Colorado Unit 201 Bear

[jray5740]

Hello Everyone. If your like me you can feel hunting season coming soon with the release of the 2019 Colorado Big Game Brochure! I have been chasing bears in Colorado, unsuccessfully, for more than a few years now. With the point creep in most species I find myself hustling after leftover tags and OTC stuff most years and try to work a good combo hunt with a bear tag and elk.

Im gonna leave the elk tag alone this year, gather my PP, and focus on bear to hopefully tag one finally! My question is if anyone has ever chased bear in Unit 201. I see in the harvest stats nearly every year 1-2 are harvested with a total of 10 rifle tags handed out. Compared to most western units 10 tags is very limited for bear, but I would be willing to draw with my few points if anyone has any good insight for me? Possibly someone who has hunted on a very special elk tag for the unit see any bears or can speak on population size? I do have a boat load of PP's for elk and may be lucky enough to draw for 201, however if that dosent happen I would like to spend some time there hunting bear if I can dig up a few reasons to do so other than elk scouting while bear hunting haha

I also find it odd that DOW dosent include 1,2,and 201 in their DAU analysis of bear.....anyone speak on why that may be?

 

[30338]

If you have 3 points or more and want to kill a bear, just apply in Unit 61 and hunt for a week in Sept. Place in Gunnison tans bear hides for $350 and you'll want to make some sausage.

 

[backcountryshaffer]

If you have 3 points or more and want to kill a bear, just apply in Unit 61 and hunt for a week in Sept. Place in Gunnison tans bear hides for $350 and you'll want to make some sausage.

I can't figure out why most nonresidents talking about CO bear seem bent on drawing a bear tag. My thought is that if it's a draw unit there are less bears, less opportunity. Am I mistaken? I see plenty of bears in OTC units.

 

[backcountryshaffer]

I can't figure out why most nonresidents talking about CO bear seem bent on drawing a bear tag. My thought is that if it's a draw unit there are less bears, less opportunity. Am I mistaken? I see plenty of bears in OTC units.

OP didn't mean to imply you were nonres, sorry if I came across that way. I have not hunted in 201 but the maps show low bear densities.

 

[swampokie]

OP didn't mean to imply you were nonres, sorry if I came across that way. I have not hunted in 201 but the maps show low bear densities.

Are the bear density maps on the parks n wildlife site?

 

[30338]

I can't figure out why most nonresidents talking about CO bear seem bent on drawing a bear tag. My thought is that if it's a draw unit there are less bears, less opportunity. Am I mistaken? I see plenty of bears in OTC units.

If you take the time to check out the bear harvest report, you may notice that a significantly large number of bears get killed in 61. It has a very high density of bears. Pretty easy to check out.

 

[swampokie]

I can't figure out why most nonresidents talking about CO bear seem bent on drawing a bear tag. My thought is that if it's a draw unit there are less bears, less opportunity. Am I mistaken? I see plenty of bears in OTC units.

They r all draw units and otc. U have to draw sept rifle in any unit. U can buy otc with caps for the same units but only for bow muzz or concurrent deer/elk rifle tags. Not sure about plains units but all western units are DRAW only for sept rifle

 

[jray5740]

Thx for the replies. 30338 I agree with you on unit 61. Been tempted to do that hunt for several years, my approach has always been a elk/bear hunt and that has proven unsuccessful for me many times in the bear arena. 61 is a perfect option for bear only hunting, at least with 4+ points.

Back country I’m a resident, 6th generation. Not sure if I put off the nonres vibe but didn’t mean to haha

I have spent time in what feels like every western unit, minus the cold springs area so that was really what I was looking for info on. I don’t believe you have to draw a bear tag to be successful by any means, but some units you have to in order to hunt there which is why I gather the points. Not sure the bear draw units really mean much to be honest

 

[jray5740]

FWIW I personally feel like DOW lowering bear tag $ for non res is a simple way to make more money with out many animals harvested in return. The harvest stats are low percentage in many units despite populations being healthy meaning it is a difficult hunt, no matter the location. Just my .02 I think it’s becoming a money game unfortunately just like the hike in PP fees for certain game animals

 

[swampokie]

I also think success is low because when people combine an elk/bear hunt it is usually in elk country that more times than not isn’t the best bear habitat. Most people with bear tags that are not draw tags don’t hunt bears first and elk second. Elk is the primary target not bear. I have learned that if u target bears in beary areas u can find them.

 

[Newtosavage]

Someone at CPW is gonna need to keep track of the lost revenue from the lower priced bear tag and all those NR folks who are planning to do what the OP suggested - just buy the bear tag and not even bother with the Elk or deer tag. I say that because I'm thinking the same exact thing.

