We also cover strategy and tactics for finding overlooked spots and how he is mixing it up for the 2019 season. We talk about past successes, failures, and what keeps us coming back for more. Check out some of Beau’s podcast content by visiting www.eastmeetswesthunt.com.

Topics Covered In This Podcast Include:

• Beau’s background, where he is from and how he got into hunting
• How he got started chasing elk and how he was able to make it happen
• Initial steps of planning an out of state elk hunt
• How Beau was able to determine which areas to hunt and how he nailed down a state and specific units
• Digital scouting strategies and what he looks for to find overlooked parcels
• Gear preparation and what is needed for backcountry public land hunting
• His weekly routine leading up to his elk hunts in regards to nutrition, physical fitness, and shooting prep
• Making adjustments in the field when things don’t go as planned or when the hunting pressure is heavier than anticipated
• 2019 goals and thoughts about his upcoming ID hunt

I’m drawing a line in the sand and calling it how I see it right now. The 2019 Colorado elk archery season could be the best we’ve seen in a long time. Why, you ask? Let me explain my reasoning. 

There are a number of factors that go into my prediction of a banner elk hunting year for Colorado, some of which are statistically based, some are purely anecdotal, and some are based on what my gut is telling me, even though right now it’s saying I’m hungry. In all aspects of life, from the economy to wild places, everything comes and goes in humps and valleys much like a roller coaster. One year we are up, the next year we are down, and the circle of life continues the way it always has based on the simple principles of supply and demand. 

2018 Was A Down Year For Harvest

Backing it up to the Winter of 2017/2018, Colorado experienced one of the least precipitation snow years that it had seen in a very long time. With the high country barren in the Spring of 2018 due to lack of snow cover, the elk were already off to a bad start as green pastures quickly turned to brown. By the summer of 2018, the majority of the state was plagued by severe drought conditions and ravaged by wildfires, so when archery elk season rolled around in late August, much of the habitat and food sources were simply burned, dried up, and spit out. Because of this weather-related trend, it caused a shift in patterns related to food and water in order for elk to survive tough conditions. This meant that areas of the high country where elk were normally found in abundance, looked like ghost towns and deserted areas without an animal to be seen for miles. Did the elk just drop off the face of the Earth and disappear into the abyss? No, they simply moved to greener pastures, which were mostly concentrated around private irrigated farmland. 

Due to this shift, the 2018 elk harvest estimates published by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife were down quite significantly as compared to the 2017 harvest results the year prior. Not every unit declined, some remained the same but the three units I spent the majority of time hunting in last year showed a harvest rate that was down a combined 32% on average during archery season. That’s a pretty damn significant drop when you consider the average success rates for bowhunting elk hovers around 10%. I have a feeling there will be a higher number of timber horses running around the mountains this fall for all of us to put an arrow through, which means more opportunities and chances to join the 10% club. 

Above Average 2019 Winter Snow Precipitation

Just like the other side of a teeter-totter, the weather did a 180 from the winter prior where barren peaks were now covered to the top of the trees in snow. Why is this significant? Even at the beginning of July 2019, there is snow in those high alpine meadows above 10,000 feet, which means the elk have yet to devour all of the fresh grasses that will be soon be emerging from the ground. During this time last year, the grass in the high country was burnt to a crisp and by mid-July, all of the elk had vacated their usual stomping grounds. 

In addition to providing a more prolonged summer green-up of protein packed grasses, the well above average snowpack guarantees that there will be plenty of runoff to fill up every mountain stream and water hole in the high country. Elk need a ton of water to sustain healthy growth and this year they have plenty of it. 

Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away

Coinciding with a heavy winter that has left the high country covered in fluffy white powder still to this day, good amounts of rainfall have us off to a much better start than we were in 2018. By this time the year prior, fire season was in full swing with millions of acres of BLM and National Forest being burned the ground, but with destruction comes rejuvenation and growth. Every single burn area from last summer is now getting pummeled with rain, which means they will be prime food and habitat for elk this Fall and in the coming years. 

