1st year Elk hunting with Teenager - Any help appreciated! (Alamosa: 2015, stores)

[bcarroll76]

Hello everyone, we just moved to Colorado (Monument) a year ago and this will be our first hunt for Elk!! My son and I are very excited, but overwhelmed with trying to find a spot. We have OTC bull tags (couldn't make the drawing).

I would love to put my son on an elk this year and we cant wait to make a week of it.

If anyone would like to give me some insight into a few good spots or have spotted any elk lately, we would love to have the help. We are responsible hunters and clean up after ourselves. We are willing to travel and put in the legwork, but we are trying to get away from the crowd *if at all possible*. I know that is hard (from what I hear), but if you have any tidbits of info, please feel free to PM me or throw it in here on this thread.

We would appreciate anything we can get.

Thank you so much everyone.

Bryan

[flyonpa]

How old is your "Teenager"?

[CSD610]

The only advice I can offer is *Safety, Safety, Safety*.
Enjoy the time with your son, good luck, stay warm, be safe.

[bcarroll76]

My son is 15 and is more excited than I am (which is almost impossible)

Thank you CSD610 we are very safety conscious and that is why I don't like being in a herd of other hunters... makes me nervous and not sure if the stores carry enough blaze orange for us!

Thanks for replying!
Bryan

[NW Crow]

Colorado Parks & Wildlife - Elk Hunting Statistics


GMU population and harvest info for 2015.


One set of recommended spots https://www.montanadecoy.com/news/fi...-hunting-units
Quality of advice unknown.


Others http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...HcCNMQ1QIILSgF


Most outings won't yield unless you are really good, so you may want to emphasize that any outing where you work on and improve skills is a good outing and may pay off later.

[bcarroll76]

Thanks NW - been looking at those the last few months! Problem with the stats is there are public and private land hunters. Been looking @ White River & Routte a lot. just worried about over population of hunters in the area. Maybe further south towards Alamosa.

Thank you!

[NW Crow]

Ok, good that you are preparing.


If you have a neighbor or co-worker that you get along with, might try asking them or even angle for an invite to hunt with them, even just once if they have local knowledge, track record of success.

[Phil P]

To me, it's important that hunting is done in a scenic area because 80% of the time "hunting" is actually hiking, sitting and watching the sunrise, driving, ATVing...

When I went, we'd always go by Carbondale/Glenwood Springs area. There's a number of spots around there to go, we'd generally go to this place called The Crown, which is just on the north side of Mt. Sopris. It's generally better the later the season.

[bcarroll76]

Thanks Phil, I have been looking up in that area. You say it's called the crown? Do you remember if was a heavily hunted area?

Appreciate the info.

Anyone else with experience up in the NW areas?

[westslopeguy]

I hunt in the area mentioned (near Carbondale/Basalt) but I won't say anything more specific than that. I have always hunted the 2nd rifle season but last year I went in the 4th season. It was WAY less crowded and the elk had started to move more toward winter range. I'm hunting 4th season again this year and I don't think I will go back to 2nd season. Just remember that statewide average harvest success for elk hovers around 20%-that includes cow tags, private land tags, limited quality/trophy units, all of 'em. Many public units with OTC bull tags have single digit success rates, which also includes cow tags for that unit. This is not meant to scare you, just a reality check. I like to look at my hunting as quality time spent out in the mountains, any chance I get at taking an animal is a bonus.