Early Season Elk Archery in CO
Kansas
Curious how many KS archery pro's been out to CO for early elk archery season, 9/07 - 9/11 hunt dates? The dates seem early to hear any bull bugling, but any advise, gear essentials or experience with early season, I'd be interested to read.
I think the best time is the 3-5 days before muzzleloader season. That's when I would schedule my hunt on public land.
Early season you want to be there two days before opener. Sit water and glass from up high. Going the dates you mentioned the elk have already had some pressure and not super vocal yet. I love a good water hole and tree stand or ground blind Ambush style hunt.
I'm always there the first 10 days of the season. You won't hear much, if any bugling but pressured public land bulls don't seem to bugle too much regardless. Wallows / water holes and travel routes. Really we don't hunt them much different than we do whitetail.
I started hunting elk in 1973 and killed my first in 1977 . I killed 12 bulls and more than half of them I took before Sept.-10th. Thing is in the 80's calling didn't effect the bulls as in the last 15 years or more. Too many hunters now in the woods calling from day 1. With out knowledge on how ,when, and where to call has crippled the beginning elk hunter. This is a fact and if you go out to elk country better be ready to hump it into the back country a few miles . Then what? If you kill an elk how is a tender foot going to get the animal out . Start running 8 months to 12 months out if you want to be eating elk meat cause to pack out an elk it will test your will to ever do it again. It's great if at least 3 to 4 men hunt together then that will ease the pain somewhat. In 97 I gave a horseman $ 100. to pack out and he was a buddy of mine . All the rest were toted out in backpacks . I lived outside Boulder and jogged @15 miles a week and hunted lions with hounds in the winter. YOU HAVE TO BE IN SHAPE OR IT WILL NOT BE A FUN TRIP. These shows you see on TV are not how elk hunting goes unless you pay 10G's or more to hunt on pay/to play ground. Hunt elk in your youth I'm 70 now and it has been hard on me the last 5 years. I never even saw an elk on public ground last year . That was a first in 43 years. To kill an elk is a thrill and it is quite an accomplishment GOOD LUCK !
Good advice right there ^
We've had them bugling there damn fool heads off early season but that is certainly the exception, and it was FAR off the beaten path. There have been/are some excellent threads on the main forum page on gear lists for backpack, calling vs no calling, cow call vs bugle, where to look(even unit specific at times), and "cleaning methods" if you get lucky.
I'd suggest a long evening of searching and reading as much as you can, lots of elk killers have chimed in on those threads...of which I am not one.
Have fun, and remember to look up into those mountains now and then and just realize how lucky you are to be there!
You can hear bugling that early but it won't be a lot. You should probably know that if your hunting public, highly pressured elk you will be lucky to encounter "lots" of bugling any part of the season.
I think your dates are great for wanting to kill an elk based on my experience. Some of those early Elk are very callable.
Set your expectations realistically and you'll have fun.
If you are fortunate to put one on the ground, just keep reminding yourself that thousands of hunters would trade anything to be in your position as you are packing it out.
...and you'll wish at least 10 of them would come help you get the danged thing down off the mountain, too.
