If you had 23pps for elk where u going ?
Colorado
Contributors to this thread:
JohnMC's Link
Based on last years number you should be able to any archery unit except 201. Last year 3 of 12 with 23 point drew unit 201 I doubt you could get it this year. Last year it took 22 points to draw unit 2 so I'd think it likely you would draw it this year. I'd be looking at unit 2 or unit 10, maybe 61. See link for unit stats
I would either go for 2 or 10, whichever one you know the best. 61 is a good unit, but not quite in the same league as the the other two in my opinion. I would pick one and then spend as much time as possible learning the unit. If you don't have the time or inclination to scout heavily you could always pay to get on the Walker Ranch in 2. Good luck in the draw!
I guess to be a little more clear on my question, With 23 pp's what unit would you try to draw and why ? Pretty sure I have a chance to draw archery in any unit but 201 this year.Its almost crunch time and im just wanting as much input as i can get from others who have hunted in or guided 2,10,201 mainly..thx KC
Unit 61. Why because you have a few more points then me. If you draw 61 that is one less person in front of me with more points. A minor slow down in point creep in the big three. ;)
2 or 10. I have only hunted 2. My partner and I killed two 350+ bulls with recurves in 6 days. I would love to hunt that unit again, but alas....
I think it's pretty clear that for this year your best choices are 2 or 10. I hunted 10 two years ago and had a great hunt. I wrote a story on here that can be accessed by clicking on the elk icon and going down a couple of pages. It's titled "The quest is the best" You can also find it by goggling Bowsite/the title. If I was able to draw again I'm not sure which of the two I would choose. The knowledge and experience I gained in 10 would be a huge asset, but I'd love to get to know 2 as well. They are separated by the monument so you are basically hunting the same elk in the same habitat. There are several factors that could be considered advantages for either unit. Unit 2 is larger and has a slightly greater percentage of public land. Obviously a plus on both counts, more room to look and larger total acreage. Unit 2 also has a possibility of paying a trespass fee to hunt the Walker Ranch. This is a proven great area and for someone with the money and maybe less time to scout and hunt it can be a great option. There are also those who claim that 2 has slightly bigger top end bulls, although I have examined every account and picture I could of hunts in both units, conversed with dozens of veterans of the hunts, spent several seasons hunting, scouting, shed hunting up there and I see no evidence of any measurable difference. You will see numerous bulls between 300 and 330 inches in both units. Some between 330 and 360 and if you work hard and are lucky you will see a handful larger than that.
According to DPW estimates Unit 10 has approx. as many elk as 2 and 201 combined and a much better bull/cow ratio. I'm not convinced the ratio numbers are to be trusted, but I think it's pretty obvious that elk are easier to find in 10. This is an obvious plus for 10, but as I mentioned earlier there is more private in 10 and you definitely need to put your time in and have accurate mapping so you know where you are. I found no shortage of places to hunt, but if you read my story you will see that it was an issue at times. 10 also has slightly easier access to gas, food, etc. This may or may not be considered an asset, depending on your point of view. If you read up on these units you will find that people scouting for their friends or future hunts can be a problem at times. I did not experience this on my hunt, but I know others in both units have had issues with this. I don't believe either unit has an advantage in this regard. Another interesting comparison between the two is the distribution of tags. Both units have 20 bull tags during the archery and muzzleloader seasons, but they are allocated differently. For many years now Unit 2 has had 10 archery and 10 muzzleloader tags. Unit 10 has 15 archery and 5 muzzleloader tags. Consequently in 2 you would theoretically have less competition the first couple of weeks and then more competition during the 9 days of muzzleloader. This is not a huge factor, but if you only have one part of the season to hunt it may possibly affect your choice. You will have a great experience in either unit. I encourage you to spend as much time as possible scouting and hunting as you will only get one chance at either unit. Good luck in the draw!
Point Creep must not have kept up as much if you cans draw 201,2 or 10 with 23 points?
We hunted 2 back in 2015 I believe and were fortunate to draw archery with 22 points.
Wish I would have helped my dad hunt and then hunted separately rather than both having tags at the same time.
It was definitely worth the wait for the hunt we experienced. I wish I would have seen the 5x5 my dad passed on day 1, he shot a 350” 6x6 the next evening. I was on 50+ bulls over the 28 days I hunted and I only got on the giant one time on the Solace Ranch with my buddy Kelly, that got blown out by a guy and his son that had permission to be on the property that were from greystone and I was the only person in the unit hunting as the other 7 guys were tagged out.
It was worth the wait for the experiences we had, I went home after getting the Bull I was targeting blown out. There is a lot of downplaying in my opinion about how incredible the tag really is and the handful of giants that are in there. Having 10 year old bulls around and patches of private produces the potential for something really great.
