Departing to CO 61 Elk
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Zim
16-Aug-22
Ended up picking up an ebike on sale last minute for this hunt and was seeking tips on maybe some narrower trails where it may be an access advantage. Also, seeking advice on what portions of the unit might be best to mix in some tree stand hunting. I see much of it is low oak brush. Got quite a few water tanks marked in those areas, so likely most of my scouting will be for trees suitable to hunt game trails. Departing Thursday. Will visit family including a new grand daughter in Fort Collins 6 days. Then put wife on a plane home and head to hunt unit August 27th for 6 days of pre-hunt scouting. Looking forward to getting away. Been a rough year at work. Thanks
From: Grey Ghost
16-Aug-22
Zim, I've never hunted 61, but I've spent a bit of time fishing in the general area. What I remember is its mostly fairly steep canyon country. I'm not sure how many trails you'll find that your e-bike will be much help on. But like I said, I haven't covered the entire unit.
Good luck, be safe, and stick a big one.
Matt
From: jdbbowhunter
16-Aug-22
Good Luck!!
From: KHunter
16-Aug-22
Most places you would legally take your ebike will have ATVs is my estimation. Hopefully wrong on that.
From: Sivart
16-Aug-22
I owned my ebike for a total of 2 weeks before I sold it. Just wasn't worth the hassle IMO
From: cnelk
16-Aug-22
I’ve already given out my intel for 61 this year. You’ll have a good hunt most anyplace you go
From: Glunt@work
16-Aug-22
You are in for a great time. Tons of roads, atv trails and some single track dirt bike trails to explore. Plenty of country between the top and the oak brush with suitable trees around water. The traffic lessens and bugling increases the later the season goes.
From: Grasshopper
16-Aug-22
Personally, I liked the north end better then south. It is more open, and you can tell if a 4 point or a booner is bugling, which helps. That really thick foresty stuff, you can't tell if you are chasing a dink or really good bull.
Lots of ATV trails.
From: Pop-r
16-Aug-22
61 is relatively easy country. Some pretty good canyons but not "big country" by any means. Good luck. Pm me and I can give you some tips if you'd like.
From: Zim
17-Aug-22
"I owned my ebike for a total of 2 weeks before I sold it. Just wasn't worth the hassle IMO"
Sivart, You very well may be right. This is definitely going to be an experiment. I may not even have bought it had I not gotten a big sale discount, plus free upgrade. However, I will have 6 good tags the next 6 years, so I figured this was a good time to try. I do know over my last 30 years I can remember several hunts where one of these would have been a game changer, and others where it would have been totally useless. So I expect much depends on the specific hunt.
From: Sivart
17-Aug-22
I'd love to hear how you like it. I used mine here in the midwest for accessing deer stands. There's too much brush for the bike to work in my areas. It may work great for what you're doing. Good luck. Can't wait to hear the story.
From: Ucsdryder
17-Aug-22
I too have given out my 61 info already. I was in there last year. Chase bugles and look over a lot of bulls. There are some 320 plus bulls in there but you’ll have to sift through A LOT of 260” bulls to find them!
From: Hank_S
17-Aug-22
" There are some 320 plus bulls in there but you’ll have to sift through A LOT of 260” bulls to find them!"
Yeah, that's pretty fun though!!!
From: Zim
18-Aug-22
It won’t hurt my feelings at all just having a high elk density and seeing elk be elk. Two of my last 3 hunts were godawful over pressured glorified hiking trips. Spent the first three weeks in Oregon listening to spike hunters bugle 200-300 times per morning. Horrible bow hunt. More than happy to sift through 260’s all day.
From: BULELK1
18-Aug-22
Good luck Ken
Enjoy, be safe and Pick-a-$pot ------------>,
Robb
From: Inshart
18-Aug-22
Good luck, hope you let the air out of a big-un.
From: Zim
18-Aug-22
On the road! :)
From: Firsty
18-Aug-22
You won't be sifting through 260s all day. You will see some but even those aren't behind every tree. Be bear aware. Cant swing a dead cat anywhere around that area without hitting one. Not to many big ones but they are aggressive at times.
From: Zim
18-Aug-22
Brought my Glock & spray just in case.
