Flat Tops Wilderness Area info
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
I am looking into hunting in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area this year and accessing it from the Derby Mesa Loop. I am looking for someone with some information to help me better understand my options. If you can help, please PM me and I will be more specific in the type of information I am looking for.
Tons of hunters up there,Outfitters have all the best camping spots. Beautiful country though.
I'm assuming youre talking about Derby Mesa loop between Meeker/Yampa, cause google earth says there's 2.
I hunted just north of there 2 yrs ago around Orno peak to the north and to the south. I had an option to spend the 2nd 1/2 of my trip around Derby Mesa loop, but I blew 2 tires trying to access the road that I was headed up and had to abort.
I'll say this, there's a ton of people hunting from RVs from the road so everything a mile in from any road is very pressured.
The 5 mile mark in seemed to be the magic spot for the drop camps which are plentiful up there. I found the most solitude between 2.5 to 3.5 miles in from the nearest trail head.
The elk were quiet, but there's a ton of them there. You'll be walking over tons of old sign the entire time. Just keep moving and you'll find fresh sign. All the fresh sign I found was at 10.5 to 11k ft, but that could mean jack and squat so take it with a grain of salt.
It absolutely is some of the most beautiful country, but I won't be headed back there ever unless it's just to backpack. For me, solitude while elk hunting is more important than elk numbers, so I'd pick a low pressure Idaho OTC unit before I'd go back to Routt or White River.
Get at least a mile, preferably 2+ from the nearest sheep.
YEAH, you want to stay away from the sheep, UNLESS your, you know, lonely:) Those range maggots will really mess up an elk hunt!
Idyllwild, sounds like you are coming in from the west side (Meeker). I'm looking at coming in from the east off of Colorado River Road. Can't get my google earth to work right now to see where your talking about. Either way, sounds like a lot of others to contend with. Thanks for your help.
I've never been to the Flat Topp's but I have heard from residents that it gets hammered. I hunted in an area east of there that I felt was over looked. Shoot me a PM later on if you get a chance.