Elk Hunting Colorado Unit 161

[Backcountrypro]

Hello All-Well myself, a friend of mine and my dad are heading to Walden Colorado for the 4th rifle season next week. Has anyone been hunting around there lately? Can anyone give us any advice as to where to start looking for the elk? We hunted the 3rd season there last year but the weather was just too nice and the elk had not come down yet. I have my 300 Winchester Sendero all ready to go, I practiced shooting out to 750 yards the other day and I know I am ready. I am shooting handload 200 grain Accubonds. I am hoping the weather will turn colder so the elk will be around this year. Thanks for any advice.....

[Backcountrypro]

Well I just arrived home from Colorado with two cow elk. My dad and I had our tags filled on the first walk within 15 minutes of the truck. Opening day of the 4th season and we had both of elk field dressed and ready for the drag out by 9:30. I don't think we will ever have luck like that again. I believe the elk were just starting to move in, the elk that we shot probably were part of the local heard. We helped my buddy hunt two more days and we seen a few tracks, yesterday we came real close to a bull but he gave us the slip. The two elk that we shot were the only ones we seen all week. We were hunting the timber NW of Walden, I don't believe there were any elk in the sage brush areas. I never even pulled my Sendero rifle from the case, I used my M700 Mountain rifle in 30-06 to get my cow at 80 yards broadside. My dad was using a M700 XCR 30-06.