Colorado GMU

[Coolorado Bob]

Wondering how anyone did in 1st or 2nd rifle in GMU I've heard some disheartening news about no elk so far

 

[RussDXT]

I did first season. Did not see an elk. Logged over 10 miles a day. I may have been able to hunt smarter but not harder.

 

[Thomas11]

I did first season. Did not see an elk. Logged over 10 miles a day. I may have been able to hunt smarter but not harder.

Same here. But I did see one cow w a collar! lol I spiked into the wilderness areas up high in 4-5 places and no sign, etc or anything. There were no elk there and hadn’t been in sometime. We glassed a ton of high country and no elk. These are places I’ve tradituonally found numerous bulls. Does anyone have any ideas as to what has happened? I’ve tried to call the biologist numerous times in the summer and fall but he seems to not live in reality from my discussions in the past w him. I didn’t get him this summer after leaving numerous voicemails. Kinda a joke

 

[Coolorado Bob]

I read on another thread that someone reported a 70% die off from last year. The miscount by CPW last year, high hunter success all 3 rifle seasons and then the expected winter kill. Haven't seen any success posts on any site. Can't get a straight answer from CPW so who knows what's going on. Maybe last year planning on for a while. We'll see in a little over a week from now when 3rd season opens.

 

[Thomas11]

I read on another thread that someone reported a 70% die off from last year. The miscount by CPW last year, high hunter success all 3 rifle seasons and then the expected winter kill. Haven't seen any success posts on any site. Can't get a straight answer from CPW so who knows what's going on. Maybe last year planning on 55 for a while. We'll see in a little over a week from now when 3rd season opens.

That’s prolly my last yr in 55 fir a while. Too rough of country for no elk. I talked w a processor there in gunnison and said it was their worst yr so far in 32 yrs far as elk coming in. They did say they slaughtered them last yr all seasons. I don’t believe elk die off from winter kill is a real problem. But I do believe maybe all the extra snow from winter late into summer maybe kept the elk from coming back to tradiitonal areas if the snow lasted into late summer. Idk. I’m too searching for answers

 

[FredBear86]

I would say I talked to the same processor and he said the same thing. Although my brother and myself both killed elk out there this year this seems to be the consensus for about everything and everywhere we hunt nowadays. When is someone or group gonna step up to the plate? Between so called diseases, over abundance of tags, reintro of wolves, insurance company's padding lawmakers pockets with money for lower numbers, longer seasons, etc, our kids will have nothing good to hunt. Seems like things are just so off everywhere nowadays.

 

[Coolorado Bob]

I'm really starting to think that CPW is the biggest problem. Too many tags issued for the sake of money and not caring about the quality anymore. When enough NR's stop coming to Colorado, then they will maybe wake up to how they're destroying the thing they're supposed to manage. We all know that they won't listen to the resident hunters. 500 hunters chasing 30 elk on the same hill isn't sustainable.

 

[Thomas11]

I’ll def revamp my tag strategy for next yr there assuming I hunt there. Honestly I’ve had tags in other states w supposedly way less elk and saw way more elk. Now I understand that is a generalized statement and certain areas could be better or worse but still. I had a tag in Utah that the pop I think was roughly 1500 animal for that GMU and saw way more elk. And 55/551 shows roughly 4500 as per CPW

 

[Coolorado Bob]

We watched about a heard of 250-300 cows and small bulls cross from GMU 55 south over Highway 50 into GMU 551 about mid week of third season last year. Maybe they stayed there. A lot of private land there.

 

[hrnhntr]

Wow, that's sad to hear. I haven't hunted 55, but have hunted archery in 551 and were on a couple nice bulls. But that was probably almost 10 years ago now.

 

[chindits]

“that someone reported a 70% die off from last year”

That is totally unrealistic in my opinion. Why GMU55 and not any of the other units in the area. The elk do way better than deer during a harsh winter. True the tag numbers are high but the success rates have always been low in that unit. Wife was out two weeks ago in the unit and elk tracks were streaming out of the high country. Did you check down on private? Maybe Lacy ranch or double heart.

 

[Coolorado Bob]

We hunt on the SW side of Fossil. Cabins where we stay said very few elk being seen or taken this year.

 

[Elktaco]

I wouldn't sweat it to much, every year we hear worst year ever, all elk on private, full moon, no one saw an elk, etc,etc. Just go out and hunt dont over think it the elk are there. Its otc elk hunting its gonna be tuff for the most part but remember it only takes one!

 

[Coolorado Bob]

I agree with the enjoyment of just going. I've hunted the same area in this unit for 28 years. Cow tags were always considered meat in the freezer. Bulls harder but got a few. Last three years have really changed. Wish I could figure it out. Trying to teach some younger family about elk hunting. Kind of tough when the only elk they've seen have been on TV shows.

 

[Thomas11]

“that someone reported a 70% die off from last year”

That is totally unrealistic in my opinion. Why GMU55 and not any of the other units in the area. The elk do way better than deer during a harsh winter. True the tag numbers are high but the success rates have always been low in that unit. Wife was out two weeks ago in the unit and elk tracks were streaming out of the high country. Did you check down on private? Maybe Lacy ranch or double heart.

Well I hunted the high country in multiple locations spiked in and I didn’t see this and these are spots that normally hold elk. Elk make sign I agree if they r there or been there and they hadn’t been where I was and I covered much country

 

[Coolorado Bob]

Elk can be very nomadic and I really have to wonder if they've moved out in big numbers. We saw that huge heard cross into GMU 551 private land last year. Maybe they stayed over there. Not sure what to think.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Anyone other comments on 55 now that season is over?

 

[mans9110]

My brother and I hunted 4th archery last two years in 55. Will be going elsewhere in 2020. Even this year over last was a huge decline in sign observed. There are still elk out there, but clearly not that many. We went way in and couldn’t really have hunted harder than we did. Haven’t seen others mention it, but I suspect the proliferation of moose might have had something to do with it from what the unit might have been like 5-10 years ago. We had multiple sightings almost everyday and there were observations of a moose chasing some cow elk out of a meadow. The number of moose there is out of control and there should be a lot more moose tags issued. Feels like this unit has became more of a muley / moose unit than an elk unit.

 

[Foldem]

I saw 4 legal bulls on public and killable in 3 days of hunting 2nd season deer in 55 with my 13 year old. One was a nice 6x6 all of them were still with cows.

 

[Thomas11]

My brother and I hunted 4th archery last two years in 55. Will be going elsewhere in 2020. Even this year over last was a huge decline in sign observed. There are still elk out there, but clearly not that many. We went way in and couldn’t really have hunted harder than we did. Haven’t seen others mention it, but I suspect the proliferation of moose might have had something to do with it from what the unit might have been like 5-10 years ago. We had multiple sightings almost everyday and there were observations of a moose chasing some cow elk out of a meadow. The number of moose there is out of control and there should be a lot more moose tags issued. Feels like this unit has became more of a muley / moose unit than an elk unit.

Idk if moose push the elk out or not. First time I’ve heard this but I coulda killed several several bull moose the last two yrs. I’ve saw more moose than elk