Ive never had 23 PPs. But over the years Ive hunted 10, 61, and 49. All good hunts
I have 24 and am puttin in for 61, about a 90% chance.
elknailer, you're about talking NR's I believe. All the guys posting on this thread above are Colorado residents.
I had the points to draw any archery hunt in the state when I dropped my points. I picked 2 over 201. It offered more of what I wanted in an elk hunt. After spending a lot of time in 2/201 last year, I would still go 2.
I'm with Treeline. Burned mine in 2 vs. 201 after talking with guys who had hunted both. Not sorry I chose 2.
How is the moisture in the NW corner looking so far this year. From say Glenwood to the NW corner.
I know it’s always dry, but is it average, below average?
As of this morning the snowpack for the Yampa and White river basins is listed at 92% of average. The upper Colorado is listed at 90% and the N. Platte and Laramie, which is a little east are shown at 98%.
Brun, that’s nice to hear.
Also, that was a very comprehensive write up for future tag holders.
I’ve never had a 2 decade draw tag. (I have 19 points in Utah for elk and a lot for the other species)
One thing that has always disturbed me was how many people are in those trophy units that don’t even have a tag. I understand it’s govt land. Reading stories that take place in AZ, NV, UT and to a Lesser extent CO. Where the tag holder has 5-12 additional people in camp “scouting” spotting and squatting on parking and glassing areas. Almost harassing the tag holder.
It would be nice if P&Y and B&C and other orgs could frame language that this rude behavior is not sporting. Also we should speak out more that when these stories appear they should be framed in a negative light and not held up as a proper way to hunt.
Also it would be nice if states would limit how many helpers could assist in the hunt or kill. For instance each tag holder would get 2-3 permits for people to assist in the hunt.
If you don’t have a permit you can not legally glass or scout during certain dates. To give more respect to the animal and the other hunters.
I want to thank everyone for their replys and input on here and also to the numerous PM's I recieved its greatly appreciated, I applied for Unit 2 with Im guessing about a 60-40 chance at drawing this year.Now its the waiting game.But Im looking at it like im going to draw and preparing myself with that frame of mine.And regardless of the outcome it won't be time wasted it will be time gaining knowledge for this one in a lifetime tag.Wish me luck in the draw I will keep you posted and again thank you all your the best. KC P.S..Anyone else who info please reply still
Perhaps the resident high point holders also have an equal amount of deer points and will move that draw to the front burner this year. With the late season dates. And the fear of the top deer numbers being reduced Either way. Good luck. And enjoy the anticipation and prep.
Unit 61 sucks IMHO, good luck.
I have a hard time agreeing with the Unit 61 naysayers on here. That said, I would still take 10, 2, or 201 if I had the points, but 61 is also a great hunt.
Good luck! If you draw, you'll have a hoot. Plenty of good info on unit 2 from past threads.
Thanks Guys I applied for Unit 2 since I dont have enough points yet to draw Unit 201,And theres no gurantee 23 points draws Unit 2 this year.It was a toss up for Unit 2 or Unit 10, I chose 2 mainly because its a larger unit with more public land and also I would have the option to hunt on the Walker ranch if I paid the Trepass fee.
You made the right choice.
The Walker Ranch is a tremendous property. It has awesome potential. I spent the bulk of my hunt on the public lands. It was pretty awesome too but the water was very hard to find. I only saw one couple, on a quad, once, and they were riding the lower roads - a mile or two or three from where the elk were running. My concerns about blown setups on public land were totally unfounded. It appears that's much more likely to occur up in the Douglas Mountain Area where there were a number of camps.
Good luck in 2! I decided to burn my points in 10 this year.
Good luck in the draws and on the hunt for the lucky ones that are successful in the draw!
Good luck in the draws to everyone. Any one who draws this year should be aware of the new State Trust Lands that have opened up to the public. They were actually open last year, but I know a lot of hunters didn't realize it. There are at least a half dozen new areas in Unit 10 and several of them are really valuable. There are a couple I would have hunted a couple of years ago if I had been able to.....I think it's the same story in 2, but I'm not as familiar with that unit.
Good luck in the draws to everyone. Any one who draws this year should be aware of the new State Trust Lands that have opened up to the public. They were actually open last year, but I know a lot of hunters didn't realize it. There are at least a half dozen new areas in Unit 10 and several of them are really valuable. There are a couple I would have hunted a couple of years ago if I had been able to.....I think it's the same story in 2, but I'm not as familiar with that unit.
This bull is in 2. Picked his sheds up last year. Spent the rest of the summer locating him. Put eyes on him twice. First time was the weekend before opening season, and the last time was late November.
Located him a few weeks ago within a week of him dropping this years sheds. Hoping to locate them again!