Lets get a few bulls under your belt before specifically targeting 300 plus bulls. Missing a morning or an evening is really like missing 15% of a 5 day trip, just because the odds of killing something in the morning/evening is so much higher than the rest of the day. colorado has lots of OTC tags and its the closest elk state and straight shot west on I . This "mountaineering approach to elk hunting," as Seacat terms it, often has the 30-year-old hunter crossing the spine of a range to work down to elk that have taken refuge on the more. Horse-back day hunts available in the Flat Tops with or without lodging. Many elk will be "average" Colorado bulls, but we do take a.) #3. There was no blood. It is well known as some of the very best elk and deer country anywhere. Elevations range from 7,640 to 12,354 feet. The Routt National Forest is over 1.3 million acres in central Colorado west of the Continental Divide and the White River is over 2 million acres. I dont recommend shooting an animal past 60 yards with a bow because too much can happen during that split second your arrow is in the air. The mouth of Spring Cave lies just outside the wilderness boundary in the lower South Fork valley, beckoning the curious to come and explore. Everyone in camp either shot, missed a shot, or passed on an animal that season. Private land hunts are on large ranches where we access the properties by 4WD and hunt by spot and stalk. It was a shocker to all of us. Hunt Code E-F-025-E1-R , Sept 15-30 in areas 25 and 26. Calling great is awesome, but elk are just like people and they dont all sound the same. . The Flat Tops Wilderness is at an altitude of 10,000 to 11, 000 feet. Just find an easy to access area that looks good and head out! Sit water holes if you find one. As a rule of thumb, just know that you are going to see other hunters and use that to your advantage. All of our guests who harvest an animal will go home with a set of these reusable game bags. This vast country offers clients a very broad range of hunting opportunities ranging from 8,000 ft elevations to 11,000 ft. We rarely encounter other hunters in this area of the Flat Tops Wilderness. Of course weve made some upgrades since then, including simple bathrooms, lights, and propane heat. hunt@flattopshunting.com. Any advice appreciated. A mix of cows, calves, small bulls, and one very large bull. In addition to our limited unit hunts, we offer archery hunts in an over-the-counter elk unit. With spirits at an all time low, it was going to be a long ride back to camp. No motorized transportation is allowed in wilderness areas. Honestly, it doesnt matter! Saeed pulled into the pack station to unload his vehicle and get it packed on the horses and mules. lisa@wildskies.com. Phone: (970) 926-0216. The elk herd in our area is estimated at 42,000 animals. From here, its foot and horse traffic only. Wildlife in the area include elk, mule deer, black bear, big horn sheep, mountain , antelope, and an occasional moose. The Flat Tops is a large area. bowhunting elk), OtoPro SoundGear Phantom and Impulse Review, Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder Review, Toric UHD 2.5-15x44mm FFP Hunt Series Riflescope Review, Hunting Big Mule Deer after Mid-October with Cliff Gray. There are a couple of units in Colorado that are OTC and are next to trophy quality units (units that take lots of points to draw and are managed for quality). elk can be found anywhere on any day. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In addition to the options listed above, wed be happy to help plan a trip for any family, group or individual. In 2002, the Flat Tops Wilderness was scorched by the "Big Fish Fire," a wildfire that swept through the cradle of wilderness surrounding Trapper's Lake. To increase opportunity even more on your hunt, you can also look at getting a deer tag and or a bear tag as well. This vast country Nobody, wants to go home empty handed but the vast majority, especially first time archery elk hunters in OTC unit will go home eating tag soup. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Weve all seen moose guides on TV taking a shoulder blade and raking a tree or brush but this is a great early season tactic! You may call in a cow, a calf, or a big bull. Everything will be hung in our on-site meat shed until your departure. This allows us to rotate camp locations, reduce pressure, and increase hunt quality. Just realize that chances are you wont be successful your first couple years and youll blow a lot of opportunities. (Oct 22ndish) Then didnt see but one live cow, and two small small bulls One Live mature 170 ish live deer on that signature danger bound off, and a small buck taken . Mental toughness and physical fitness go together like Forest Gump and Jenny. That walk seemed to take forever. Hunters need to be If you contact us after the draw, we may not have availability. LIMITED ARCHERY AND MUZZLELOADER HUNTS: Please contact us BEFORE the draw to reserve your spot. Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get organized and relax before dinner. Owner & Outfitter - Paul Janke If you have the OnX Hunt app you can transfer points from Google Earth onto it or you can just use the app and look at the satellite/contour lines to find elky areas. It's no wonder Carhart found the area so entrancing: behind Trappers Lake loom steep volcanic cliffs and beyond them a vast subalpine terrain yields to alpine tundra. JavaScript is disabled. The Flat Tops Wilderness lies within the Routt and White River National Forest and is one of the largest primitive areas in the Rocky Mountains. A bull may pop out at 100 yards looking for the cow that you made the sound of. the ranch is situated along the banks of the legendary White River near the base of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Colorado has more elk than any other U.S. state or Canadian province. voucher needed to purchase the private land license. This is usually split between guide, wrangler(s), kitchen and housekeeping staff. Add a couple chirps into the sequence and you are onto a great start. If its slimy and a greenish color youre hot on their heels, and start focusing on getting the wind right and being quiet. The fire damage can still be seen today. The wilderness designation means no motorized vehicles of any kind are allowed in this beautiful, pristine area. If you hit your 6 circle again you can keep moving back each day. Craig-based outfitter with full-service guided elk and deer hunts (archery, muzzleloader and rifle) and drop camps into the Flat Tops Wilderness Area (GMU 12) and other public private lands (GMUs 4, 441 and 214). Elk have great eye sight and their hearing is impressive! Evan and I are telling our hunters to reload and to keep the elk they shot at in their scopes. Secluded, guided hunts available in units 33 and 34. Cows started to appear left and right much closer and we could see bulls meandering through the thick dark timber. Unfortunately, this is the story of OTC elk units. Lots of area for those tags to spread out, but still a ton of tags. Roughly 100 miles of fishable streams are in the Wilderness. Guided hunts are staged from the ranch with comfortable . Budges Wilderness Lodge sits 40 miles from the nearest hard-surfaced road and is surrounded by Wilderness on three sides. Each day we laughed and talked about our big adventure. From: FORESTBOWS 31-May-20 Hey guys! Contact us now to get started. When elk hunting out of our main lodge, youll enjoy cozy log cabin accommodations. Once you are familiar though, getting turned around is less of an issue and finding your way back to camp becomes second nature. Thanks for all the information guys I just need to decide on an area and start the planning. I whispered to him to take the safety off and prepare to take a clear shot. the high country of western Colorado, or mule deer, trophy bull elk and There was only about an hour and a half before dark and we had a long way to go. wilderness. Regardless of where you are at the elk will act the same..if it is warm during the day (40 degrees and greater) hunt the dark timber on the north facing slopes as far from the truck as you can get. Theres a lot of stuff you can leave at camp everyday when you head out. Hunters often ask about success rates on our wilderness hunts. These hunts are very popular especially at the end of the 2nd or 3rd rifle seasons and Saeed and I made it back to camp a couple of hours before sunset. You probably wont have much competition due to the extremely limited tags in that area. However, some units still offer either sex tags during archery season. For that reason, our Cancellation Policy is as follows: You may cancel your trip at any time, but all payments, deposits and fees paid to Budges are 100% non-refundable. Hunting with a buddy is key to elk hunting: two hunters is ideal for a caller/shooter set up, you can bounce ideas off of each other, and help keep each other motivated. After glassing up a handful of does, a couple of smaller bucks, and a black bear, I planned an easy first day of hunting closer to camp to help adjust to the altitude for Saeed (we had set camp at 10,000 and planned on hunting up to 11,500). Prices are per-person, based on double occupancy (2 person minimum per cabin). Game packing for guided clients is included in the fee and guided day hunts can be reserved for We made the hike back to the horses and jumped on. I could have punched a tag most days hunted, just didn't find one I wanted. On a good week of hunting 80% of the hunters in camp might take an elk. We are thinking the Flat Top Wilderness area. Sounds like I need to set aside more time for scouting. Transporting the meat home is entirely up to you. Learning how to call is definitely important but spending prime hours in productive country is way more important. Of all the hunters Ive guided and have come through the outfit, I have never had one say they overtrained or it was easier than they had thought it would be. Applying in the draw and gaining preference points is easy! You said you're going to scout it, so get a map and scout the access areas you like. If a hunting trip is cancelled with more than 90-days notice prior to the arrival date, the non-refundable deposit may be credited toward other guests or dates within 12 months of the date of the original reservation, subject to availability. If you want to bow hunt elk this year, contact us for details. The podcast starts with an update on current winter conditions in Colorado and how they are