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Has anyone here hunted Unit 76 in Colorado?
Did a muzzleloader hunt in 2015. Had a great time. Beautiful country and lots of elk!
DIY public land hunt. PM me if you would like details.
Kyle I did in 2007 diy. Beautiful area! Jake Powel is the man there. Killed CO big 8 twice with a longbow.
Sammy Fraizer is also good.
I would recommend backpacking into the high drainages around Pole Creek Mountain. Its a dirty climb to get up there, but so worth it. If you need to take a break and hunt some easier country, I would recommend trying the Black Mountain area. We did it DIY and had several opportunities each and really should have killed a couple bulls. We did run into Sammy Frazier a couple times, and can tell you if I was going outfitted, I would not hesitate to pay him.
Yeah, I've hunted it too...in about 2010....changed a little since I've been there with the fire. The one outfitter I think its Powell had a camp at he forks of the Ute canyons. He might not be doing it anymore.
Sammy Fraziers camp is back behind Rio Grande res at the fork where Bear city comes in. He hunts back behind that pole Mtn, sheep Mtn
Jake isn't outfitting anymore. I ran into him last year in one of my haunts and we sat and talked for almost two hours!! He's a great guy, and Sal is tougher then he is. It was nice catching up with him...
Everyone hunts around the Rio, and some try to get into the Pyramid. You go in from above Williams Lake north of Pagosa. 76 used to be unreal, but a lot of people sneak into it anymore. Too much easy access to it. There is lots of elk, small bulls, with a 300" being a monster anymore. Spend lots of time in 76, fishing throughout the summer. Lots of better units to draw tags in, and several guys that have hunted it will agree with me. Accessing 76 from Southfork produces most of the big bulls now a days. A friend gets landowner permits over there and has killed a few 340" bulls or better. Guys drive way into 76 from above Silverton on fourwheelers, legally. A few Southern Ute guys from Ignacio hunt it every year in September and have rifle killed some nice nice bulls out of there, accessing 76 from above Silverton.
Hunted it last year with my dad, and I'll draw it this year. Buglmin hit it pretty good, last year we did see a fair amount of top end bulls compared to when I hunted it in 2011ish. The biggest bull we ran into was in the honest 350 range.
350 is in the big bull range. As mentioned, you go to 76 for elk encounters (quantity), not necessarily elk size (quality).
I talked to Sammy Frazier about the unit...asking why no really big bulls. these bulls migrate through heavily hunted rifle country down to lower ground.
I'm surprised at the 350 comment. Biggest we saw in 2 weeks of covering a lot of ground was about 330. Most 6 points are in the 240-280 range. Sammy's muzzie guy had shot the biggest bull he said he had seen in there in awhile; 330-340ish....
Sammy is a good guy to talk to....he has been hunting that unit for a very long time.
I didn't see Sammy last year? I don't know him personally but we overlap a bit where we hunt ;) and yea 350 is a giant in that unit. Anything in the 330 range is a first day shooter down there.
The year I hunted it we ran into a ranger way back in lost creek. He was waiting on a helicopter. Somehow a couple guys had gotten a jeep back in there coming from the North. They rolled it, and couldn't get it back out of there. It was getting a copter ride out, on the owners dime. Bet they didn't try that again.
What most people don't realize is most trailheads are only four to five miles from 76, and guys telling me they were 8 miles in in certain areas raise a huge flag to me. One of the biggest bulls I've seen killed was killed around some cabins around the lake. Big big seven, shot by a bowhunter!! Ute Creek, the Pyramid, Beaver Meadows, all produce good solid bulls. But the meadows can be filled with small back pack tents and outfitters wall tents. The talk last year was the Mennonites from the valley killing bulls every year in 76, not caring about boundaries. If I were to go into 76, it'd be off the Turkey Lake trail, eight hour horseback ride. One outfitter in there, camps right above the lake. Some tough, steep country, avalanche chutes that usually hold good bulls. Last bull we killed in 76 was a monster five point, biggest bull we seen in six days. Hunter busted him up out of his bed late in the morning.
only 1/2 mile to the truck
only 1/2 mile to the truck
killed this bull in 76, 8 years ago. Spent nearly the whole season in there, the biggest bull scoring 310 and change. I would shoot this sized bull again for sure.
I think Buglmin is blowing smoke, it's definitely not as doom and gloom as he makes it sound. My experiences in the unit are a complete 180 from what he has described, although I was hunting DYI from a truck camp each day not off horses.
