Colorado Elk – Elk Hunting & Information

Looking for information on Colorado Elk? The subspecies of Elk that inhabit Colorado is the Rocky Mountain Elk (from the deer family) – often referred to as the American Elk. The Rocky Mountain Elk live west of the Mississippi river, and the highest concentration is found in Colorado.

For Colorado elk, the largest herd is found in the Northwest area. Many spend summers in  the Flattops, and in the winter move to the low areas where the climate is milder and the snow is not as deep.

The male Rocky Mountain “Bull” male elk can weigh 800+ pounds and the female “Cow” can be 500+ pounds. The Bull elk is famous for it’s beautiful and large rack “antlers”. They grow a new set each year – starting in spring and then they will shed them in winter. Large antlers can be 4 ft. long and weigh 40 lbs.

Hunting Elk in Colorado is an extremely popular sport and drives hundreds of hunters to the state every year. Elk hunting is a very intense and skilled type of hunting. Hunters that have spent much of their time hunting by using the “waiting for the prey to walk by” mode will find hunting elk very different and challenging. Elk must be stalked – maybe for days. They may be a large animal, but they are very stealth and crafty. You may have seen photos of elk in fields and meadows that lead you to believe that hunting them may be easy. They actually spend most of their time in dense trees and on steep terrain.

Like all states, Colorado elk hunting has specific laws and regulations. There are many upfront decisions to be made. There are specific licenses for bull or cow and type of weapon – archery, muzzle loading, and rifle. Then there are tags to be bought based on the specific game management unit you will be hunting elk in. This is all done to protect the species so that it will be around for future hunting seasons.