What's the best time to hunt elk?

[mnbowhunter]

First time elk hunt, just wondering if anyone could give me some input on what is the best time of season for a bowhunt. I'll be hunting in southern colorado, I'm not sure if I should go before the muzzleloader season or wait a week after. Any opinions would be helpful.

[buckbull]

Are you going to try to tackle the San Juans?

[mnbowhunter]

I'm going to try!

[backstraps]

Well the obvious answer is during the Rut. In WY I find the best dates to usually be between Sept. 9th to say Sept. 16 these are usually the magic dates for me, however they are certainly subject to change, ie...weather, moon phase, temps, etc.

The next answer has to be time of day. Make sure you are where you want to be hunting well before light and like wise stay until complete darkness, get a good head lamp. This last few minutes of light has produced some of my best success! Like any big game animals this is when the elk will be most active. Stay on the mountain through out the day and sit water or wallows. More time afield eventually leads to more oppertunity.

Good Luck and Good Hunting

[trkytrack2]

First time elk hunt, just wondering if anyone could give me some input on what is the best time of season for a bowhunt. I'll be hunting in southern colorado, I'm not sure if I should go before the muzzleloader season or wait a week after. Any opinions would be helpful.

Any legal hunting time is the best time. Of course, you can't beat the rut, but you can beat the crowds. Early part of the season can be as good, if not at times better, than the later part. When I lived and bowhunted elk in Colorado, I always tried to shy away from the muzzleloaders mainly because I just felt uncomfortable being in the woods, in camo making elk sounds, knowing that there was someone with a firearm looking for me. But over the years, I've gotten into bulls at one time or another, over the entire archery elk season in Colorado. A lot of it is hit or miss; you can have bulls bugling like crazy one day and the next day, not a peep. Hunt the entire season then you can't go wrong.

[Vanish]

Well the obvious answer is during the Rut. In WY I find the best dates to usually be between Sept. 9th to say Sept. 16 these are usually the magic dates for me, however they are certainly subject to change, ie...weather, moon phase, temps, etc.

If only it was that easy to predicts the dates

I hunted Northern Colorado last year and the rut in my area started on the very last day of the archery season.

At least it was a fun last day!

[Stringmusic]

The evening of Sep 10th. Killed my bull elk the last three years on the date Or that just might be really lucky.