affecting deer and elk. I leaned over and told him to put the rifle down for a second, look at me, and take some deep breaths. Complete ready to hunt from drop camps or pack service using your own equipment are available and can be set This rule doesnt always pan out, so be prepared for that! Guides use a third tent with horse feed and camp supplies. Had a couple good hunts, but also had some similar landowner issues on the east side of the flattops. We will provide you with the landowner If you hit a 6 circle thats awesome! The biggest factor when choosing a hunting partner is making sure you have a similar level of physical fitness. Mental toughness can not be taught, but is learned through shitty experiences. Last edited by saddlesore; 03/22/11 . Having a game plan is key to start the day! Mental toughness goes a lot further than hiking further then you thought you could have or pushing your body. Elk hunting in the rugged terrain of the Flat Tops Wilderness is a world class experience. So you finally made the leap, and are going elk hunting for the first time. This may help to dissuade other hunters from going to that unit or part of the unit. From: littlehorse 05-Jul-15 I have to agree with you guys. Persistence will eventually pay off and like you mentioned, unsuccessful hunts are just as important, if not more important, on the lessons you learn that make you a better hunter. Hunters during this season usually experience mild weather - but of course there are never any guarantees when it comes to weather in the high country. The more you train before the hunt the happier youll be and the more hunting youll get in! From there, we had a fifty yard stretch of loose rock on the hillside that at the time seemed almost impossible to cross without accidentally knocking a rock loose alerting every elk in the area that we were there. It is important to learn how to make a good sounding location bugle, maybe a challenge bugle, how to add chuckles, how to make a cow mew, an estrous sounding call, and maybe a calf. Saeed pulled out a cigar in celebration and talk of how he is going to mount the bull begins to be tossed around. I am by no means suggesting that you learn how to make a fire bow, though that would be pretty cool. Is pack out assistance included in the $500 once season opens? Each year we take many average for Colorado elk and lucky hunters take some really good 6X6 bulls. Contact us now to get started. Hunters can expect to start their day with a hearty breakfast in the main lodge. The best thing to do is to prepare for and maintain fitness WELL IN ADVANCE of the hunt. That's the ticket right there. We have updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy as of May 5th, 2020, Colorado OTC Archery Elk - Hunting in a Group vs. Alone & Number of Tags. they again get up and move to feed. San Luis Valley and Unit 681 Wilderness Elk: We hunt the mountains in the north end of the San Luis Valley and have elk hunting available on over 50,000 Shouldnt have to venture to far from the trailhead either. They even have come up with 'spraying noxious weeds' so the state and DOW help this private land cause out starting in July. I have taken 2 elk (my first) and a muley buck and LOVE the area. Believe me when I tell you that the elk density varies just a little from unit to unit, but not enough to turn down a reputable outfitter and go with the more shady one. Since bugling is the iconic sound of the west come September hunters often just say All I want is to hear a bugle. So not hearing one is extremely frustrating. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. *** Flat Tops Wilderness Summer Pack Trips and Trail Riding: We offer guests outstanding trail riding into the wilderness on a day basis, or we can arrange for progressive, overnight pack vacations. Pressure where you can get to butI haven't found that to be a problem. You are using an out of date browser. It is also known to be one of the most forgiving terrain that elk inhabit, making it suitable for any hunter to hunt without the vertical terrain elk typically live in. Hunts do not include the cost of the necessary Colorado licenses. Budges has more than a dozen permitted camp locations scattered throughout our 150 square mile area. (Note: meals and lodging are not included). Your arrow can hit exactly where you were thinking it would but an elk ducking the arrow is the difference between a perfect lung shot and hitting high void and never finding it. Brushing up on your survival skills and having the necessary survival tools with you, tend to increase the amount of time in the field. Saeed had both a bull tag and a buck tag, and I had seen a few elk on the top of the mountain first season and one gigantic muley! However, looking through the binoculars when he shot, the bull didnt seem to react as though he was hit. Targeting 300 plus bulls so get a map and scout the access areas you like take some really 6X6! Otc elk units did n't find one I wanted around is less of an issue and finding your back... Started to appear left and right much closer and we could see bulls through... 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When elk hunting for the next time I comment limited archery and MUZZLELOADER hunts: Please contact us before hunt...