Or Mexico.

How low is low? In my opinion pretty much any unit in Colorado has the opportunity for a big mulie, and you don't have to hunt them at 10k.

Yea, I hunted archery elk in Colorado with my Dad and Uncle who lives in Colorado when I was 18. My Uncle and his buddy had been hunting at about 10K plus in this unit. My allergies kicked up and got some fluid in my head which made its way to my lungs and I had to go get on a plane and head home I got so sick cause the fluid on my lungs made my asthma that much worse at altitude. Last time I was in Ouray we drove way up high and same thing, lungs weren't operating real well. So Id like to keep it down around 5-6k max I guess?

I'm not against buying preference points either in Wyoming or anywhere else that does that. My Dad hunted Utah and Wyoming a bunch when I was a kid, I'd like to hunt either one of those states. But I'm not against any of em, my wife's from Montana so I've got places to stay up there as well. Basically, I'm down to hunt anywhere...just looking for a start point and I'm willing to buy preference points in multiple states if that's what it takes. There's just a mountain of info on the internet about how all this draw stuff works and it can be a little overwhelming digging through all of it, so I figured I'd start by asking on this thread.

You could also get into the best shape of your life and see if your doctor will prescribe dexamethisone

Being in great shape helps, but only a little. Some people are more prone to altitude sickness regardless of physical fitness. Sounds like the OP may have experienced a degree of the worst and most life threatening symptoms of altitude sickness (cerebral and pulmonary edema). My suggestions are to subscribe to gohunt or a similar site and talk to your doc. I believe gohung lists the elevations for every unit as well as draw odds, hunter success, etc.

Good luck op!

Shooting from the hip here...

How bout Alberta?

The dex is for the edema

Cloudcroft or Ruidoso area in New Mexico would be my suggestion. You'd be between 6500' and 7500'. Vastly different than the altitude required up north in the rockies.

Unless you're going to hunt desert mulies in the southwest that's about as low as your going to go without severely limiting your hunting area.

And that's not the emoji I selected.

I don't think it was edema... I can get a cold here in Texas at the elevations we're at and my lungs are screwed cause of the asthma. You add in the thin air of altitude and it makes it 10x worse. I just don't wanna be hunting at 10K and have my allergies flair up, get a bunch of snot in my head which inevitably makes it to your lungs, then be gasping for air cause it's so thin at that altitude.

So are y'all saying purchasing preference points somewhere like Wyoming isn't worth it? Even if I cash them in 5-8 years later and in the mean time just keep putting in somewhere like New Mexico?

Appreciate all the info so far btw.

TH36 You can draw a mule deer tag every year in the eastern half of WY. The hard part is finding the public land pieces that you can get to. But that's not impossible, heck its half the fun.

Purchased a Antelope and Deer preference point in Wyoming this evening. After reading their website, their states draw info made more sense. I'll have to go start reading up on New Mexico next.

TH36 said:

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Purchased a Antelope and Deer preference point in Wyoming this evening. After reading their website, their states draw info made more sense. I'll have to go start reading up on New Mexico next.

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I know some good guides in casper and Cody area if you decide to go that route. I have hunted goats and deer with them in both locations.

Reasonable prices or break the bank prices? Talked with my Dad last night about doing a hunt with a outfitter in Wyoming or something.

I miss $60 elk tags...

Congrats on the delicious meat! Now get that bull!

Good luck, hope y'all get back on him today!

Can't wait to fly out Sunday morning for Jackson Wyoming for 4 days of bull elk hunting in the mountains above Alpine, Wyoming. Was up scouting a month ago and there are some good bulls up where we will be hunting

What units and what elevation were you hunting?

Moose are still the coolest part of elk hunting for me. Don't get me wrong I love killing elk, but there's something really cool about moose. Funny because I'll never get to hunt them.

Units 22, 14, 15. We saw elk at roughly 9,500 feet. Most were in wet bottoms, some were higher up in deadfall.

makes sense. 14 is or used to be the best moose unit in CO. Walden is the moose capital of CO. Elk hunted 14 one year and all we saw were moose lol
Sounds like a great hunt even though you didn't get anything! Any bugling going on up there yet?

All the moose were in 14. We didn't hear a single bugle in any unit, and the folks we chatted with said they had stopped a week earlier. I thought they would be bugling all month?

I bet the cold snap kicked them into gear early even though the rut hadn't really started yet, and it should kick back into gear in earnest again here any minute

Yessssss! Congrats to you and your dad!

Congrats!

shaynew1 said:

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Whoever is worried about you clogging the thread with recaps like that can go kick rocks and fight me

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True! My posting priorities are backwards...

Flying out in the morning after we BTHO Vandy, for 4 days of hunting for a big ol Wyoming Bull elk