Colorado Unit 201 Elk

[FMS]

My son and I should draw Colorado unit 201 next year. I would appreciate any advice about hunting the unit.

Thanks, FMS

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I hope you get the help on this and draw it. Please keep us updated, as 99.9% of us will never hunt it.

 

[sndmn11]

Don't shoot a wolf and get caught.

 

[eldeuce]

I had a deer tag there in 2018, 2nd rifle.
I was told by the elk hunters that most of the bulls are on cold springs mountain, especially the East end, where it's rocky and hard to get to.
The road was SO rough going up that mtn that, if you want to go there, some kind of 4x4, sideXside would be advised (took me 45 min. to go two miles in my 3/4 diesel truck - just plain TOO ROUGH)
The elk hunters that were near my camp (Antone Gap) did a lot of driving. I got a decent buck and was out of there in 5 days.... it's remote, be prepared.

 

[30338]

How many points is 201 taking these days? Must be a handful.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Probably upwards of 5-6 handfuls of points.

 

[cnelk]

My son and I should draw Colorado unit 201 next year. I would appreciate any advice about hunting the unit.

Thanks, FMS

PM sent

 

[Brafcauknid]

26 points later and I finally drew 201 this year. Ive lived in western colorado my entire life so have been in that area numerous times, although its been awhile...will be doing plenty of scouting in the coming months but if anyone has any tips they care to throw my way I'm all ears.

 

[Roc8man]

I too finally drew 201 for archery elk using 26 points. Any suggestions on where some of the waterholes are that should be scouted please PM me.

 

[Jbehredt]

I too finally drew 201 for archery elk using 26 points. Any suggestions on where some of the waterholes are that should be scouted please PM me.

Gotta respect that you didn’t even thinly veil your begging for a handout. No shame! Welcome to the forum!

 

[Roc8man]

Thanks! I've been a lookie-lou on Rokslide for a long time. I figured that since this is a once in a lifetime tag for most people, that previous hunters wouldn't mind sharing some info to help out a fellow hunter who's waited 26 years. Some may feel different and that's okay. I'll be scouting pretty much the entire month of August and half of July since I'm retired now and just wanted to get a good start without wasting a bunch of time or useless hiking. I'm in shape for it as I usually hunt near treeline in the Flattops.
So if anyone who's previously hunted archery elk in 201 would like to share something, I'm all ears.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Jaquomo]

Be sure to wave hello to the other cameras on whatever waterholes you scout. Are you bowhunting or rifle hunting? Two totally different worlds in those units.

 

[Gofastr]

Watching. I drew a muzzleloader season tag in 201 this year. Never touched a muzzie before, but have one now and am all accessorized. Will be getting in plenty of practice, and will do my first scout of this area in a week.

Any recommendations are unabashedly appreciated!

 

[tracker12]

Thanks! I've been a lookie-lou on Rokslide for a long time. I figured that since this is a once in a lifetime tag for most people, that previous hunters wouldn't mind sharing some info to help out a fellow hunter who's waited 26 years. Some may feel different and that's okay. I'll be scouting pretty much the entire month of August and half of July since I'm retired now and just wanted to get a good start without wasting a bunch of time or useless hiking. I'm in shape for it as I usually hunt near treeline in the Flattops.
So if anyone who's previously hunted archery elk in 201 would like to share something, I'm all ears.

Thanks again,
Dave

You would think so but that just aint the way it is. I drew Unit 2 as a NR about 7 years ago and ended up just hunting the Walker Ranch where I knew I could find bulls. Thing about 2 and 201 is water is key.

 

[Roc8man]

Be sure to wave hello to the other cameras on whatever waterholes you scout. Are you bowhunting or rifle hunting? Two totally different worlds in those units.

I have an archery tag

 

[Jaquomo]

I bowhunted 2, but basically the same elk. It's fun to cam stuff in summer, and your scouting will be well-served by learning different glassing spots, learning how to get from point A to B in different light and wind, and how the thermals shift very quickly when the sun hits the valley floor or drops behind the mountain. We cammed all summer, but by September we were hunting mostly different bulls. They travel long distances in that country, sometimes miles every day to water.

My partner and I killed two 350+ bulls, had never seen either before we shot them, and they were bigger than anything else we had seen or cammed since late June. We killed them in the first six days, and if we'd hunted longer we probably would have found bigger. But we also weren't going to pass up 350 bulls with recurves, considering the other bulls we were seeing were in the honest 330's, tops. You'll have a great hunt, just likely not like any other elk hunting you've ever done. You may see more looky-loo photographers/callers and rifle scouters than you do bowhunters. Good luck!

 

[Roc8man]

You would think so but that just aint the way it is. I drew Unit 2 as a NR about 7 years ago and ended up just hunting the Walker Ranch where I knew I could find bulls. Thing about 2 and 201 is water is key.

Thanks to everyone who confirmed my thoughts about water. Time to head out and see what's out there!

 

[Jaquomo]

The BLM maps are the best we found for showing springs, but where we ended up killing our bulls was a tiny little hidden unmarked pond in a small canyon on BLM. The elk favored that more than other bigger waterholes in the area, probably because they could watch it from a high ridge above. My bull studied that little pond from multiple angles for a half hour before deciding to circle around and drop down for a drink at last legal shooting light. We hunted on the ground behind vegetation, but if someone had been in a treestand and fidgeting just a little, they would have been busted.

 

[Roc8man]

The BLM maps are the best we found for showing springs, but where we ended up killing our bulls was a tiny little hidden unmarked pond in a small canyon on BLM. The elk favored that more than other bigger waterholes in the area, probably because they could watch it from a high ridge above. My bull studied that little pond from multiple angles for a half hour before deciding to circle around and drop down for a drink at last legal shooting light. We hunted on the ground behind vegetation, but if someone had been in a treestand and fidgeting just a little, they would have been busted.

Did you stay on the ground all day by that pond or just the last portion of the day? Did you try other waterholes/small ponds as well? I spent 4 days last week hiking and mountain biking around the area and found quite a few waterholes but not much sign at them (some had elk tracks but not many and others had very old tracks). I noticed the BLM map was pretty bad with the trails. They were even close to matching what was out there. Do you recommend any particular map(s) which have more accurate trails?

 

[Jaquomo]

We spotted-stalked bulls in the mornings and sat water in the evenings. They weren't coming to water until almost dark, or in the middle of the night.