Picking an OTC CO Unit

[Back Country Hunter 2]

On Rokslide there are a ton of posts asking which OTC CO unit to go to. Being successful in an OTC CO unit takes hard work. Blood, sweat, and tears are spent finding places in OTC units that hold elk consistently. Nobody in their right mind will tell you what OTC unit number they hunt via the internet, if they are consistently successful. So, how can a first time elk hunter pick an OTC unit to hunt? Below is the way I picked a unit for myself years ago while in college. This is the unit that worked for me. Everybody has different wants and needs. This unit worked for me.

What is important to you?

You have to ask yourself that question. There are many different places elk can be. Do you want to hunt sagebrush country or above treeline? What style of hunting do you like the best, spot and stalk, still hunting? Below is a list of variables that I looked for when I was picking a unit. I set them in order of my personal preference at the time. To me this question is what you have to answer before you pick any unit for any tag.

Important Variables to me
Elk population
Close to home
Bull to Cow Ratio
Success Rate

Other Variables to think about
Your Hunting Style
Terrain
Access
Hunting Pressure


There are other variables then the ones I listed, but these are the ones I can think of right now. The variables important to me might be self explanatory to some, but below are the reasons I picked those first and my thoughts about the other variables.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Elk Population: In order to kill an elk, I have to find one. The more there are, the easier it could be to find them. I found this on CPW website.


Close to home: I grew up scouting during the summer a lot! That is the only way I had previously had success elk hunting. Knowing where to park, to camp, and where the elk could be takes time. I’m more likely to spend more time in the unit if it is closer to home. If two units are similar to my needs, the one that is significantly closer is going to be the one I go to. The more time I spend driving, the less time I have to scout/hunt.


Bull to Cow Ratio: When I picked this unit, I was planning to pick up an OTC 2nd Rifle tag. That means I have to shoot a bull. So I looked at OTC units that had a high Bull to Cow Ratio. Similarly to the elk population, the more bulls there are then the better chance I have to shoot one.


Success Rate: CPW publishes “estimates” of success rates every year. Let’s be honest, most OTC units don’t have good success rates. 10% is better than 5% though.


Your hunting style: Some people want to hunt a certain way. There are many different ways to hunt elk: spot and stalk, still hunt, calling, blind hunting, treestand, run and gun, and road hunting are just some of the ways. Some units are almost all dark timber. If you love to spot and stalk then a unit with all dark timber doesn’t necessarily serve you best. Pick a unit that can serve what hunting style you prefer. If you don’t know which one you like, then pick a style and research it. Try it and see if it works for you. If not, try the next one.


Terrain: This is similar to hunting style. If you like to sit water all day, then picking a unit that has a lot of water might not work for you. Why not? If there is water everywhere then the elk have many different places to get water. Picking the “right” water source can be difficult. If there are fewer water sources than can increase your odds. Do you love the high country, sage brush, or everything in between? Google earth is your friend here.


Access: Where are the access points? Is there a lot of private in the unit? Are there just a handful of trailheads that give you access to this unit? If there is very few access points, then there will be a ton of people at those access points. In my experience hunting, elk don’t like to be close to people. How can I be far enough away from the access point and at the same time still pack out an animal safely? OnX is what I use now to figure out access.


Hunting Pressure: Does this unit also have other tags occuring during the same time you are planning on hunting? If so, you can find that out on CPW website. If you want to see a minimal amount a people, then maybe don’t pick a unit that also has a bunch of deer tags occurring at the same time. CPW also publishes the number of hunters who hunt during each season. They get this information from voluntary surveys that do not go out to everybody. Take this information how you want to, but it should give you a general idea of how many people are out there.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Conclusion
This is what I looked for when picking an OTC unit years ago. There are other ways to pick a unit. I am not the greatest hunter in the world. I am just trying to relay what knowledge I have to others.


