Cow moose unit 6
Colorado
I've got a cow moose tag for unit 6 and have made 8 scouting trips so far but have yet to locate even one single cow moose. I see bulls every time, deer too. I've even found some elk. But no cow moose. Obviously I'm looking in the wrong places.
I've plotted the harvest data for the last 4 years, making special note of archery and muzzle loader harvest sites. I used that as a starting point for scouting and moved from there to higher ground following game trails and sign. My trail cams are near those locations as well. And still no cows, not even pics on the trail cams.
With 24 days to go, to say I'm concerned would be an understatement. So this is my appeal for any helpful information. If you were one of the archers to harvest a cow in that unit I'd appreciate any information you're willing to share. Same if you hunt that unit for elk and have seen moose cows in September. I'm also trying to track down the biologist and/or WCO (game warden) for that area; if you have their contact info and are willing to share it with me I would be thankful.
ETA: One other I thing: If you are one of the 4 other bowhunters to draw and want to exchange info, coordinate, team up, etc. please reach out to me either here on this thread or via PM.
Here is a young bull I found early Sunday morning on my way up to higher ground to look for cows.
Update: I now have contact info for Jeff Yost and the WCO and have messages in to them.
Cows are hiding because most have calf's don't sweat it they will be around soon
If you find one now, it will be there unless it gets bumped or a bull collects her up.
Where are you looking in Unit 6? I typically see cows east of Michigan res. starting up the creeks toward diamond peak
My info is 11 years old now, but when I hunted up there, all the cows I saw were not far from the reservoir or the creek running out of it. There was a cow & calf that was in the KOA campground every day. I don't recall seeing any cows up higher. Lots of small bulls, but no cows.
I hunted 6 for cow moose and didn't see a lot of them in the summer but did see them during archery season. The only problem was that almost all of them had little calves with them and I wasn't going to shoot their mom. I know they would be fine if orphaned but I didn't need to kill one that bad.
We had a cow and calf every morning eating the hay for the horses that our neighbors had where we were camping. Could of just walked right up to them and stuck mom with an arrow. Wasn't very challenging.
My challenge to myself was finding a lone cow. Didn't end up taking one which was fine with me. Still had a fun hunt.
Good luck on your hunt.
Thanks for all the help and encouragement guys! I've been scouting in detail the areas mentioned. Not just along the creeks, but up the hills and along the ridges between the creeks. I've found some good trails with older sign and that's where I've had my trail cams. I'm not as concerned that I'm not seeing live ones myself at this time, as I am that there aren't any on my trail cams. Hopefully the cams will get some pics this week!
ETA: All PM's have been replied to.
Moose move very little unless disturbed, especially before late September. The cows stay in a general locale pretty much all summer. Spending allot of time within 100yds of food and water. The bulls likewise do not move far until the rut starts then all hell breaks loose and everyone sees moose, because they move. If you see a cow in an area, she most likely will be there until a bull shows up in late September. They are very sneaky when you come close, and usually smell or hear you and just sidestep your approach. However they are not afraid of you for the most part, so they seem to always return to their home range after you leave. Bow season in Colorado is too early for the best moose hunting, but it is still some of the best anymore.
Bowyer, respectfully disagree that the season is too early in CO. As it is now, you find the bulls and cows in summer and they'll be there when the season starts. You can almost pattern them like whitetails. Closer to the rut and it's a crap shoot, better shoot him when you find him. Even the biologist in my home unit advises people who have rifle tags to turn them in and get a bow or ML. Around my house they are very predictable, as you mentioned, until the third week of September. Then all bets are off. It would be even better if it started a week earlier.
What Lou said is on point .I really dislike rifle moose hunts as a guide
Mike, sent you a pm of Brent contact info - unit #6 bull tag. Newt
I saw 3 cows this morning in the State Forest. One was with a calf on Bull Mtn road, one was with a bull (no calf) across from the Ruby Jewel turn-off (just 10 yards off the road), and another lone cow ran across the road in front of me right across from the Dancing Moose Yurt. Saw 3 bulls, 1 was small but the other 2 were decent
Great pic Orion! Thanks for sharing it. Hopefully we'll get to see some this weekend on the ninth and final scouting trip. Those areas you mentioned all have some data points in the CPW harvest data, including at least one archery kill.
I finally got a cow moose on one of my trail cameras :-)
have been on 4 moose hunts in that unit, all tagged out in first two days. tips: take lots of sharp knifes, a portable sawzall, several helpers, and #1 tip close to vehicle access.
Yep good tips! I've the knives, saw (hand saw) and vehicle access covered; helpers are all 'potential helpers' at this point and may respond if/when summoned via SPOT msg.
And 3 days later when that spot message finally goes through......
I was glad to be shock of my spot when I got the inreach
Good luck on hunt. I'll keep hunting these Colo cow moose tags as often as the state will give them to me. Which is about every five or six years so far
Not a ton of places in northpark that id be willing to shoot a moose in that are very far from normal cell coverage if the spot has problems.
Kirby, 3 moose tags in CO is pretty awesome. Let's hope mine doesn't wind up in a pond like yours did in 2015! How did you get it out of that pond? I'm hoping my pulling rig with 4 pulleys and 200ft of rope will be enough if I have to move it, like, out of a pond or creek or something else.
Last year I saw quite a few moose above Michigan lake. Go all the way to the turnabout and take the "road" up about 1.5 miles. I saw a couple of cows and had a run in with a big bull up there in the dark when I was coming off the hill.... Good luck!
Moose were sure out thick in unit 6 yesterday didnt have much time but seen 9 head 4 cows, 4 bulls and 1 calf in about an hour.
Hunted unit 6 Friday and Saturday low and high for elk and didn't see any moose.
"How did this hunt go?" I was unsuccessful on this hunt. I hunted 12 days and saw a total of 3 cows, while I averaged seeing 2 bulls every day. 10 days were on the southern end of the unit in the state forest and 1 day each on the northern end and in the middle near Meadow Creek Res. Being such a novice at big game hunting, it's safe to say I suck at it and need to get better if I can't kill a cow moose in the state forest. A more experienced hunter would have likely gotten on 2 of the 3 cows I saw, but I lost track of them in the trees. The third cow had an agitated bull in the mix. He kept getting between the cow and I. He faux-charged once at 35 yards which was exciting in itself. But when he closed to 20 yards and was making agitated glunky sounds I decided to vacate the area.
I do want to mention that I connected with another bowsiter there. After killing a bull moose early into the season, they were generous enough to spend an entire morning with me glassing and spot-n-stalk. It was great to have met them and spent time with them on this hunt, plus the fresh moose steak was amazing. newt and his son are good people!
I do want to thank everyone who shared info, tips or advice. The fact that people on this forum would take the time to share info with me, a complete stranger, is not only very much appreciated but speaks to the kind of folks that use this forum.
A freezer fu of moose would have been great but the memorys and friendships are what last sounds like a sucsessful hunt to me!
I hate to admit it, but my Cow archery moose hunt was one of the toughest Colorado hunts due to the low density in Unit 12/23/24. The Cow I harvested is still to date the only cow moose I've ever laid eyes on in the unit in the past 5 years. I've seen numerous big bull Moose, Elk, Bears, and Deer up there but got lucky to get the cow I did. Some of the original units where the densities are much higher it's not as difficult to come across them.
Sorry you didn't get one on the ground, if I can offer up some moose meat let me know. Sounds like most of my archery hunts, no meat but wonderful memories. Don't be hard on yourself, its bowhunting - about the experience.
Sorry it didn't work out. PM me if you hit the area I had mentioned. I am wondering if there were crowds this year or if you saw any elk...