Green grasses in the high country will be plentiful and my fingers are crossed that consistent precipitation will continue throughout the remainder of the summer. The entire mountain west needs it and so does the wildlife.

Bonus Antler Growth and Healthy Fawns

As a byproduct of more precipitation and an abundance of food, antler growth and calf development will benefit. At the beginning of May, I was seeing bulls sporting big branch antlers and healthy muscle composition, which leads me to believe growth is off to a great start. I’ve also been seeing calves that look large and healthy for this time period, which will benefit future generations of elk for overall health and reproduction. I know most of us aren’t in it for the trophy experience, but who doesn’t like big bulls with big antlers? In my opinion, it’s icing on the cake!

Mother Nature DGAF

Let’s be honest for one-second here; Mother Nature doesn’t listen to anyone and she makes her own rules. Western Colorado might not receive another drop of rain for the remainder of the year (I hope I didn’t jinx it) and we could once again be presented with a dry hot summer. You just never really know, but how things stand currently, we are off to a wonderful start and the stars are aligning to be a great year for archery elk hunting in Colorado. 

With this in mind, hopefully, you have a bit of extra motivation during your preparation for elk season. Keep shooting that bow, keep breaking in your gear, and stay consistent with your workouts so you won’t miss a single day on the mountain this fall. Hold on tight and buckle your seat belts because it’s about to get crazy. Until then I’ll ask, is it September yet?

David shares what he has learned over the years and how he initially got started with backcountry public land archery hunting where he shares his gear tips, finding elk mentors, and some of the strategy he uses to have success on pressured elk.

Topics Covered In This Episode Include:

• David’s recent scouting missions to the Gila National Wilderness Area and checking cameras
• Discussing the drought across the West and how it is going to affect the concentration of elk in 2018
• His background of growing up in Ohio and moving to New Mexico in his twenties where he got started with hunting with a rifle
• A scary situation on his last rifle hunt in New Mexico and how that got him into bowhunting for elk in 2008
• Using forums like RokSlide and Archery Talk to meet new people and to shorten the learning curve on Western hunting
• The trend of backcountry bowhunting and the many different styles that one can get into based on the experience you are looking to have
• Making sure you have the right gear for the backcountry and more importantly for when getting an animal on the ground
• How David was able to find an elk hunting “mentor” and how that really helped with purchasing the right gear
• The initial struggles of hunting in the backcountry for elk
• What David looks for on a map to find the “ideal” elk habitat while digital scouting and other resources he uses to find elk
• The ideal location and strategy when setting up a camp in elk country
• What David does to find the overlooked spots and the best ambush areas for elk
• Running and gunning when the elk aren’t talking and things are slow
• Recounting one of David’s dicey bear encounters in the backcountry and the details of a nerve-wracking moment
• Hunting in the same country as predators and how David mitigates the encounters with bears, mountain lions, and wolves in camp
• Using technology and GPS like onXmaps to navigate public land areas
• Recapping some of David’s most memorable hunts and the story of how he was able to kill his first herd bull

DIY public land archery elk hunting in Colorado is not only tough, it’s downright grueling. The terrain is vast, the elk are elusive, and the shot opportunities are few and far between. 2017 was a season that I’ll never forget and was filled with many heart-pounding encounters that every hunter longs for.

Here are the details and recounts of early archery season where I had two memorable days in elk country during the first half of September.

September 7th

The alarm strikes 4am and I awake from my cozy cocoon, not wanting to leave the warmth of my bed sheets behind, I struggle to get moving. For anyone who knows me, I’m certainly not a morning person but when it comes to hunting, I will force myself awake far before sunrise at the opportunity of a good day in the woods. After loading up the truck, I leave my buddy Sam’s place around 4:30am and make the hour drive up the mountain to the parking spot at the end of the road.

Upon leaving the truck, I traverse through the fallen trees for what I know will be an hour hike and arrive at my destination around 6:30am. The spot is located in dark timber approximately 3/4 of the way up the mountain and is in close proximity to bedding and feed. I let the area calm down and the forest comes to life as the sun brings light to a new day.

