So I have to ask. When’s the last time a bow hunter has been shot by a gun hunter? Is it very common? Most states require bow hunters to wear orange when a gun season runs concurrently so it isn’t an issue.
It happened just a couple years back, the young boy was shot and killed by a ML hunter and I believe the hunter was charged. Sad deal.
There are a lot of guns going off in 61 from what I can tell. Heck I was watching a video the other day and a guy was glassing bears and was down slope a bit and someone was shooting a bear he was watching over the top of him. Easy to do in that country. Blaze orange is almost like camo in the oak brush.
Good luck with your tag, I will be in there looking around.
mwolf, you're going to have a great hunt. Finding elk won't be any problem. Finding the one you want may take time. I'd just say that you probably don't want to shoot the first one you see. Be patient, there are some good bulls in the unit.
Thanks for the link. After reading the story that could have happened to anyone. Blaze orange or not. Idiot took a “sound shot” he didn’t even see his target. Geez.
I know this. Anytime I hunt during a gun season on public property I wear orange. I’ve never hunted archery in Colorado but if I did while guns were out I’d have some orange on!
Wyoming only requires a hat for firearms. But I wear a hat AND vest. Cuz I don’t trust the other idiots out there.
That is every day of the bow season in Colorado...
Fixing to get worse with CPw’s plan to vastly increase the rifle tags for bears. Combined with concurrent rifle bear and archery season dates will make it a joy to be in the woods.
Thanks for all the information. Sad about the kid. I've archery hunted all my life. The only time I've felt unsafe was out in Craig on a rifle Antelope hunt.
I'd bet a good bit of change you don't see a bull on public over 290". That being said you should have a good hunt. It's not near what people believe it is I assure you! I know 2-4 pt. nr mzzldr tags i'd much rather have!
You will have a great time. We had virtually constant bugling with lots of bulls from about 290" to 310" We saw a couple bigger than that, but the action was great and you should get into a lot of elk. We were on public land 100% of the time. Good luck!
If you do not have any experience scoring bulls I would suggest practicing. Know what your expectations are for a bull and be confident the elk you shoot is what you want before you shoot. That is what I did last year during 2nd rifle and had a great hunt. It will be a blast! I heard lots of bulls the last weekend of archery last year and 1st weekend in October when scouting.
I spent over 2 wks there in 17'. Hitting it hard 15 hrs a day. Talked to every CO that works the area except the one that works the very NW end. They see three 300" bulls a year dead or alive combined. That says it all sir. I can go show you a 300" bull in several units tomorrow you can draw with 2 pts. What a joke. Cnelk probably did kill the biggest bull in the unit when he hunted it a few years ago. That said you can kill elk there. Pm me and I will tell you right where you will see elk at daylight anyday you desire.
It's no secret where to find an elk in 61. Stop truck, get out. That's about all there is to it. Here's a picture of an archery kill in 61 a couple years ago. 343" Hunt hard, have fun, shoot a bull. You'll love it
Pop-r really? 3- 300"bulls a year reported by CO's?
Granted I hunted it 10 years ago but I probably saw a 300" bull in 8 of the 10 days I hunted. I had a 350" or better minimum and came home with a 348" bull on the next to last day of my hunt. Hunted 2 bugling bulls over 360" for 2 days but couldn't kill em with a bow.
You were obviously hunting the wrong areas and talking to the wrong people. I'll never draw this hunt again so I don't care.
Good luck to all those hunting 61 with a bow this year. My buddy's in there this year so I won't share info until after he kills his 350" bull.
Quinn FTR I hope he kills a giant! They're not there tho like people think. You'll agree with me when your buddy fills you in. & yes sir that's 3 dead &/or alive a year seen by CO's. I figrd you could go find a 300" bull in an afternoon but I was wrong. Best bull I saw in 17 days I believe on public was about a 260" 6 pt. I saw one bull killed in the early rifle and it was about a 250" 5x6. The day I got there at daylight I saw a 290'sh bull on private with ALOT of satellites and a couple hundred + cows. There were no other larger bulls there & they were going OFF! Please everyone that has a tag in there keep us posted and prove me wrong but I think you'll be thoroughly discouraged. I almost forgot. CATTLE! You had best like hunting around cattle! One ranch alone I talked to turns 650 pairs in there & that's just a small area on the SE end. There are quite a few ranches with rights in there just the same. It is a breachment to our National Forest the overgrazing that is allowed in these places! Really a shame.
I agree on the cattle. They were a pain in the $&@! Got away from them the last week but the 2nd week they were everywhere we were and would stampede through the forest at the sight of us.
I'll be helping my buddy who drew a 1st rifle tag down there, I'm excited to get into that country...he'll be disappointed to hear there aren't any decent bulls though :)
There was a 350' bull killed in 61 last year by a black powder hunter that I have pics. of. Maybe it was one of 3 big ones killed in 61 last year. The year I archery hunted the unit I saw and got a shot at a 300"++ bull and saw one other that I was pretty sure topped 300". In the end I ended up killing a much smaller bull but the hunt was so awesome that I didn't care how much antler I ended up with. Best elk hunt of my life.
