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DIY elk/mule hunt colo. unit24 flattopps

I am going to do a DIY pack in drop camp in the flattop wilderness area of the white river nation forest. looking to pack about 3-4 miles in near sheep mt or dome peak and would like to know if anyone can help me with any public accsess roads closest to these areas I can set my motorhome up as base camp and pack in from there. I live in PA and don't have any real detailed maps &google earth don't show the smaller SFR's thanks for any and all of your help.

If you're towing a fifth wheel and coming from Yampa, you won't get much farther than Bear lake. There's roads, but many of them are rough even for a 4WD. You'll want spare tires.

I assume you're thinking of coming from farther south of that?

Most of the roads in the area that are numbered will get you at least into the Ntl Forest. It's sort of irrelevant where you set up your 5th wheel because you need to be mobile and moving around if you're not seeing elk. Also, if you're packing in, there's no good reason to have to leave from the 5th wheel. You can leave your truck anywhere.

suggest you order White river national forest map, you can do this online. You can go north out of Burns, think you might be able to get a 5th wheel to the national forest. From there the roads to the trailheads are very rough, i tried with my pickup a few times but was to rough for me. the trailheads go up derby creek which is between dome and sheep mtn. there is also a guide that has a few camps in the drainage. also, others go in on horses, very busy in muzzleloader season. we have hunted Dome quite a bit, its easy hike in everyday so gets hunted hard you could camp at Bear lake, then drive west to Stillwater and hike to the south into the drainage, east side of derby peak. i have not hunted there but quite a few people pack in, some on horses.

suggest you order White river national forest map, you can do this online. You can go north out of Burns, think you might be able to get a 5th wheel to the national forest. From there the roads to the trailheads are very rough, i tried with my pickup a few times but was to rough for me. the trailheads go up derby creek which is between dome and sheep mtn. there is also a guide that has a few camps in the drainage. also, others go in on horses, very busy in muzzleloader season. we have hunted Dome quite a bit, its easy hike in everyday so gets hunted hard you could camp at Bear lake, then drive west to Stillwater and hike to the south into the drainage, east side of derby peak. i have not hunted there but quite a few people pack in, some on horses.

Last time I bowhunted that area there were lots n lots of hunters and not many elk. Started hunting WY, talk about a different world..

Units 12, 23, 24, 33 are limited draw archery elk licenses so if you do not draw a nonresident tag, other adjacent OTC units can be an option but you will not be in the Flat Top Wilderness Area.

Paul

PM sent. I'd highly recommend against a pack-in hunt in that area. That will only get you closer to everyone else who does the same. Instead, hunt from your 5th wheel until you find elk. Be mobile. If you find elk too far for day hikes, then consider a spike camp.

Fyi, I hunt north central CO and use a camp trailer as my base. I have a half dozen reliable spots within about 500 square miles, some 40 road miles apart. I bounce from spot to spot and hunt when I find elk. Like cnelk, I put on hundreds of driving miles each season.

Unless you have a rare hotspot where elk stay all season, this is not unusual for NoCo public land hunting.

I hunted the flat top wilderness for several years. I took my horses in a few miles, Lots of hunters that is why they went limited but lots of tags. When you pack in you run into a lot of outfitter camps. Hunting is better outside the wilderness area with a lot less hunters. Now I haven't been there for a long time maybe its better, Trailheads at that time looked like black Friday at Wal Mart.Beautiful country though

Outside the wilderness there were sheep everywhere we went in 2014

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