Hunting for Wapiti

Ross Dupuis with a sad face after getting skunked on a 14-hour day of hunting.

The hunt is on for the elusive and much sought-after elk, or Wapiti, as the native Ute Indians call it. Rifle hunting season is in full swing, and according to local hunters, the elk are hiding out in the hills.

Elk usually come down from the high country when the snow falls, but despite early storms, the herds are still grazing at the upper elevations and away from roads and flat land.

Billy Keyes (pictured on the left) got his elk at about 11,200 feet in elevation and after several hours of hard alpine trekking. According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, only about one in four hunters are successful in harvesting wapiti. Hikers: wear orange this week!