From: Quinn @work
19-Aug-22
Enjoy all the Razor's and dirt bikes passing you in a cloud of dust until after Labor Day weekend. A large portion of that unit is an atv/dirt bike track until then. Don't get discouraged it will slow down after Labor Day. Your ebike will not help you in that unit but certainly won't hurt you to have one late in the season. You don't even need an atv in unit 61.
Like others I already gave my intel to a fellow bowsiter. It is a once in lifetime hunt these days for a 300" bull. Have fun. Good luck!
From: cnelk
19-Aug-22
I used my atv to get my 61 bull back to the truck. I also used my atv on those muddy, slick, shitty roads after it rained - an atv is so much quicker and easier to get around
From: Altitude Sickness
19-Aug-22
This is the best way to get around in 61
Helping a rancher move his cattle out of 61 The dogs did all the work. But we got the beer
From: Paul@thefort
19-Aug-22
Hey Ken, call me here in Ft Collins and we can have a beer or lunch when you are here for 6 days. I PM you my phone #. Paul
From: Firsty
19-Aug-22
Dont be discouraged by all the ATV traffic they wont be in the woods and the elk are used to them
From: wildwilderness
20-Aug-22
I wouldn’t sit a tree, too much water. Bugling action is what that unit is known for so be mobile aggressively chase bugles!
From: Zim
20-Aug-22
ww, I have 5 weeks to devote to the hunt so I’ll be trying a combination run-n-gun & stand hunting based on the sign & activity. More likely to hunt saddles than water as well. Same for my camp location. Always flexible and took a spike camp setup just in case. I intend to make it a mountain adventure. Only bummer is I forgot to pack my fly fishing gear.
From: Zim
20-Aug-22
Arrived in Fort Collins. Took wife on tourist route, visiting Chimney Rock & Scott’s Bluff en route. Dang my body doesn’t deal with these long drives so well these days. Had to fight drowsiness with iced coffee energy drinks the whole drive. Will be great to visit family/friends for a week before final leg to the unit. Bought a new sight that is giving me problems as well. Got to work on that.
From: Zim
31-Aug-22
Update: Everything went downhill once I put my wife on the plane and finally got my solo time to drive to unit and scout. Gear repairs/returns, 3 work projects had to finish on computer, truck alternator went out needed replacement plus must return for universal belt work, and now got horribly sick from the grandkids virus no doubt. One week of screaming just wasn't enuf. Toddlers are the gift that just keeps on giving. Very miserable just trying to regain strength enough to salvage 1 1/2 days of scouting. What a joke. Had 7 devoted. Instead stuck sick in a hotel in Grand Junction. Can't get much worse.
From: Hank_S
31-Aug-22
So sorry to hear of your misfortune...hope that your recovery goes well and that you'll be hunt ready in a few days!
From: Tracker
31-Aug-22
Still lots of time left. Rest up and hit the mountain. I have never hunted 61 but spent 5 days there at the end of archery season a few years ago scouting.
From: goelk
31-Aug-22
get plenty of rest you are going to need it
From: Altitude Sickness
31-Aug-22
Sometimes the best hunts start out with some hurdles
From: cnelk
31-Aug-22
No need to spend 5 days scouting 61.
Just go hunt
From: KSflatlander
31-Aug-22
Hang in there. Drink plenty of fluids and rest. Adversity is elk hunting. No way around it. Plans always change when in the elk mountains. SNAFU. Get better then get out there.
From: Zim
05-Sep-22
Update: Got so sick on the 9th day had to abandon all my gear in the field and drive to Urgent Care Montrose. I near passed out several times. The doc armed my with Codeine, antibiotics, altitude pills and more. Had to go to Grand Junction as all hotels in Montrose were booked. Told me to stay in town and take meds 3/4 days. I improved Saturday and more Sunday. All symptoms are diminishing. Going to Urgent Care was a good move, and they were even in my insurance network. Will rest one more day and see if cough is rubbed out, plus have belt tensioner replaced on the 4Runner. Also taking advantage to refine my OnX e-scouting.
From: ahawkeye
05-Sep-22
Bummer, hope you get feeling btter soon.
From: Hank_S
05-Sep-22
Glad to hear that you're doing better!
From: Zim
05-Sep-22
I rarely take any meds except for pacer, but this is different.
