Colorado OTC Units

[trophyhill]

Look for big areas with no trails. Then bushwack in. Sucks but big help.

The term bushwhacking is deceiving. It’s not telling the whole story considering while bushwhacking you are climbing over and under deadfall and or backtracking and going around it lol

 

[Berzurker]

I’ve said this before many times, but where the out of state hunters usually **** up is not respecting the task of butchering and transporting a downed elk before the meat starts to spoil. I’ve been in 80 degree weather in third rifle. You really want the animal skinned immediately and on ice asap at those temps. Other years it will be freezing at night and that gives you a lot more options.

Beyond that… there are not many places you will find elk and no hunters in otc units these days. I’m 35 and have been elk hunting since 12. Every year feels like fewer elk and more hunters.

 

[BrokenArrow]

I would suggest to anyone to pick a unit for the next two years and figure that unit out. It is almost certain that OTC is going away, probably with the new adopted 5 year plan.
You will at least have a couple years of “free” scouting before you have to cash in PP in said unit. Just driving into CO and finding that a unit is crap, driving to the next otc unit and finding it crap too, is over.
Maybe the new plan will be regional caps for multiple unit blocks, but it’s not sounding that way in focus group talks

 

[Short Track]

My last OTC was unit 70. Plenty of hunters, you need to go in deep. Once the Elk are skittish, they go downhill to private land. I don't go out there any more....

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

I’ve been compiling my research on Colorado OTC units, and have been looking at some of the more remote wilderness areas available. One question I was curious about is how possible is it to get away from people in some of these wilderness areas? Have you all generally seen that people will limit their distances? I’m looking at a 5-6mi hike in one way, and based on some of the stats, these units are heavily hunted.


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I'm a guy from NJ and never went elk hunting until 2019. I can tell you hunting in from what I have read 2 of the busiest Units in Colorado anyone can get into elk if you are willing to do what others aren't. After probably 100-150 hours looking on google earth and onx I was able to have elk bugling on the next ridge over from camp 15 minutes after we got there. To get to them we had to drop down 1000 ft into the drainage and up the other side. The 1000 feet happened in 1/3 a mile straight line according to Onx and it took an hour to get down and double that to get up.

On the opener we ran into a successful local who had hunted this drainage for 10 years and had never seen another hunter. We were right next to a major highway that many hunters drive past but no one wanted to put in the effort to climb down and up that steep ridge. when we were talking while he was waiting for a couple of friends to help him pack out he asked our other areas and I showed him on a topo what I thought. Of my top 5 spots he told me that he had killed elk in 4 of them and we had really done our home work. We originally planned on hunting where he got the cow because that was where the elk were bugling when we got there but as we were going down the hill we heard a bull bugle downstream so we went that direction only to get cliffed out. He gave us two easier ways to get into two of the spots than where I had planned to park and on the third day of the season we had a cow come into 80 yards only to have the wind shift on us and have her take off. Unfortunately on the 4th day my son woke up with altitude sickness and we cut the hunt 5 days short.

 

[commandoNate]

You just gotta punch that time clock. Wherever you are hunting just be out there all damn day, and sometimes at night to locate em. I've hunted a handful of OTC units in the last 7-8 years but generally all in one "region" of the state and have rarely hunted a day without encountering other hunters. Even in a draw unit that is 5+ points (buddy had the tag last year, I have it this year) we were seeing people most days but we saw elk too.

 

[timekiller13]

I hate to tell you this, but 5-6 miles is too far.

If you have never been to Colorado and experienced the deadfall then there is no way you will understand. You can train all you want, but unless you have been training by jumping over 4 ft hurdles at 10,000’ with 70lbs on your back, then you ain’t ready!!

 

[SteveCNJ]

I have a guide for my first archery elk hunt in Unit 66. Getting into pretty good shape, lost 20 lbs but at 66 I don't recover like I used to. Just hoping for a lot of fun and a little luck.

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[Thequalizer]

Just because you run into other hunters doesn't mean there is no elk there. Be willing to think outside the box and go to the little pockets where the other hunters are not willing to go or just plain overlook

 

[arock]

Just because you run into other hunters doesn't mean there is no elk there. Be willing to think outside the box and go to the little pockets where the other hunters are not willing to go or just plain overlook

To echo that statement: I drew a NM unit last year. Saw more hunters while actively hunting there then i did in CO while actively hunting. Though I also saw more elk in NM so take that fwiw.

