this is probably an old question but i have to ask
first timer planing to go elk hunting
i have a cabin in colorado in zone 500
planing on going late rifle season
where would be a good area to start

Tell you what buddy if you think this Elk hunting is just like Deer hunting then you are sorely mistaking. There is no SPOT that elk hang around at and most times they hang in the bushes but know this STEVER that Elk can travel all day long and usually dont hang in one spot. So if you scout before you hunt and see a nice Bull chances are its not goin to be there the next morning. Best advice i can give you is get in shape for hunting and be prepared for long walks because like i said Elk move everyday which means that you have move in order to cover land and hope you run into one. I also hope you know how to bugle and when to bugle because that is a key factor in elk hunting.
good luck !!

I don' t hunt in Co. but here are a few things that work for me. When we rifle hunt in Or. we' ll find a bull the week before and preferably the night before and every time we have gone in opening morning and taken them. Most of the big bulls that we hunt live in one small, nasty area. They bring their cows in for the rut. This is not to say they don' t move with pressure, rutting, or a migration. Elk can cover miles when they want but around here they seem to brush up and let hunters walk right by them. I imagine the country around here is a bit more brushy than Co. so this may be useless for you, but I hope it helps.

If you are talking the LATE season (late Nov thru Dec) then don' t worry about bugling. You are after a cow then anyway. Look in the flat meadows early in the morning, near the tree line. The cows will be together in their winter range by then. This is only if it is the December hunt.

I would have to disagree with you here. I have been watching the same group of bulls, working the same ridge line, at the same time of day since early June. My hunt starts in 2 weeks and I know darn well where I will be that morning, and I know what to expect when I get there.

We scout and track specific bulls every year. If they are left alone they are predictable. They will, however, move several miles a day between feeding, bedding, and watering. Maybe you just haven' t pegged their routine yet.