Co. unit 61

[Taos]

has anyone out there hunted this unit? I have a late bull tag. got tired of being rejected in the N.W. part of the state. Any advice anyone has on that area would be a big help. Been so damn busy we have not had time to scout at all. Anyone coming to units 30-33 I can show ya where we have been seeing bulls in the recent past.

 

[Mr.Redneck]

I am planning an archer DIY hunt in WMU 33 next fall, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I along with 3-4 others will be there when the archery season opens and plan to camp and hunt for 10 days. I know you can use the CDNR website and it have interactive maps of the various WMU's and you can customize it to game use areas as far as migration corridors to reproduction areas. It seems pretty easy to use, as far as its accuracy though, I will find out.

 

[Mr.Redneck]

TAOS,
According to the CDNR website, WMU 61, has a 49% success rate, with approximately 40% of those taken being bulls, and about 55% cows, GOOD LUCK!!!!

Hope you're drinking frosties in celebration soon.

 

[Taos]

Where are you planning on hunting in unit 33? We have lately been seeing some great bulls up Roan creek on the Roan plateau. I am pretty sure this is an over the counter tag and think it is in area 30 south of DeBeque. Not that there are not bulls in 33 too. We just saw a couple of 350+ bulls last week is all. I can be reached at lee101t@hotmail.com if you would like some more specifics on either area.

 

[wmidbrook]

Dang Taos, talk like that just might get me into hot water with my wife as she finds me packing up my bags and headin' towards CO for the third or fourth season.

 

[Taos]

It is about as good a time as any. Been seeing lots of elk, bucks, and even several bears in of all places out in the sagebrush!! Noone out there has ever hunted 61 huh? That is strange. No matter in 3 weeks I am going!!!!!

 

[Speckmisser]

Taos,

I can't remember if I was in 61 or 62 last year with Bruce Hyatt. I took my bull less than an hour into the first day of first rifle, so the rest of my trip was spent with a camera or by the fire with a book. Bruce's camp literally straddles the 61/62 boundary.

The weather was dry and warm most of the week, and from what I was hearing from locals, the elk were a little harder to find than usual. There are supposed to be a lot of animals there, though. I know I saw a ton of sign.

Some nice deer too.

 

[Mr.Redneck]

TAOS,
I was planning on hunting on public land, not real sure of how to obtain permission on private land out there. Here in OH, all you have to do is find a farm and ask a farmer if you're a bowhunter, usually they'll tell you to kill them all. I and the group of guys I am going with are all virgin elk hunters, but have watched many a video and read nearly 20 articles on calling to reading sign. I am open to suggestions, but WMU 33 seemed like a good opportunity to get an elk for at least a couple of us with an OTC tag. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated, as I really have no idea what we are getting ourselves into.

 

[COHunter]

I don't think I have the patience to wait the 6-8 years it takes to draw GMU 61. With it requiring so many points, I doubt your gonna find too many people that have hunted there.

 

[Taos]

I had an easy time waiting for that tag. Just guided and shot cows for 8years. I sure hope it is worth it though. It will probably be my last hunting trip in Co. Getting way too many people around here to suit me.

 

[Mr.Redneck]

TAOS,
IS IT HORRIBLY CROWDED OUT THERE DURING ARCHERY SEASON??? I WAS PLANNING AN ARCHERY HUNT NEXT FALL, AND HAVE NEVER BEEN OUT THERE. I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE TO WAIT 1 YR, THAT'S WHY WE ARE GOING FOR OTC AREAS.

 

[Taos]

D Morehouse,

The crowding problem is not near as bad as it used to be. This year I saw a lot less archers running around than in season's past. If I am not mistaken you can put in for rifle hunts and accumulate points and still buy an over the counter archery tag. All you guys need to come to Co. and kill some elk as we have WAY too many and I think it has really hurt the deer numbers.

 

[Mr.Redneck]

If we can get on them with bows, I know that a couple of the guys coming out with me like myself will stick a cow after the first 6 of 10 days hunting. I will have a hard time not sticking one right from the start, because I just like killing a new animal, and like skinning out and cutting meat, but I really would like to tag out a bull.

Area 61 had a 60% success rate for archers last year

, with 45 of the 50 animals killed being bulls

, how hard is the archery draw for that area????

That sounds quite appealing to me.

I'd rather stick 'em with an arrow from 40yds. than anything else. I just like bowhunting, but may look into a rifle hunt after trying with archery equipment. The area I was most heavily looking at in 33 was the northern half. Mostly public land, if you can give me any advice on where might be a nice place to set up our camp it would be greatly appreciated, definitely need to be near water, with some trees for a little protection.

Taos, you may also hit the CDNR website, it has really nice, not sure if their right, but nice none-the-less maps of the GMU's that you can customize down to areas of ELK migration, summer ranges, winter ranges, production areas, etc. I was not sure if you looked at any of these or how accurate they are, but if they are indeed accurate, I am expecting at least on of my party to tag out something when he head out west.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[ChrisS]

Hey, I have been hunting unit 61 and 62 since I was old enough to hunt and my family has hunted there since the 1950's. We have a cabin with some acres in unit 62. I was with a couple relatives hunting bears in September over a weekend and saw over 20 legal bulls in 61 in one day! I hunted in 62 during the first season and saw elk every day just not very many. We took 3 elk, 1 bull and 2 cows. We had a couple guy's who had cow tags for 61 and they saw alot of elk but only a couple legal bulls. I am heading over to hunt 61 in the third season with two friends that have cow tags and one friend with a bull tag for 62. I am also hunting unit 62 again in December with a private land tag. The problem with 61 is that there are alot of bulls early in the season but come the rifle seasons they are alot harder to come by. Alot of times while im hunting 61 with a cow tag I won't see a decent bull the whole week. They head for the less pressure areas usually on private land, and theres alot of private land over there too. Our problem is we have been hunting the same general area in 61 with decent success so nobody wants to go check out other places in the unit where there may be alot more big bulls and alot less hunters. Most of my family are more into the meat than the horns, alot of them just try to get cow tags every year. I'm confident if a guy was willing to pack one out and get way back in where there are few other people they would have a chance to take a nice bull. You can take a spike in 61 if you want so you should at the very least come home with some good eats if you don't wait to long before you decide it's spike or nothing! My uncle helps out with a guy that has a hunting party every year on his private land and they routinely shoot nice bulls. In fact I just recieved an e-mail saying that they took 6 6-point bulls already this year. I'll stop rambling now, feel free to send me an e-mail or something if you are looking for more information.