I'm looking to do a do it your self cow elk hunt in colorado next year. Do any of you guys have any recommendations for such a hunt? Thanks for any input.

I'll second the northwest corner of the state. I've hunted area 2 for years for cows. I'm saving points until I can craw a bull tag there. I've got 13 points right now and it will be 14 next year. I kind of figure I've got about 3 years until I can get the bull tag. Huge bulls in area 2!!!!!!!!! But they only issue 28 tags per season for them and demand is high.

I've concentrated on the cws t learn the area really well. I've never gone through the northwest part of Colorado and failed to see elk. Come hunting season, get a mile or so away from the roads and look for some rough canyons and breaks. The elk will be there. You can get topo maps that show the lay of the land pretty well and the BLM maps show where the private and public lands are.

I'd say areas 3, 301, 2, 211, 11 etc.. would all be a good bet. You couldn't really go wrond with any of them.

Mac

Often the best time to hunt cows in NW Colorado is late season (December). By then it has usually snowed enough to move the elk into lower, more open, and more easily accessable country.

I have not hunted Colorado before only in Montana, is it a waste of money to pay some of these outfitters $6oo-$800 for a trespass fee or is there a good enough chance on public gound in the later season? I'm not afraid to pack out a boned elk from a mile but is that the only way to get an animal out of public ground without horses.

There is so much public ground that paying a trespass fee for a cow elk hunt isn't really very smart. While regulations vary, atv's have been limited off road in most of this area. A backpack or a game cart is a sound option without horses. In the late season, a plastic sled works remarkably well in open country.

This was the first year in memory when there was so much snow in NW CO for the late hunt that travel off a plowed road was a real issue for me. Normally there is plenty of access down two-track roads, etc. On the other hand, the deep snow made the hunting quite easy as the elk were concentrated. A D-I-Y hunt on public land for a cow is very feasible.

Bill

In addition to plenty of public land, for late season cows it is sometimes possible to get permission on private land in NW Colorado by just asking.

How is finding lodging in that part of the state?

Shouldn't have any trouble finding a motel room in December in NW Colorado. October might be a different story...

I didn't want to sound like a sissy but sleeping in a tent in December isn't on my top ten list of things to do.

I hunted NW Colorado this last November, Thanksgiving weekend. There was no snow then and the elk had not come down from the high country,we had to look but we did find elk and killed 2 cows, it was the toughest hunt I have ever had down there. Normally I would see 3-4,000 head this time maybe 50..Yes lots of public land but also a lot of private, and it is hard to tell apart, there are some signs.

I have had good success in the area around Maybell in NW Colorado hunting cows in the third season.

The country is fairly open be prepared for 300 yard shots.

The third season, when I hunted there, is cow only, so be prepared to shoot a cow elk that is standing among some TROPHY bulls.

And I mean TROPHY BULLS.

Thanks guys.
Mac,
I'm at 11 points and counting so I'm going to hit the cows the next few years to learn the area.