Hunting Forum

Hey folks, I am a life member of the hunting club. A friend and I currently have 8 preference points for elk in Colorado. We are looking to hunt in the next couple years and want to put the points to good use. We hate to throw the points away on a poor hunt yet we don't want to pay a ton for a guided hunt. We are in decent shape and have been on do it yourself elk hunts before. We aren't hellbent on killing a trophy, we would just like to put our tags on a bull. Can anybody out there point us in a good direction. Thanks

Hello, welcome to the forums. I am in the same situation as you, as far as points go. My dad and I each have 8 and I would like to use them in a good spot in the next couple of years. I have hunted CO five times, 2004-2007 and just a few weeks ago. Each time was first elk season. It's getting difficult to draw a tag in the area we go on a second draw so I'd like to use the points soon. Maybe we could share notes? What part of the country are you from? I live in SE Wisconsin. We're you planning a rifle hunt or bow, muzzleloader?

Thanks for the reply. We are in central Wisconsin. Been a while since either of us has hunted elk. So not much for notes. I'm thinking rifle or muzzleloader. A friend of mine went on a late season cow elk ranch hunt a few years back. I haven't done any investigating to see if there is a late season bull hunt. If there is, that could be a really neat hunt. Otherwise, muzzleloader running into the rut. Could call the DOW and see which ares they think are promising. Guess that's why we need to start thinking about it now.

I live in Arizona and have hunted Colorado a few times. Are the points for the draw (1st season)? We always hunt the second season (over-the-counter tags) around Delores (small town near Cortez in southwestern CO). There's a good bit of public land and many guides in that area. Of course, there's private land with ranchhouses, horses, etc. All the bells and whistles. You can even split the difference, meaning you can DIY and then pay outfitters to haul your game out for you. We're DIY hunters, so not much help with recommending an outfitter.

Posted By dboening on 28 Oct 2012 08:23 PM
Thanks for the reply. We are in central Wisconsin. Been a while since either of us has hunted elk. So not much for notes. I'm thinking rifle or muzzleloader. A friend of mine went on a late season cow elk ranch hunt a few years back. I haven't done any investigating to see if there is a late season bull hunt. If there is, that could be a really neat hunt. Otherwise, muzzleloader running into the rut. Could call the DOW and see which ares they think are promising. Guess that's why we need to start thinking about it now.

WOW, so close.  What are the odds of that?  I've mostly looked at first rifle or muzzleloader.  Kind of didn't want to compete with a couple of feet of snow, especially with the risk of sitting and not being able to make it over the pass if the roads are closed.  The elk really are not bugeling for the ML season from what I've been told, there are a few early rifle seasons but with the amount of points required that's not an option, at least if I'm bringing my dad.  I tried to send a privet message but that doesn't seem to be working right now.  Perhaps we can discuss details further by email once that begins working.  Filtering out archery, cow tags and later seasons, I'm really only looking at a dozen hunt codes with points required from 4 to 12.  This is based on 2011 data, I'm still waiting for 2012 data to be posted.  I emailed the DOW a couple months ago and asked why it wasn't posted and they said it would be posted in early August.  So much for sticking with that date...

dboening: OK, figured out the privet messages, check your inbox.

Hello I know your problem I have 16 pts. And am starting to put in for big bull units. problem is once you get enough pts. doesnt mean you will draw that year. But on the other hand there are good areas to hunt. White river national forest excellent. Dont know your age but be patient research and pick a spot. And if you want bigger bulls no quads go in and get em. Got two 300 class on this area. Been hunting colo 18 yrs. Love it nothing like a big bull bugling to make the hair on your neck stand tall.

Thanks for the reply and insight. Glad to hear anything and everything people will share with me. We are 50+ years old, so I guess we can't wait forever. Good luck on your quest for a tag.

dboening, at the top of the page there is an "Inbox" with a number by it. I sent you a message, did it go through?

Posted By bobov13 on 01 Nov 2012 04:22 PM
Hello I know your problem I have 16 pts. And am starting to put in for big bull units. problem is once you get enough pts. doesnt mean you will draw that year. But on the other hand there are good areas to hunt. White river national forest excellent. Dont know your age but be patient research and pick a spot. And if you want bigger bulls no quads go in and get em. Got two 300 class on this area. Been hunting colo 18 yrs. Love it nothing like a big bull bugling to make the hair on your neck stand tall.

