Colorado GMU 53

[User Name]

Hello,

A friend and I will be packing into the western side of West Elk Wilderness GMU 53 during the beginning of archery season. A hunt that has been in planning for 3 years. I have been going through maps and satellite images over the last 5 months. It looks vast and steep and I have identified some areas of interest. Can anyone tell me if there are water sources up high, or what should I expect concerning replenishing water supplies. Also, any areas that are overran by horse packers or guide services would help. I understand those folks are making a living guiding and I would rather not disturb there clients experience. Scouting time is limited to a few trips, and we are more interested in avoiding large camps. If anyone plans on hunting Co 53 later in the archery season I would be willing to shoot some PM's letting you know what we learned. Thank you


Mike

 

[slick trick]

well i can tell you real quick where not to camp if you are wanting to try and get away from everybody, that is at the bottom of 53 and the top of 63. Bald mountain or Crystal creek road, 713 that road will have hunters lined up and down both sides every 400 yards from top to bottom. it is one of the maintained roads you can drive most of it with a car so everybody camps there easy access, if you are willing to chain up and not afraid of some mud on the west side are some roads that can get you right next to the boundary and you wont have neighbors

 

[User Name]

Thank you for the reply, from the maps I have looked at I figured that area would be a popular entrance.

 

[Netherman]

Sounds like we are in the same boat. I am also planning my first backpack archery elk hunt in unit 53 this September 4th-10th. I live in Michigan so haven't had any "boots on the ground experience" but like you I've been looking at Google earth, other maps, and just researching the unit until my eyes bleed.

From what I have found it looks like there are two outfitters that do drop camps and guide in Unit 53. One hunts around Mt. Guero and the other is somewhere on the north end of the unit they don't say much more than that. My guess is around the 709 road access. I would assume that they don't drop people too far from either of those places so they can be more efficient with their pack lines.

If you or any of the other fine humans on this website run across or have any other information about the unit I'd love to hear it either here or via PM based on the sensitivity of the material.

 

[KMT]

You will be able to find water, so that won't be a problem. Wilderness areas can be large, but not so large that you are going to be 20 miles from the nearest road. Colorado has a lot of people that take advantage of the outdoors. Colorado also had a ton of hunters and guides. It's darn near impossible to avoid people.

 

[HondoArcher]

We will be doing a 3rd season cow and deer hunt in 53 this year. It would be great to hear how you do. We will be hunting the lower elevations expecting the elk and deer to be pushed down out of the high country.
I took a hard look using Google earth and found an outfitters camp North West of Sheep Lake. There is another camp along the Willow Creek Trail. It looks like 53 is a big place so you should be able to find a place away from the crowds if you plan it right.
Hope you do well.

 

[Straight6]

There is water up to about 10,500' in the area you are talking. I have hunted that area a few times for deer, archery and 2nd rifle. Didn't run into outfitters early in the archery season a couple years ago, but my brother-in-law ran into outfitter camps during the muzzleloader hunt in there. Always a few hunters around but the archery season didn't seem too bad. South Fork Ranch has a camp on the south side of Mt. Guero, but I don't know of any other outfitters in there. Its steep country with a few elk scattered throughout.

 

[Ksbowhtr]

I hunted 53 last year. Last 10 days of archery season was a zoo. We went up coal creek road #709. The trail head had probably 6-7 horse trailers, and no where to park. I think we counted like 10cars and trucks there. We had to park back down the road and hike up to the trail head. The morning we went in there was a group of 14 going in to the area we had planned hunting. Needless to say we had a last minute change of plans. There was water in the high country though.

 

[User Name]

I will probably be avoiding Coal Creek rd #709. I hear it is one of the more popular areas to enter.

 

[ChrisS]

The morning we went in there was a group of 14 going in to the area we had planned hunting.

Together? Hunting? Lol. That seems like a sure fire way to scatter game in every direction for miles.

 

[slick trick]

View attachment 38067 here is one on the south west bottom side of MOUNT GUERO

 

[slick trick]

here is gps

 

[duckdog28]

53 & 54 have been a complete zoo for the past 3 yrs ever since an article was published about the west elk wilderness. People show up without horses and are surprised to find steep, hard walking country.

 

[Ksbowhtr]

The morning we went in there were about 7-8 hunters going in together. Talking with them, they said their party would grow to 14. Boy, talk about a downer. We were bummed.
We had horses. I would never hunt either 53 or 54 without horses.

 

[GroceryGitter]

I'm curious how this turned out. I am planning to hunt elk and mule deer in this unit the last week of archery season this year. I was looking in this general area and will be using my "Chevrolegs" instead of horses. I plan to pack in a few miles and stick around.

 

[boisebound]

Just found out I drew Unit 53 Archery for Mule deer. Any insight into the Unit would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Jahvette20]

Anyone have recent experience with parking on coal creek rd or how the outfitters are using the area?

 

[erle1139]

there is an outfitter that is based at the dead end of Coal Creek, Bar Diamond Ranch. The have camps on the East side of Mosley Ridge, Little Robinson Cow Camp, Elk Basin, Kaufman Creek, maybe Coal Creek, and a couple in Soap Basin in 54. Not sure how many they utilize for archery season though. They're good people, Linda and Dellis Ferrier, so they may be able to give you more insight on where people with be.

 

[Still Hunter]

I hunted 54 adjacent to 53 near the Soap Mesa area for two years. By the end of September a lot of the bulls had been forced over to private ranches but traveling back and forth from the Forest to the Private . So I would recommend hunting around the perimeter of the larger private places with large amounts of dark timber (Google Earth). They always bedded in the dark timber and would transition from Aspen to timber in the AM and timber to Aspen in the PM. Good luck!

 

[trophyhill]

Is 53 in the ROAN area I've been reading about on occasion? Or Peance Creek area? I scouted and saw some great bucks up in there a couple years ago. Called a big bull up out of the bottom of a drainage just before dark on August 1st that year to see if I could do it. I could live on the Western Slope and like it