Elk In Deer Country

Elk in Deer Country

As we walked through scrub oak, sage and deep valleys the elk sign grew stronger. The only trees that dotted the landscape were on the Northern slopes. In there we found pine trees scraped, beds, and wide game trails. Elk scat could be found everywhere. But this was deer country? Why in the world would elk be down that low?

Don’t pass up the chance to hike down lower and learn a thing or two about elk. It was December and we were deer hunting but the deer weren’t the only wildlife in the area. It seems elk migrated down into this area tens of miles from their summer and autumn ranges. It’s the last place I would have located on a map or stopped at on the way up to elk country. Elk are where you find them and nowhere else. Though we didn’t see any elk we had plenty of sign telling us they were here. Maybe not in December but they were here. According to the shed antlers we found they were there about a year ago in the spring. Last year (2001) was a mild winter in Colorado. Very little snow fell but it was cold and plants had dried up early. These elk found a nice road less, private area to spend the remaining days of winter. Steep hills, small seeps, cool forests, green grasses under the scrub oak. The habitat was there and so were the elk. Only for a season though. Only during the spring where winter ends earlier. Just in time to find green grasses peaking up through the soil to grow above ground once again.

We found 3 elk antler sheds, two mule deer antlers all within 1 mile of each other. Check out these 5 and 4pt elk antlers. It appears this is a set (5x4) because they are different sides. However, the 4pt antler is massive, thick from bottom to top. Signs of a nice bull. He’s grown a thick antler with long tines. As long as he survives and finds quality food he’s going to be more impressive every year. The 5pt antler was also impressive. For some reason the bez tine was missing. It didn’t grow on either antler (see the “Just Big Racks” article on this site). The antlers proved there were elk in the area and they were pretty impressive young bulls. You can bet we’ll be back there in April looking for abnormally shaped sticks.

My point is – seek out elk habitat and you will find elk. Don’t spend all summer hiking up high only to be disappointed come fall when the bull elk have begun gathering their harem of cows. In fact, you could spend all summer looking for cow elk knowing by September the bulls will seek out the cows for breeding. Sure it’s a lot of fun hiking and looking for elk all summer. But your adventure could be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Bulls are solitary animals in the summer and Colorado has more land than we could hike in a lifetime. Concentrate your efforts to prime cow elk habitat. Mark it on your GPS and maps. Then pull up a chair and enjoy the show during September and October. If you’ve done your homework the elk will be there. Elk won’t move too far during the rut. They are too busy thinking about breeding. This is to your advantage. The bulls are thinking mostly about cows and not too much about safety. If you spook the elk they will most likely relocate (miles away) so be especially careful not to get discovered.

Notice the deep valleys and steep slopes in this photo. The hills were so steep you couldn’t see to the bottom from on top. The trees were thick and cool located on Northern slopes only. This brings me to another point. Every time I’ve seen elk (or deer) they’ve been on North or Western slopes like 80% of the time. These areas are cooler, wetter and provide adequate cover. I have seen elk on Eastern slopes traveling to a mountaintop or thick stand of trees, eventually finding them on a North-facing slope. Southern slopes are popular destinations for heat in winter and also for food. Southern slopes are drier but some plants thrive in that environment. Those plants may appeal to elk during certain seasons. The area in this photo appealed to elk in the spring because of the new grasses and plants resurfacing from their underground hibernation. The area also provides escape routes and cover. They can see and hear intruders approaching from great distances.

Don’t pass up good deer country for elk country. That may be one of the best-kept secrets to locating elk during certain seasons. Also, cut down your search time by concentrating your efforts to Northern and Western slopes.