Elk Hunting 2010....

[Dave Sikorski]

If anyone has the desire to Elk hunt at a discount without getting in a draw this fall, I just got a list of discounted trips from W3 outfitters in NW Colorado.

2010 OPENINGS

Archery: Either sex Elk (over the counter license)

Tent camp lodging, meals, horses, ground blind, tree stand 1 guide for up to 4 hunters. 7 day trip, 5 day hunt Units 421, 42, 521…100 sq. miles of hunting area.

Dates available:
8/27-9/2 ground blind/tree stand hunt (1 guide for 4 hunters)
$2600 each discounted to $2200 each, group of 4 $2000 each.

9/3-9/9 call & stalk & tree stand/ground blind hunt (great week…dark of the moon) 1 guide for 2 hunters $2600 each

9/22-9/26 call & stalk hunt (1 guide for 2 hunters) $2600 each

Note: 1 guide for 1 hunter $3600 each for any archery week

Pack-In Drop camps also available for archery season
$1700 each for 2 people
$1500 each for 3 to 4 people

Drive-In Drop Camp
$775 per person of groups of 2-8 people for any archery week

Gun: Bull Elk (over the counter license) over 60% kill average on guided hunts

Tent camp lodging, meals, horses & 1 guide for 3 hunters. 7 day trip, 5 day hunt Unit 12
$3500 each discounted to $2800 each

Dates available:
10/22-10/28
11/5-11/11

Drop camps also available for same dates
$1700 each for 2 people
$1500 each for 3 to 4 people

3-Day Cow Elk Hunts: Lodging in home, meals, landowner license included, 1 guide for up to 3 hunters

Dates available:
11/18-11/20 $1800 each
12/1/2010-1/15/2011 (call to set up dates) $1800 each

Let me know if you're interested, or have any questions.

I took a 5x5 with my bow two years ago with W3 and have been on 2 other hunts with them. They run a great operation and have some really good areas.

-D

[offshore]

Are these private land archery hunks or BLM- Forest Service- State land hunts? Thanks Mark

[Dave Sikorski]

I can't speak for all of them, but the hunts I've been on took place in Unit 12 southwest of Craig Co. which is in a national forest. He has permits for the camps which are held for a long time.

The late cow hunts take place out in a trophy unit and are based out of the outfitters house.

I wish I could swing a hunt this year. The drop camp option is next on my list.

I just noticed that I didn't have their name anywhere. OOPS!

http://w3outfitters.com/

Here's my Bow elk from unit 12 Sept '09




-D

[NY Bearhunter]

BOW HUNTING ELK IS SOME RUSH TO SAY THE LEAST, LOOKS LIKE YOU DID GREAT,WHAT HAPPENED THE OTHER TIMES YOU HUNTED, HOW MANY ELK DID YOU SEE AND JUST HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU REALLY HAVE A SHOT IF YOU WANTED IT, WERE THE ELK TALKING WHEN YOU WENT, AND I HAVE TO ASK THIS, DID YOU SEE ANY BEAR.

[Dave Sikorski]

The first trip was during the 3rd Rifle season. We started the morning glassing on a high ridge. By 8am we had counted about 400 Elk and a bunch of mulies. I hit a 320 class bull in the shoulder blade and lost blood after a 100 yds. I was shooting ballistic tip bullets and I can only assume it didn't penetrate. We searched for the remainder of the day for my bull and weren't able to find it. A friend that was with us shot a 6x5 out of the same herd. We hunted the morning of the second day and decided to leave camp due to a big snow storm. We were due in Wyoming to fish with friends for the second half of the trip and decided we'd rather not get stuck on the mountain. I was the little man on the totem pole, or we'd still be on that mountain today.

Two years later we had some draw trouble and ended up making the trip anyway. My dad and uncle decided not to get tags and my cousin and I had archery tags. We hunted a small range of low desert mountains. We hunted hard for a number of days without having any close encounters with the animals. The majority of the herd had moved out due to the lack of grass, and the remainder were in the ag fields along the river. It was definitely not a normal hunt for W3, just thrown together since we were driving out to fish WY again anyway.

The third trip was a make up for the second trip. I only had to cover my flight, tag, and tip. I went alone this time, was picked up at the airport by W3 and shot my elk on the second day. They were just starting to bugle and it was still pretty hot during the day. The other group my week was a husband and wife that both missed at least one 6x6 each @ chip shot distances. They had a lot of close encounters that week, but could never seal the deal. It was fun waiting for them to ride into the mess tent well after dark and listen to the stories of the day. The husband wife dynamic made for some funny tales for sure.

The one I killed was the first legal bull in range and was more than enough for me. We packed him out in the afternoon and ran the meat to town.

I spent the third and fourth days setting up spike camps and had a blast riding all over the mountain on horseback.

There was a bunch of bear sign on the mountain, but we never saw one.

I haven't hunted his new area south of I-70, but hope to go soon. It has some bigger bulls on average and a lot more area than the area's I've hunted.











-D

[Wild Life Management]

Uh, yeah, that pretty much looks awesome. Love the pic of the elk packed on the horses.

[Agitated88]

Very impressive pictures Dave, beautiful country for sure!

[NY Bearhunter]

THOSE PICTURES WERE GREAT, LOOKS LIKE SOME REAL GOOD TIMES FOR SURE.

ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY COLORADO, FOR ELK AND SUCH, BUT I ALWAYS TALK MYSELF OUT OF IT, JUST HEAR TO MANY THINGS ABOUT HUNTING THERE, BUT YOU SEEM TO HAVE A IN BY HUNTING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE AND BEING THERE A FEW TIMES WHICH IS ALWAYS A HUGE EDGE,I WILL BE THINKING LONG AND HARD AGAIN FOR SURE, THANKS FOR THE INFO...

[Dave Sikorski]

I just got off the phone with Paul Moore of W3 and he has a lot of cool options for Elk and Mule Deer hunts this year.

Some great P&Y Mulies have come from a large area that Paul has been hunting the last few years.

With the economy being in the crapper the Elk herd in CO isn't getting the pressure it used to and there are a lot more bulls making it to 4+ years old. Archery Elk tags are over the counter and Deer tags have to be sent in by the middle of April. Last year there were a few left over deer tags after the drawing too.

I've sent out an e-mail to my buddies and might just try and scrap together a group for a drop camp.







-D

[seapower]

I've never drop in, fly in ,type hunt myself. Hoping to one day though. Alaska has been hard on my mind since I was a kid. I think I would really enjoy a "remote" hunt. Maybe one of these day's before I leave here. Frank