Colorado unit 12

Betta1208

FNG
Joined
Mar 18, 2019
Messages
11
So I drew a unit 12 archery tag. Planning on the first week and a half maybe 2 weeks. Going with my buddy and uncle who got into some elk couple years ago. But nothing great. Gonna have a spike camp but have the option of a camp on my back if need to. I understand hunt high, look for water and wallows, north slopes and timber. How's the weather been in that area? Wet, dry? If anyone knows the area that would PM me. Not wanting honey holes just a yay or nay on the area we are starting at. This is only an every 2 or 3 year hunt if we have any luck with drawing in. Thanks in advance. Joe from Pennsylvania
 

NLHoks

FNG
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Messages
10
@Betta1208 how did your hunt go? Get into any bulls? My dad and brother drew the same tag this year. We're planning on seeing up a spike camp in the SE area maybe near lost lake. Did you see a lot of other hunters?
 
OP
B

Betta1208

FNG
Joined
Mar 18, 2019
Messages
11
@Betta1208 how did your hunt go? Get into any bulls? My dad and brother drew the same tag this year. We're planning on seeing up a spike camp in the SE area maybe near lost lake. Did you see a lot of other hunters?
It would have been a lot better if it wasn't in the 90s almost everyday that week. Wish I was there the second week. Anyway it was still a good week. Bulls started to bugle towards the end of the week and did get into elk most days. PM me and I can give you a little more info on where to go and what I learned from some locals.
 

Elk101

FNG
Joined
Apr 5, 2019
Messages
17
It would have been a lot better if it wasn't in the 90s almost everyday that week. Wish I was there the second week. Anyway it was still a good week. Bulls started to bugle towards the end of the week and did get into elk most days. PM me and I can give you a little more info on where to go and what I learned from some locals.
Hi Betta, I'm heading to Unit 12 for archery on Sept 11. Backpacking in and plan to put camp on the back each morning. Would love to hear about your hunt and any tips you have would be greatly appreciated. - Ken
 

AGPank

WKR
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
978
I think Unit 12 is slowly improving on quality of bulls with the draw for public hunts. I hunt a small patch of private our family shares. The numbers of elk, in my opinion, has declined the last 10 years or so. I used to see herds as large as 40, now 6-8 is more typical. Bulls used to be small 4-5 points. I’m seeing better quality 5 and some 6 points (again I haven’t seen anything close to 300”).

I went early last year and had many great encounters following a lot of advice from Elknut and his app. I had a lot of quiet bulls come in to an advertising or slow play sequence. A few mistakes with wrong setups, missed yardage, and Ended up shooting a cow off a creative cow calling sequence.

I understand it’s been a drier year than normal but Monday the heat broke a little. Usually a weather app can use Meeker and get a close read on the forecast.
b905ff5ba1fa43ed912b53bd8f30b1df.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
B

Betta1208

FNG
Joined
Mar 18, 2019
Messages
11
Hi Betta, I'm heading to Unit 12 for archery on Sept 11. Backpacking in and plan to put camp on the back each morning. Would love to hear about your hunt and any tips you have would be greatly appreciated. - Ken
 

NLHoks

FNG
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Messages
10
@Elk101, how'd your hunt go this year?

We had a tough go of it this year, went the week of labor day and had a lot of weather (snow, wind, etc.). We on ran into one other hunter who was packing a bull out while we were hiking in, otherwise it felt like we had the place to ourselves as we didn't see another hunter for the rest of the trip. We saw a lot of fresh sign and we saw elk almost every day but they were really quiet, even at night and in the early mornings, I think we heard 3 bugles all week, so we had a hard time pin pointing their location and getting close.
 

dhawk798

FNG
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
2
Headed up to Unit 12 for 2nd Rifle, would love to pick your brain a bit as it seems we may be targeting a similar area to where you hunt. Thanks in advance.
 

AGPank

WKR
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
978
I was up week after Labor Day. Minimal bugling, but had several close encounters, but obstructions prevented shots. Small herds, bulls I saw were all small 4 and 5’s.

Hunted our property hard. With only 370 acres, probably too much pressure the last few days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Flowryda

FNG
Joined
Aug 22, 2017
Messages
7
Location
FL
Headed up to Unit 12 for 2nd Rifle, would love to pick your brain a bit as it seems we may be targeting a similar area to where you hunt. Thanks in advance.

I am heading to 12 for 1st Rifle in a few hours. I will be happy to pass along anything I learn when we get back. Just shoot me a PM to remind me.
 

tboltz34

FNG
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
23
Location
Minnesota
Hey, Flowryda! How was your first rifle hunt in unit 12? I’m thinking about hunting that in 2021 but I’m worried about the number of hunters.
 

7raptor

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
172
Hunted there 2x this year, archery and 1st rifle...weather was hot, no bugling, sheep everywhere, during black powder I heard shots all day long, during rifle it was a ZOO.
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
5,485
Hunted there 2x this year, archery and 1st rifle...weather was hot, no bugling, sheep everywhere, during black powder I heard shots all day long, during rifle it was a ZOO.
Haven’t been there in a while but sounds about right. I’m surprised you heard a lot of muzzle loader shots. I knew it was time to relocate when I wasn’t hearing any shots opening weekend of ML season. 1st rifle might have been the craziest experience I’ve had wearing orange.
 

fishslap

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
892
Location
Longmont, CO
I was in there during 1st rifle with a returned cow tag just for the weekend. I saw over 15 headlamps descending from a distant ridge line onto a bugling bull an hour before shooting light. They pushed the bull into a lower meadow with five different guys setup on it, headlamps all visible to each other before shooting light. They fired at least nine shots and one lucky fellar went home with his trophy.
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
5,485
I was in there during 1st rifle with a returned cow tag just for the weekend. I saw over 15 headlamps descending from a distant ridge line onto a bugling bull an hour before shooting light. They pushed the bull into a lower meadow with five different guys setup on it, headlamps all visible to each other before shooting light. They fired at least nine shots and one lucky fellar went home with his trophy.

I have almost exactly the same story. A guide and his hunters and multiple other groups of hunters found 2 small 4 point bulls the day before opening of 1st season. They literally surrounded the patch of aspen trees the bulls were in and it sounded like world war 3. The fact that nobody got killed was an absolute miracle. I don’t even know how they decided who claimed the bulls. I genuinely felt bad for the elk.
 
Top