The OTC units are tough from the sheer amount of pressure that pushes them into weird spots. That first holiday weekend doesn't help either with everyone and their mom ripping around on 4 wheelers and dirt bikes and hammering the alpine lakes.

They're probably going to be in weird spots that has less foot traffic and noise like previously stated a few times here.

 

[jkilburg]

Appreciate the input from everyone. It’s good conversation, and certainly altering my plan of attack.


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[slimC]

I was reading another thread where a user was talking about how far he usually kills bulls from his truck it was pretty interesting.. I always find it funny when guys pack in 6-7 miles one way only to walkout to guys loading up a bull they shot 1/2 mile from the truck.

Here is his post:

 

[arock]

I was reading another thread where a user was talking about how far he usually kills bulls from his truck it was pretty interesting.. I always find it funny when guys pack in 6-7 miles one way only to walkout to guys loading up a bull they shot 1/2 mile from the truck.

Here is his post:
View attachment 418428

A great fisherman once said, "If they're not shallow they're deep and if they're not deep they're somewhere in between".

 

[dturbin22]

I’ve been compiling my research on Colorado OTC units, and have been looking at some of the more remote wilderness areas available. One question I was curious about is how possible is it to get away from people in some of these wilderness areas? Have you all generally seen that people will limit their distances? I’m looking at a 5-6mi hike in one way, and based on some of the stats, these units are heavily hunted.


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It is very possible, I would say buy or rent goats, lamas, or mules. Awesome for packing out.

 

[jkilburg]

I was reading another thread where a user was talking about how far he usually kills bulls from his truck it was pretty interesting.. I always find it funny when guys pack in 6-7 miles one way only to walkout to guys loading up a bull they shot 1/2 mile from the truck.

Here is his post:
View attachment 418428

My take away from this: backcountry has changed and always be flexible. Never be so rigid that that you forgo common sense.


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[Weldor]

Also keep in mind that hiking in 6 miles at 10,000ft is brutal.

If you're solo (assuming you go no further in) that's 5ish trips with 60-80 lbs of meat on your back assuming you kill an animal. Which is like 60 miles round trip and you still have to drag your camp out. Even if you're a bad ass its still going to take a minimum of 3 trips which is 36 miles plus camp to car (so 42 total).

Probably a good idea to take that into account as well.

Absolutley! been there done that. It sucks. Start at 0400 get back to camp at 0400. But I love Elk meat ,worth it. To much work for this old man now bummer.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I get the feeling that folks way over estimate their distances, meat care is a real thing, unless you have help you may need to shorten, even a 2 mile hike in nasty terrain can be a big chore to get meat out in a reasonable amount of time

 

[Quadzilla32]

Not to start a whole new thread since my question has to do with OTC tags.

Is there some magical algorithm CPW uses for tags? a coworker and myself put in for a second draw tag which we didn't draw. I just checked the OTC tag list and they have three left for the same tag we put in for!!! WTF is this BS so they collected my money and said thank you with out awarding a tag or is there something more to this?

Any chance calling CPW will net me the tag since they charged me and didn't award?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Not to start a whole new thread since my question has to do with OTC tags.

Is there some magical algorithm CPW uses for tags? a coworker and myself put in for a second draw tag which we didn't draw. I just checked the OTC tag list and they have three left for the same tag we put in for!!! WTF is this BS so they collected my money and said thank you with out awarding a tag or is there something more to this?

Any chance calling CPW will net me the tag since they charged me and didn't award?

I believe those did not get paid for or were turned back in. 2nd draw is totally random, but with 100% preference to youth, so you didn’t draw but someone gave up their tag in the last few weeks

Ps. Almost all the tags in the second draw go to kids, many times hundreds or thousands of adults pay the 9 bucks and then all the tags get drawn by youth, IMO pretty shady work by the CPW, but also that’s how they run it now. Also the tag you want is not otc, it s a draw tag that slipped through both draws. Otc can be purchased Aug 2 via the phone or online and they are unlimited in number

 

[FlareBlitz91]

I believe those did not get paid for or were turned back in. 2nd draw is totally random, but with 100% preference to youth, so you didn’t draw but someone gave up their tag in the last few weeks

Ps. Almost all the tags in the second draw go to kids, many times hundreds or thousands of adults pay the 9 bucks and then all the tags get drawn by youth, IMO pretty shady work by the CPW, but also that’s how they run it now. Also the tag you want is not otc, it s a draw tag that slipped through both draws. Otc can be purchased Aug 2 via the phone or online and they are unlimited in number

I don’t think it’s that shady when they are 100% up front about it. I just need to find someone to let me borrow a kid.