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Colorado Elk Archery

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    #31
    We have a 3 man group headed to CO on Sept 5th for a 7 day hunt. Should be interesting as it will be the first time for all of us. Good Luck

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      #32
      Warm Fuzzys just got me excited thinking about this year! Good luck to you and everyone else going after them this year!

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        #33
        Originally posted by Mbbriggs05 View Post
        We have a 3 man group headed to CO on Sept 5th for a 7 day hunt. Should be interesting as it will be the first time for all of us. Good Luck
        Congrats! I will be up there those dates as well. Best of luck to your group! Post some pics![emoji108]

        Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

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          #34
          Did first OTC Colorado Archery hunt last year had a blast. Going back this year same area. Going Sept 10-18 this year. If you got any questions ask away.

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            #35
            You can do all the squats and heavy weight packs you want but if you're not mentally strong that wont matter for sh#t. Learn to go outside of our comfort zone. We did our first Colorado OTC archery hunt last year and logged over 50 miles hiking up and down mountains.

            Spend the money on a quality pack, you will not regret it. And pack light, some guys packed 80 pounds of BS they didnt need and were gassed half way in. Get gear that is able to dump heat but also keep you warm, remember youre working out most of the day but temps can drop fast.
            Last edited by piercebronkite; 07-27-2021, 01:53 PM.

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              #36
              Originally posted by piercebronkite View Post
              You can do all the squats and heavy weight packs you want but if you're not mentally strong that wont matter for sh#t. Learn to go outside of our comfort zone. We did our first Colorado OTC archery hunt last year and logged over 50 miles hiking up and down mountains.

              Spend the money on a quality pack, you will not regret it. And pack light, some guys packed 80 pounds of BS they didnt need and were gassed half way in. Get gear that is able to dump heat but also keep you warm, remember youre working out most of the day but temps can drop fast.
              Mentally Strong: [emoji818] Yup!
              Still have to be physically capable to push to that point.

              What came of those 50 miles?

              I got some quality gear. Picked up a Badlands Vario Pack 5500 that I am pleased with thus far. Progressively training with it on daily, has held 70lbs on incline threadmill and stair master. Have made alot of progress since drawing the tag.

              Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

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                #37
                Good luck and keep at it. I'm getting in shape for a less taxing hunt as well. Keep posting updates. It provides motivation.

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                  #38
                  Originally posted by GBludau View Post
                  Mentally Strong: [emoji818] Yup!
                  Still have to be physically capable to push to that point.

                  What came of those 50 miles?

                  I got some quality gear. Picked up a Badlands Vario Pack 5500 that I am pleased with thus far. Progressively training with it on daily, has held 70lbs on incline threadmill and stair master. Have made alot of progress since drawing the tag.

                  Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
                  One guy in our group shot a cow elk. I did not draw back on anything other than shooting grouse which was a ton of fun and cooking over a fire at 10,000 feet was a very enjoyable meal. I would bring some small game tips and extra arrows for grouse, they are fun to hunt.

                  What came out of those miles was an unbelievable experience, way too many to share on here even if I didn't come home with an elk. One of my favorite hunts so far.

                  Lastly, a guy in our group stumbled upon this elk that was shot a week before by a stranger he never met. The story goes that the guy shot it and couldn't ever find it. Oddly enough my buddy ran in to this guy on the mountain heard about this bull and hours later found it. He tried to back track on the mountain and let him him know but couldnt locate him, he did inform Colorado Fish and Game. Beautiful bull too.
                  Attached Files

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                    #39
                    I'm sitting out this year due to work constraints, but I went on my first elk hunt (CO 1st rifle) last year. You've received good advice on this thread but I wanted to throw in my $0.02 on things you don't hear a lot of folks say.

                    -It helps to sleep one or two nights at higher altitude on your way to the trailhead. Break up your drive so you stay overnight somewhere in northern NM or southern CO. Or drive nonstop and sleep at the trailhead before setting out the next morning. The extra passive hours in the thinner air will help your body adapt better than jumping into the deep end.

                    -You're pretty deep into training at this point, but make sure you focus your conditioning on your hunt style. I think a lot of training plans out there are geared toward backpack hunters. I don't know if that's how you're hunting, but if you're day hunting, it's better in my opinion to focus on your cardio endurance, core/leg/trunk strength, and joint resilience. Throwing on 50lbs several times a week in your training is going to do more harm than good. Again, just my opinion, and everyone's different.

                    -Quality base layers are the most cost-effective clothing items out there. By that I mean they will do more to keep you warm, dry, cool, and comfortable than anything else. And a good piece will last multiple uses without stinking up [that] much. Good rain gear is a great thing to have, but I wouldn't suggest throwing $500 at a set unless you just want to.

                    -Reach out to the state wildlife biologist for your hunt unit. Most are happy to talk shop and give you pointers.

                    -Buy an OTC bear tag if it's offered in your GMU.

                    -Get your head right for the possibility you won't see anything your first day. Or the second. Or the last. Elk hunting is T-O-U-G-H. It's not like what you see on YouTube or Outdoor Channel. It is an absolute grind. Just live in the moment and realize what a special place you're in. If you're feel like you're hitting a wall, take a break. Bring a rod and go catch a trout. Sleep in one morning. Go into town for a burger, beer, and maybe even a shower. Those few hours of recharge will go a very long way and allow you to hunt harder the rest of the time.

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                      #40
                      Originally posted by GBludau View Post
                      Congrats fellas. I have no clue where to begin. My thoughts are everywhere about it. Ultra light gear, packs, necessities, camping equipment, calls, fitness etc. I've been on a stair stepper everyday with a weighted pack 25/35lbs and it's been an eye opener!

                      Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
                      Wait till the oxygen is gone.

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                        #41
                        I will be there Sept 7-13 as well. Have an outfitter taking us into a drop camp. That way my day pack will only be 35 lbs…Ha. Have spent many a day with 68-73 lbs on my back up there and it’s interesting. What you have to remember at altitude is “slow and steady” wins the race. Recovering your O2 is much more difficult so you don’t want to be running sprints up there or trying to sustain max effort for very long. Best of luck to everyone! I will be in units 24&25. Where is everyone else going to be?

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                          #42
                          I’m headed back from a 5-day backpacking trip with the family right now. My pack ended up at 51lbs including 3 liters of water, my wife’s ended up at about 40lbs, and my 13 year old’s ended up at 29lbs. We topped out at 12,200 feet, with little to no training in advance. Keeping the pack weights low, and running a moderate but consistent pace is the ticket.

                          Usually I run my pace way too high, but hiking with them forced me to run a lot slower than normal… and we made just as good of time as when I hike hard and need more frequent breaks. I highly suggest pacing slightly slower than you think you can handle.

                          Also, I didn’t read all the way through, but if you are hitting high altitude acclimating is an ABSOLUTE must!


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                            #43
                            Oh, I forgot a few gear pointers…

                            1) Zero cotton clothing.. it is hydrophilic and will make you miserable if it ever gets wet.

                            2) double socks… good wool hiking socks with a silk or synthetic liner underneath. Both fabrics wick water away from your foot well, the wool is still insulating when wet, and the liner under the main sock will almost guarantee no blisters (assuming your boots fit and are broken in)

                            3) If filtering water in the field, I highly recommend the platypus gravity-works water filter. We used the 4 liter system, and probably ran 40-50 liters through the system between drinking, cooking, and washing up water.

                            4) pack light.


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