unit 61 Colorado
Colorado
I have a unit 61 archery tag and just made it back from a nice opening weekend, quite a few elk and a couple nice bears. Hoping to get any incite on where guys have had success in the past as a backup to where I hunted this weekend, pretty big unit. Much appreciated fellow hunters/archers!
I hunted it lasy year. You can hunt high and low. Hesrd the whole unit had elk. I prefer dark timber/aspen to lower timber/oak brush. We both tagged hunting off of north creek trail. Water can be real good.
How is your hunt going? Bugling, pressure, etc?
I got a report that the past 2 days the bulls were going absolutely nuts in 61.
I know the cloudy /rainy weather set them off where we are hunting this week.
Got a buddy who’s son drew, said they were going good all last week for about 3 hours a.m. and p.m. and a few during day. They had several close calls with a few heard bulls.
My wife and I hunted the first 7 days of archery in 61. We saw a fair amount of Elk. They just seemed to be one step ahead of us. Bulls were talking but it was more just keeping tabs on who was in the area. We are heading back up Wednesday tell the end of the season if need be. Hopefully they are a little more fired up.
I hunted weekends and the last full week when I had the tag. They were fired up that last week.
Where is Pop-r? There aren't any elk in 61, he'll confirm...
A buddy drew one of the hybrid tags this year so I got to tag along. We hunted the same area as Pikemaster. We saw elk every day but not the numbers that we saw 6 years ago. Got in camp on the 9th & hunted to the 15th. Things were really starting to rock when we headed home. With the influx of the black powder crowd & their side x sides riding every closed trail, the elk were being pushed into private early. The best days I believe will be from now until the closing day. We did see the 3 300 class bulls Pop-R referred to…;-)
I returned from 61 yesterday...hunted from the 13th to the 30th. The first week, bulls would come into bugles, I passed on MANY smaller bulls but I could not get larger bulls in close enough (could see them, but no shot availability). From the 20th on, bulls would respond to bugles but would not come in...just kinda like, I hear you and here I am. I started cow calling in bulls after that and again, the smaller spikes, 2x2, 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 bulls would come in but nothing larger. Every day during the hunt, I was into bulls...always smaller ones, but larger ones as well.
I did see at least 10 bulls that I would call trophy class...I do not know how to classify the antler sizes but I was advised that if the brow tines reach the nose, that's a very good bull and you best be shooting it! I was able to video (really poor video) of a couple of these bulls fighting...again, no shot. Most of the larger bulls were down in the oak brush area only a couple were up in the aspens.
A HUGE shout out to Gabe Lucero at Red Rock Archery in Grand Junction...I damaged my bow and he was fabulous in loaning me one until the other could be repaired. A true lifesaver!!!
On the 30th I decided to shoot any bull and/or cow...well, I didn't! I was into at least 15 different bulls and 25 or so cows during the morning hunt. I passed on cows because there were bulls behind them...the bulls then would take a different route. Of course, during the evening hunt the wind came up and I didn't see nor hear (couldn't because of the wind) a single elk.
Sounds like a pretty fun hunt!
Hank, sounds familiar. Hunted 61 hard last year. Decided I would go big or go home. Passed on a bunch. Focused on one herd bull the last week of season. Very close call last morning of season, but no dice. Those big boys get sneaky the last week of season. So many satellites.
61 10th bull i could have shot. 33 to 8 yards.
61 10th bull i could have shot. 33 to 8 yards.
Congrats arrow1. Nice bull!
