Not only did Colorado have a record elk harvest last fall, the state also enjoyed a drought-busting snow pack last winter. Many district wildlife managers were singing a rendition of "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," as snow pack levels climbed around 50 percent above average in many areas of the state, giving hope the drought Colorado has been experiencing the past few years soon might be a distant memory. A storm in early April that dumped snow all across the state helped ensure that 2005 would be a moist year. Not only did the added moisture help fill Colorado's lakes and rivers, but it resulted in excellent forage for big game and other wildlife.

Hunters have reason to be giddy about the upcoming Colorado elk seasons. Here's what you can expect to find in the high country this autumn.

DURANGO
Things are "looking great" in the Four Corners region, says Scott Wait, CDOW terrestrial biologist. This part of the state was one of the hardest hit by drought in recent years, but with excellent snow levels in the higher elevations and rain down lower this past winter, those concerns waned as spring approached. More than 38,000 elk roams this region.

Wait says it's hard to know how the season will unfold, but with lots of elk, good fawn survival and recruitment, and a bull-to-cow ratio close to 18-to-100, it could be a great fall for Durango-area hunters. He reports seeing good numbers of bulls during aerial surveys last winter, and some of them sported hefty headgear.

While no single unit stands out, Wait recommends that early season hunters go high in the cooler timberline areas of Units 71, 74, 751, 77, and 78. As the snow flies the elk tend to migrate south to lower elevations in Units 741 and 771.

MONTE VISTA
The good news for hunters, says terrestrial biologist Chuck Wagner, is there are good numbers of elk in the south-central part of the state, and the quality of bulls is holding to increasing. Wagner says last fall's harvest was moderate to good, but too many elk remain in the Rio Grande Basin. He's keeping his fingers crossed for the right conditions to produce a huge number of elk for hunters.

Where's the best place to go? If you burned some coveted preference points, Unit 76 tops the list of hunter-preferred destinations in this region. This rugged unit is home to the Upper Rio Grande herd, and bulls with antlers of back-scratching proportions live there.

The next best would be farther south in Units 80 and 81, and if you have the will, the South San Juan Wilderness might be the place to go. There are nearly 9,000 elk living in this area, with lots of mature bulls among a bull-to-cow ratio close to 20-to-100.

Wagner also suggests the Sangre de Cristos in Units 86 and 861.

No matter which unit you choose here, Wagner says success typically comes to those who get off the roads and hunt backcountry areas.

GUNNISON BASIN
The Gunnison River Territory has two things going for it: It's mostly public land, and it's plum full of elk.

"We took some good bulls last fall," said John Nelson of Gunnison Country Guide Service (www.coloradoguideandoutfitter.com). "Our guided hunters had about a 70 percent success rate, which was better than the previous year." An optimist, Nelson predicts that this fall is going to be even better because moisture in the higher elevations created protein-rich forage that is known to grow big racks.