“ In the end I ended up killing a much smaller bull but the hunt was so awesome that I didn't care how much antler I ended up with. Best elk hunt of my life.”
“ In the end I ended up killing a much smaller bull but the hunt was so awesome that I didn't care how much antler I ended up with. Best elk hunt of my life.”
Thanks all, that quote is exactly why I applied for 61
mwolf, I hunted 61 in 2014, missed a big bull on the 4th day of season, opening day of muzzle-loader a guy I know killed that bull, gross 377 net 366+ 6X6 ( I measured it). Another 357" bull was killed by another muzzle-loader hunter. In 16 days of hunting 2014 I seen at least dz bulls from about 250's to 290's, and about half dz 300+" bulls, couple 350's+, but they were in deep canyon's/bowls. Over the last 24yrs I've measured about 7-8 bull's from 61 that went 345 to 379, and another OM in Grand Junction measured one at 386" (archery 2014). If your looking for your first P&Y bull 61 is a great unit, looking for a 300"+ your odds are still great, just have to work through the other bulls. I'll see if I can post some of these pics. Best of luck!!
I deer hunted 61 last fall in second rifle. All I know is I'd love to elk hunt there. There were still herds of elk hanging out in the open meadows next to the main road at daybreak, and also places they could easily be glassed and stalked. If that is going on during second rifle I can't imagine how fun that unit would be to hunt during peak rut.
The only difference between many of the posters above is they hunted pre - early season rifle which does take some of the upper bulls out of the playing pool.
My goal is a P&Y bull. That’s it. As much travel as I’ve been doing getting softer, while Charlie gets harder I will be happy with one 5 inch brow tine.
Chad, you'll kill a great bull. You have that "thang". Have a great hunt!
I'm thinking Pop-r is probably an expert on elk bowhunting in general, and on that unit in particular, being from Arkansas and all, but there are probably better sources of information available you. ;-)
Set realistic expectations, have fun, savor every moment of being in elk country that holds a good amount of elk. Don't shoot the first bull that walks by...unless you are like I was and will have zero regrets when you do. :^)
Pop-r has quite a bit of intel on the unit before it became draw so he has been accumulating info for quite some time. I told my experience and the experience of the CO's who work there everyday. I hope everyone who hunts there has the best hunt of their life!
It’s a great time....if did it again I wouldn’t even go til the 10th of September. The bugling action after the 10th is pretty incredible but if you want something p&y class or larger be strong willed. Lots of smaller bulls.
Keep in mind the unit is managed as a quality hunt unit, not as a trophy unit. With that in mind you can expect to see more animals and fewer hunters. A 300” class bull is certainly a realistic goal but in most cases that’ll take above average hunting skills, knowledge of the unit, a solid plan, and a little luck. I’ve been fortunate enough to hunt unit 61 three times and the best advise I can give is to hunt like it’s an otc unit. Enjoy the hunt.
I was in the unit this past week and just want to ask if it is normal to not see any elk or sign of elk this time of year? I finally drew for archery this year and have been super excited however, with all the talk of all the elk in this unit I was a bit dismayed at the seeming total lack of elk this time of year. The country looked great with tons of grass and feed. The cattle looked as healthy as I have ever seen. Also wondering if anyone knows how the burn is affecting the northern end of the unit? I typically love burns but this country just seemed void of any life and I know these areas were historically great producing areas. I've been told you do not see many elk in there this time of year but man you can glass a lot of country and good looking country and you would think you would see at least a few at dusk and dawn. Somebody make me feel better please by confirming this is normal.
Does not matter what normal is this time of year as there will be scads of elk around every bend and in every valley in the fall. The land of milk and honey for an elk hunter.
No idea how you traveled nor where so hard to say how you did not see elk of fresh sign but they did not leave the unit. They are there.
Fear not, you will have a great time there. I'd be looking and marking access areas and water holes, tree stand sites, etc. this time of year. I'd also take a look down in the ag crops early in the mornings/late evenings to see if anything interesting is feeding down there. Find a trail going there and sit it.
Hi all, brand new to bowsite. I have been a contributor to hunttalk forum for last 3 years and I look forward to contributing here.
I was drawn to this thread/forum bc I cashed in 16 points and drew unit 61 for 2022 archery. I have been looking forward to this tag for quite some time and now that I have it I feel the pressure is on!
A little background about me is I am a CO resident and I have spent the last 10 years bow hunting mostly otc and some other southern CO units that went to draw the last few years. I own a fly shop here in co and I spend most of my time either fishing or scouting elk. My personal best bill is a 270” class bull with a rifle. I am beyond excited for this tag and my goal is to break 300 on a 6x6.
I plan to be in the unit at least 2x prior to season to glass/drive the roads and should be able to get at least 2 weeks to hunt the unit at a min.
Anyways I appreciate any advice or opportunities to chat with you all off line about my plans or E scouting so far. In addition, I look forward to recapping my hunt and being a continued member and not vanishing from here after the hunt.
