JB Flatlander

My brother and I have a drop camp elk hunt in CO lined up for this coming fall. I have been doing alot of research and found a pile of info on what to expect and how to prepare yourself and your gear. I can't find much on hunting tactics or methods. I have alot of white tail hunting experience and assume elk hunting is or can be somewhat similar. Any pointers or advice would be great.

Howler

Get in the best shape that you can, because elk hunting, for the most part, is much MUCH more physically challenging than whitetail hunting is. Plus, most likely will be at much higher altitudes then you, as a flatlander, will be used to.
Depending on which season you're hunting, you may or may not need to learn elk calling. Rifle hunting isn't as reliant on calling as archery or ML hunting is.
Main thing is get in shape. Can't stress it enough.

JB Flatlander

Thanks Howler. The Physical demands seem to be the most challenging from what I have read and your comment. I have been told that if you are not fit it will ruin your hunt and your chances of getting to where the elk are. I have a long way to go to get in shape but plan on working at it pretty hard.
We're going first rifle season so glad to hear that calling would not be of the highest priortity since I don't know anything about it. My hunch tells me to get into position to hopefully catch them travelling to and from bedding/feeding areas. Any other ideas?

Hunter_59

What season are you hunting? Elk hunting is much different than hunting whitetails. The biggest difference is that elk are herd animals. In a good whitetail area, you can sit in a tree and within a few hours have a deer walk by. Elk country can be void of elk for miles before you get into them. Learn how to read sign to know if elk have recently been in an area. The sign may be a few hours old, which is a good thing, or it may be weeks and months old, meaning they have moved off to a different area. When you find them, that's when the fun starts. Beware, don't let them know you are there or you may never see that herd again. As long as you keep the wind in your favor, you have a great chance of making something happen. Good luck!

Champlain Islander

All the advice above is good advice. Get in shape and hunt hard. Sitting on stand won't get you much and if your whitetail experience is still hunting then you should do well. They are herd animals and IMO pretty easy to spot once you get into where they are. When the pressure rises in early seasons they will head higher and away from the crowds. Wind is very important and particularly frustrating to me since it is always blowing in the west and constantly changing due to the steep terrain. A good set of binocks are a must. Get to a high point and glass all the canyons and ridges you can see. Get used to looking for the brown and especially to the buff color of the mature bulls. You can often see them feeding from miles away. The most important thing is being where they are. Unlike deer they can move miles in one night. When a herd is in an area they are numerous, big and leave plenty of sign. If you are good at tracking and reading the sign it helps to locate them. If you do locate them be very wary of the cows. They are always on the lookout and one brief shift in the wind and the game is over.

JB Flatlander

We're going first rifle season. Any pointers on elk sign? I guess the obvious is droppings. do tracks show up well on the type of ground out there?

JB Flatlander

Thanks! about the wind.........I use Scent Away products when deer hunting and have had good bucks directly down wind of me and not pick me up. (sometimes). Do elk have better noses than white tails? I guess by packing along some food in a back pack would make it harder to cover up your scent also.

Champlain Islander

I have hunted deer all my life here in Vt and have found that scent control is just as important for elk. Here in the east the wind doesn't shift as much. In the west you have the whole thermal thing going on and then when it is windy which is pretty much most of the time in the area of Colorado where I hunt it follows the terrain so it goes all through the canyons and is very hard to stay ahead of. I have been lucky and killed 4 elk in 5 years but last year I had a real nice 6X6 in with his harem in front of me down in a canyon. I spotted them but couldn't separate the bulls from the others through the trees. I could see the rack and then it was gone and saw animals moving all around. I had the wind in my face and crept down lower to get near a tree and set up for a shot. I was following the bull through the trees and waiting for a clear shot without a cow next to him when suddenly he hunched up and was gone in a flash. They were 125 yds from me and all at once I could feel the wind at the back of my neck just for a second. It was that quick and that whole herd blew out of there. With all the hiking and climbing it is real hard to stay dry and not sweat. Western scent control to me is trying to stay above them and take the shot when you can. Get down in the canyons at their level and your scent goes all over the place. I would put their eye sight on par with deer and their noses are just as good. The big difference is if they think you are there they don't stop like a deer. they might bolt out of the area further than you could follow in a day. Most of the time they won't come back so make your stalks good.

Rob in VT

Don't disregard calling either. The first rifle season you will still hear bugling. If any thing else, a good cow call can settle down a herd if you are in close. Not saying bulls will come running like they will in Sept, but it is another tool in the tool box. A simple push button call like the Hoochie Mama is always in my vest pocket for quick use.

JB Flatlander

Thanks for the tip. With a name like Hoochie Mama it's bound to be good. I'll check it out.