Colorado Elk Hunt

I am planing my first Elk Hunt and have many questions. The first question I have is it possible to draw your first year for the 1st season rifle in a good area? What areas are good? Also we are looking to not spend more that 3000 on the trip is it possible to get a guide for this price range. Does anyone have suggestions of where to stay for this trip motel ect. Any info can can provide on a guide service would be big help. Also bould it be better to get a pref point this year then hunt next year? How do you get a pref point and how much do they cost? I am from PA so will be applying for an out of state lic. If drawn and you do not want to go do you have to buy the license. Thanks I know its alot of question but you guys have a lot of good people on this site and I am sure you can help me. Steve Green
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Lets start with the guide, if you can find one for $3000.00 he wont be worth having, a good guide will cost you $4000 plus. to find good areas go on the Colorado web page and check the stats to see what units are best. for some units i am pretty sure you could draw your first year, to apply just for a pref point they have a special code to apply just for the pref points you can find it in the big game rule book, when you apply just for a pref point you have to send the full amount of the licence (it is about $520.00 )in and then they will refund it all except about $28.00 for there service fee. if you go with a guide be sure to check his references, hunter who got elk and the ones that didn't to.

I go out west for 2 weeks every fall, and i do DIY hunts, it is a lot cheaper less then $1500.00 per hunter and that will include everything.
not sure if i answered all your questions, if you have more just ask.

Kevin
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ABert
Keep in mind that about half of the state is OTC for bull elk tags, thus no pp's required. And, yes, there have been some pretty decent bulls pulled out of the OTC units.

Best bet is to research every resource you can find, put in for the unit of your choice. If you don't draw you'll get a point towards next year but you can still come out, buy an OTC tag and get some experience.

If you really have no clue as to how or where to hunt elk, hiring a guide is not that bad of a thing to do. You'll be spending a bit of money either way and having a guide can help you in many ways in the coming years.
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First off your transportation and a tag will cost you $1000.00 each. If you'll be hunting in a good spot you will probably be in a tent or camp not a motel. Look at the statistics on the Colorado DOW website. It tells the draw probability and success of the unit. You will draw a tag then wait to see how the weather plays out. Last year it was so hot and dry towards the end of summer in some spots the elk moved to private land for water. This year it may snow you in. As for the draw for 1st season you may find it easy to draw some areas as a non-resident because the allocated number is higher than the applicants for the draw. Then the leftover amount goes back to the residents. You've got lots of time to study the numbers. It's high and rugged so get into shape too.
Mark
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If you really want to do a guided hunt, i would consider Wyoming. and a guide that i would talk to is Wyoming country outfitters. Jimmy is a real good guy. if you want to PM me your address i will have him send you a DVD and brochures.

Kevin
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Lots of great advice here. If you plan on coming back go for the pref point. Then buy the OTC. Lots of good units. The DOW web page has excellent maps for may of the units check them out. Sent you a pm. Good luck!
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Green1320 I'm also from Pa. and my cousin and I are going to go this year.(2010) We hunted with a guide in Crawford in 1993 and had a great time.We shot a bear,elk and mule deer all for $2,000!Now we started putting in for points but would like to go out in either gmu54 or gmu 55 and do a self guided hunt.We want to go back in several miles and pitch a tent.We are in our mid 40's and figure its now or never to try something like this.If there is anybody out there that rents horses or llamas(I hear that make great pack animals)please let us know.That would help us to get even further back.We plan on arriving 3 days before the season starts to get a good distance back in.Thanks in advance
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"lovetohunt" wrote:Green1320 I'm also from Pa. and my cousin and I are going to go this year.(2010) We hunted with a guide in Crawford in 1993 and had a great time.We shot a bear,elk and mule deer all for $2,000!Now we started putting in for points but would like to go out in either gmu54 or gmu 55 and do a self guided hunt.We want to go back in several miles and pitch a tent.We are in our mid 40's and figure its now or never to try something like this.If there is anybody out there that rents horses or llamas(I hear that make great pack animals)please let us know.That would help us to get even further back.We plan on arriving 3 days before the season starts to get a good distance back in.Thanks in advance
 Going further in may sound like a great idea but it's more about location than anything else. One of the biggest bulls I shot was about a mile from the county road. But pack animals will make getting your elk out much easier. When you go to your camping area (and while you are there) be stealthy about it so you just don't drive the animals ahead of you.
Mark
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Thanks for the advice Gardner.We found a guide willing to take us back with horses.We are going to camp that night and walk back further the next day.We will than camp and scout the next day.The guide said we may not have to go back that far if there is snow on.We are going the 3rd rifle season.I just want to get back far anough so I'm not seeing other hunters all day long.Here in Pa. the Mts. are a 1/4 of the size so there always is orange in sight.I like the last week back here because of less orange.
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