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CO GMU 81,newbie help needed

I am looking at trying my luck at at DIY OTC solo hunt in this unit the last 2 weeks of the hunt. I have been researching this area and i think i have my hunting area narrowed down to the west side of the unit , north of Archuletta Creek. Is anyone willing to help me out with any info or tips on this general area. I am not asking for honey holes at all. just some general tips or ideas about that general area. Thanks in advance.

Mike, do a search on the San Jaun hunt that Pat did a couple years back and look at that area. He did a guided hunt, but the area he was in held good elk. I hunted Red Mountain near the Conejos river a few years ago and in 7 days my hunting buddy and I covered 63 miles and never saw an elk and only found fresh sign once. We had a party of five and one did shoot a cow, but that was the only one seen on the hunt. We did see bears and mule deer though.

how many different units are you going to ask for info on?

Orion, had the same thought. Makes me bristle.

I can say that unit 81 has a healthy elk population but I also have to say that if you seriously want to hunt out west you are going to have to get out and do some scouting in person, there are elk all over the national forests but finding them is going to involve some serious work and an investment of your time. I will give you a few hints in for 81, if you follow them you'll probably find some elk, 10,500 plus( on public land) North facing, close to water, steep-inaccessible, more than 2 miles from a road more than a mile from a marked trail. Good Luck!

I have hunted 80/81 the past 8 years. I'm from Texas so I don't get to scout and only get to hunt on average about 5days each year. I have killed a cow and 6x6 so I'm at 25%. Best advice I can give is not to lock yourself down to one area. Elk move a lot and 5 to ten miles is nothing for them. No sign...move!

good advice 3d. eventually you find the hidey-holes after hunting it a few years. the thing I like about this unit is you can have easy or tough terrain depending on how you feel that day and get into elk in either.

thanks for the nice advice from those that gave it. the others dont have to worry. i wont bother to ever again ask for help of information on anything ever again. its Jerks like you that burn me. Im putting in hours of research and time with maps and doing all i can to get to the best decision i can on where to hunt and how to have a fun and successful hunt. I love over 12 hours a way from these areas so i cant just run up there on weekends and spend days scouting and putting boots on the ground, i i thought i would ask from some that had been there for their impressions and ideas. i have never and will never ever ask for a guys honey hole. but i damn sure gave plenty of help to guys in the last few years on units 34 and 36 in NM cause i do love and play in those areas. So Orion and Chasewild, dont ever worry about me asking for help again. you have ruined this site for me completely. I wont be back to ask for help ever again. Thanks for nothing.

you dont need to get too worked up about it. Just ignore the negative and take notes on the positive. You have to remember this site is just another Facebook, just for bowhunters. I don't post much on here or Facebook because some of the people who love to comment negative crap. But if I need help or advise, you just weed through the crap and you get a lot of helpful tips and ideas. Lot of knowledge on this site, but OTC units might be hard to get any good advise on the internet. Google earth and calling biologists have been big helps for me.

I have hunted the unit but I have researched it a good amount. Trophy hills advice in my eyes speaks volumes.

Relax a little Mr. Parson -- Orion and I just noticed that you'd posted two "help" threads in a short amount of time without any justification as to why you presumably didn't choose the other unit you inquired about.

I'm sure you'll do great in 80/81 if you're working as hard as you say you are. Good luck.

I will tell you the Archuletta Creek area on the south side of 81 is accessible by 4 wheelers so it's very crowded. The wilderness areas are not so it's less pressure.

What difference does it make Orion?

I hunt 80/81 every archery season for the last 5 years. Google Earth is a great tool, I have found a lot of places for elk because of it. I live 10 hours from those units and the only way I even had a clue about where to go is by doing a summer scouting trip. They are fairly large units, hold a fair number of elk as I would think most otc units do.

Gabe

100% correct Gabe. initially I scouted it on GE and things that look good? typically are......it's a fun hunt. I was in Hilti one day in Abq getting a quickie saw fixed one day and this salesman behind the counters phone rings. it's an elk bugle ring tone. my eyes lit up. we got to talking. this was my first time hunting it. he told me he hunted in 80/81 opening weekend. I said "I did too". we talked elk for 30 minutes and he became an instant friend. I told him of half dozen different spots I was looking at on GE and he shook his head yes on all these. he grew up near Antonito and had been hunting it all his life. I hunted with him the following weekend and learned some country. I killed my first elk the following weekend in an area I scouted on GE and he tells me 10 days earlier when I was telling him the areas I was thinking of hunting......"you stay out of there Davey, there aint no elk in there" as he winked lol.

there are so many areas to hunt I couldn't hunt it all in the next 10 years. met some cool people in the woods too. the last thing you want to do is see someone walking down the elk trail you're traveling but......made a couple life long friends and even hunted with them a time or 2. one thing I've noticed too is you cannot be indecisive or hesitate in that unit. or you'll miss out. the elk can be very skidish so you have to be quick on the decisions.

Another thing to realize is these elk get called to from half the population so calling smart is best advised. in other words, choose your elk words wisely, where you call from, and timing of your calls.

The elk can clam up in a minute or when they are clammed up you can get them screaming. your head has to be on a swivel too. just cuz we can't hear them doesn't mean they aren't talking........to each other. when you find the hell holes where they feel safe again, you'll hear some great bugling action.

What a fun hunt! hope you do well Mike

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