Elk and Bear Hunting Question
 

I'm a long time turkey hunter, Colorado native looking to elk and Bear hunt this year with my daughter for the first time.

Last Sept. In unit 51 I found a 4 point bull and shortly a 6 point bull that was running 2 cows and a yearling in the same drainage about 430 pm.
2 years ago In unit 84 in April I found a 6 point bull antler in an open creek area and lots of elk tracks on a well used hidden trail in a gully going down to the open area. The open area has a lot of scrub oak in some areas and I found a lot of bear scat.

My question is what area would you hunt bear and elk in ?

Thank in advance !

I wouldn't hunt any area that I found a shed in. Those are winter areas.

Not always. Depends on the area. In many places elk use the same area year round so it isn't unusual to find sheds in the same place you hunt. This is true along the front range areas just west of Pueblo and Colo Springs and down towards Trinidad, areas around La Junta and Kim and also the northwest areas around Craig and Maybell. I've hunted unit 2 for cows for years while I earn the points for a bull tag. I've picked up a lot of sheds while I was hunting. Once I picked up a matched set of huge 6 pt antlers when I was hiking back to get the truck after shooting a fat cow in unit 2 in the early season.

As to the OP's question, areas with scrub oak can be good for bear if the acorns are on. Having heavy cover like thick pines and water near by sweeten the deal. Bear have thick heavy coats and if it is warm they like the shade of timber and need a lot of water. So. I'd look to those areas. If you have openings and maybe aspens around as well then you should find elk and deer there as well. One thing I've noticed is that when I find an area with a lot of grouse there is usually bear sign around as well.

Here's a suggestion: You can go to the DOW website and find the interactive maps for the GMUs. Punch in the unit you're interested in and you can apply lots of different filters. One filter option is by game density by season. Punch in bear and then elk and see where they overlap. That should give you a starting point. Then hit the hills and do some scouting.

Thank you both, I have checked the maps and as far as that goes 84 would be better for bear by far and also elk.
I'm going to put out some trail cameras, wish I had done that last fall.

Does anyone know if you need preference points to hunt these areas for either?

My fav. place for spring turkey hunting has a nice big cinnamon bear, would he be their for bear season?

can't be much help for colo but here in idaho there is a herd of 80-100 elk that runs year round on the desert only half hour from my house they stay within a 3-5 square mile area year round . I HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOUND ANTLERS while hunting them.

Kidoggy, that's good to know so that seams to be the consensuses. If I need points I may not be hunting either place, I'll call dow Monday.

Here's another tip: If anyone grows apples or other fruit, the bears will hit the orchards and fruit growers will often give permission to hunt to get rid of the damage. Same goes for privately owned camp grounds since bears can be a problem in the trash dumpsters. I'd look to see if something like that is in that area.

I should have considered his area. Near me the winter range, and where you find them in the fall is a 25 miles difference. All the sheds will be at the lower altitude 25 miles from where we hunt them.

yes . many units are that way here also, but not all.

Sounds like 84 would definitely be the better choice for bear, but not necessarily elk. If I had seen a 6 point in the flesh in September that trumps a shed in April. Just because you found a 6 point shed doesn't mean that elk is there in the fall, but he might be! Need to do more research.