Colorado elk 15 points

[Hornvacuum]

I have been building points for 15 years and I’m wondering what units I can draw with archery or rifle and have a good opportunity at 320 to 350 class bulls


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[realunlucky]

It took all of about 2 minutes to see what units you could draw with 15 points. Unit 76 looks like your best option. Your going to have to scout and learn the unit well to find the class of bull your after.

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[mixed bag]

First rifle season in unit 49.Doubtful you'll find a 350 class but a 300-320 is probable with some effort.Very few 1st season hunters in the unit.May have a better shot at a big bull in muzzleloader there

 

[Beendare]

Ive hunted 76 and i would be shocked if you see a 350 bull in there. 320 is doable with best odds of getting one: muzzleloader.

Whether you can draw that tag with 15 points, i dunno. .... i would guess its gonna be close

 

[Adubs]

You have plenty of points for unit 40, my bothers, myself, and my dad hunted it with mike Lawson last year and we went 3/4 with the three bulls all right at 330”.

 

[mixed bag]

Unit 40 your pretty much stuck with using an outfitter.Not enough public land to make for a good diy hunt.Muzzleloader in unit 66 is another possible unit you may have some interest in

 

[Reload]

I'll second Unit 40. Mike Lawson is who I will be going with next year when/if I draw. 15 years worth of point building justifies an outfitter IMO. Good luck in the draws

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I wouldn't apply for unit 40 unless you are willing to go with an outfitter.

 

[dirtytough]

Amazing how bad the point creep in Colorado is. From what’s posted in this thread 15 points will get you a 300-320 inch bull unless you use an outfitter. Then you are looking at a 330” bull.

Pretty sad after 15 years you probably could have lucked into a couple that size in OTC units.

Good luck with whatever hunt up burn your points on. Hopefully you get your 350 bull

 

[5MilesBack]

From what’s posted in this thread 15 points will get you a 300-320 inch bull unless you use an outfitter. Then you are looking at a 330” bull.

Actually.......the 15 points will just get him INTO a unit where finding a 300+ bull with reduced pressure is possible. Just hunting one of those units isn't a lock on actually getting one of those bulls. Four years ago a NR woman shot a 380" bull during ML in the unit I was hunting, and I think she said she used 11 points to draw. Then two years ago I was hunting a unit that I thought was very average and talked to two NR ML hunters that said they had to use 16 points to draw, and they had no luck at all in there.

 

[jeffpg]

I'm sitting on 18 points myself and will probably try to draw out next year.

 

[gbflyer]

I save a couple and put in for cow hunts in decent areas to get away from the sea of Orange. I’m not going to collect points for 20 years or more for a bull tag. If I were younger I might, or if they’d let you will the points to your first born. Still fun to be around the big bulls, and it’s still going hunting

Edited to say that a friend has a small acreage in unit 1. Too small for landowner tag. He has 21 points and still stays one point behind the creep. Bunch of BS.

 

[Tobe_B]

76 is a good unit for big bulls. But it’s also a tough unit to hunt. Lots of public land, several wilderness areas, lots of elk. I’ve run in to guys hunting there that waited 12-15 years for a tag and couldn’t find an elk to save their life. PM if you want any specifics on the area.


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[Hornvacuum]

Thanks everyone I do like the looks of 76. I definitely don’t want to be guided so 40 is outta the question. Also I’m mostly interested in archery hunting elk so any knowledge on units like 76 will be great. And as far as the 350 class bulls I was using that as a bench mark but when I’m scouting I’ll decide then what I should pass on and what I shouldn’t.


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[wannakillabigbull]

76 would be a great choice whether you’re successful or not. Absolutely gorgeous country. Just be in shape because it’s a big unit with some steep country. 350” is a pretty high bar for bulls in that area as others have mentioned but you never know.

I would personally stay away from throwing down 15 points on a tag in unit 66. The bulls just typically don’t get that big there having seen plenty of herd bulls when I hunted it three years ago.

 

[Hornvacuum]

76 would be a great choice whether you’re successful or not. Absolutely gorgeous country. Just be in shape because it’s a big unit with some steep country. 350” is a pretty high bar for bulls in that area as others have mentioned but you never know.

I would personally stay away from throwing down 15 points on a tag in unit 66. The bulls just typically don’t get that big there having seen plenty of herd bulls when I hunted it three years ago.

Yeah that’s the way I look at it hopefully I can have some good chances at some good bulls and I’ll be happy for sure. But thanks for telling me to stay away from 66.


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[jm1607]

You guys don't think you can make a 3rd or 4th season 40 hunt work on public??

That was my plan but maybe I'll have to rethink it...

 

[wannakillabigbull]

You guys don't think you can make a 3rd or 4th season 40 hunt work on public??

That was my plan but maybe I'll have to rethink it...

It’s doable. This past weekend I drove up to the unit 40 winter range and picked up some sheds, and saw a few bulls on public. I saw way more bulls on private, though. Bulls are around but the strips of public land are small and the elk are fairly well educated on the boundaries. I personally wouldn’t do a hunt like that as I prefer room to roam on a hunt I would be burning that many points on. To each their own.

 

[jm1607]

It’s doable. This past weekend I drove up to the unit 40 winter range and picked up some sheds, and saw a few bulls on public. I saw way more bulls on private, though. Bulls are around but the strips of public land are small and the elk are fairly well educated on the boundaries. I personally wouldn’t do a hunt like that as I prefer room to roam on a hunt I would be burning that many points on. To each their own.

Right on. Thanks