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An Outdoor Life opinion report published Oct. 27 describes a Colorado public-land elk hunt disrupted by side-by-sides, including a guide camp near a herd and repeated vehicle traffic. The account raises concerns about hunting pressure and trail damage, but it does not establish how widespread the problem is or document violations beyond the writer’s account.
An Outdoor Life contributor says heavy side-by-side traffic disrupted a public-land elk hunt during Colorado’s first rifle season, describing a guide camp near a herd, repeated vehicles on forest trails and extensive rutting. The Oct. 27 account is an opinion report based on one hunter’s experience, not a statewide assessment of ATV use or elk hunting conditions.
The writer said he drove from Pennsylvania to Colorado with his cousins, who were on their first elk hunt. Before the season opened, the group scouted creek drainages and ridges in a national forest and found several elk, including a herd bull and cows bedding near a meadow. They planned a roughly four-mile hike into the area on opening morning.
When they returned at daylight, the writer said they found a guide camp about 300 yards from where the herd had been seen. He described generators, side-by-sides, a large tent and smaller shelters. The group did not see elk in the area that morning. The account does not establish whether the camp’s presence caused the herd to move; the writer presented that as his interpretation.
The next day, the hunters found the herd elsewhere, and one cousin wounded a bull after a rifle scope had shifted off zero, the writer said. Later, on a route marked for motorized use only with Forest Service authorization, they encountered a side-by-side carrying a dead bull. The writer said its occupants told him they had been driving when elk ran in front of them and that one had shot from the vehicle. Colorado prohibits shooting from a motor vehicle, according to the account; the report does not say whether the incident was reported to authorities or independently investigated.
Motorized Access and Elk Pressure
The account highlights competing uses of public land: motorized access can help hunters reach remote areas, while traffic and camps may affect other hunters’ plans and the experience of pursuing elk on foot. The writer describes seeing more than 50 side-by-sides either moving through the unit or parked near camps along its main road. That is an observation from one hunt and one area, not a measured count of vehicles across Colorado.
Trail conditions are another concern raised in the report. The writer said routes were deeply rutted and described metal width-restriction posts that appeared bent outward, allowing wider vehicles to pass. If those observations reflect broader access-management challenges, they could matter to land managers and hunters concerned about compliance, trail maintenance and wildlife disturbance. The article does not include agency measurements or a response from the Forest Service.
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What the Hunt Account Describes
The writer said he had previously encountered side-by-sides in the same unit during an archery hunt, when their presence had been manageable. The later trip took place during first rifle season, with the author and his cousins scouting several days before opening day. They found elk in multiple locations and initially believed they had a workable plan.
The report also distinguishes access rules from hunting conduct. One trail sign, as described by the writer, allowed motorized use only with Forest Service authorization. Other routes reportedly had vehicle-width limits. The account says a vehicle carrying a bull passed the hunters on an administrative route; it does not provide the date, exact location or official records that would clarify the authorization or the circumstances of the reported shot.
Outdoor Life published the piece as an opinion, and its central argument is that side-by-side use in elk country has gone too far. The observations and recollections are the writer’s; the article does not present a survey, wildlife data or interviews with land managers, guides or other hunters to establish how representative the experience was.
“if it’s legal, there’s nothing wrong with it”
— Outdoor Life contributor
Scope and Enforcement Remain Unclear
The report does not identify the national forest unit or provide enough detail to independently verify the locations, access restrictions, number of vehicles or condition of the trail barriers. It also does not include comment from the Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the guide outfitters or the hunters encountered.
It is unclear whether the guide camp had permission to occupy the site, whether any motorized users violated access rules, or whether officials received a report about the alleged shooting from a vehicle. The writer says he counted more than 50 side-by-sides, but gives no formal count method or time window. The article also does not establish that vehicle activity caused elk to leave a particular area.
Agency Response Is Not Reported
The published account does not announce a policy change, enforcement action or agency review. No next official milestone is identified. The immediate follow-up would be confirmation from the relevant land manager about route designations, authorization rules, barrier conditions and whether complaints were filed during the season.
For now, the report documents one hunter’s experience and raises questions about how motorized access is managed during a busy elk season. Whether the concerns reflect conditions across other units would require additional reporting, including agency data, trail inspections and accounts from hunters and outfitters using the same areas.
Key Questions
What happened during the Colorado elk hunt?
An Outdoor Life contributor said side-by-sides and camps were present near areas where his group had scouted elk, and that repeated vehicle traffic affected their hunt. The article recounts one trip rather than a statewide study.
Did the report confirm that the guide camp moved the elk?
No. The writer found a camp near the area where elk had previously been seen and said the herd was absent the next morning. The account does not establish that the camp caused the animals to move.
Was a hunter reported for shooting from a vehicle?
The writer said occupants of a side-by-side described shooting at a bull from the vehicle. The article says shooting from a motor vehicle is illegal in Colorado, but does not report an investigation or enforcement action.
How many side-by-sides did the writer see?
He said he counted more than 50 moving or parked near camps along the main road in the unit. The article does not provide a formal counting method or present the figure as representative of other areas.
Has Colorado announced new ATV restrictions?
The source report does not describe a new restriction or policy change. It refers to existing route authorization and width limits as observed by the writer, without reporting a new agency decision.
Source: outdoorlife.com
