To make these additional cow tags more appealing to out-of-state visitors, the cost of the tags is $251. That beats the price of a side of beef.

For those who make their living packing hunters in -- and their fallen trophies out of --the woods, these higher population numbers are a bounty.

"Elk hunting in Colorado is as good as it has ever been," said outfitter John Nelson of Gunnison Country Guide Service. "There are lots of 4- and 5-point bulls out there. Many of those 5x5s are in the 270- to 280-inch range."

That's saying a lot, because Nelson guides hunters in a couple of over-the-counter units.

So what can hunters expect this fall? Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Watkins seems to think hunters could really make a dent into the herd. "There are still lots of elk and lots of public land. If the right weather comes, preferably snow, hunters could do extremely well."

With all this optimism, hunters have good reason to be giddy when they take to the field this upcoming elk season.

Here's what you can expect to find in your corner of elk paradise.

NORTHERN REGION
Finding elk shouldn't be hard in this elk-rich region of Colorado. Each year, in fact, more than 30 percent of the state's overall elk harvest comes from this vast stretch of elk-hunting nirvana. You can see why when you consider this region is home to the famed White River and Bears Ear herds. Combined, these herds number more than 55,000.

Add this to the vast amount of National Forest and BLM land, and you can see why this region is a treasure trove for visiting elk hunters.

Not only is there a ton of elk here, but it's also home to some of Colorado's most coveted units: 1, 2, 10 and 201. In these units live bulls with antlers of back-scratching proportions But in order to get an invitation, you have to burn anywhere from 10 to 18 preference points, depending on your choice of weapons. Don't let that scare you off because the rest of the units are unlimited for modern ballistics, which is where the bulk of the elk live anyway.

According to Meeker-based biologist Darby Finley, it appears that overall, hunters did well last year, especially during the earlier seasons when Mother Nature blanketed the region with a fresh coat of powder.

"The early snow really got the elk moving around," reported Finley, "and the hunters seemed to take advantage of it."

Jeff Yost, terrestrial biologist out of Steamboat Springs, agreed and credited Mother Nature for much of the success throughout the seasons. "We had snow on the ground throughout most of the rifle seasons, which really got the elk down and made them much more accessible to hunters."

Even though hunters did well, elk numbers are still above objective for much of the region. So if you're looking to fill your freezer, a second cow tag will come in handy.

Because of the abundance of elk, a good harvest is expected this fall as well. Both of these seasoned biologists reported having seen lots of bulls this winter. And since the winter was relatively mild, the mortality rate will be extremely low.

Further to the east, hunter and biologist Justin Martin reported elk were scattered throughout the Grand and Summit county areas. This winter, Sulphur Springs-based biologist reported seeing excellent numbers of bulls. He feels hunters could do really well. But keep in mind that, as Martin stressed, this region is managed for quantity, not quality. So don't expect to see many 300-inch bulls running around.

SOUTHERN REGION
This region should also rank high on your list if you're looking for some prime public real estate to hunt this year. It sure was for many hunters last fall.

For much of the Four Corners region, it was a "banner year" for hunter success, according to Andy Holland.

"We had good snow right before the first rifle season, and that really got the elk moving down out of those more rugged areas," said the Durango-based terrestrial biologist.

This region seems to be an area of extremes when it comes to weather, as well as hunter success, he explained. "If we get the right weather, elk hunting can be a boom. But if it's hot and dry, elk hunting can be a bust. It was boom last year."

Don't let his statement "lot of bulls harvested last year" keep you away either. According to Holland, there are still plenty of elk to chase around this fall. During his winter overflights, he still saw good numbers of bulls and some big ones as well. "Hunters could do well again this year -- that is, if the right weather comes," said Holland.