Which Week for Colorado Elk

[Burnsie]

My brother and I are doing a DYI hunt in Colorado this fall, which week would be your 1st choice?
September 1-8  (includes weekends on each end)
September 7-15
September 14-22
September 21-29

We went to Idaho about 6 years ago pretty close to the September 7-15 time frame and we seemed to be a little early??

[FerretWYO]

14-22 Those days in my experiance are tops.

I would stradle the middle two if i could. Start the 12th.

[pumatrax]

muzzle loading season is usually the third week of the archery season ; if that makes a difference to you...I'm not 100% sure on the dates this year though...

[ChuckC]

depends on what you are trying to do.  If you want to call and chase, go later, but remember there is a muzzleloader season in there, and many areas of Colorado public land are not so great for calling (bugling) any more.

Early is warmer and the elk are not as sexually active, but they are still there and available to hunt, not yet so well chased.

Bear season doesn't start till a week or so after the elk season so if you are getting multiple tags, count on that too.

Lots of choices.

ChuckC

[Burnsie]

Yep, muzzleloader is 14-22.
Would you typically try to stay away from muzzleloader season to avoid the extra traffic?
Would the week after muzzleloader even be worth it?  We're planning on going back in a ways.

[joe ashton]

My advice, based on my 20 years experience,  is to get out and hunt before the muzzle loaders.  Having said that I hunt before during and after them so ....

[Matty]

The week of 14-22
Unfortunately for bow hunters. They seem to be most active when the orange coats are in town.

[wapiti792]

I have hunted during orange coat season and had some trouble. I started going deeper into country and getting there a full week before them...if I happened to be there opening weekend elkless I used the invasion to my benefit and set up wear the elk would go when there was pressure.  Even if it is early I found an ambush and sat it mostly.  I think the week before ML there gives you the best of both worlds: less crowd with less impact and a little bit of pre-rut bugling. In my experience once ML season begins the bugling on hard hit public ground slows big time.

[pumatrax]

Joe is right on ; if you have the time...the archery season is usually SO hot the first two weeks you can hunt in your underwear...it cools off some the last week ...we have been in a severe drought here (in my area) for a good three years...A LOT of small creeks (and wallows) are dry..dry..dry

[awbowman]

We went the first nine days and missed the best part.  Very little bugling.  Yes we saw elk but in very high and rugged areas.  We just couldn't get to them in time.  It was also warm and movement was very early and late.  In the timber a large part of the time.  Oh and it rained A LOT!!!

It's possible but much harder IMO.   At least that was our experience.

[Whip]

If hunting public land where you expect a lot of pressure from the ML, then maybe I would lean toward the week before.  I am headed to some private ground and some years it actually gets better as elk get pushed off other surrounding properties.  So I guess it all depends....

Personally, if other hunting pressure is not a factor, I prefer mid - late September.  Without the pressure there is a much better chance of catching them bugling, and if you can hear them it sure makes finding them a lot easier.  Once you find them it's game on!

[BradLantz]

IMO

September 21-29


Why? Because the herd bulls will really have their harems by then, and the smaller sattelite bulls will be rut crazy.

Sure, they'll have been pressured but it only takes one dumb young bull in the rut to respond.

But ... you risk snow, colder weather with the later hunt as well.

[Bill Kissner]

You can get opinions from opening day to the last week. Some like opening day and the following two weeks because the animals have not been harassed and tend to be out a few more daylight hours. The third week the muzzle loaders are out. In the area I hunt, they tend to be road hunters or do not stray far from the roads so it is relatively easy to get away from them. The third and last week usually has them bugling more and this helps with locating them. Calling them in though is not easy as everyone and his brother have been blowing tooters since opening day and the bulls simply will not come.

I tend to favor the first couple weeks because the elk are more dispersed and therefore chances of seeing some are somewhat better. Later on they are herded up and more eyes make it harder to get close enough for a shot. But hey, hunting elk is great anytime of the season!   :D

[Burnsie]

Thanks everyone, looks like we have some decisions to make.  Pros and Cons to most any of the dates.

[Pete McMiller]

I agree with Bill.  I have hunted all 4 weeks of the season different years and can see no benefit to hunting later except that you will likely have fewer guys in the woods the last week.  The weather has a lot to do with whether the bulls will be bugling during any specific week.  Too hot and no storms and they may stay silent and nocturnal most of the time.  Colder and unsettled weather has a tendency to turn them on but it's tough to plan your hunt around that.  If I had only one week to hunt I would probably hunt the 2nd or 3rd weeks with the nod to the 2nd as it is just before the muzzle loaders start.

[jhg]

I have gotten into elk at any time. But, in my experience, the first week would be the one I would skip if I had to make a choice. Otherwise, its all good IMO.
 It really comes down to you anyway my friend, no matter when you hunt

Joshua

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I would skip the muzzle loader season if possible. Weather, drought conditions, etc. are too difficult to predict this far out, and you have to adjust to those no matter which week you hunt.  However,you CAN predict when the most people will be there, and  avoid some of the crowd.

[tracker12]

Originally posted by BradLantz:
IMO

September 21-29


Why? Because the herd bulls will really have their harems by then, and the smaller sattelite bulls will be rut crazy.

Sure, they'll have been pressured but it only takes one dumb young bull in the rut to respond.

But ... you risk snow, colder weather with the later hunt as well.

What he said! CO has not seen much if any snow in the last 5 years during the archey season except at the very hig elevations that may last a day.

[Tater]

In my experience with public land (basically all I hunt), I would go before muzzleloader. Others are correct it may be warmer, but the Bulls should still be gathering cows to some extent.  

   Later in the season when the Bulls have cows they are vocal, but very seldom come to calling and will usually move away with their cows. I've hunted early in the season and I've hunted late, and the one thing I can tell you definately is Elk are not predictable.

    Go enjoy the experience, fall in the Mountains with Buglin' Bulls and changing Aspens is a special time.

[Burnsie]

Thanks guys! - UP