At 7am I begin to side-hill towards the drainage that I saw elk in a few days prior with hopes of getting a bead on an animal in the open network of meadows along the creek. Not five minutes into my slow approach, a bugle erupts above me and echoes the through the mountain approximately 500 yards away. September is here!

In under an hour, I’ve covered enough ground and have made it to the ravine where I can get a look into the high meadow above me, where I suspect the bugle came from. I take a seat, rip a bugle up the mountain and immediately catch movement in the upper meadow. Two bulls (a small 4×5 and a 6×6) emerge from a small stand of spruce trees. While attempting to reel them down the draw with a sequence of cow calls and bugles, I hear a loud crack in front of me and a cow pops out of the forest into the open at 75 yards. After 20 minutes of feeding, she had her fill and moved off on the opposite side of the ravine, vanishing like a ghost.

A network of high mountain meadows lead up to tree line where elk spend the majority of time during early archery season.

By this time it’s 9:30am and I know the thermals will switch directions (heading back up the mountain) at moments notice so I plan to execute a stalk on the bigger bull. I leave my pack behind and make slow calculated movements up the ravine, covering the first couple hundred yards within a few minutes. The last 200 yards are slow, as he is now somewhat facing me, and I move only when his head is buried in the lush grass. As I make my approach within 100 yards, he moves off into the dark timber with the other bull so I crawl up out of the creek bank to position myself on the edge, hoping for a shot amongst the jungle of spruce trees. I watch as they move through the timber and disappear over the hill, completely negligent to my calls. Damn!

With it nearing 11am, I elect to sit tight for 30 minutes because I have a hunch they won’t go too far before they bed down for the day. After what feels like hours, I slowly head in the direction of the bulls, peering around every tree with each step and I crest the hill to see an ear flickering on the flat bench below. It’s the 6×6 and he’s bedded only 40 yards away!

At this point, everything is perfect but the problem is that I don’t have a clear shot at the vitals and there is no background noise to cover my steps, so I attempt to inch my way to the left for an open lane. But after crunching leaves and sticks, I feel like I’m stuck so I prepare to wait him out until he gets up to feed. 30 minutes pass and I can feel the wind start to swirl and I get a bad feeling that they will catch my scent and bolt. Within a few minutes, the other 4×5 bull (that I couldn’t see) stands from his bed and I can tell from his body language he is alert with the intention to run. The other bull stands but I still don’t have a shot. By now pure chaos is ensuing inside my head. In a moments notice, they bolt from their beds and disappear into the distance as they crash over downed logs. Needless to say, the hunt ended with no shots fired.

WATCH THE RECAP VIDEO HERE

September 9th

Saturday morning finds me in a similar situation to Thursday but I head to opposite end of the mountain range with the hopes of getting into un-pressured elk. Again, I aim to slowly work towards a network of meadows in the immediate area with my hopes high because of the cooler weather. Just before first light, I bump something from its bed and I can tell from crashing sticks and deep hoof thumps that it is probably a bull. With so much sign surrounding me, I sit tight for 20-30 minutes but nothing shows.

An hour after first light, I begin to work through the area and with every step, I’m cow calling in an attempt to reel an elk into my setup. As I make my way into the second meadow, I see yellow spots on the opposite hillside and pull up my binoculars to reveal two cows and a calf feeding in the open. Even though they are way off in the distance, it feels good to lay eyes on some animals.

I keep working my way up the mountain and the elk sign gets better and better as I meander through a mix of young growth spruce, scattered throughout lush grassy meadows. It is really the perfect blend of food and cover so I remain on high alert with each step. I check a known wallow in the area and it’s destroyed with mud and grass littering the edges like a recent tornado touched down just hours before.

Wallows make great ambush spots for those who are willing to wait it out.

The latter of the morning is rather uneventful, with zero sightings and bugles so I head higher in an effort to explore more of the area that has been untapped by me in years past. By noon, I’m at the top of the world (at least I feel that way) at 12,150ft, where only the grass grows and a sheep hunters roam. The elk sign is decent at this elevation so I let off a few bugles to see if I can get something to answer below but to no avail. I hang out for another 30 minutes, soaking in the views of elk country before heading back down the mountain.

