Greetings elk hunters! The snow pack in most of Colorado is above average and still 2 weeks of March and all of April- big snow months- to go.

Lots of things could affect the season- fast snow melt early due to hot unseasonable weather, a dry summer, or both. We could get heavy small fuels from all the wet and then a dry summer- never good in regards to fires if a dry summer.

One thing to consider for those of you new to hunting here is the increasing amounts of deadfall and blow down from beetle kill trees.

There is a LOT of standing dead timber, some of it several years dead- keep your wits about you hunting in the wind and when you make a camp. I have found trees across trails on the return trip that were open only hrs earlier.
In many areas you should plan on having to walk over deadfall almost constantly. That means lots of high stepping.  (get in shape)

Be super careful with fires. No excuses for one getting away from you. Please err on the side of caution.
Even in moderate conditions the risk is great with all the fuels dead and on the ground.
-Don't build a fire in gusty winds.-

I predict a great year for elk here. Plenty of forage, cool and wet afternoons through the summer in the high country- perfect for elk.

I have already started making the camp master list and scoring maps, organizing gear (again). Can't wait to take that first hike in the timber over old snow drifts and mushy ground swells of snow melt.

Joshua

Thanks for the thoughts and observations Joshua!

I'm working on fitness and getting a new piece of gear or two for my hunt this year. The area I hunt has lots of beetle kill and your suggestions are spot on.

Good luck to all elk hunters... be safe and enjoy!

It might be June before you can get to the end of the road....  

Great post Joshua. Looking forward to getting out there myself, once the white stuff melts down a bit.

I live above 8,000' in northern CO and as of yesterday it's still coming down heavy.  3 - 4' drifts are commonplace, with a solid layer of ice underneath from that warm spell we had a week or so ago.

Application Deadline is April 1 this year folks!

-AJ

Vail and surrounding areas got a foot of snow in the last  2 days. And some of the smaller lass popular ski areas still have 80" bases

Glad to hear about the snow still coming. The best year I ever saw for forage was a big snow year- the meadows everywhere were super lush.

I will be up on the snow line starting mid-April, regardless of how low it is and below my usual haunts.
Always a good chance to find a winter kill (always interesting) or a moose shed.

Last year I found what I thought at first were horse apples way back in the timber. Didn't taste like horse manure though...
    A bear had evacuated his winter fecal plug - it was very much like a semi-dry horse pile. Replace digested hay/grass with bark strips and other woody like matter.


Joshua

Cant wait.  Its been several years since I hunted elk.  Im putting my application in this weekend.

fecal plug, I think I know him.