I've got it even worse than you. I've got 19 points and I still cant draw the unit I want. Everytime I think I'm finally going to get the tag for Unit 2 I fall 1 point short. To tell the truth I don't know when I'm going to get it but after nearly 2 full decades I can't quit now and I sure am not going to cash in that many points for a lesser unit.

If I had 8 points I'd be looking at the early season somewhere around Steamboat Springs. I've taken some good elk up there and know where some dependable waterholes are. In the early season if you find a secluded waterhole the elk feel safe using that takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. One waterhole resulted in 3 bulls in 3 consecutive years before some others found it. Hasn't been so good since then. But I know of several more and my lips are sealed!

It's neat to hear that so many are willing to stack up preference points. Obviously a good bull is on a lot of hunters lists. The first elk hunt I went on back in the mid 1980s took me through Steamboat Springs. We hunted the Rout National Forest. Got snowed out on the 3rd day of the hunt. Packed up and got out while the getting was good. Only time I hunted that area. My relatives that I hunted that area with are now in their 70s and have quit hunting. Thanks for the pointers.

Put in for Colorado GMU # 49. 1st rifle season.

I have 12 pref. pts. but that is not enough to get into a great unit. I just got back from a cow hunt using a landowner voucher in unit 61. We saw some nice bulls and I killed a nice bull in unit 61 in 2000 with a landowner voucher. It took a min. of 15 pref. pts. to get into unit 61 this year (2012). I will go on a cow hunt in unit 61 again using a landowner voucher again in 2013 and keep getting pref. pts. and hope to one day hunt a bull again in unit 61. You do not see trophey bulls in this unit but plenty of 5X5 and 6X6 bulls. 8 pref. pts. will get you into some units, but in my opinion, not a very good unit. Unit 61 is a sure thing if one can ever draw a tag there.

Unit 61 is a good unit. Your wrong about 8pp are not enough to get into a good unit. 8 is plenty. There are several units full of bulls that average over 350 that take 2-10 pp. Every other year I draw a tag for a unit that I hunt elk in. I have taken a 330 plus bull every other year. No private, no landowner voucher, no guided outfitter, its national forest public land.

Good for you. The overall kill rate is about 18 to 20% in the state of Colorado. Outfitters would love to know where those units are that are filled with all those big bulls. The Colorado department of wildlife would also like to know as would many hunters. Most hunters go to Colorado as well as other states and come back home with an unused elk tag. Hope you continue to have the great luck that you mentioned. Have a great holiday season and congrats on your excellent hunting skills.

Posted By rcarricato on 07 Dec 2012 07:00 AM 
Every other year I draw a tag for a unit that I hunt elk in. I have taken a 330 plus bull every other year. No private, no landowner voucher, no guided outfitter, its national forest public land.

I have a kind of a hard time buying this boast. I'm a 5th generation native of Colorado and have hunted elk there all my life. I've personally killed around 25 of them and have seen over 100 others taken. I don't know of anyone that takes a 330 B&C bull that regularly, especially on public land. Bulls of that size are pretty scarce in the public realm.

Take a look at the photo below. First a disclaimer, it is not Me or any one I know. I post it strictly for comaprison. The bull in the photo score 323 and was taken off one of the premier Indian Reservations in the South West. If you are trying to tell me that you take a bigger bull every other year in Colorado off of public land, then I'm going to be skeptical. If you really have taken multiple bulls of this quality, lets see the pics in the field. Elk scoring 330 usually get photographed because they are so uncommon in Colorado's easily drawn units.  Such bulls are plentiful in units like 2, 10, 1 etc... and some of the Ranching for Wildlife properties which is exactly why it takes over 15 points to draw them. But they are not common in places where tags are easy to get. 

Flags, I agree with you. I have hunted unit 61 three times and have seen lots of 4X5 and 5X5 but only a few 6X6 bulls. I sent rcarricato a post because his post concerned my post that it would be hard to draw into a good unit with 8 pref. pts. I have 12 and can't get into a good unit with those. I agree completely with you.

Flags, I agree with you. I have hunted unit 61 three times and have seen lots of 4X5 and 5X5 but only a few 6X6 bulls. I sent rcarricato a post because his post concerned my post that it would be hard to draw into a good unit with 8 pref. pts. I have 12 and can't get into a good unit with those. I agree completely with you.