Nope, not blowing smoke, sorry. Been involved in 76 for too many years, and can say the quality isn't like it was in the 80's and 90's. In the past several seasons, I've been with guys looking for those "magical" big bulls everyone brags about in 76. I've had guys from here look for those "magical" bulls as well with the same results. When you cover miles upon miles looking into basins and the best you can find is a 320" six by that the rifle hunter shoots on the last day, I can say I'm not blowing smoke!!!
The reason why those bulls are "magical" is because they make Houdini look like a klutz!!
took my 2 brothers from MN up there about 4 years ago. did some scouting in the area, thx to Buglmin, saw many elk and tremendous amount of sign. Night before the season, we saw about 50 elk on the top of Pole Mtn but didn't hunt there. Opening morning, called in 3 bulls within 2 hours. first was a 5x5 didn't shoot. second was nice 6x6 that my brother shot, about 280. Called in another really nice bull, i didn't see it becuz had to hang back to get him to quit running away. Came in to 15 yards head on but brother didn't take the shot, said it was really nice, OMG. the next night, they called in big 6x6 in another area but didn't get the shot. On Sunday ran into another local that was up there and he had gotten a big 5 (300"), thought it was me bugling so felt good about that. On Tuesday, other brother got a nice 5, his first elk, he was happy as could be. Have another brother close to drawing and can't wait to go back. I had great time just calling. it is a fun hunt if you are ok enjoying the hunt and not worrying about monster bull.
CO 76 bull at camp; 5 X 6 with droptine.
CO 76 bull at camp; 5 X 6 with droptine.
As he lay.
As he lay.
I bowhunted DIY in 2014. It was a very fun hunt but I had a hard time finding a 300+ bull (I don't consider myself a trophy hunter, but that was my goal). Most were 5's and small 6's in 250-280 range, which is what I ended up killing on day 16. I did eventually see 3 good bulls probably 320 or better, and I had what I'm pretty sure was a 350+ bull jump the string at 43 yards. Hit him very high and arrow broke off with only 2-3" of penetration. That was by far the largest elk I've ever had a shot at, and it will likely remain that way, mostly hunt OTC or easy to draw units. Never came close to getting shots at the other two larger bulls (different times and places). Wish I could to back, but unless I move to CO it will never happen. PM or email me if you want more info.
How many points did it take to draw 76?
Usually you don't hunt 76 for quality bulls but rather for quantity. If you like a lot of action then its a good unit to hunt but not worth the amount of points its taking. Been in there many times in the early 90's backpacking or hunting with others. Saw some really nice bulls back then but a nice bull to me starts around 270-280. I remember the old days when people were excited when they even heard of a bull that went 270. Now, its "I won't shoot anything under 300 or even 320." For me, I shoot the first elk I get a decent chance at! lol
Last year for a NR to archery hunt 76 it took 14 points. A few with 13 drew - 29% of those with 13PP drew.
--Mitch
Point creep for the "mid-tier" units was particularly bad for a few years as folks going after the top units finally realized they would never catch up and down selected. I think I had 7 pts when it took 8 to draw 76. When I finally caught up in 2014 it took 12 (at 50% odds). I also think the NR limit for 76 will drop from 35% to 20% if it hasn't already done so (which is based on resident drawing stats).
My question to those who continually knock 76, If you're sitting on points totaling in the mid to upper teens, what other units are you suggesting? For an archery hunt units 2,10, 201 and 61 are out of your range and more than likely (for NR's) never attainable. 76 is it, or you throw your points away and settle on a unit requiring way less points.
While there's not a 330 bull around every tree in 76, they are there. 350 and above is an extreme stretch. But that's the case with pretty much all of the Colorado units outside the four mentioned earlier. And a 330 bull, while possible in some Colorado units (even OTC), is very rare. And if you've set 330-350 as a goal, you're most likely going to head to a unit which has a high bull to cow ratio, with little to no hunting pressure. That's 76. I know of a few other units that may be possible, but those bulls are going to be extremely tough to find.
I hunted 76 in 2014. I set a realistic goal of 300 and just missed it (292). The bull I shot was in a herd of over 100 elk. I watched him kick ass on a 320-330 bull prior to me putting an arrow through him with at least another dozen bulls in the herd watching the scrum. Still one of, if not the coolest days of my hunting career. You tell me what other unit I could have had that kind of action?
A true net 320 bull is a big bull. Bull of a lifetime for Lots of people . I think score is so overrated anymore . Good luck to all you guys chasing the tag. Hunt.
/\ What he said. /\ Have a goal, but don't let your goal define your hunt/fun.
