schwatk

I live in Southern California and have a good friend whose family owns 650 acres just outside of Hayden CO.. From what he has shown me it is ja little west of the airport. It must have elk as a guide takes clients out hunting on the land. My friends family has given me the OK to hunt it next elk season. Right now I only bowhunt.

My question to any of you who know the area. Do you think it is worth a shot? Or is this not a good area and I should look to hunt public land somewhere else.

I have never hunted elk before. So any advise or help would be GREATLY appreciated. I know the #1 answer will be to hire a guide. But I am not rich and cannot afford one. So it's DIY for me!

I'm also big into flyfishing. So any recommendations on that in the area would be appreciated too.

Please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Take care!

Joe

BP_Niccum

Well first congrats on finding a place to hunt. DIY Archery elk is no easy task. If the guide is in the area Id say you have a good chance but You need to put the prep time in your hunt just as you would hunting localy you get what you put into it in colorado. Private land will help keep you out of the crowds but I recommend getting there a few days befor you hunt and do some homework. Now on your flyfishing your in luck cause its Awesome in colorado. I usualy go to 11 mile and fish off a few of the streams you will catch plenty of small med size trout. But there is alot of people fishing so plan it for a day when they are all at work!


Good Luck

Niccum

kansaswiderack

i have hunted the general area alot over the last 20 plus years. the area you are talking about is relatively low in elevation and my guess would be that the elk most likely don't get there until the late season migration which generally occurs in mid november. it is possible that there is a summer herd in there that calves there and if that's the case you should be in good shape. find out when the outfitter hunts the area and you should have a better idea about your chances for success. best way to find out would be to invest in a tag and give it a shot. if there is nothing in the area move to public ground up higher which is generally where the elk are during archery season. good luck and let us know how you do.

Jorgy

Joe, keep your friend around, I love Hayden and hunt the general area alot. Kansaswiderack is correct, Hayden is pretty low for archery elk hunting. Elk will filter into the area during later seasons if the snow pushes them down from the hills. But, elk are where elk are, so I couldn't tell you that elk won't be there. There are also huge areas of public land around Hayden, and I do mean huge. 15 miles down the road is Craig, the elk capitol of the world, biggest elk herd in North America. I muzzleloader hunt deer not far from Hayden and have seen elk down around the river valley before in September.

Personally, I would pack up all my hunting/fishing equipment and head to that land and have a great experience. If money allows it, I would also get a deer tag. I can guarantee you that you are going to be in some great deer habitat.

And since you are a fly fisherman, you hit the jackpot. The Yampa River is right there, great fishing all over the area.

I will be in Hayden next week elk hunting with my boys. Feel free to PM me the location and I can snap some pics for you and let you know what the area is like.

Jorgy

madmax83192

I know right where your talking about I was actually just out there I hunt east of craig and just got back from my December hunt. Hayden's about 40 miles east of where I hunt, its not only lower elevation like someone had said, hayden isnt but 30 miles from steamboat and there is terrain like pines and aspens, but the lower parts are sagebrush hills, canyons and junipers.The elk are thick up there in December and the later seasons though I once saw 700-1000 head of elk on public lands running through the sagebrush in late December. My cousin killed a 5x5 bull on public land right outside of Hayden this year and that was in second season. The whole northwest co is great elk hunting I would say go for it. Ill see if I can post a pic I got a small yearling cow 2 days ago cause mom got away

DJfan

The elk there depend on the weather. Snowy and cold, they go to lower altitudes. Clear and/or warm and they stay high.

The fly fishing in the area can be amazing. Any fly store can direct you somewhere nearby.

madmax83192

For fly fishing you should stop near steamboat its close to hayden. the yampa there has good rainbows, elk river is good and theres all kinds of good fishing off of rabbit ears pass which is a few miles from steamboat.

Muley Hunter

With all those elk you talk about you kill a calf?

DJfan

Rabbit ears might be closed. I think it is closed right now.

schwatk

Everyone,

Thanks for the help and advice. I finally found my friends land on the map and it turns out it's not west of the Yampa Valley Airport. It's actually 11 miles directly south of the airport.

I talked to the guy who guides on this land. He says that there are elk on it year around. He recommends that I get there during bow season as once the elk start to hear the rifles going off they will be much harder to get within bow range.

I'll be driving back to Pennsylvania in July. And plan to swing by and spend 2 days scouting the land.

As always, Thank You so much for any and all help and advice.

Please keep it coming.

Take care!

Joe