Asking for suggestions. You live in Colo so go more than 2x before season and do a lot of hiking into and sorting out the more remote glassing points versus “ glass/drive the roads”.
Agree with above suggestion to hunt later in the season versus earlier.
Hunt the whole season. Can't imagine having that tag & only taking a week or two to hunt it. Keep us updated please as we'll be anxiously awaiting your feedback.
To clarify my previous statement. I plan to drive and learn the roads in unit so I know how long it takes to get around etc,
I’ve spent a fair amount of time escouting and marking trails and water sources. I plan to check a lot of those and get some boots on ground. In addition I do want to check out a lot of vantage points for possible glassing spots. I’m not as concerned about finding elk as I am finding water, good vantage points and having my hikes mapped out prior to season.
What a fun tag! Its the kind of place you could show up with no prior scouting, likely be on elk and have a game plan put together pretty quickly. On my hunt we jumped around early in the season and then spent the last week in one spot. Guys have success all over different parts of the unit. The last part of the season was a blast with less people around and a lot of bugling.
Solid plan to learn access and get eyes on different parts before season. I wouldn't worry about finding elk during the summer.
Hi, new the forum. I drew 61 archery in 2021 and had to turn it in due to unforeseen family disasters. Got my points re-instated and had to skip '22, same reason. I told everyone, I don't care who dies, put them on ice until I get back. I will be 62 and it is not getting any easier. I work remotely and plan to spend Aug & Sept on site hunting the 1st and last weeks of the season, and any afternoon mid-Sept. Putting boots on the ground is important but I have to be smart about it. I want to do it on my own and it is to be the hunt of a lifetime for me. Any advise is greatly appreciated. Not new to elk hunting but my last time was 2005.
Well I just got back from 61 and I wanted to thank everyone for their help.
I will do a brief recap as promised and will add to this post as I remember everything. I’m not the best writer.
As far as 61 goes had a great hunt that was at times what I expected and at other much harder or threw a curveball at me.
I had 17 days planned to be in the unit broken up between the first 5 days and the last 12. i am still forever grateful to my wife for holding down the fort with a 10mo old while I go to go hunt.
Anyways, as far as the hunting… first couple days I had in the unit started off great. Calling was mildly effective on satellites but we had the most success just sneaking in. I passed on 2 different 6pt bulls and didn’t get a clean opportunity on another bull I would have shot 2nd day. By the time the 3rd and 4th day rolled around, the moon was getting brighter and the unit felt crowded. Lots of muzzy and bear hunters in the field. The elk were still bugling at first light but were basically already hunkered down in their beds. The the hunting got real tough that Friday before muzzy. I must say I was really surprised that in Thursday and Friday before muzzy opener, I ran in to two separate hunters in the field with their guns on shoulder who claimed they were “scouting” but were actively chasing bugles. With that said I was pumped to come back as it seemed the unit would be on fire when I got back .
Fast forward to wed 21st, I headed back down to 61 in a down pour. Rain finally stopped Thursday am and I was in the field. That first day after rain was absolutely insane, elk bugling every 50yards it felt like. Within 20 min I called in a giant on a string. He came in so fast I didn’t have time to range. I took the shot but missed high. Huge bummer. That afternoon was more of same felt like I couldn't hike 100yards with out bumping elk. I got on a really nice wide 5x5 and had him in at 9 yards but passed. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. The next day we chased some great bugles and glassed up an absolute monster 360 on private. Later that morning we even called a.nice 6 in 300yards across a meadow but he hung up at 50 and dipped into some new growth aspens down wind of us when he didn’t see the cow that was calling to him. Everything was going amazing but things really changed for me come sat, it felt like the elk disappeared. The usually spots were absolutely silent with maybe a faint bugle here or there. Next 3 days we really grinded it out and didn’t have much luck. Elk were either extremely call shy or locked on private. Towards end of hunt I had one encounter with a good 6x6 and slipped in to 60 yards. I blew a bugle thinking he’d come in and boom, I blew that herd out so fast.
One thing of note here too is that I have been feeling the effects of Covid since July. Been on a steroid inhaler. By Monday this week, I was struggling to keep my shortness of breath and cough under control. Anyways I went out Monday night and said I wanted to focus on having fun and if a good bull gives me an opportunity im taking it. I had a buddy with my but I was basically calling solo and that made it tough for set ups etc… so Monday night I packed in a cow decoy(I have had this thing in a box for 5 years unused) and we started up towards an area we knew was holding elk. 15 min into hunt I heard a good bugle and it was only about 100-300 yards off the closed rd we were walking. I set up the decoy and cow called and within 10 min and a couple soft calling sequences this bull was coming in. He held up for a min but then saw the decoy. I couldn’t believe this thing might actually work. I had called from the decoy in beginning but when his bugles got closer I moved 20 yards down wind. The bull came in up wind of me and gave me a 30 yard shot. I couldn’t pass it up. I’m very grateful, had a great hunt and given the missed shot and the way my lungs were holding up, happy with my bull.
