Jan'04 Hunt

Virtual Elk Hunt

January 7, 2004

Unit 20

Northern Colorado

January 7th

I took a vacation day so I could hit the woods midweek. It’s Wednesday and I ‘m at a new spot in the Roosevelt National Forest just about 10 miles South of where I was on day one. I picked this spot based on several things. First of all CDOW has it marked as a elk winter concentration area on their interactive map. Second, it’s three mile walk before you get into elk country. That weeds out A LOT of other hunters. In fact I had the whole place to myself today. And it was sweet. I also took a look at TerraServer’s map. They have digital photos of the area by satellite and often reveal meadows and roads that topographical maps just don’t show. Just at the top of the gulch lies a big meadow and others nearby. That’s why I’m in the area. Turns out I got it right. The place was perfect. It had a big creek valley which were very lush when I got there.

A good trailhead with plenty of parking and facilities is always nice. I like our National Forests. I like our Wilderness areas better but it takes a lot more effort getting in and out. This trail is open to bikes and horses so I’ll be back with my bike or with my sister and her horses early this spring. Only if the snow is gone by then.

Just when you think you’ll never get to the top of the gulch you’re there. This nice meadow awaits you. First tracks I ran into were coyote tracks. Snow reveals a lot about animal movements in an area. Coyotes are always busy checking for weak or dead elk or deer. This field is also a good place for a coyote to catch mice. The creek was frozen but there was plenty of food available. Easy access for any elk. The snow wasn’t that deep at all. This meadow is narrow but long. The North-facing slope was a perfect bedding area for elk. However, I didn’t see a single track. So I moved on, heading further North and West.

This meadow was huge. It’s at least 500 yards across and had several hidden valleys and connecting meadows. I sat on a fallen tree for a break. As I sat there I noticed some big tracks in the meadow North of me. For a moment things got exciting. Last night was full moon and I bet this meadow was busy. This meadow has it all, aspen, pine, willows, water, and plenty of grasses and plants. It offers great views, easy access and easy escape routes. The elevation here is a bit higher than I wanted to be. It’s around 8,000-8,400 feet but not too high for wintering elk.

I have a cow tag so I was a little disappointed when I saw these tracks were made by two bachelor bulls. I would have loved to see them walking through this meadow though. They bedded in the open for a while after nibbling on some food. Their tracks were huge. And the fact there were only two sets of tracks made me wish I had put in for a bull tag instead of a cow tag. The cows are in much larger groups this time of year. Even though the cows are more plentiful than bulls this unit boasts a 50 to 100 ratio of bulls to cows. There a really good chance you’ll run into a bull in Unit 20. Next year I’ll check for left over late season bull tags in this area. I ran into a LOT of deer tracks in the area. Which reminds me to check on deer tags for this area too. The deer population in Colorado is almost double that of elk.

I ended up putting in almost 9 miles of walking. I was happy to see the truck. I think I found a good bull elk area. I ran into lots of elk tracks but nothing that convinced me a small herd of cow elk were around. Maybe if the weather warms up cows will move back to this area. The cows are generally around 1,000 feet lower than the bulls this time of year. That rule doesn’t always apply but generally it’s true. I’ll look for an area on the map that is just as remote (for this time of year) and at 7,000-7,500 feet. If I can’t find a place with easy access I’m headed back to the big meadow I was at on day one. Despite all the hunters it’s a good area. This was supposed to be an easy hunt given that it’s January and the elk are bunched up. However, with all the plentiful food around the elk are more spread out and have more energy to move from valley to valley. Things could change in a second I tell myself. All I need to do is find an elk herd. I was close today and if I had a bull tag I would have followed those tracks.

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