CO Unit Info

[outdoorsman35]

Anybody familiar or have any advice for the following CO public GMU first rifle Elk season? No guide and camping. Able to hike and pack far.

011,012,013,023,024,
025,026,033,034,131,
211,231

Thanks in advance!

 

[jackrabbit]

back in the day, my gang used to hunt gmu 33 every year (north of Silt and Newcastle which are on I-70 along the Colorado river). Just drive staight up the main forest road up to 9,000 feet where you are on a huge plateau -- easy walking and driving, and hard hiking if you go down into the canyons into the heavy timber. This area contains one of the largest elk herds in the state, and you can go online at the CO DOW site and download elk migration route maps. This is a chronic wasting disease area so I would recommend having your elk tested before you eat the meat, just my preference on that. Bull elk tags are over the counter, and regulations are 4 points or better. We always hunted the 2nd rifle season -- tons of hunters, but also tons of elk, and the hunters kept the elk moving. Plenty of stores for supplies of all kinds, and taxidermists in the town of Rifle (we used to call Tims Tools sporting/hardware goods for references to local taxi's that would accept a hide/head at all hours). We also head cell phone service in a lot of spots up on the plateau. This is the only unit we ever hunted so I can't say anything about the other units.

 

[outdoorsman35]

Thanks! I have done some more research and wonder if there will be any elk in the Flat Tops Wilderness area during the first rifle season. i found 3 areas outside of the wilderness area that seem to have a lot of elk but they allow ATVs and some even have 4wd access. i figure since i am backpacking i might be at a disadvantage and maybe should look in the wilderness area. any thoughts?

thanks!