Hey Guys, looking for some help in planning a diy elk hunt. Looking for a unit with an over the counter tag for either sex with a good public hunting area. Doesn't have to be Colorado but thought that was our best chance. A buddy and I were planning to go to Unit 45 in Colorado but they changed it to Bull only this year. We might still go there but really wanted to give ourselves the best chance to bring home meat. Not looking for anyone's honey hole, just a little guidance from guys more familiar with the west than I am. Thanks, Jeff

Is this your first time chasing elk? Most western states are limited draw or limited otc non resident tags, like Idaho. Montana as otc tags and lots of bear. In all honesty, if you're new to elk hunting, and shooting a stick bow, your chances of killing an elk is very slim. With declining elk herds in Colorado, high pressure from non resident hunters, finding elk can be difficult.

The best thing to do is to settle on a unit and contact fish and game and ask about the unit, look the unit over from maps and google earth, contact the local forest service in the area, and go from there.

Lots of videos on YouTube about elk and elk hunting, and elk nut productions as play books describing elk sounds and what they mean. If you don't know anything about bugling, don't. You'll do more harm them good. But a good cow call and learn how to use it and when to use it. The more you put into research and planning,,the better your chances will be.

We had a couple Veterans hunts in Colorado State Forrest State Park. Always got into Elk and they have yurts to rent all over Park. From Denver go to Ft Collins hang left into mountains, on the continental divide. Buy your over the counter tag and groceries in Ft Collins. PM me if you have more questions.

PM me and let me know what your physical abilities are, time allotted to hunt, type of hunt you plan; bivy, base camp, etc...I may be of some help...

Do it this year. Might be the last year for OTC archery elk tags.

Bugl, this is not my first time elk hunting. Been a few times before but always with a muzzleloader and we always drove out, 30+ hrs from east coast. This year, another avid bow hunter and I want to fly in to Denver (or wherever) and chase them for a week, diy. I kmow that Colorado has otc archery tags but not every unit and not every unit is either sex. We could do a drop camp if necessary but would prefer diy.

1000`s of good elk are shot by DIY hunters in OTC units every year. Pick a unit...study your maps for trailheads and access...do your research and GO.

You won`t regret a minute of it. It takes many years to really figure out a unit and western hunting methods. You might find a muley hotspot while hunting elk...who knows.

Too many hunters over think these trips. Pick a spot...load the truck and hit the road. Worse case scenario, it will be the best camping trip you ever had.

"Too many hunters over think these trips. Pick a spot...load the truck and hit the road. Worse case scenario, it will be the best camping trip you ever had."

Right there is some good advice. Folks did do-it-yourself hunts long before the internet had instant feedback, and that's part of doing it yourself.

Franklin, I agree completely and am doing just that. This thread is just one part of my research. Just trying to increase the odds a little if possible. We are realistic and know that ours odds are not great year one but we will be out there come September.

Well said George,....been doing that since 93..pick a spot ..find elk...hunt.

Ive hunted Colorado unit 421 and 521 for the last few years. pressure in this area is getting worse ATV traffic etc. Really hard area to hunt now. I was around 5 miles in before I started finding good sign. A long way to pack an elk. Long story short my buddy made a bad shot on a really good bull but it sleeted and rain for the next 4 days and we could never find the bull.You better be in top physical condition as well. Good luck

Buglmin, Montana doesn’t sell OTC elk tags any more.

Colorado holds a lot of elk but the concurrent ML season can make it tougher bow hunting on high pressured public land.

Don’t overlook Oregon. Or Idaho, both excellent public land elk hunting.

Stickhunter, You have listed black powder tags in each unit. Before black powder you have thousands of archety hunters running the woods blowing cow calls and bugling every two steps. Black powder hunters don't put as much pressure on elk that you want everyone to believe. Most of the pressure comes from bowhunters.

Only this year was units made bull only. Get a proclamation from the CPW and look at the units. That's all part of your research.

I have no advice--- I've never been. It's definitely on my list though.

I have hunted 421 Hawxhurst Creek and Kimble Creek areas saw elk but hard hunting. I was there during ML season. What grayghost said. Very tough country and you have to be in good shape.

Sent you a pm joe2crow

I have done 9 DIY elk bowhunts in Colorado during different weeks of the season. I agree with stickhunter that ML season puts high pressure on elk. I myself shall NEVER bowhunt the ML season again. ML hunters drive ATVs everywhere and bring 3-4 friends with them to scout also driving ATVs. They push the elk onto private lands or into deep, nasty drainages. I have never seen bowhunters push elk out of the area. Good luck finding a great hunting area.

I'm hunting the State Forest that Sasquatch73 spoke of, this year. Nice place, but muzzleloaders are too loud.

The archery success rate runs about the same for all the OTC units. If one is a few points higher, it probably has a significant amount of private. With today’s technology the are no secret honey holes anymore. Pick a unit that has the terrain you can handle and go. Stay as long as you can and hunt HARD every day.

Hey Joe, I've hunted about a dozen of those OTC elk units in Co. You just have to lace up your boots and cover some ground. Hint; Hunter pressure is the #1 factor.

If you didn't get into them, you didn't cover enough ground.

I quit hunting CO the year AFTER they started overlapping ML with the end of the bow season. I hunt cows now, but might buy an either sex tag this year. The last two years, my best opportunity has been on bulls, so I am handicapping myself.

I went to the San Juan's last year with my son just to hike, fish, and spend time in the mountains with him. I might check some of those areas out for an elk hunt, since they are closer to my Texas home than driving all the way to NW Wyoming. If Elkheart can get his elk there, so can other traditional bowhunters.

"I quit hunting CO the year AFTER they started overlapping ML with the end of the bow season."

That's completely erroneous. The Ml season has never overlapped the end of the bow season. It has opened the second saturday in September for many years.

I hunt an OTC elk unit that is also popular with ML hunters (who don't have any OTC tags for deer or elk) Sometimes I am bow hunting for elk and ML hunting for deer (not a good approach but sometimes....... LOL).

It's easy to overthink things and give too much weight to factors that are not really all that relevant. It also works against you when you assume that you must go far into the back country to find elk. That works, but realize that what you are actually doing then is getting away from other hunters and recreationists. There are other ways to do that since most hunters, hikers and back country campers will use established trails to get there.

Your biggest problem may be the amount of downed timber that limits foot travel in many areas. Beetles have been killing lodgepole pines in Colorado for over a decade and they rot at ground level and fall like pick-up sticks making travel for any distance impossible.

Use the OTC unit map in the brochure to figure out where you can hunt and then research some of the units. go here https://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html?app=HuntingAtlas and larn how to use this hunting atlas. You will be surprised at how much information is there once you learn your way around it.

I know a guy that loves fishing but he never goes because he's afraid of picking the "wrong" lake...don't be that guy!

Not a Nike fan by any stretch, but I do like their logo "Just Do It"...it's almost like they wrote it with Colorado Elk hunting in mind. Like some guys mentioned above, pick a unit and go. Remember, only 1 guy in 10 gets an elk anyway so dwelling over a particular unit doesn't do much. It's an experience ANYWHERE that counts.

Agree with Longcruise on the "downed timber" from beetle kill issue. Good to check with Fish and Game on the units you decide on because some of those areas with massive beetle kill are really tough to hunt.

One way to spot it is to use google earth. If the trees are all gray it's beetle killed.

South farm is right, the success rate is right around 10%. Maybe closer to 12%. But remember the 80/20 rule. twenty percent of the elk hunters kill 80 percent of the elk!!

Be a 20 percenter.

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