Hello everyone. I have found myself in quite the pickle. I have been applying for a muzzle loader elk hunt in Colorado for 5 years. I am 26 years old and have only been elk hunting one time when I was 20. That hunt was a HUGE learning experience. We went to unit 15 and had zero luck getting on elk. We also froze our tails off in a camping tent not made for the brisk mountain mornings. Anyways, now that I have 5 PP I am beginning to question if the muzzle loader elk hunt is really what I want to go on. I am an avid bow hunter. I also enjoy rifle hunting. The season doesn't matter to me much beings that next year will be my year off waiting for my mule deer tag again. I really like the thought of hunting while the bulls are being vocal just for the experience. What has been the absolute funnest and most enjoyable elk hunt you have ever been a part of? What would you do in my shoes? Thanks for sharing!
Tell me about your best hunt
- Thread starter TN911
- Start date
JimP
Administrator
I've never had a bad elk hunt and they all have been fun, that is until you have to strap the packs on with 100+ pounds of meat on them to get it out.
I have used archery, muzzle loader, rifles, and pistols to shoot them and all have been fun. From the stalk to get close to the waiting for them to step out for a longer shot.
If I was you I would start getting a OTC tag as you are building points and hunt the elk in the unit that you want or are thinking about hunting them during the muzzle loader hunt. That way you can learn their habits and see what it takes to find them.
You don't say what unit you have been putting in for but with 5 points you should be able to draw a lot of units for the muzzle loader and then there are the others that you'll have another 20 years to wait.
I have used archery, muzzle loader, rifles, and pistols to shoot them and all have been fun. From the stalk to get close to the waiting for them to step out for a longer shot.
If I was you I would start getting a OTC tag as you are building points and hunt the elk in the unit that you want or are thinking about hunting them during the muzzle loader hunt. That way you can learn their habits and see what it takes to find them.
You don't say what unit you have been putting in for but with 5 points you should be able to draw a lot of units for the muzzle loader and then there are the others that you'll have another 20 years to wait.
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
- 3,919
- 3,238
IMO, Dont burn your points muzzleloader hunting a unit that people can OTC archery hunt in.
Thats the best advice I can give you...take it or leave it.
Others may disagree. Thats fine too.
If your going to be competing against OTC archery crowds dont waste your points doing it with a muzzle-loader. Hunt with your bow and save your points for a limited entry unit with either your bow or the muzzleloader. I burned WAAAAAAY too many points in 2016 only to see limited elk numbers and lots of OTC archery hunters.
If you waited until you had 8 points you MIGHT be able to get into some units that will avoid the OTC archery crowd.
A quick search will show you these units.
I'm back at 2 points now. Glad to be ahead of the bubble.
Thats the best advice I can give you...take it or leave it.
Others may disagree. Thats fine too.
If your going to be competing against OTC archery crowds dont waste your points doing it with a muzzle-loader. Hunt with your bow and save your points for a limited entry unit with either your bow or the muzzleloader. I burned WAAAAAAY too many points in 2016 only to see limited elk numbers and lots of OTC archery hunters.
If you waited until you had 8 points you MIGHT be able to get into some units that will avoid the OTC archery crowd.
A quick search will show you these units.
I'm back at 2 points now. Glad to be ahead of the bubble.
Catahoula12
Very Active Member
In your shoes, I would archery hunt elk first (in a draw unit), then rifle second. I would also consider doing OTC archery while building points. Experience would be a plus... As far as muzzleloader goes... I wouldn’t.. best to you in your future elk hunts!!
missjordan
Veteran member
If you want a vocal hunt then I?d do archery and keep saving your bonus points for a different hunt. Another option too is to look at a different states and expand your horizons.
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CODAK
Active Member
Never take a year off. Decide which area you want to hunt, and hunt cows in that area. Most of them are list B and don't require points. I second not wasting points to muzzy hunt a OTC unit.. however, a muzzy draw unit is almost cheating for killing any bull. It's literally bringing a gun to a knife fight. Some of the best hunts I have experienced have been OTC while I wait for my draw every few years. We time it out so someone is always hunting the draw unit, while others tackle OTC. I don't remember a year where we haven't packed out at least one bull. The best experiences are generally from hard work and boots on the ground. It may take 3-4 years to get it figured out, but by then you will have the experience to go into a draw unit with that much more knowledge. Just always blows my mind that it's almost two different species of elk hunting OTC vs Draw..
Thanks for all the advice. The unit I have been trying to draw is unit 77. This is the first year I actually have spend a ton of time looking at draw results and success rates on CPWD. The bull success rate for the hunt I was drawing for is 10%. Terrible for wasting 5 points in my opinion. Can someone tell me if a non res can pull a first rifle tag? I thought not but diyhuntingmaps.com has led me to believe I could pull this tag. Maybe I am way off on that because I am pretty sure that tag isn't available to non residents. Anyways, if that tag was available I think that hunting unit 501 1st rifle would be amazing. 52% success on a 3 point draw! Looks like my next best option maybe to just go on a cow hunt with a bow and learn the animal better next season.
Well after more digging I found out the reasoning for the high success rate of that unit, Low tag #s due to low elk #s. So what looked so good at first is no longer so appealing. I also found out that non res can hunt the 1st season rifle. So still looking for opinions if anyone is looking to share some knowledge. Thank you to everyone who has.