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OK so my previous post was kind of similar, but I would just like to rephrase this question. I'm not asking for anyones favorite unit or honey hole, but I would like someone who has hunted some areas to maybe point me in a better direction. Are there some GMU's that are OTC that have wilderness area to hunt where I could pack in about 3-5 miles and hunt out of a pack that are not extremely crowded or that just the name of the game in Colorado? I mean obviously there are going to be more people in these areas because of the OTC, but like I keep studying the map checking out units and people will write on here in on different threads saying "people everyone even in wilderness" or "bring your people repellant". If that's how most are then I guess i'll just pick one that I feel works for me. I want to avoid the Flat Tops units like 25 (for OTC) because thats what I keep reading is the most crowded. I'm simply getting frustrated because everywhere I look I keep coming up with dead end units and would like to at least strongly favor a GMU so I can continue my prep. I do not need to be covered up in Elk or see monster bulls, but you know if an area has lesser amounts of people because of rough terrain and a decent herd then that would something i'm interested in. I am looking for wilderness areas specifically I have a year so I should be OK (Hunting Sept. 2015), but you can never overblown for a hunt like this. If anyone has any info just send me a PM. I would really appreciate it!
Go to Colorado parks and wildlife. Download the elk hunting data. It will tell you what units get what for hunters. You can look up all the different wilderness areas in CO. Then go back to Colorado Parks and wildlife and down load a hunting unit map. You can also get data on how may elk are in each unit. (ruffly)
All the answers you seek are on the internet already.
Typically most otc units in Co will see alot of pressure. That dont mean they wont have areas that wont see much. But good luck in getting someone to give up that info.
The unit I hunt is wilderness and takes zero points to draw. So you can put in for it next winter/spring and get a tag. Areas of the unit get alot of pressure even for a draw area. But areas dont get much pressure at all as well.
Look at unit 14 or across the divide is 161;I think.May be 191 I don't have map in front of me.There will be people there its otc but you can walk away from 90%
getting way back is highly overrated unless you have reason to believe there will be elk where you are hiking 3-5 miles into....better to stay mobile. scout with scope and binoc only hunt where the sign is steaming.
Good advice "straight->> arrow"
We pack in 5 miles but only because we spent time spotting it out from another ridge. We have had plenty of success only one mike off a main "divide" road. Bulls are moving the entire month of September. The advice to spot and stay mobile is good unless you know you have elk at a certain area where you want to pack in.
If you're hoping to get away from people and into elk you're looking at hunting the wrong state. There are elk everywhere but you're going to have to contend with people, that's just the way it is. Hunters, especially archery guys are way more willing to put on the miles these days. Someone said 14, which is MT Zirkle, it'll be the same up there as any other wilderness area. Just pick one and try to find some nasty country. Or spend 1100 and hunt Wy, you'll get away from our crowds up there.
Agreed with Straight Arrow. The only way to learn is to spend time in elk wood/country. Hunting 10 miles from the car just means a day hike with or without elk.
If you are interested in getting far back into the back wood, just use Google map and pick an OTC unit with lots of national forest land. You can go as far in as your legs can take you but bringing one out is a totally different story.
We have found and heard elk 300 yards from camp next to a major highway and as far a 10 miles from the truck.
Just because it is easy access and close to a main road does not mean less elk. Just because it far from the nearest trail head does not mean more elk. Elk hunting is more about knowing where the elk have a tendency to hang out and what elk do in a particular area when pressured. It is only through experience on a particular unit that you will learn to hunt where the elk are.
We hunt OTC unit 15 and it is a lot of national forest land to get lost in the middle of nowhere. There are quite a hunters and some elk here and there but we manage to take home a couple every year.
Good Luck.
Ill be doing my first Colorado DIY hunt this year. Ive spent hours scowering over the post on this and other websites. Ive also exhausted the information on the Col game and fish websites.
I finally gave up and just picked a unit with good elk numbers and lots of public land. I plan to follow the advise above and use the binos and spotting scope until I find elk.
I read somewhere that it takes 5 years to "really" know an area (elk hunting). We have hunted the same area for 7 years now and I would say that we are still finding spots that we didn't know about. Agree with all above, there are people everywhere. A lot of times they walk right past a good elk area. Just pick an area and before you walk all through it, glass and find some elk. Then hunt them and kill one. Good luck and be prepared to be hooked for life if you haven't elk hunted much before....you will probably never stop.
I help guys out every year in picking an otc spot but I like for them to at least have an idea. Shoot me a pm with the units/areas you're looking at and I'll tell you which one I'd hunt.
That's a heck of an offer otcWill. Kudos to you.
