First time OTC Colorado Elk hunt advise?

[Onski316]

Boots- you have two basic schools of thought. Entry level (last a year maybe two of hard use) like salmon 4d and higher end resoleable like hanwag, Lowa etc.

Solomon will get you through year one, then if you decide, living like a homeless guy wondering around on a mountain for a week is for you, you can upgrade.

Lol. I ended up going with UA Speed Freeks. Found those, Danner Pronghorns and Irish Setter Elk Trackers seemed to come up a lot. (aside from the $400+ hiking boots which are out of my price range this year) I erred on the side of comfort more than durability with the UA's but if, like you said, it works out this year, I may and probably will upgrade next year. Probably Crispi GTX's...just found it hard to swallow that $300+ purchase this first year.

[bowhuntercoach]

I bought Under Armour boots last year for my hunt and they held up very well. I had a budget of around $200 for boots, and they were the most comfortable in that range.

OTC elk hunting was the most challenging yet rewarding thing I have done in a long time. And I didn't even kill one. Just knowing that we picked a unit, did our scouting, covered dozens of miles at elevations that I thought were higher than I could handle and then found elk and got with 100 yards of them was pretty darn cool. You will have a blast. I wish I could go back every year, I've got a score to settle with Unit 81.

[bowfishin fool]

Like mentioned ^^ set your expectations on the “experience” not the kill...

Statistically on average it’s 1 in 7 that kill and elk statewide with archery... so if you kill one in 7 years or less, you’re beating the average!


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[c3products20]

Like mentioned ^^ set your expectations on the “experience” not the kill...

Statistically on average it’s 1 in 7 that kill and elk statewide with archery... so if you kill one in 7 years or less, you’re beating the average!


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On do it yourself hunts I bet it's even worse odds! It's extremely difficult on a 5 day DIY hunt.... You almost need to be there 5 days just to learn/pattern. Especially a new area you've never hunted.

[Clayton_H]

There's in shape and mountain shape. Trust me I learned the hard way.
I would run 3-5 miles/ day getting ready for my first elk hunt. Yes my cardio was great but I never pack trained or incline trained. After that first uphill mile from the truck I was toast, and hunting sucked because I trained incorrectly.
Get on a tread mill and put it on the steepest incline and walk till your calves burn and do that everyday.

If you don't have a pack, get a pack and start hiking with it especially if you plan on putting 4-5 days on your back. I do it twice a week, 25lbs 1 day, and 45lbs the other.

Don't wait till your hunt to put 60lb on your back for the first time, you need to know how to properly load your pack. Trust me there's right ways and wrong ways.

Listen to the Hunt Backcountry podcast, they cover pretty much every thing from gear, exercise, hunting tactics, medical advice, and other topics you should at least be aware of.

I wouldn't buy gohunt for Colorado OTC. For a beginner and novice like myself I'd recommend "ELK 101". It's a yearly subscription but it's geared just for Elk and covers calling, e scouting, and pretty much all the basics.


Colorado is pretty strict on offroad vehicles, might be better off bringing the mountain bike.

Vary helpful! My first time this year as well sounds like I need to train more!

[kingranch]

dont fall for the paid onx or hunt apps

just get back country navigator and map the state you will hunt for 10$ and its permanent.. no yearly fees etc like the onx rip off

[bowfishin fool]

dont fall for the paid onx or hunt apps

just get back country navigator and map the state you will hunt for 10$ and its permanent.. no yearly fees etc like the onx rip off

Does back country navigator show land ownership and boundaries?


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[Onski316]

dont fall for the paid onx or hunt apps

just get back country navigator and map the state you will hunt for 10$ and its permanent.. no yearly fees etc like the onx rip off

I got the app and it looks really, really cool. Very overwhelming though. I see you can get land ownership and boundaries but it cost money or there's a membership, which obviously costs money but is the boundary package then free if you have the membership or how does that work? I really like the layout and options. The maps are fantastic! I don't care so much about property lines as we're planning on hunting the national forest area and sticking to a perticular area but I don't want to drop $30 on the app and then have to keep spending $10 here or $20 there for additional maps but a one-time membership fee for the $30 or whatever it is would be very much worth it if it's all included thereafter.

