Colorado unit 85 elk

[ddavis_1313]

I will be in this unit Aug 31-Sep 8 on private for elk. Not the biggest parcel of private so I may go up for the opening week and get on public until those dates or have the public as a plan b if the private land is showing low signs of elk activity.

Anyone have any insight on public around Weston or the San Isabel NF near by? Curious as to the pressure to be expected during archery especially near timberline.


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[TexasCub]

A lot of prime country in 85 burned to scorched earth from the spring fire, but a good bit of elk were pushed down into the low country private land and creek bottoms. I’d be looking at some of the maps and aerials from the Spring Fire to see what’s burned.

 

[ddavis_1313]

A lot of prime country in 85 burned to scorched earth from the spring fire, but a good bit of elk were pushed down into the low country private land and creek bottoms. I’d be looking at some of the maps and aerials from the Spring Fire to see what’s burned.

So the private I’m hunting is about 3-4 miles from the 100k acre burn they just had. Also, the public I’m looking into as a back up or to hunt the opening week is very close by the burn as well. Are you saying to hunt the burned areas or to hunt the areas that weren’t burned. I didn’t think those burnt areas would be very productive until next year.


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[TexasCub]

No what meant is for you to figure out what actual elk habitat isn’t burned, that fire burned hot and a lot of the elk habitat in 85 is gone for this year. If you can figure out where there is still good habitat you should find elk there.

 

[Seth1913]

If you visit the CPW website all the info you’re looking for is presented there. There is a link providing harvest reports which include the number of people per unit.

 

[RojoGrande]

The NF South of Cuchara is still open as is the NF and wilderness areas on the Spanish Peaks. I'd expect a lot more hunting pressure in these areas since the Northern part of the NF is now toast. The Spanish Peaks SWA is also available but it gets a lot of pressure as well. Not much public land left to to hunt except small tracts of BLM and STL, many of which are landlocked by private. Much of the elk population in the area is on the big private ranches, Twin Peaks, Hill and Tercio ranches or will be shortly after opening day.

Rojo

 

[ddavis_1313]

The NF South of Cuchara is still open as is the NF and wilderness areas on the Spanish Peaks. I'd expect a lot more hunting pressure in these areas since the Northern part of the NF is now toast. The Spanish Peaks SWA is also available but it gets a lot of pressure as well. Not much public land left to to hunt except small tracts of BLM and STL, many of which are landlocked by private. Much of the elk population in the area is on the big private ranches, Twin Peaks, Hill and Tercio ranches or will be shortly after opening day.

Rojo

So what you’re saying is find them early on public and if not then be thankful I have private land 5 miles south of the Spanish peaks.


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[5MilesBack]

So what you’re saying is find them early on public and if not then be thankful I have private land 5 miles south of the Spanish peaks.

If you have access to 1000's of acres of private......sure. Otherwise it's just a crapshoot as to whether they would be on a small parcel or not.

I've been trying to get hunting access on a ~10k acre ranch down there since 2008. I know the owners very well, and still haven't been successful. They've had a lot of problems in the past with folks hunting, and even from their own family members........so they shut it down completely. Probably why they have a resident herd living there year round. Some of the biggest bulls I've ever seen in the wild I've seen on that ranch. Serious mass bulls down that way.

 

[ddavis_1313]

If you have access to 1000's of acres of private......sure. Otherwise it's just a crapshoot as to whether they would be on a small parcel or not.

I've been trying to get hunting access on a ~10k acre ranch down there since 2008. I know the owners very well, and still haven't been successful. They've had a lot of problems in the past with folks hunting, and even from their own family members........so they shut it down completely. Probably why they have a resident herd living there year round. Some of the biggest bulls I've ever seen in the wild I've seen on that ranch. Serious mass bulls down that way.

Kind of the situation we have. We are right next to 9000 acres of little to no pressure hunting all around us.


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[5MilesBack]

Kind of the situation we have. We are right next to 9000 acres of little to no pressure hunting all around us.

In 2008 I had 7 bulls screaming on the other side of the fence, mostly all about 1000 yards away. One of them came really close to the fence, but he had no intentions of crossing it. They're pretty good about that.

 

[ddavis_1313]

In 2008 I had 7 bulls screaming on the other side of the fence, mostly all about 1000 yards away. One of them came really close to the fence, but he had no intentions of crossing it. They're pretty good about that.

Hopefully they cross since our spot is little to no hunting pressure as well.


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[FrontierGander]

A crap shoot is right! LOL. Worst unit to hunt unless you are paying to hunt or own private land.