From: Ucsdryder
05-Sep-22
Sick or altitude sickness?
Hope you feel better!
From: Darrell
05-Sep-22
Moral to this story is never mix grand kids and elk hunting. :) Ok, I would have done the same thing, especially if taking my wife out got me a few extra days of scouting. Bummer, hope you feel better soon and have an amazing hunt. They should be screaming by the time you are up to chasing them again. I'm actually stuck in a waiting room as my mom broke her hip yesterday so my hunt may get postponed. Thankfully, I had encouraged my sister to schedule a trip out here so I think I will still make it out next week but only to an OTC unit.
From: Altitude Sickness
05-Sep-22
Do not take codeine at altitude. Or at least not at night. Your respiration is already slower at sleep and Gets worse while you sleep. If possible you need to sleep lower than you’re working during the day. Zim, maybe it’s a blessing it will make you slow down and sit instead of walking all over. find where they’re moving through and take a seat.
Remember not even a 61 tag is not worth your health
From: Altitude Sickness
05-Sep-22
I would not take that NyQuil at altitude either. Your body is not used to that altitude.
people that live out there can get away with it but I would not be taking those meds at night if I were you.
It’s amazing how just going lower for a few days and then going back up in short stints builds hemoglobin fast.
Unfortunately you’re on a huge plateau so it’s not like your hunting peaks and just descend at night.
From: Zim
05-Sep-22
I stayed at low elevation 4 nights and will return tomorrow morning. Camp is at 9k. I will study more about your suggestions in the day I got left. Had a few benefits, including refined e-scouting.
From: Patdel
05-Sep-22
Good luck to you! Hope things smooth out for you and it turns into a great hunt.
From: Glunker
06-Sep-22
Am hunting 61 with long time buddy. We are in the s portion at about 8300'. So far bugling is sparse. Had one come silent to circle us downwind. Might not have seen him except we could smell him to alert us. Wondering out loud if I should be spending my hunt at Cottonwood or Spruce n slopes. Have not figured out the canyon aspects either.
From: Sivart
06-Sep-22
Good luck
From: maxracx
06-Sep-22
I hunted with a guy 20+ years ago in the Flat Tops. The higher we got the sicker he got. Finally after 2 days of his puking his guts out we pulled the plug. Once we got below 7000 ft he finally was hungry and was able to keep food down. The other 3 guys had no issue at all. Best of luck on your remaining hunt.
From: bowhunt
06-Sep-22
Good luck out there. It sounds like you"ll still have plenty of hunting time. From what others have said your in a unit with very vocal bulls. Most places I've elk hunted the bugleing action gets going sometime in the next week, so on a bright note your at least not missing prime time.
I hope you get a good one, and the rest of your hunt is enjoyable. I remember reading about your hunt in my home state of Oregon, and that sounded like a big dissapointment even though you got a really nice bull.
Stay Positive!
From: MRmich
13-Sep-22
Good hunting Zim!
From: fdp
18-Sep-22
From: Inshart
18-Sep-22
Agree with others - sucks for sure. Good luck and keep us posted.
From: Tracker
18-Sep-22
Crickets from OP. Wonder how the hunt went?
From: Don K
18-Sep-22
Hes still out there going at it, Im sure he will update soon
From: Zim
19-Sep-22
I’ve been hitting it hard. Reporting from Denny’s Montrose.
Got some trailcam photos of the megawallow I could not locate until recently because all 6 days of my scouting were stolen by the GOH virus. Now that the wallow season is concluding. Had a regular visitor while I was sick in the hotel.
From: Zim
19-Sep-22
From: Zim
19-Sep-22
Here he is standing 30 yards broadside from my tree stand while I was busy being sick and playing musical chairs. The big guy walked past at dusk but only came within 80 yards of the wallow.
From: Zim
19-Sep-22
I sat last night again and had 5 rag horns visit, including this one with view from my stand.
From: Zim
19-Sep-22
I had an incredible one hour stalk on Friday on 7 bulls with about 20 cows. The herd bull was a legit 380”, with two of the satellites being a 340” 7x7, and a 320 I got on video chasing three of the lesser bulls into my lap. First legit stalk after losing the first 15 days to illness. It was very difficult with a swollen sprained knee. Had to take a day off afterwards. Would have been a slammer hunt had I not gotten Ill.
