Colorado Elk and Deer
Elk
I have a friend who really wants to head out west in the near future. He has never elk hunted but I have no doubts he will do fine.
I currently hunt OTC with a great group of guys but it's a small tight knit group that I was only invited to accompany 2 years ago. I don't think there is currently "room" for another guy, nor is it my place to invite someone.
My tentative plan is to break off from that group for the 2019 season and take my buddy. I'm thinking I could find a spot he could hunt elk OTC and I can cash in points on a muley tag. I currently have 2, so I will have 3 then. I was thinking an early season high country hunt where we could chase our respective targets from the same camp.
I very rarely see deer in the area I hunt now, so we would be looking for a new unit. We have plenty of time so that's not an issue and I'm not after a "trophy" buck.
Do you guys think these are reasonable expectations?
Yes. You will find mule deer bucks in different locations than the elk. Sometimes you can find some elk close to the bucks but not typically the numbers.
Thanks, I've never hunted mule deer. May just concentrate on elk.
I have successfully hunted muleys and elk at timberline in September, usually muzzleloading season. Would you consider muzzleloading season for deer? What part of the state do you hunt now? Where will you be coming from?
I would hunt the first weekend above or at timberline. That's your best chance of finding muleys and elk in the same area. The muleys are also easier to find then before they drop down into the timber when they rub off their velvet.
I'm coming from Louisiana. I normally hunt the SW area but we're up for any part of the state. The initial thought was get there a few days before season opened to scout a little and get settled. Then hunt the first week and a half of season or so.
To be honest, hunting deer with the muzzleloader never even crossed my mind. I would have to think about that one.
I plan on making the CTAS High Country shoot summer '19 so I should have some time to scout then too.
Probably sticking to archery would work out well, because you can go earlier. First part of the season is better for deer, and many like the first part for elk, but many elk hunters like to go later to hear more bugling. Late September is not as good for deer. Most will have moved lower by then. I have hunted both units 74 and 75 at timberline in early September and got in to both elk and deer
I have no where near the experience that most of these guys do. But, what I have found in the unit I hunt in CO, is the deer, early and late bow season, are no where near timber line. Nor are the elk. I'm talking 6000-8000 feet. Not 11000-12000. And from what I gathered was that pressure put them there every year.
Best advice I can give is to Know your unit the best you can. Pick one with good game numbers. Try to anticipate where the other hunters will be. And use their pressure to your advantage. Deer and elk like to hide when hunters are walking around. That can be above timberline or, in the thick timber, depending on where you are hunting. Good luck and God Bless
I would probably want to keep my points for a time when I could focus on the deer more. If it's your buddies first time, work hard to get him an elk. Make that the priority. You will have a blast helping him. If you get lucky and get him one early on, your up to bat. Save your deer tag for when you can really go after deer.
As long as you are hunting, its all good. That said, I would probably go for an OTC cow tag and an either sex for him. That way you can both concentrate on elk and if you end up taking a back seat because you are more focused on helping him, you saved a little money. I would go later in the season so he has the best odds of hearing elk for the excitement and the big benefit bugling is for locating elk. Earlier can be a little better for actually calling bulls in but can also be hot, slow, and quiet.
Great points. Definitely something to think about.
We are having a Reinhart 100 Shoot here in Meeker, Colorado August 11, 12. That is two full weeks before our Archery Season opens, and unfortunately the USFS areas east of here (Trappers Wilderness area) is all draw for archery tags. My suggestion would be to look at a drop camp if you are going through all the travel and expense- most are pretty reasonable (around $1600). Sable Mountain Outfitters is a Bowsite Sponsor and one of our local outfitters-
Just an idea
Thanks again for all the feedback guys. Just focusing on elk maybe the best idea. That will give us a lot more flexibility in both timing and location.
I need to do more research on where im going to use my deer points, and elk points for that matter.
In most units muzz deer tags take considerably more points than the archery deer tags
I think archery will be the plan.
