are chased out of your drainage, there will be others being chased into it from neighboring drainages. Odds are fair you will hear them coming before you see them (figuring a 200 yard shooting visability horizon).
One last rule, don't admire your shot. The first reaction to pulling the trigger has to be the automatic racking of the bolt for another roundand the reacquiring of the target. If they are still standing then you are still shooting. Elk take a bullet well. They can take a lethal hit without showing any sign of being hit and run off without a limp. Follow up your shots.
Be careful. It is super easy to shoot a velvet spike thinking it is a cow. If you see a pair of "cows," then odds are high that one of the "cows" is mom and the other is a spike or female yearling still hanging out together, study those heads carefully. If the head and the ears are laid back, the velvet spikes can blend in at a glimpse.
If you see outfitters set up along side the road coming into your area, stop and talk to them about whether they pack out meat, how much it costs, and how you contact them. No matter how much bravado you have going in, by the time you put one or two or three elk on the ground and field dress them all and pick up your first hind quarter, you may be ready for a change of plan. Elk hunting just grinds your arse right into the dirt.
Good luck.
We hunt high pressure pubic ground; which probably describes most of the public ground in Colorado.
We usually set up camp the weekend before the opener since I like to scout several drainages and socialize with the other hunting groups that come in year after year, then the bulk of our group shows upon or before Thursday before the Saturday opener
On the other hand I have done the fly weight hunt (hate it) where we arrived the Friday afternoon at 530pmbefore the Saturday opener, get up at 1 a.m., hiked back in 4 miles in the dark starting at230 a.m.and get set up, killed our elk the opening day, packed them out on Sunday, and went home on Monday and butchered them at home. A pitiful way to do an elk hunt, but better than nothing; sometimes duties call elsewhere.
================================================== =
If I was new to an area and short on time, then I would trade 2-3 days off of the tail end of the 5 day elk season for 2-3 days extra advance time. Watch carefully where the early camps are setting up, these are most often the most hard core long time hunters, talk to them, you can ask how long they've been coming to these parts (there is no crime in that), check out their transportation whether it is horses, or atv's [:'(], or on foot. If it is horses or atvs if you pay attention then you can sure figure out where they'reheaded because they're going to want to go scouting. Pay attention to these senior camps, ignore the amateurs. Most the seniorwill be positioning their camps to make it easy to get access to get back in tothe favorite spots, that will at least get you in the right direction, even though not necessarily in the perfect spot.
Look at the map in the direction they'll logically be headed, likely up or down a drainage. Study the map to a point3 to 4 miles back in. Look for saddles and natural funnels, it don't have to be a high altitude saddle between two 13,000 foot peaks. Pretend you are a tired elk running in the public forest getting bounced from one area to the next because there are just hunters everywhere. You are running with your tongue hanging out, your heart pounding in your headand you just wantthe easiest way to get frompoint A to point B. This is how you let the masses, that don't know what they are doing, travel only by day,and just feel they have to run around and "hunt," drive the elk to you. The more hunting camps near the "entry point" the more free help you are going to have.
In scouting, hike back in and check it out (go light and take it easy and take REAL GOOD care of your feet). Shop around and find trails that pass thru these saddles and natural funnels, a couple hundred feet of differential is enough to funnel them. Watch for last year's bone piles from earlier kills; a real good sign. Set up in the natural sniper's position with a command over the choke point. Plan to be sitting there an hour before sunrise the opening day and melt into your position without a trace. This means you either hike it in the dark (gps) or sleep out/spike camp it (gps still a good idea). [If you have a notebook computer [stays in thetruck of course]with the GPS software, such that you can load waypoints to places you have never been, and print out a map that you put in a one gallon ziplock so you can hike right back in and check out these areas usingGPS navigation.... then you're really hot stuff. If you are setting waypoints as you go then have a small notebook and pencil to make notes about the significant waypoints, waypointnumbers in agps cue are colorless and have no meaning.]
As for the hunting, once the opener starts, be patient, stay put, stay vigilant, it only takes one. You may hear other gunshots, lots of them (you hope). You may hear people in the distance (or close) yahoo'ing over their kill or even talking as they field dress. Stay true. All thru the first day elk will be getting bounced from A to B, and even if all the elk are chased out of your drainage, there will be others being chased into it from neighboring drainages. Odds are fair you will hear them coming before you see them (figuring a 200 yard shooting visability horizon).
One last rule, don't admire your shot. The first reaction to pulling the trigger has to be the automatic racking of the bolt for another roundand the reacquiring of the target. If they are still standing then you are still shooting. Elk take a bullet well. They can take a lethal hit without showing any sign of being hit and run off without a limp. Follow up your shots.
Be careful. It is super easy to shoot a velvet spike thinking it is a cow. If you see a pair of "cows," then odds are high that one of the "cows" is mom and the other is a spike or female yearling still hanging out together, study those heads carefully. If the head and the ears are laid back, the velvet spikes can blend in at a glimpse.
If you see outfitters set up along side the road coming into your area, stop and talk to them about whether they pack out meat, how much it costs, and how you contact them. No matter how much bravado you have going in, by the time you put one or two or three elk on the ground and field dress them all and pick up your first hind quarter, you may be ready for a change of plan. Elk hunting just grinds your arse right into the dirt.
Good luck.
06-24-2008, 03:18 PM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 211
RE: Okay CDOW - Good Job!
EKM,
What do you do for a floor in your wall tents? Tarp, indoor/outdoor carpet, Persian rug, or just dirt?
We got a Davis 14x16 tent this year. Working on getting itghetto'd out for the fall hunt. Got the basics covered; stove, cot, tables, chairs, christmas lights... but I'm wondering about the floor.
Thanks.
-Bugs
What do you do for a floor in your wall tents? Tarp, indoor/outdoor carpet, Persian rug, or just dirt?
We got a Davis 14x16 tent this year. Working on getting itghetto'd out for the fall hunt. Got the basics covered; stove, cot, tables, chairs, christmas lights... but I'm wondering about the floor.
Thanks.
-Bugs
06-25-2008, 06:39 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
RE: Okay CDOW - Good Job!
IMHO you've got to have a floorin your tent, otherwise the earth will be the source of massive condensation events, especially when warming the tent up in the morning after its being cold at night and this can lead to your own private indoor "rain" storm.
Consider using a polypro tarp (cheap) held in place with landscaping staples, be careful of your sod cloth when you tack it down.Put rat poison down before you put the floor down as you'll see little critters crawling around under the tarp and they will chew on everything and keep some folks awake at night.
Carpets are nice to have next to your cot for when your feet hit the ground; however, they are heavy, bulky, and get nasty. I would only put them on top of a tarp not directly on the earth.
Consider using a polypro tarp (cheap) held in place with landscaping staples, be careful of your sod cloth when you tack it down.Put rat poison down before you put the floor down as you'll see little critters crawling around under the tarp and they will chew on everything and keep some folks awake at night.
Carpets are nice to have next to your cot for when your feet hit the ground; however, they are heavy, bulky, and get nasty. I would only put them on top of a tarp not directly on the earth.
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