Proximity to water is more important during archery season. If you don't feel like you know what you're doing, don't call during daylight hours. Consider calling way before dawn or way after dusk to locate elk or just to reassure yourself that you're in the right area. The first week or so of the Colorado bow season usually sucks because the elk aren't bugling yet. So you'll have to ambush them on a trail or get really creative/bold. Use your dawn and dusk moments to get high on a ridge to spot elk if you don't already know where they'll be. Watch where they go and try to be there either the next morning or that evening. If they're bugling, it'll make things a lot easier.

Would you say having an a cool year like we did means we should stay lower? I've talked to a few people that said they hiked above timberline and saw no elk, only deer. Will that be true all over the state?

We've seen a lot of elk in the mid to lower ranges already in the past week here in the geographical center of Colorado. We even seen/heard an elk bugle a little already. They've been beating up the underbrush and saplings already as well. The cows are starting to group up as well. I think the colder/wet weather this year has kicked started things a little early. We've had 2 frosts at 9500 feet of elevation already in the past 6 weeks! My dad lives in Hartsel and has noted the movement of our herds pretty well.

Get practicing on your cow estrus call and your mews..........its coming quickly!

Send Exobioligist a PM he has more boot time in the Rawahs and in the Nat forrest than me.Im hunting the Rawahs for the 2nd time but would like to explore the Nat forrest as well. Theres quite a few folks hunting the Rawahs with limited access and its pretty much dark timber forrest thruout until you get 3-4 miles in and then you start bumping into the outfitters and locals with horses/mules.

I have a friend that hunts the Rawahs 2nd rifle season every year and gets into them every year but I dont have the time to get away for a week like I want to do. I love the area but the elk hunting is hard up there.