Wilderness Archery Elk

xtreme

Very Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
859
4
Searcy, Arkansas 72143
A couple of friends ask for help finding a place to archery hunt elk. They will coyote out and one requirement was they didn’t want to see other hunters, at least not many. They wanted to avoid outfitters and horses. This planning has been a lot of fun for me. At age 78 and a bad ankle from my wilderness New Mexico accident, I just cannot go.
Dick Ross, authored, “The Lakes and Trails of the Conejos,” said not ten people a year will see this country. They are both fit and very capable. Sounds like what I use to do solo.
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,162
Eastern Nebraska
The secluded areas of the past have changed. You will see less people when you go deep but you will still see people just about everywhere and a lot more than you would have seen 20-30 years ago. I think the wide availability of GPS units and the internet are to blame. I'm still a fan of doing what the majority of other hunters aren't doing but the definition of that has changed through the years. Out thinking the elk is important but out thinking other hunters has become even more important.
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,679
2,570
www.eastmans.com
The secluded areas of the past have changed. You will see less people when you go deep but you will still see people just about everywhere and a lot more than you would have seen 20-30 years ago. I think the wide availability of GPS units and the internet are to blame. I'm still a fan of doing what the majority of other hunters aren't doing but the definition of that has changed through the years. Out thinking the elk is important but out thinking other hunters has become even more important.
GPS has played a huge role in it. However, I am seeing a swing the other way again with people realizing they don't like to suffer as much. Day hunting is becoming a thing again...
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
The secluded areas of the past have changed. You will see less people when you go deep but you will still see people just about everywhere and a lot more than you would have seen 20-30 years ago. I think the wide availability of GPS units and the internet are to blame. I'm still a fan of doing what the majority of other hunters aren't doing but the definition of that has changed through the years. Out thinking the elk is important but out thinking other hunters has become even more important.
thankfully most hunters are not as smart as an elk so you don't have to be a rocket scientist to out think them. often it is as simple as just going where a four wheeler or an atv can not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dan maule

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,679
2,570
www.eastmans.com
People also like to chase the hot spots that are close to established trails. Finding spots far from the established trails helps, for elk that pretty much means finding patches of black timber with access to night time and morning feeds.
 

dan maule

Very Active Member
Jan 3, 2015
987
1,210
Upper Michigan
thankfully most hunters are not as smart as an elk so you don't have to be a rocket scientist to out think them. often it is as simple as just going where a four wheeler or an atv can not.
Pretty much the way I hunt everything now days. I scout the other hunters, see where I would go to get away from them if I were a deer or an elk and that's where I hunt. Works well for deer, worked the one time we did it for elk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kidoggy

alaska2go

Active Member
Oct 20, 2012
274
133
Canon City, CO
GPS has played a huge role in it. However, I am seeing a swing the other way again with people realizing they don't like to suffer as much. Day hunting is becoming a thing again...

Correct !! People get all wound up to go " remote" and realize it is a lot of work especially if ya knock 1 down... They can't or will not embrace the suck that comes with a little remote hunting.. As I get older 49 this year I am not embracing the suck as much either. :unsure:
 

Slugz

Veteran member
Oct 12, 2014
3,618
2,247
54
Woodland Park, Colorado
Rifle seasons in Colorado are the funniest. I usually glass 4-5 days/scout then meat hunt the 4th rifle season. Two years ago I was up at 11,000 ft on a well known trail glassing down a ridgeline. I had a herd of over 100 patterned and sure enough they popped out right where they should. I sat there waiting for my hunting partners to come the other direction from the trail as we agreed to meet at this tree. Low and behold its 3 different guys on quads. I needed to feel them out to see if they knew where the elk were. I couldn't tell so I figured it would be better to deconflict opening morning hunt spots with them so we wouldn't blow them out.

They wanted nothing to do with a herd that was 2 miles from the quad trail. We shot two cows opening am and saw him the next am when we went back with just packs and no weapons. :) never venturing farther than 100 ft from the quad trail

We shot 3 off the same hillside last year :)
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
70
Gypsum, Co
People just need to do what I have done the vast majority of my hunting life. Just hike until you find a animal that you want to shoot, shoot it and then hike over to it. Check it out and then wonder how in the blazes you are going to get it out of the hole that you shot it in.

My problem is that I am getting too old to do that anymore but I still catch myself hiking into areas that I have no business being in.
 

dirtclod Az.

Veteran member
Jan 26, 2018
1,637
444
Arizona
I have stood next to forest roads and waved at folks riding by
standing on their atv's foot pegs scanning the forest,waving my bow
and the idgits never see me. 💥
 

xtreme

Very Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
859
4
Searcy, Arkansas 72143
Pretty much the way I hunt everything now days. I scout the other hunters, see where I would go to get away from them if I were a deer or an elk and that's where I hunt. Works well for deer, worked the one time we did it for elk.
There is a large area on the south trail that is covered in large rocks. I once encountered a mule deer crossing the rock field. The rocks hampered the deer and allowed me to get within 20 feet. When the deer decided to leave it went pretty well but knew it had to be very careful.
This is pretty close to where the last grizzly was killed in Colorado.