colorada hunt

[golfertrout]

one of my buddies is going to colorada for a cow elk hunt and he wanted me to get on here and ask if there are some folks that know something about this area. he was wanting a bull tag but could not get one.  is there alot of coyotes there?  im gonna let him take my fox pro and try his luck with some yotes. any info would be nice

[Dave]

What area in CO is he hunting?  Archery, muzzleloading or rifle?  And what are the dates of his hunt?
I used to hunt a lot just north of Vail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness area.  Heard a lot of coyotes, but never went out targeting them.  Always seemed most active around dusk (vocally, that is).

[golfertrout]

craig colorada i believe.. he is using bow and i think its the end of this month

[Dave]

That area is NW of where I used to go.   We used to hunt b/e 9 to 10,000 ft and the rut picked up after the 1st wk of Sept.   
This is all pretty basic stuff, but it's stuff.
1st thing to do is be sure to get some sort of wind checker that is easy to use/get to - and check the wind a few times a minute.  A little squeeze bottle on a lanyard around your neck and just keep going slowly into the wind.
Try to get a cow call that's easy to use - I've always liked the diaphram calls.   If he's ever hunted turkey using one,he'd be able to cow chirp, squeal or bugle with em pretty easily.  What I like about  them is if you jump any, in half a second you can start cow chirping and that usually freezes them on the spot offering a good broadside/ 1/4 er ing away angle.  If they smell you, though,forget it.
Tell him to be sure to be out and in areas b/e feeding and bedding by 1st light.  This early inthe season they head for the dark timber at 1st light.  I always tried to get high up on a ridge that overlooked some patches of meadow.  If you saw some moving through those patches, the race was on to try and get out in front of them. 
Like I said, just basic stuff, but thoguht I'd get the ball rolliing and let the old bulls on the site pick up it from here.  Tell him good luck - he'll figure it all out with 2 days left in his hunt and hopefully fill that tag!

[golfertrout]

thanks for the info and i will pass the word :yoyo:any more info would be nice

[Dave]

Dave,
If your friend knows the exact location where he is going to hunt, he should get some USGS 7.5 minute topographical maps of the area.  Google USGS maps and find a site that prints out waterproof quadrangle maps.  Those things are great.  They show ridges, meadows, swamps, streams, ponds, roads, trails, etc.  Whether he's going with an outfitter, or doing it on his own, it'd be money well spent.