Looking for partners is CO’s Area 54.
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Elksam
14-Jan-20
Recently turned solo archery hunter (normally hunt with my dad but he will be 83 for 2020, he still goes however limited), is looking for partner(s) to hunt area 54 CO. You’ll need to have a horse as I do, and have a pack horse or two. You’ll also need a preference point or two.
From: Elksam
14-Jan-20
Recently turned solo archery hunter (normally hunt with my dad but he will be 83 for 2020, he still goes however limited), is looking for partner(s) to hunt area 54 CO. You’ll need to have a horse as I do, and have a pack horse or two. You’ll also need a preference point or two.
From: Pop-r
15-Jan-20
It's not "Area" 54. Lol
From: Pop-r
15-Jan-20
It's Unit 54. . and alot of years those tags can be had without having any points. It's about half the unit it was 10 yrs ago. They killed them off! As you may be well aware. Depending on what I draw elsewhere I might be willing to go in there this year.
From: SBH
15-Jan-20
Good luck sir! Hope you find a great partner. Bowsite can be a great place to connect with like minded folks.
From: Elksam
15-Jan-20
To be crystal clear, yes GMU 54, I was not aware of the killing off some years back, was it an OTC or was it like GMU 7 now where CPW hands out 1110 tags?
From: Firsty
15-Jan-20
Shouldn't need a point or 2 to draw.........
From: cnelk
15-Jan-20
Last year 54 had 97% chance of drawing with 0 PPs [Resident]. About the only reason a person would need PPs is to apply as a group to be guaranteed the tag(s) so the person with 0 gets to hunt.
From: wildwilderness
15-Jan-20
"About the only reason a person would need PPs is to apply as a group to be guaranteed the tag(s) so the person with 0 gets to hunt."
I don't see how that works- Did Colorado change the rule to Average PP in a group? Otherwise everyone in the group now has 0 points. The only benefit of a Group I can see is so either you all draw or nobody draws...
From: cnelk
15-Jan-20
My mistake. I have Wyoming on my mind
From: Pop-r
15-Jan-20
Yes sir the killing off was just an over allotment of cow tags. They admittedly screwed up the way I understood it. It went on for several years. They're now scurrying trying to build that herd back to even objective. Winters can be SUPER hard in that area too which was bad for them last year I believe. Moreso with deer but alot of elk succumbed to it as well.
From: Pop-r
15-Jan-20
Yes sir the killing off was just an over allotment of cow tags. They admittedly screwed up the way I understood it. It went on for several years. They're now scurrying trying to build that herd back to even objective. Winters can be SUPER hard in that area too which was bad for them last year I believe. Moreso with deer but alot of elk succumbed to it as well.
From: Teeton
15-Jan-20
I spent a lot of time hunting U54 starting in about 1989, hunting it over 120 days over the years.. Back before it became draw it was a much better unit. I even have a email that was [email protected], don't use it as it had some much junk mail coming to it. I hunted up soap creek rd on both sides all the way up into the wilderness. Would take llamas up into the west elk wilderness to get in deep. Also up Ohio Creek Rd on both sides but more so to the west. I had friends that hunted it also.
Now the last few years I hunted it was not what it was. My friends felt the same. I can not personally tell you how it is now, but really have not heard any good from folks that has hunted it in the last few years. Some of the trails I used was tough to get through with the blow downs. Not sure if they have be cleared up. But I tried to say a way from where the outfitters were, so the main trails were open up the last time I was there. Mainly the secondary trails were clogged up where I went. Ed
From: Elksam
15-Jan-20
Hum...that sucks. Looking at the recap #s there were 57 of 59 awarded for first choice, I must have been #58 or 59, I didn’t draw. Anyway thanks for the info. If anyone is interested in partnering ping me.
From: greg simon
15-Jan-20
That sounds just like my luck in the draws!!!
From: WV Mountaineer
15-Jan-20
That area of the state gets hit pretty dang hard. 54 used to be every NR's favorite. Now it's the OTC units that surround it, in any direction for quite a ways. That's not saying forget about the unit or those around it. It's just saying that its the second home to people from Wisconsin and Minnesota.
From: Elksam
16-Jan-20
Funny you say Minnesota and Wisconsin, I met some doctors camped out from Wisconsin in unit 7. Really good guys.