The remainder of the early afternoon is spent slowly working my way through dark timber with the hopes of locating elk with a cow call and slow miles on foot. My efforts prove to be fruitless and as the clock approaches 3pm, I decide it’s time to take a snooze overlooking the meadows I worked through in the morning. An afternoon nap on the side of the mountain feels good and it recharges the batteries for the rest of the day.

Around 4 o’clock, I awake from my slumber with raindrops falling on my face and faint cow mews in the distance. Am I really hearing what I think I’m hearing? I raise my binoculars to confirm my initial thoughts; a group of cows feeding in the meadow 400 yards below. I immediately gather my pack and begin sneaking down the mountain to close the gap with the intent to shoot a nice fat cow. Within five minutes, I’ve closed the distance to 25 yards of a cow and prepare myself for a shot, but as I ready myself, I catch movement across the meadow. I can’t believe my eyes but it’s a 6×6 herd bull feeding mere 70 yards away. I ponder the idea of backing up and sneaking over to kill him while he feeds but I elect to wait it out, knowing that he will join his herd of eight cows at any moment.

The yellow dot in the opening is the 6×6 herd bull feeding by himself. The cows are out of sight to the left, as I sit perched above the meadow on a rock cliff.

Although my heart is racing, I remain calm while listening to the cows mew back and forth to each other, while keeping close tabs on the bull. It sounds crazy but I feel as though I’m a part of the herd, which is a really cool experience. After 10 minutes of just watching and listening, the bull picks his head up and begins walking my way towards his harem. In a matter of seconds, he’s within 50 yards rounding up his cows. I move into position and range him at 48 yards, only to get busted by the lead cow. Shit! I quickly dial my bow to 50 as he takes a few more steps and I feel it’s only a matter of seconds before they all bolt for cover. Complete chaos inside my head ensues once again. The bull is stopped, I draw my bow and quickly release the arrow, only to watch it sail over his back and crash land behind him. Within seconds, the area is cleared and I’m left with a feeling of disbelief, anger, and a little bit sadness running through my body. A missed opportunity, but one of the most memorable experiences of my short elk hunting career thus far.

As a hunter, I dream of that moment all year and when I blow a chance at a great public land bull on an OTC tag, it’s a tough pill to swallow but hey, that’s why they call it hunting, not killing. The reality of Elk hunting consists of missed shots and blown opportunities, but I’m thankful for a clean miss rather than a wound on the big bull. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it sure won’t be the last.

Continue on with, 2017 Colorado Archery Elk Season – Part 2!

By Adam Parr

I’ve been waiting for this day the entire year and finally, I am at elk camp in Southwest Colorado! It’s a beautiful day. The sky is blue, the clouds are white, the air is fresh, the leaves are changing, and there’s no other place I’d rather be.

I arrive at the cabin late in the afternoon and immediately get to work unloading supplies and organizing gear for the upcoming hunt. After I settle in and my gear is somewhat organized, I grab my bow and take a few practice shots down range but right off the bat I can tell I’m not sighted in. The weekend prior, the cam broke on my new hunting bow so I am now using my back up Hoyt Avenger for the week hunt. Due to the timing of my bow breaking, I was not able to get it fixed before the trip so I tried to get my back-up bow sighted in before hand but I obviously didn’t accomplish that prior to my arrival.

Sighting in my bow upon arrival at elk camp in SW Colorado.

After 20 minutes of practice, I finally have some confidence in my shooting abilities and am starting to put together decent groups out to 40 yards. The rest of the evening was filled with hunting stories, good friends, and the anticipation of the morning hunt. It was great to have my buddies Dustin, Abdullah, and Thad at hunting camp with me!

Day 1

If a tornado was to ever make landfall in the mountains of Colorado, I could have sworn that one did the first morning of our hunt. The gale force winds had the mature aspens and spruce trees looking like flailing toothpicks in the morning sun so we held tight at the cabin until things calmed down. Thankfully, at 6:30am we emerged from the walls of safety and we were able to make our way slowly through the north-facing dark timber. Our strategy for the first morning was to get further up the mountain so that we could glass the surrounding drainages on either side of the ridge we hiked in on. After a few hours of slow travel, we had made it close to 12,000ft in elevation. We picked a spot to set up and glass for but by this time in the morning the sun was starting warm the mountain so elk sightings were obsolete. After 45 minutes of glassing, we had yet to see a single elk but we were able to get a birds-eye view of the areas below which revealed grassy meadows. Time to get moving.