From: 6x6 bull
19-Sep-22
Good luck Zim! How many points did it take you to finally draw that tag?
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
19-Sep-22
Damn…
From: Quinn @work
19-Sep-22
So are you done? Still 10 days of good hunting left. Hope you are still out there and can get on a good one. Good luck!
From: Zim
22-Sep-22
I’m just resting body in Montrose a couple days. Good timing as I got a quick project from work to submit FY2022 schedule. Will get back at it Thursday evening if rain holds off. Plan to hunt to the last day if necessary.
From: DonVathome
22-Sep-22
1. I think the Ebike is a GREAT elk hutning tool.
2. Not sure what your goal is but that one bull looks really really nice!
3. Enjoy!!!!!
From: WV Mountaineer
22-Sep-22
Get ‘em buddy.
From: Zim
22-Sep-22
I’m just resting body in Montrose a couple days. Good timing as I got a quick project from work to submit FY2022 schedule. Will get back at it Thursday evening if rain holds off. Plan to hunt to the last day if necessary.
From: In2dmtns
22-Sep-22
Good Luck....
From: JRABQ
23-Sep-22
Sorry to hear about your health problems, good luck on the rest of your hunt.
From: BULELK1
24-Sep-22
Sorry to read ya got sick, dang it.
Hang in there man,
Robb
From: Pop-r
28-Sep-22
I hope you're packing that 380 out!
From: Pop-r
28-Sep-22
I hope you're packing that 380 out!
From: Tracker
28-Sep-22
Good luck the rest of the hunt
From: Pop-r
01-Oct-22
Come on Zim. Don't disappear like most 61'rs do after their hunt. Hopefully you're still on the mountain getting that 380 out!
From: Hancock West
01-Oct-22
Good luck. Hope you get a big one but regardless we need closure. Lol
From: Inshart
01-Oct-22
As others have said, hang in there. Persistence will pay off.
From: cnelk
01-Oct-22
Ummmmm….. season ended yesterday
From: Don K
01-Oct-22
He packed camp up today, Im sure he will be on with the updates and pics
From: Zim
02-Oct-22
I’m reporting from Fort Collins, where I finally made it despite 5 hour delay due to fatal tunnel accident shutting down Eastbound I-70. This fits right in with the rest of my hunt lol. Wanted to spoil my grand daughters again before the long drive home. I did not see the 380” again because it was it was way too hard on my ancient knees to get back the 4 miles to Big A Canyon. Just not possible. Ended up taking an average bull late in the hunt but there was no blood trail and I lost the meat to a bear. First time I failed to recover an elk since 1997. Needless to say, losing the best 3 weeks of a 5 week hunt to the virus was catastrophic.
From: Grey Ghost
02-Oct-22
Sorry for your bad luck, Zim.
With no blood trail, how did you end up finding your bull? How long after the shot did you find him? Where was the bull hit? Give us some details, brother.
Matt
From: labxtreme1.
02-Oct-22
Well done salvaging the hunt as best you could and making the best of it. Look forward to hearing more details and some photos.
From: Glunt@work
02-Oct-22
Killing a 700 pound critter with a sharp stick several states away from home isn't an exact science.
From: Zim
02-Oct-22
Grey Ghost, Ya the weird part was I even got a photo of him on my trailcam after the shot. On my hands and knees right where he stood, not one drop. He headed straight West, so same there, but zero blood. Found my last two deer in Illinois with zero blood after arrow hit back side shoulder bone by doing grid searches. But not this time. My mistake was focusing on the direction he headed, West. Only once did I have a hit bull do a 180 and circle back. But this guy was the second. He still ended up in my grid search area, but in a blow down. I had to walk right by him. Go figure. Another hunter happened to find him 4 days later. And I happened to be chatting with his dad at the trailhead when he came out and informed me on 9/29.
I’ll be reading some threads on this topic to improve my grid search skills. Also want to revisit increasing my bow poundage or arrow weight to get full penetration. I lowered my draw weight from 70 to 62 after shoulder pain years ago. I don’t expect to penetrate deer backside shoulder bones, but this elk shot should have passed through at least the entry side. I’ll try to attach the trailcam photo so you can see it failed to. Arrow exit is at the bottom of the image.
