So if I'm lucky enough to draw this tag this yr...should I hunt the first 10 days of Sept or the last 10 days of season...
Unit 61 archary elk in co
- Thread starter COhunter
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JimP
Administrator
I'd go for the last 10.
I was in the unit on a muzzle loader hunt in 2014 and the bulls were just getting wound up and a lot of them that we saw didn't have any cows with them. Even the bull that I shot didn't have any cows actually with him but was chasing one through a meadow.
I was in the unit on a muzzle loader hunt in 2014 and the bulls were just getting wound up and a lot of them that we saw didn't have any cows with them. Even the bull that I shot didn't have any cows actually with him but was chasing one through a meadow.
Bonecollector
Veteran member
Slugz
Veteran member
So for perspective.....if you are going in for horns.....which I would suspect.
I personally like the front end. Peak estrus as defined as the most cows in heat at one time is roughly the 22nd of Sept every year. That means they are in heat and being bred. The big boys already have their women in a deep dark nasty hole by the middle of the muzzleloader week. For the most part the bulls that are searching for girls late in September are small bulls that couldn't make the cut earlier, big boys that came down from up high late or bulls already looking for second estrus early cows.
The below is what I've seen the past 5 years in Colorado during archery/muzzleloader in the GMU I hunt. Every year its been with in a day or 4 of happening this way.
27th Aug archery opener till 1 Sep Elk are very patternable and feeding heavy. I call very little and get ahead of them. Cows are in groups of 15-25 with satellite bulls/spikes mixed in. The larger herd bulls are " shadowing" up higher. Im convinced they are watching the cows down below them from about 1500' altitude difference. When I do call its only cow calls and most if not all bulls come in silent as I think they are still very aggressive in the searching phase.
2 Sep till Muzzleloader open roughly the 10th-13th Sep. The herd bulls start to come down and cut animals away 6-10 cows at a time. Bugling picks up depending on the weather and hunter pressure. Right about the start of muzzleloader I begin to find the big boyz with their small groups of cows hiding in the nasty stuff. I think its because a few cows are a couple days from coming in heat and they know that is the prelude for the bulk of them coming into heat the 22nd/fall equinox.
During the muzzleloader hunt the bugling all depends on the weather. Cold front comes through, rain, crummy weather and the bugling can be nuts. I think its because that's the first weather front and all the bulls that don't have their ladies are like " ah heck winter is coming" . Usually lots of animals covering a lot of ground.
Post muzzleloader end /22nd Sept. I believe that same cycle repeats until the second estrus cows and unbred cows come back into heat again in early Oct. Only difference now is hunter pressure to contend with.
I like early Sept for the following reasons.
1. Animals are patternable and I think come to cow calls easier.
2. No hunting pressure. Im hunting before the first muzzleloader shots and the first human in that year.
3. Big boys are predictable.
Now all that being said, that's all from my log books in one GMU in NW Colorado. I'm comfortable with my GMU and know where they go. Just providing info for perspective.
I personally like the front end. Peak estrus as defined as the most cows in heat at one time is roughly the 22nd of Sept every year. That means they are in heat and being bred. The big boys already have their women in a deep dark nasty hole by the middle of the muzzleloader week. For the most part the bulls that are searching for girls late in September are small bulls that couldn't make the cut earlier, big boys that came down from up high late or bulls already looking for second estrus early cows.
The below is what I've seen the past 5 years in Colorado during archery/muzzleloader in the GMU I hunt. Every year its been with in a day or 4 of happening this way.
27th Aug archery opener till 1 Sep Elk are very patternable and feeding heavy. I call very little and get ahead of them. Cows are in groups of 15-25 with satellite bulls/spikes mixed in. The larger herd bulls are " shadowing" up higher. Im convinced they are watching the cows down below them from about 1500' altitude difference. When I do call its only cow calls and most if not all bulls come in silent as I think they are still very aggressive in the searching phase.
2 Sep till Muzzleloader open roughly the 10th-13th Sep. The herd bulls start to come down and cut animals away 6-10 cows at a time. Bugling picks up depending on the weather and hunter pressure. Right about the start of muzzleloader I begin to find the big boyz with their small groups of cows hiding in the nasty stuff. I think its because a few cows are a couple days from coming in heat and they know that is the prelude for the bulk of them coming into heat the 22nd/fall equinox.
During the muzzleloader hunt the bugling all depends on the weather. Cold front comes through, rain, crummy weather and the bugling can be nuts. I think its because that's the first weather front and all the bulls that don't have their ladies are like " ah heck winter is coming" . Usually lots of animals covering a lot of ground.
Post muzzleloader end /22nd Sept. I believe that same cycle repeats until the second estrus cows and unbred cows come back into heat again in early Oct. Only difference now is hunter pressure to contend with.
I like early Sept for the following reasons.
1. Animals are patternable and I think come to cow calls easier.
2. No hunting pressure. Im hunting before the first muzzleloader shots and the first human in that year.
3. Big boys are predictable.
Now all that being said, that's all from my log books in one GMU in NW Colorado. I'm comfortable with my GMU and know where they go. Just providing info for perspective.
ILbowhunter17
New Member
- Dec 23, 2012
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CoHiCntry
Veteran member
Me too! They should end the Archery season after three weeks, then have a two week muzzleloader season. Offer up some OTC either sex muzzy tags too in the same units that are OTC Archery.
Back to the OP though... I think if I was pressed I'd go the second half. You should just hunt the whole season so you don't have to pick.
bsoliday
New Member
I drew this tag in 2010 (See EBJ 68 for the story). I hunted the beginning of the season and was in talking bulls almost every day. They started to get really hot-heavy around the 15th (that year). I would figure out how to spend as much time as possible in the unit prior to and during the season. I scouted 25 days and ended up hunting 17. I saw 76 6x6's and drew/anchored on 12 of them before hitting the release on the one I really wanted. Enjoy.
Well I did end up drawing the tag...and have decided to hunt the 15-25....my buddy drew the muzz elk tag so we should have a good idea where a few are running around...and we have 3 bear tags also! Should be a fun hunt in 61 this yr!
JimP
Administrator
Sounds like what myself and a friend did back in 2014. I had the ML tag and he had a archery tag.
I shot my bull on the opening evening and we spent the next day packing it out. And since there was still daylight he went back to hunting and shot a nice 6x6 that night. I didn't get the experience helping him pack his out since he ran into a outfitter after he arrowed his bull and paid to get it back to the road.
I shot my bull on the opening evening and we spent the next day packing it out. And since there was still daylight he went back to hunting and shot a nice 6x6 that night. I didn't get the experience helping him pack his out since he ran into a outfitter after he arrowed his bull and paid to get it back to the road.
cmbbulldog
Active Member
- Jul 18, 2011
- 264
- 21
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
You should do fine. I had numerous bulls inside archery range on my 2014 muzzy hunt in 61.