need help with some colorado elk hunt plans

[day stalker]

This will be our first hunt in colorado. Ther will be 3 men all white tail hunters and a 14 year old boy. We are doing a diy backpack hunt. We are all in great shape. I would like to hunt the north east part of colorado if there is good areas there. I have been resurching colorado online. But alot to sort out. We will hunt 2015. Any advice would be great. We would like to avoid most people. We are thinking 7 days. Preferably camp 3-5 miles from trail.

 

[Canvsbk]

Pm sent.

 

[cohunter14]

The northeast part of Colorado is pretty much all private and there are no elk there. The only realistic areas to hunt elk on public land in Colorado is west of I-25 (the western half of the state).

Spend some time on the Colorado DOW website, there is a ton of info there. Here are a few links to help you out:

Big Game Homepage: Big Game | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Statistics Page (includes draw results, success rates, etc): Statistics | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

GMU Mapping Page - use this to select a map of certain units. Once there, you can use the tool bar on the left to get summer and winter ranges of elk along with migration corridors: Game Management Unit Maps | Colorado Parks and Wildlife

 

[jwall3d11]

If this is all you guys first trip make sure you do a lot of research. Not just on where to go but how to do it. Camping at 11,000' in Colorado in mid to late October is awesome and can also be extremely dangerous. Hiked in to a storm this year, got about 8". We hike 5 miles from where we park the truck to spike camp.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

You didn't say, but I assume you're rifle hunting. Good advice about going to the west side of the Continental Devide. If you're wanting to backback hunt and avoid the crowds go the early season and hunt one of the state Wilderness Areas. They don't allow anything with wheels or motors. That helps.

Oh, and we all think we're in great shape until we get to 10,000-12,000 feet. Have a great hunt. There's nothing else like it.

 

[day stalker]

We will be bow hunting. I am really leaning toward lemon resevior area. I lived in the mountines in afghanistan for a while. With alot of long humps with pack. But me and the boy will be doing alot of hiking prior to the trip, i want him to enjoy it.
Thank you for all the replies. Every bit of knowledge that we can gain will definintly be in the pack when we step off.

 

[jwall3d11]

That's awesome. Make sure you practice a lot and can shoot as far as you are capable of killing an elk at. I had an 80 yard pin on my bow. Also a light bow is nicer to carry than a heavy one. When we went in 2010 I had a Mathews DXT and it was like it wasn't even there.

 

[day stalker]

Im going to order new bow tomorow actually. It is a light, fast "for long bow" crafted by a local man. I'm getting a 60 or 65 lb takedown longbow. I have shot a few of his bows. They are top of the line and i really like to buy from a local craftsman.