By noon we found ourselves in the drainage below after a steep descent over loose stones and sharp rocks. We stopped and had lunch next to a clear mountain stream as the beautiful landscape engulfed our surroundings. The game plan for the rest of the day was to still-hunt through fingered timber draws that lead to the avalanche meadows that we spotted hours earlier. Before we head out, Thad spots movement above tree-line but after a quick glance, we determine they are black bears in search of their next meal. Still pretty cool to see!

Dustin, Thad, Abdullah and yours truly resting up for the rest of the days hunt.

As we approach the meadows, the amount of elk sign increases ten-fold with beds, rubs, tracks, and the pungent smell of a barnyard; Now we are in elk country! Unfortunately, we hiked and hunted the remainder of the day with not a single elk sighting or bugle from the Colorado mountains but we now had a plan for hunting in the morning! As the sun sets, we hike back to camp and tell hunting stories next to the fire as the cool mountain air fills the night as we retire to our beds.

Day 2

Come Tuesday morning, it was just Thad and I setting off into the darkness; Dustin and Abdullah, unfortunately, had to head back home. Although there is no “easy” way of travel in elk country, we determined the best way to access the remote area was to utilize the creek bed for its direct, yet rugged path. I’ll take rocks and water over logs and thick brush any day! After 30 minutes of slow going, we dropped down to the creek and headed South towards avalanche meadow. The brightness of our flashlights start to dim as we traverse the rocky river bottom. I start to rush my pace because I know we are late to the elk party and instead of slowly stepping off the log in front of me, I take a leap of faith and in an instant, I rolled my ankle on the rocks below.

Thad and I stop to take a break and assess the status of my foot and we determine it’s a sprain but nothing is broke. The pain is excruciating but it’s the second day of elk hunting and I’m not backing out now. Thad digs out a bottle of pain-killers and I down 5 to take the edge off. Although I know I should turn back and head for the cabin, I insist we press on. After another 45 minutes of slow going over the rocky creek bed, we arrive to our hunting area with hopes of bugling bulls in the nearby meadows.

Utilizing a stream for access to remote elk hunting spots makes the journey a little easier, except when you roll an ankle!

Despite my ankle injury, hopes were high of locating elk due to the amount of sign that we located the previous day. With the clouds above getting darker, the rain moves in and the wind picks up. This should get elk talking! As we slowly make our way towards the meadow, a faint bugle carries through the trees and catches our ear. Alas, we heading in the right direction. As the morning rolls on, the sun starts to shine and by noon, we are at the top of the avalanche chute with zero elk sightings. After a short lunch, we both kick the boots off and enjoy a nap to recover but the pain shooting from my ankle doesn’t allow me to get comfortable. At 2pm I decided I’ve limped around the mountains enough for one day so Thad and I part ways. I leave him with a bugle and a water filter and I depart the hunting area and begin the two-hour trek towards the cabin.

The walk back is slow going and painful but luckily I was able to follow a decent game trail which made it slightly easier on my ankle. After two hours of hiking through the pain, I reached the river and set down my pack only to realize my quiver is missing from my bow. Damn! Part of me wants to go back up the steep draw to look for my $150 loss but the pain in my lower leg does not allow me to do so. At this point, I am still another 45 minutes away from camp and the entire route requires steep travel through nasty downfall timber. It’s a bear of a climb but after what seems like an eternity, I wander into camp and ice my leg for the remaining hours of the day. Thad makes it back to the cabin at 9pm and unfortunately, he did not see any elk despite many hours of hunting. We retire the night with a hot meal and confusion as to why we have not yet seen an elk. Tomorrow, I hope for the best but to be honest, my morale is low.

CLICK HERE TO READ PART 3