hunting in those NF areas should be pretty good if the elk have not received too much pressure.......yeah, right. Depending on the GMU you may want to consider a leftover cow elk tag so you have an option. Hunt in areas away from roads and in dark timber as the elk would have moved off by the opening of the second season.

Yeah, even in an area known for high elk numbers if you're not familiar with it it's kind like a shot in the dark. Sure there's always the luck factor, but don't count on that. To really be successful at elk hunting you need to be intimate with an area and how the animals use it.

Many times if you just pick an area at random and drive there for the first time a day before season you're stuck with a ton of other people hanging close to the roads because you're rightly afraid of getting lost if you venture to far.

The elk after having been shot at a few times are very far from any roads and or people. Don't mean to be a downer, but talking from past experiences like what I described before my methods changed.

any areas yall can point us torwards?

Do you have any familiarity with these areas you mentioned? You said coming home, is that to Colorado or you mean the States in general? I ask because if you're from Colorado it will help, if not and you're not familiar with these areas at all it will be pretty tough to point you in a direction. I don't hunt the Western Slope myself, but the White River Nat. Forest is known as good elk country and I believe a good amount of public land.

to the states.
we are from texas

any info on white river NF would be greatly appreciated im sure any will be helpful.

we would also consider other areas. such as gunnison area or durango

we just want to see somthing doesnt have to be a monster

Check out the N. side of Unit 521--the Ragged Mountain area and around Overland Resevoir-- Just over Mclure Pass (North of Paionia). Its the south end of White River NF, plenty of public land and decent access AND has lots of elk--check the Colo. DOW stats--LOTS of elk are killed in that unit every year. But expect company for sure and don't count on seeing tons of bulls. It is critical you have your NF map to keep you off of private land. Also Trails Illustrated (Evergreen, CO) produces a National Geographic topo map that is excellent. It shows roads and trails, private property, AND contours that would help you spot some saddles and worthy areas to blindly hunt if you haven't scouted it. Another good spot not to far away is the north facing slope of Grand Mesa. I would suggest the NF to the East and North of Colbran (off of the "Silt " road). Look just the west of Harrison Crk. Again, you need your maps because the private property to the south of the NF (between the county road and the NF) can tempt you. Don't! But make the effort to get up behind the private because it gets hunted heavily too, so the elk move back and forth. Lots of elk up there this year during the archery. This is Grand Mesa NF. Good Luck.