To the West!!!

[afmalinois]

Where to start. I love the West and I miss the mountains! It might sound weird coming from a Pittsburgh kid. I love the city and the people but there is something about the West...that being said, there is something about the East as well. I joined the Air Force after high school and my first assignment was Montana and I was in heaven. After Montana it was south to Arizona where I was fortunate enough to become good friends with a guy who has a home in the heart of unit 23. I learned a lot about hunting Coues and Az elk. I was fortunate enough to video my buddy killing a great velvet Coues but never let an arrow fly of my own. I drew 2 elk tags in 3 years, 6A cow and 23 late archery. I then got orders to Virginia, I thought it would be great to move closer to home and back to the East coast....wrong. Don't get me wrong, I stacked whitetails and turkeys up like cord wood, but the people suck and the traffic is a nightmare. Well I just found out that I am heading back to the mountains and critters that I have missed for the past 4 years. As soon as I get home from Afghaniland I am packing the family and heading to Colorado! We are pumped! Except my little one, she doesn't want to move away from her friends, but she's five and she'll get over it! Headed to the Springs, and I can't wait to hit those hills!

 

I have never been in that part of the country and look forward to exploring the aspen ridges and tree line mountains in search of muley's and elk. But I don't even know where to begin. I've been pouring over the game and fish sight but I just seem to get more and more confused each time. Does anyone out there in CW land have any advise for a guy heading into a new state...? Thanks for reading and any advise that might follow.

 

-Adam

[CouesWhitetail]

We have a few members from CO and several others that have hunted out there. They should be able to help you out with the CO hunting regs. Or just find a wildlife conservation group out there and start volunteering. Then you will get to know some of the most passionate hunters in the state!

[JLW]

don't know much on Colorado except there are elk and deer everywhere.. LOL!

I'm sure someone can help you out in that dept.

Thanks for you Service!

good luck in Colorado.

 

James

[metau]

I was stationed at Ft Carson there in the springs. The deer and elk are everywhere up in the hills, and the plains are crawling with antelope and more deer(even a few elk too). There is actually hunting allowed on Ft Carson and down in Pinyon Canyon just for military folks. There is plenty of public land to hunt too. Biggest thing to be mindful of is the property laws in CO. Private property does not need to be marked, nor even fenced. But you will be ticketed for trespassing, have your weapon confiscated as well as any downed game should you be caught hunting on private property without permission. Many landowners are fine with you hunting their property, as long as you ask first. If you don't ask, they usually treat you in the same manner as the anti's(plenty of those too).

 

There are a number of places you could start, depending on what type of hunting you like to do. Here would be a good place to start on the CDOW website. Manitou to cheesman is full of wildlife, as is gold canyon road(prior to last years fire). South park is full of elk once the snow gets heavy. The backside of cheyenne mountain to cripple creek is full of game too, just don't get too close to the top of the backside of the mountain.

 

As a side note (and a great companion to a bow) I would suggest investing in a nice 8'6" 4wt pack rod, as most everywhere you go chasing elk and deer you will find some phenomenal trout fishing. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions once you've taken a look at the above link(or want to know any of my old fishing honey holes).

[afmalinois]

Thanks for the advise!