For those hunters with dreams of hefty hat racks, Hicks suggests huffing it in the Zirkel Wilderness, which is in Unit 14.

HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS
Hunters did pretty good last fall in the Grand and Summit county areas, especially when it came to shooting bulls, says Andy Holland, the CDOW terrestrial biologist at the Hot Sulphur Springs office. This is both good and bad news for hunters.

The good news first: According to Holland, elk numbers are slightly above objective in the area, which means there are still lots of wapiti for hunters to chase throughout the hills. The bad news: "There will be fewer 3- and 4-year-old bulls to choose from," says Holland.

Those looking for older class bulls might try the 7,000- to 11,000-foot high-country haunts of the Gore Range, suggests Holland. Rugged terrain keeps most hunters out of this area, allowing elk a chance to mature.

Holland also says, "It's hard to say how hunters will do this fall because so much is dependent upon the weather." If snow is nil, Holland suggests the cooler North Slope in the dark timber; but if the landscape is blanketed in white, elk tend to move more in open parks to forage for food. Whatever the weather, hunt hard and be persistent, says Holland.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS
Hunters heading to Glenwood Springs have a lot to look forward to this fall, said John Broderick, CDOW terrestrial biologist out of the Glenwood Springs office. Elk numbers are high, and there is also a good population of bulls, some reaching the magical 4- to 5-year mark, says Broderick.

Hunters can expect to do well in the Maroon Bells Wilderness (Unit 43), as well as the Gore Range in Unit 36. Broderick says most of the older bulls find comfort there. If cows are your fancy, Broderick suggests spending time in the Flat Tops Units northeast of Glenwood Springs.

LEADVILLE/SALIDA REGION
Most elk tags for units from Leadville to Cañon City are limited. Hunters should feel pretty good if they're lucky or patient enough to be toting one of those tags this fall, says Jim Aragon, CDOW area wildlife manager. "The Upper Arkansas Valley produced pretty good for elk hunters last fall, and the way it's looking now, they should do well again this year," Aragon explains.

Although elk numbers aren't busting at the seams in this region, there are still plenty to go around. According to Aragon, winter counts showed numbers slightly above objective in the Buffalo Peaks herd (units 49, 57 & 58) and in the Collegiate Range herd (units 48, 56, 481 & 561), with many mature bulls in the mix.

"If hunters want to be successful here, preseason scouting is a must," Aragon suggests.

FRONT RANGE
Elk hunting along the Front Range was a mixed bag last year, according to Bob Davies, CDOW terrestrial biologist out of the Colorado Springs office. Some areas did fairly well, while others fell short. This can be blamed on two reasons: lack of moisture in the later seasons and private land access.

Compared to the western part of the state, the Front Range is not blessed with an abundance of public land, and the only tags issued for units in this region are so limited they take years of applying to draw. For hunters willing to wait, the rewards can be heavy 6-point antlers. Units that come to mind are 39 and 20.

Davies says it's hard to say for certain how hunters will fair this fall, echoing the same refrain of so many other wildlife managers in Colorado: It all depends on weather.