[MadHatter]

I got the app and it looks really, really cool. Very overwhelming though. I see you can get land ownership and boundaries but it cost money or there's a membership, which obviously costs money but is the boundary package then free if you have the membership or how does that work? I really like the layout and options. The maps are fantastic! I don't care so much about property lines as we're planning on hunting the national forest area and sticking to a perticular area but I don't want to drop $30 on the app and then have to keep spending $10 here or $20 there for additional maps but a one-time membership fee for the $30 or whatever it is would be very much worth it if it's all included thereafter.

The more you spend on elk hunting the greater your chances.
Send me $1000 and I'll send you a written guarantee .
I have some friends that use it, and they spend more time looking at there phone while hunting, than they do looking for animals.

[Kingfisher789]

I got the app and it looks really, really cool. Very overwhelming though. I see you can get land ownership and boundaries but it cost money or there's a membership, which obviously costs money but is the boundary package then free if you have the membership or how does that work? I really like the layout and options. The maps are fantastic! I don't care so much about property lines as we're planning on hunting the national forest area and sticking to a perticular area but I don't want to drop $30 on the app and then have to keep spending $10 here or $20 there for additional maps but a one-time membership fee for the $30 or whatever it is would be very much worth it if it's all included thereafter.

Yea that’s not a real good strategy. Listen to what these guys are trying to tell ya

[Texans42]

I think Onx is a value add. I have 6 states marked from different hunts. Including my own ranch. It's easy to text waypoints to people. I'm pretty much use it weekly from Aug to Feb. Watch camofire for discounted memberships, also Guidefitter has a veterans program and Onx is on it.

[Onski316]

Much appreciated. As of right now, I'm only really using Goggle Earth and the Colorado Hunting Atlas to e-scout areas. More or less trying to find a good GPS service to e-scout and then use for reference in the field. I'll have to check into that veteran thing being an ex-USAF slug. It's nice to have those extra options available. I did get a couple paper maps from DIY Hunting Maps for backup and...well...I'm a little old school and like paper maps. Good reading material.

[Texans42]

Much appreciated. As of right now, I'm only really using Goggle Earth and the Colorado Hunting Atlas to e-scout areas. More or less trying to find a good GPS service to e-scout and then use for reference in the field. I'll have to check into that veteran thing being an ex-USAF slug. It's nice to have those extra options available. I did get a couple paper maps from DIY Hunting Maps for backup and...well...I'm a little old school and like paper maps. Good reading material.

I was old school too, then I got spoiled. It also helps for stalking. Not as good as a back azimuth, but pretty close.

The onx at the veteran price with Guidefitter it's a no brainer. Save the maps on you phone for when you out run your data.

There are a ton of other discounts from food to boots to packs.

Also join GovX. Between the two you can get what you need at a pretty discounted price.

[Onski316]

I was old school too, then I got spoiled. It also helps for stalking. Not as good as a back azimuth, but pretty close.

The onx at the veteran price with Guidefitter it's a no brainer. Save the maps on you phone for when you out run your data.

There are a ton of other discounts from food to boots to packs.

Also join GovX. Between the two you can get what you need at a pretty discounted price.

I'll give OnX another shot. I tried it last year for a bit on the 7 day free trial and wasn't terribly impressed but I was using it here locally on my own land so I didn't dive too deep into the features. That Guidefitter is pretty nice! I'm leary about those "discount" programs that claim 50% off and stuff. When you look at their original prices, they're inflated terribly and their discounts are still more expensive than ebay, sportsman guide, amazon, etc. But it looks pretty legit so far from what I can tell. Waiting on my pending military records review. Thanks for the tip on that one. Hadn't heard of it before.

[ag111]

1) no cotton, have rain gear and a puffy jacket in the pack at all times
2) communication device if you are by yourself (not recommended)
3) 4-5 days/week intense cardio and leg training
4) sense of humor... in all likelihood the mountains will kick the crap out of you and you will never find an elk. Just statistics. I would normally say be willing to go harder and further than the other hunters.. but if this is your first trip out west just enjoy the experience. Beautiful place.