Not sure if I put off the nonres vibe

Damn, we have a vibe? LOL

 

[jray5740]

Someone at CPW is gonna need to keep track of the lost revenue from the lower priced bear tag and all those NR folks who are planning to do what the OP suggested - just buy the bear tag and not even bother with the Elk or deer tag. I say that because I'm thinking the same exact thing.



Damn, we have a vibe? LOL

Haha definitely didn’t mean that in a bad way, it was just words to form a sentence with some vague meaning....sorry!!

In a real way tho your probably right many folks will pass the elk/deer tag up and buy the $100 bear tag for years till they find their spots to eventually purchase an elk tag and hunt. Honestly that’s how I would roll if I was non res and had little idea of where to hunt/what to expect in co.

Every time I venture into a new unit I spend hours and hours e-scouting and mapping to only find out that I can’t get remotely close to the place I want to hunt due to a sliver of private property covering a road or something similar. Knowing that I would not be spending big bucks on those tags but $100 for a bear is doable

 

[jray5740]

I also think success is low because when people combine an elk/bear hunt it is usually in elk country that more times than not isn’t the best bear habitat. Most people with bear tags that are not draw tags don’t hunt bears first and elk second. Elk is the primary target not bear. I have learned that if u target bears in beary areas u can find them.

This is spot on! I have fallen into this trap many times and it’s tough to do without question. Many will claim bear are high in Aug/Sept and they may be but I have honestly only seen bear during the archery/early rifle bear at lower elevations and the elk are surly not lower when it’s 95 degrees

 

[Newtosavage]

Haha definitely didn’t mean that in a bad way, it was just words to form a sentence with some vague meaning....sorry!!

In a real way tho your probably right many folks will pass the elk/deer tag up and buy the $100 bear tag for years till they find their spots to eventually purchase an elk tag and hunt. Honestly that’s how I would roll if I was non res and had little idea of where to hunt/what to expect in co.

Every time I venture into a new unit I spend hours and hours e-scouting and mapping to only find out that I can’t get remotely close to the place I want to hunt due to a sliver of private property covering a road or something similar. Knowing that I would not be spending big bucks on those tags but $100 for a bear is doable

That's where a onX subscription really pays for itself

 

[jray5740]

That's where a onX subscription really pays for itself

No doubt! I play with it for hours a week! The issue is many times a county road that shows as county maintained was vacated years ago and no one was told so it still shows on maps and onX as accessible when it isnt. When this happens, the county does not have the ability to tell the land owner they cant fence it/gate it. This isnt much of an issue on the south side of the mesa for example but when you get north of the mesa and north west for sure this happens alot. A prime example is County road 27 in unit 21.....there are thousands of acres of land that no one can access because the county vacated the maintenance of the road years ago so the land owners block the roads with gates.

In addition, there are many times I will scout the summer and have access to places on roads which cannot be gated. Once seasons start roads get gated and you have no service on your cell to call DOW or County Sheriffs. So then you have the problem of driving back to cell service or not getting to where you want to be. Then, it takes a long time, often days, for the officials to get in contact with a landowner to open the gate which you lose many days of your season and the landowner simply says it was an accident or a ranch hand must have closed it unintentionally. This happens ALOT all over Colorado.

 

[Newtosavage]

New Mexico was the same way. In life there are the haves and the have-nots. Lol no way those landowners will ever be called on it either since they prob helped get the sheriff elected.

 

[jray5740]

This is probably true information Savage. I can tell you this.....it is extremely frustrating to put the work in all summer and get gated out of a place I know I can be. Also, it has cost me valuable time in the field and harvest success Im sure. Once year I had a really nice bull patterned for weeks prior to the season......I arrived to the area the night before opening day and fence was gated "by accident". I watched that bull opening morning through my spotter from the next ridge get harvested by a hunter and guide who was magically inside the gated area and up the road.

 

[30338]

Sounds like a set of bolt cutters and life is good. I say that only if it is a legal public access that is llegally gated. In that specific situation, if you are 100% sure, I'd cut it down immediately.

 

[Newtosavage]

Sounds like a set of bolt cutters and life is good. I say that only if it is a legal public access that is llegally gated. In that specific situation, if you are 100% sure, I'd cut it down immediately.

That doesn't help him harvest the bull that the outfitter has their client on however.

I'm kinda surprised that someone hasn't come along to complain about you complaining though. LOL

jray, I feel your pain bud. This is why supporting organizations that support public access is so important. Not sure what else we can do right now, aside from write our legislators. However in the scenario you describe, the landowners in that area will always have the leverage for the reasons I mentioned. Local politics are hard to get around.

 

[jray5740]

Haha thx for the validation of my complaints Savage! Enough whining.....so no one with any bear insight in 201? haha

30338.....the thought has crossed my mind of snipping those chains, however I could never bring myself to do that and never will. I dont wanna cause issues, just wanna get to where im going in peace!