Colorado Unit 4 Elk
Colorado
Anyone hunting unit 4 this year? I am putting in for muzzleloader cow this year and unit 4 will be my first choice with unit 15 as my backup plan.
Good luck. You'll need it!
must have a great reason to go there with all the amazing elk country you could choose...
I am a little familiar with both units. I only have one Pref Point and these look like I can draw there.
I'll be looking at 4th season rifle in GMU 4. ...that is unless I draw my RFW 1st choice! :))
HC Out!
WW, why did you say that? Bad winter or ???
A couple of reasons Kevin:
For several years now, the DOW has allowed extra cow tags to bring the herd into objective carrying capasity. But in reality, along with a couple of fairly heavy winter kills, they have over done it
The second reason would be the RFW factor. Unit 4 is a 4 points or better area for elk. The entire national forest is surrounded by RFW and they are allowed to take spikes. That knocks the heck out of the following year 4 pt. bulls.
In the forest campgrounds that I manage in the summer and fall, there have been less than a dozen elk taken each of the past two seasons. And that includes all four of the rifle seasons combined.
Ugh....I was thinking of putting in for the area for archery, but I think you've just talked me out of it. That sucks. Thank you, Bill.
I am not sure that I would go that far. In mid December, I saw more elk last year on the RFW properties than I have ever seen in my life!!! I am guessing about ~12k easy!
...and they sure are not on most of those properties during archery season! ...of course IMO >>>--WW--> hit it on the head about the size, I don't seem to see as many of the bigger boys as we did say even 5-6 years ago.
But also, they have already reduced the number of tags available in these units for the past couple of years, and I am pretty sure that same will be true for this year. (just ask Highlander!)...I guess they might have waited a year or so too long, but for the last two years they have reduced many of the tags that were available.
HC Out!
I was told that archery and muzzleloader seasons the elk are still on the forest ,but after the first two days of rifle season they move to private property.
Many of the locals simply refer to the elk winter migration as "the elk have crossed the highway"...meaning Hwy 13 :))
From my observations through the years, this normally happens right around 4th season most years, but greatly depends on the snow pack. They stay high until they can't get around any longer. Cows with calves are first to move, then the rest of the cows and spikes, then the bulls. When that middle group moves is when you will start seeing the big herds forming and making haste for the lowlands.
Just my honest opinion :)
HC Out!
HeavyC wrote: I am not sure that I would go that far. In mid December, I saw more elk last year on the RFW properties than I have ever seen in my life!!! I am guessing about ~12k easy!
It is not all that unusual to see many large herds of elk in mid December. But I would question the 12K figure. Some of the larger herds may run close to 1500 actual count.
Another thing you need to realize is that the elk you may see in mid December are migrating through from units 4, 441, 5, 214,and even a few from 14 and 161. They are not all unit 4 elk.
Also, when they cross hiway 13 north of Craig they intermingle with herds from 3, 301,12, 13,211,11,and 2.
You are absolutely correct!
...the 12K is even a conservative estimate. I put over 1200 miles cruising these ranches, over 13 days in mid Dec, and these were the huge herds of 1500-2000, of which I saw several different herds of this size. That, along with many, many other herds in the 400-500 range. Mostly scattered throughout, Big Gulch, Blue Gravel, and where the new one covers, Blue Sage.
Yes, these elk have migrated there from over many units that is for sure. But the vast majority of them are from the Bears Ear herd, and that is the numbers they have been trying cut as a whole.
HOPEFULLY, in a few years we can reap the rewards of their plans work, and mother nature has little to say about it. HOPEFULLY!
HC Out!
Thanks for the input,interesting to a guy from Michigan.I just know the last time i was in unit 4 there were lots of elk there.I was not hunting just scouting,but that hasbeen a couple years ago.
Area unit 4 is surrounded by private ground, allot of this land has good cover, oakbrush,aspen and pine. There is heavy livestock grazing on all of the national forest area all the way to Steamboat. Many times the elk herds are driven off the forest by the livestock movement or at least displaced right before archery season and to some extent into archery season. Because these elk herds are rather large in size they make the hunting either feast or famine, as the herd tends to take all the elk to whereever the leader takes them. Because the hunting pressure is very light on the large private ranches the elk stay there untill the snows move them west. This situation is well know by all who have hunted these areas. This is not new. Some elk filter back if things quiet down. The big kill numbers usually come from the private holdings. The last few years has had many large camps leaving empty. Most complaining of no elk! There still are enough elk around just not on public land in my opinion.
Now if we can only get a couple of wolf packs up there!
So if you had a first rifle tag where would you be opening morning in area 4?
Angle Springs.I hunted that area for 12 years straight.Took 10 elk.Not bad for rifle season on public ground.A lot of pressure.Watch the weather,been snowed in twice.Large herds of elk.The two yeares I didnt harvest an elk I didnt see any.Have not hunted it since I started bow hunting.7 years ago.
