Questions and Answers for our Elk Hunts by Doug Frank, Reg. Colorado Guide & Outfitter 1. What are the best season times for an Archery elk hunt with Timberline & guides? The first part of the archery season finds the cows grouping up with the bulls at the beginning of the rut. Bulls at this time are not as vocal but are in the first stages of the rut and are rounding up their cow harems. Bulls are usually found by themselves in the woods close to groups of cows. They will come to calls but usually will not respond to the call as vocally and opportunities are good. The middle of the season finds the bulls more with the cows and they are much more vocal and will respond to calls to locate them and your hunting opportunities are excellent. The last part of the season finds the bulls with their cow harems along with smaller bulls(satellite bulls). They are in the deep of the rut at this time. They are vocal but will not come in as close as the middle of the season using calls but opportunities are excellent. The bottom line is this, it is up to you what time you want to hunt and your personal schedules. 2. What are the best rifle seasons to hunt elk? Over the years and on an average the first and second rifle seasons have produced the same results. The weather plays a big role in the hunting conditions and a light snowfall is benificial for both seasons. You get first crack at them the first season but the second season usually has a light snow which herds them up to produce excellent hunting conditions for elk and mule deer. The third season can be very good if the higher elevations have recieved a heavy snowfall. 3. What is the best camp hunt considering drop camps vs. semi-guided and guided? Drop camps are for an experienced hunter(such as whitetail hunting) who understand the woods, enjoy hunting on their own and doing your own camp chores while experiencing some excellent hunting. Drop camps are unguided although we show you in detail where and when to hunt the areas involved. You hunt at your own pace on these hunts. Semi-guided and guided elk hunts are for the hunter who needs to learn some more fundementals of elk hunting and has the cooking, camp chores and guide provided depending on the hunt package. All you do is hunt. Prime hunting areas are reserved and pre-scouted for these guided hunts and good physical condition is important along with better odds for a kill. 4. What calibers of hunting rifles for elk should be used? Sensible calibers for elk are 30-06, 7mm Mag., .300Mag., .338Mag. Elk are big and tough animals and ranges will be 150 yards to 350 yards. A variable scope is needed and rifle bi-pods are helpful. An open sight on your rifle should be on standby should you have damage done to your scope in the field. 5. Should I be aware of your Horses and the ride in? Our horses are gentle and well trained. they are "user friendly" to our clients and shouldn't cause a problem to the novice rider. Follow your guides instructions at all times and let the horse do the work. Do not show fear of them. Be gentle but firm with them and have control of them at all times. Novice riders should visit a riding stable before the hunt to get the hang of it. 6. What makes your elk hunting area better than some other outfitter area in Colorado? *Remote backcountry with a Bull to Cow ratio of 35:100. (this is considered a Trophy Elk ratio) *Wilderness Area-no vehicles or ATV’S spoiling your hunt and camp. *Low hunting pressures and limited hunting licenses makes for a Quality Elk Hunt for mature bulls with satisfied clients and good results. *No domestic livestock grazing allowed to compete for elk forage and habitat, giving the elk herd a much improved habitat. *Southern exposure on the majority of the hunting areas increases hunting success, due to changing weather conditions, they will feed after a storm in these areas. *A Large Resident Elk Herd exists here in our outfitter permited hunting area. (this is an important point) *Thirty plus years of our solid experience at guiding and hunting the Colorado Rockies gives you a substantial edge over other outfits. *Although we hunt on Wilderness public land, outside hunting pressure is practically none and you basically have the area to your group. *Largest bull killed in 2003 scored 374 B&C 7. Should I asked an outfitter for references freely? By all means you should ask. He should provide plenty of references of clients who killed and didn't kill during the hunt. If he is hesitant providing this info, you better shy away from him. 8. I really don't understand all this stuff about "preference points" and what they mean. I don't have any "points" right now-what should I do? Preference points are a means to give all hunters a chance to draw licenses that are available to the designated game unit. Only a limited amount of licenses are given in a year to make it a quality hunt with low hunting pressures with an excellent chance to bag a big bull or buck. there are more applicants than licenses, so that is where a "preference point" comes into play. The more points you have, the better odds at drawing that license. If you don't put in for the draw and book a hunt then you will never hunt, so you might as well start now. this is now true in all of the western states, with Colorado having the best odds at drawing a license with the least amount of points or none at all. Folks do draw a license without any points every year. If you have never dealt with preference points, now is the time to get used to the idea. It is the wave of the future and in a few years, the OTC license in Colorado will be a thing of the past. Preference points gives you much better odds in taking a big bull or buck deer, with low hunting pressures and a quality hunt to remember for a long time.