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Colorado-North Park, unit 14, or 4/5

Last year I took up bow hunting last year unsucessfully in North Park, unit 17 to be exact. I've got guys I know that hunt units 14 and 4/5, but they aren't really willing to help me out much as far as offering a spot in their camp or to even camp with them. They do say though, that I'd be better off hunting those units vs. anywhere in North Park.

Thus, I am wondering in your guy's experiences how you would rank these units?

I'm young and can walk/pack several miles. I have an ATV. I also have a muzzleloader which offers an option for unit 14 as a 2nd choice cow hunt. Brian

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I like early season elk hunting. I have hunted unit 14 once and unit 4 twice.Both great units. I found more elk in unit 4 but found elk in 14 also. Muzzleloader is my favorite season. If you can find undisturbed elk they will be bugleing there butts off .Perfect time to be in the high country. I will be in Wyoming this year.

I've hunted muzzy in 4/5/441. Not a bad hunt. Group has pulled a bull and a few cows out.

Last time I was up there for 1st rifle. Put up trail cams 3 days before. checked them Friday night, had 1/2 dozen elk. Only one we say the entire week was the bull my uncle shot.

Lots of grouse though, good camp dinner.

I chose 14 over unit 5. Why? Because I can hunt here every year for sure, sometimes with a muzzleloader if I chose. Also, 214 has some good terrain.

Whiterock, any tips for unit 14?

The problem with 4 when I hunted it was the sheep ranches ran the sheep week 1 of archery season to push the elk down to the private ranches.

So, although I'd see 300 elk a day in the summer months before the season, I wouldn't see much after the sheep went through. Frustrating as hell.

14 had a huge blowdown and then a couple of big fires. It is steep and there are elk there. I prefer the wilderness part so your atv wouldn't help. The trailheads get very busy most of the archery/muzzleloader season. The 2 biggest elk I have seen were at the very top and in the willows below - about the most diverse terrain you can imagine. Some fun trout fishing in the lakes and rivers.

I know this is an old thread but was wondering if anybody had a good feel for the elk population in 5 for this coming year? The DAU report is old for this unit and the 2017 harvest stats are bad. So bad they don't seem real. Also interested in 4.

5 isnt what it used to be. Half the unit is private, a ton of it was closed off last year because of a fire and more and more sheep have been moved in. You would probably have better luck in 14.

Thanks! 14 is out though since I have points to burn.

I moved to 14 for one year. It was alright at best. I saw a few elk, one bull, and a bunch of other hunters. And trust me, I was 1-3 miles off the road where I would come across hunters. Also, the residents up there ride horses everywhere. So you would randomly see 4-5 people riding horses throughout the day on a trail that took you an hour to hike back in on. 14 is too crowded and there aren't anymore elk than in "North Park."

Well put in for 4,5, and 441. I have plan A picked out in 5. Been looking at a 2nd spot near the 4 and 441 border. If anybody has any advice on these units for elk let me know. May have to bow hunt during the muzzy overlap because my dad can draw a muzzy cow tag with his points.

I'm not sure about elk but north park antelope have taken a nose dive the past few years in response to winterkill. Elk are a lot tougher and would have an easier time making it through rough winters though. I actually returned my son's antelope tag last year for lack of antelope. Hopefully the CPW cut tags to give them the chance to recover!

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