I'm really leaning towards an OTC archery elk hunt next year. Would be a gigantic new challenge for me. Anyone here found success doing it on your own? Trying to narrow down a unit right now and will have to glean my knowledge of the unit I choose from online. A scouting trip isn't going to happen.
Colorado OTC Bull Elk
- Thread starter cscott711
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minn elk chaser
Active Member
- Jan 6, 2014
- 332
- 72
There is allot of guys on here to help so do your homework and choose the unit. Lets us know asap.
Retterath
Veteran member
Colorado has an excellent website for tons of research. Spend some time on that, I learned tons on that site
razorbackhunter
Member
I did a DIY this year in southern Colorado. Tons of hard work but it was my most rewarding hunt. I did a lot of internet work and narrowed down units by previous harvest percentages. Then got maps and asked some questions on here.
Thanks again guys. Looks like a lot of the OTC archery units are anywhere from 10-30% success with most being units under 20%. Do you guys think most areas hold good numbers of elk, but most guys just aren't willing to go in far enough? The only public land I've hunted is in eastern Wyoming and those tracts are 5-6 miles across at most which is doable for most hardcore guys.
Any idea on what type of elevations elk are at during archery season?
I did a lot of research this weekend and at this time narrowed it down to a unit in the southwest and west central areas. This was based on high amounts of public land, , fewer number of hunters, success rates over 20% for the unit (all weapons included). It seems like most archery success rates in these areas hover around 10-15%.
Any idea on what type of elevations elk are at during archery season?
I did a lot of research this weekend and at this time narrowed it down to a unit in the southwest and west central areas. This was based on high amounts of public land, , fewer number of hunters, success rates over 20% for the unit (all weapons included). It seems like most archery success rates in these areas hover around 10-15%.
Last edited:
Elkfitness
Member
Keep in mind the success rates include private land in OTC units, road hunters who just drive and look, day hunters, backcountry hunters, etc... Pick a unit based on research and get to know it. I've had success in a unit that has terrible success.
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I've seen them above the timberline and down in the dark timber. Depends a lot on the weather, the hotter it is, the higher they go. Also after the first few days they get pressured and into the dark timber they go.
I wouldn't put a lot of confidence in the success rates published as it is only a guess. There is no mandatory tag reporting here. In the last 10 years I have only been surveyed a couple of times.
Ok, great. I guess with that thought in mind, are there commonly known units that don't really hold elk? Or is it pretty much just a crap-shoot no matter what unit I would head to?
Elkfitness
Member
If you haven't done so already, Hop onto the co dept of wildlife's page. There are some hunt guides that briefly go through each unit.
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gunnihunter
New Member
- May 3, 2011
- 15
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Check out the hunting atlas on the dept of wildlife website. You can look at each unit and filter for the summer range, winter range, concentration areas, etc. That will give you an idea of where to start and what elevations according to the season you plan to hunt.
Having said that, there is no magic to elevation. The unit I hunted this year had elk moving lower for the rut and then come rifle season they moved back higher. Two weeks difference and the area was completely void of elk where they were thick during archery season.
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Having said that, there is no magic to elevation. The unit I hunted this year had elk moving lower for the rut and then come rifle season they moved back higher. Two weeks difference and the area was completely void of elk where they were thick during archery season.
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OregonJim
Very Active Member
There really are a ton of variables here.
The success rates are subjective so you are comparing estimates against estimates.
With that said they can shed some light.
So can overall success vs success on branch bulls.
I think a huge factor can be the % of land open to the public.
Be suspect of units where agriculture and big ranches may skew the success rates.
In my own experience, it was about 8 years before I killed an animal.
During my next eight years bow hunting I took 2, and then 3 in the last 8.
I only share that because the more time you spend chasing them around the better your odds.
Like was pointed out earlier those % reflect all types of hunters.
I spent a lot of time this season in a small unit with great odds and of the 400 or so hunters present, 90% didn't get there butts of quads and side by sides for more than 10 minute walks.
The success rates are subjective so you are comparing estimates against estimates.
With that said they can shed some light.
So can overall success vs success on branch bulls.
I think a huge factor can be the % of land open to the public.
Be suspect of units where agriculture and big ranches may skew the success rates.
In my own experience, it was about 8 years before I killed an animal.
During my next eight years bow hunting I took 2, and then 3 in the last 8.
I only share that because the more time you spend chasing them around the better your odds.
Like was pointed out earlier those % reflect all types of hunters.
I spent a lot of time this season in a small unit with great odds and of the 400 or so hunters present, 90% didn't get there butts of quads and side by sides for more than 10 minute walks.
Thanks guys. I hadn't noticed these features before, but did spend a decent amount of time browsing around on there last night. Very useful.
95tigerbill
New Member
- Nov 5, 2012
- 9
- 0
Keep in mind an extraction plan is sometimes the most difficult to plan. Killing one far from the road ads the difficult of getting them out before they spoil in archery season.
In God We Trust
Very Active Member
That is correct. Lots of guys get excited about a back pack hunt and want to go into the wilderness 3+ miles and kill an elk. If you are one of the 10% that succeed remember that is a large animal that can spoil in a hurry during the warmer weather we have during archery season.
Farmer
New Member
So, okay...you're a bowhunter searching for a hunt area. My best advice having been there with no one to help me out: Pick a unit that requires a priority point or two to draw a bull tag but no points for a cow tag. Hunt a coupla years on a cow license while you build priority points and scout/learn the area for a bull hunt. (If a unit has "either sex" only tags then you really don't have that option). And sometimes a viable option is a cow MZ hunt and learn that unit in preparation for the bowhunt. (You'll be finding elk that will be in the same general area during the bow season.) You've got all the info you require on CPW stat sites and one whole month to make your choice! Either way; start accumulating priority points now, even if you have no intention of hunting this year.Good luck!
rcfireninja
Active Member
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
I agree! the only problem I see with this approach is... most areas that take a point or two for bulls will be hard to draw a cow tag as a second choice. It's getting hard to draw anything worth a hoot on a second choice period. Good way to get to know an area though if you can work it out...