Popular hunting magazines often display colorful photographs of huge bull elk standing in open meadows presenting easy targets. The reality in the mountains of Colorado, however, is far different.

Stalking the wapiti is challenging and most hunters won’t get easy shots. You’re far more likely to fmd elk on a steep hillside, in a dark ravine, or in thick timber than standing out in the open.

The hunter success rate for all types of hunting in Colorado was 17 percent in 2019, and a total of 37,0...