I've heard alot about do it yourself hunts and I'm thinkin of makin a trip next yr. I wanna bow hunt and am curious on what to take, costs$$, and how much walkin is involved. Never hunted outside of Tx so I wanna go somewhere great....

Dunno about costs in Col. And the list of what to take will depend on how you intend to hunt, and what you intend to hunt.

As for the walking? Plan on more walking than you've ever done in Tx flat country. Plan on there being no oxygen available. And no flat ground. All this is if you're up in the mountains of course.

The best way to do this is with someone who has hunted a particular unit before. You get their experience, which can be very valuable. If completely on your own, it's still possible. but you'll need to do lots and lots of research and maybe even a scouting trip or two in the off season.

Bow hunting will add another challenge all together. No feeders for the critters to focus on. So it's spot and stalk, or calling if hunting elk during the rut. Again, try to hook up with someone wo has been before.

New Mexico is where we have gone hunting (elk) out of state. It's all lottery draw on tags, but no preference points like a lot of other states. So your chances of being drawn are just as good as anyone else's are.

Now's the time to start looking and asking though. Checking the game surveys on the different states websites can help you identify where and what you might want want hunt. After you narrow that down a bit, more specific info can be asked for, and given.

Good luck

The good thing about bowhunting is you have a better chance to get drawn in a good unit. I would put in for either 66 or 67.

Pm sent...to much to type on cell phone

When I lived there a couple years ago, we always hunted either area 61 or 62 depending on if we got drawn or not. You can usually expect to require a couple of preference points (applied for a license but not drawn) before getting a bull tag. These areas are on the Uncompahgre National forest. Always see lots and have pretty good luck as a group.

Going on my first elk hunt in a few weeks and we're doing the fully guided thing, so I can't speak from experience. What I can tell you for certain is that the cost of the tag is roughly $550. Why we chose to do a guided hunt is because of stories I've heard over the years from other "newbie" elk hunters who did the whole DIY thing.

Basically, the story is the same from one guy to the next. They went out there with high hopes, saw some beautiful country, found out they couldn't physically make it as far away from the roads as they wanted to, and then spent the entire trip watching other hunters walking and riding 4-wheelers through the areas they were trying to hunt.

So, the lessons I took from these stories (other than the obvious one of getting a guide if it's your first time) are: Don't hunt areas that allow motorized vehicles; get into the best shape of your life; get there at least 3 or 4 days BEFORE you plan to hunt so your body can adjust to the altitude; and, take the right gear (it gets really cold at night...even during bow season).

Most of the best areas to hunt will require you to at least have some preference points to draw them if you plan on hunting with a muzzleloader or rifle. Some even require points to bow hunt. These are the best units and it's worth the time to get the right one. We started planning our hunt 3 years ago and putting in for preference points. Gave us plenty of time to get all the right gear together, save for a guide (and shop around for the right one), and decide where we wanted to hunt and what kind of hunt we were looking for.

The one we chose is the only licensed outfitter in a designated wilderness area that allows no motorized vehicles. He's been guiding in the same area for 26 years and most of his clients are repeat customers. He specializes in bow-hunts and his hunters have scored in the top 3 of the Colorado Outfitters trophy contest the last 3 years in a row. On top of that, a lot of outdoor film crews (including the Drury's on several occassions) have used him.

We'll be packing in 9 miles from the trail-head on horseback to a wall-tent base camp. No one I've talked to on his client list has ever seen another hunter while hunting with him and most all of the bow-hunters say that they had multiple shot opportunities. The rifle hunters average around an 85% success rate.

My point is, we have what seems to be the perfect set-up here (we'll find out soon enough). It meant we had to wait a couple extra years to go and spend a little more money. But, we'll gain a lot of knowledge while there and actually stand a pretty good chance of getting an elk. The cost? Under $3500 per man. Not bad when you consider that most drop camps are priced at or just under $2000. That includes 7 days in camp, 3 days lodging in a cabin before we go up the mountain, and up to 2 days lodging after the hunt.

Do-it-yourself hunts? Absolutely something I plan on doing. But for the first time out, I'd say the guided option is probably the best idea.

I hunted one season in Colorado and here is what I learned.
There hunting licenses are much different than ours. First of all you have to put in for what exactly you want to shoot as well as where you want to shoot it. You have to pay in advance for your drawing but if you dont get it your money is refunded to you. You get a second pick on any draw so you have a good chance of getting something. You dont just get a license and go hunt anywhere like in Texas. Its a very different process. You can also get an over the counter tag just before the season starts which consists of any tags leftover from the draw. As far as hunting on public lands, I did not have to pay for any permit for that but you need to know where to go exactly. Now for the stalking you will be doing...lol. Its the hardest walking/hiking you will probably ever do unless you plan on climbing everest or something. I shot a bull elk and it took me 4 days. You cant feed, set up blinds or anything like you can in Texas, its just pure stalk and walk. Very satisfying after the kill however during the hunt its physically and mentally exhausting...........

Thanks guys, its all helpful..

Colorado division of wildlife has been running a series of Elk Hunting University articles every two weeks. You should check it out.
http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ElkHuntingUniversity/EHULessons/

thanks sniper for that and thanks to the rest of you too. Archery is OTC tags in Co. so thats why I'm picking to go there. I plan on hunting in 11' but I'm tryin to get as much info as possible before I go. I'd be happy with a cow b/c I wanna buy an either sex tag, So Hopefully I'll bring something back. I'll be goin with 2 or 3 guys so I hope we got enough help to pack out meat. Just the thrill of waking up in the middle of nowhere and all the scenary makes it all worth the $$... All I kno for sure is I wana be there during the rut!!!