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E-Scouting Resources

Hi all, thanks to some advice on here decided to bite the bullet and go out West for OTC Colorado elk. My buddy and I have no real life knowledge about elk - everything we've learned has come from books and watching YouTube videos and trying to figure out what works for people. I got OnX to get a better idea of some of the OTC areas and came across some places I thought may be decent. What resources have helped you guys in the past narrowing down areas? Trying to figure out which of the few dozen places I have saved are worth going to in person. Any advice would be helpful!

The term “e-scouting” is comical to me. Expect any CO OTC spot that looks “decent” on OnX to be elbows and assholes with hunters.

Good luck.

Matt

I figured as much. Not trying to find a "good" spot, moreso the least worst out of what I've got

"e-scouting" ? Think the times have passed me by..... guess it happens if one lives long enough.

What you will most likely find at any public area for elk in the western states is most hunters will only go in 2-3 miles max from the road or parking areas, while the outfitters and hunters with horses/mules don’t even start hunting until maybe 6 miles back in, so you and your buddy should focus on that zone from 3-6 miles in, preferably UPHILL. Spike camp at the edge of that zone and see what happens. Have at least 3-4 such areas, and don’t spend more than 2 days at area 1 if the elk are not there. CNelk offered you some spots, start with those!

Jeff - Thank you! That makes sense. Very generous of cnelk, super excited to check them out

This is a good site for e-scouting. My experience is that very few hunters that camp/start at the road/atv trail and go in on foot go in more than a mile from the road/atv trail and it's extremely rare for them to go more than 2 miles from the road/atv trail. Those getting more than a mile in generally backpack in and set up camp but that's a pretty small percentage of hunters.

Hi .I'm from Oregon and had a opportunity to go to CO. For a couple of years .I bow hunt and was excited to go hunting there .this was 2013 .my son and I e scouted as much as we could. Went on trips all over CO.drove thousands of miles looking at areas .finally settled out for the grand maisa. From both sides of it from Rifle to the other side .big area 8to 11000 ft..of course I was not in shape. Lol finally got to Vega state park from help .good area but better have a good truck to get back there .my son did get a big Cow about a mile from camp.I thought I was gonna die helping .its a good thing he was in shape. Anyway good luck and hope this helps .ps I see more elk in Oregon foe miles traveled. So I'll stay in Oregon to hunt.

My first elk hunt in 1995 I saw 6 rubs in 6 days. Sort of a rite of passage. Go for it and one thing will lead to another. With perseverance it will be addicting.

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