Success
The unit I picked, I first started hunting in 2012. I was able to harvest a small bull. Two years later I took a guy on his first elk hunt and he killed a cow. The same year I took a different guy and we passed on a cow in a place that was not very conducive for a packout in an afternoon (all the time we had). He went in the next year with a buddy and they both filled their cow tags. He went in the next year and took a 5 point bull. This past year I took two guys, after taking them the year before for a day, and they both filled their very first elk tags. I’ve had success in this unit. I believe it came from years of figuring it out by spending time in that unit. That time has taught me where the elk go depending on the weather and hunting pressure. Good luck to all this upcoming hunting season!

 

[sandhillhunter]

Good info. Congrats on some successful hunts and figuring out how to get it done!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

^^^^ Well put together information.

I would add that even tho someone has good success during an otc rifle elk season, doesn’t necessarily it will be good during otc archery elk season - or vice versa.

 

[Mitten32]

Great post thank you

 

[Newtosavage]

Excellent post.

There are 100 ways to hunt elk in Colorado! I think a guy needs to first think about what kind of experience they are looking for, and that will help them figure out which unit. You say basically the same thing in your "hunting style" paragraph.

The first year my buddy and I hunted, we were in a unit that had a LOT of non-hunting recreational traffic in September. Mountain bikers, hikers, ORV'ers, campers, etc. Neither of us were prepared for all that recreational use going on during "our" elk hunting season, and although we learned a ton and eventually found some elk, it really wasn't the experience either of us had imagined while we were planning the hunt.

The following year we moved about 5 miles away in the same unit and had a much better experience. But it still wasn't quite as "remote" as either of us had imagined in our minds. We talked it over and had planned more of a backpacking style hunt in the future. For us, the experience was as much about a remote hunting experience as it was about killing something. So that drove our decision making for future unit choices.

For others, convenience is more important. Being able to park their RV to make camp, being able to ride in on ATV's, or get to town to have a beer or occasional dinner, or having reliable cell service, will drive their decisions.

The great thing about CO is there are elk just about everywhere. High, low, alpine and near-desert grasslands. There are elk in town and elk above timberline. There are migratory herds and non-migratory herds. The saying "they are where you find them" is never more true than elk in CO. There really are a lot of ways to go at it, and that's what makes it such a great hunting experience IMO.

 

[jmez]

Good post. The one thing our group doesn't pay attention to is success rates. IMO they are pretty much useless.

Unless a state is requiring all animals to be taken to a check in station the numbers really don't mean much.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

^^^^ Well put together information.

I would add that even tho someone has good success during an otc rifle elk season, doesn’t necessarily it will be good during otc archery elk season - or vice versa.

Agreed. I’ve yet to hunt it during archery, but definitely have multiple spots picked out. Maybe in a few years.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Good write up! I was recently trying to help someone here who posted questions about what unit to hunt elk. I was familiar with the inquired unit so i sent a pm trying to help. I think what i realized is that a lot of folks asking these questions are focusing more on the "where" and less on the "how" aspect. The more time spent choosing a unit is less time learning a unit, and every time you change units you are essentially starting over. Really experienced elk hunters will figure out new areas pretty quickly but for the beginner crowd continuity is key. The last several years i quit unit jumping and focused on one area and my success rate has skyrocketed by doing this. It's also a unit that people say recieves a ton of pressure, and it does, but so do the rest of them.

 

[Fatcamp]

Great thread. It really helps to solidify the plan I have.

Pick a unit.
Research it to death.
Be in shape.
Go hunt.
Fail.
Keep trying
Succeed.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Good post. The one thing our group doesn't pay attention to is success rates. IMO they are pretty much useless.

Unless a state is requiring all animals to be taken to a check in station the numbers really don't mean much.

I agree with your logic. I guess I didn't do a good job of saying that. I still look at them, even though they aren't accurate.

 

[jwmerrill27]

Great info.

 

[gvsugod]

Its funny to read this. I am going through all of this right now planning a buddy and my first trip out west this fall. If i have half the success you had it will be a successful hunt. Really just want to have an opportunity or two at a legal bull. Packing meat out would just be gravy.

 

[DBuck]

Great post, thank you!! Getting so hard to draw a tag in Arizona I keep telling myself I'll go hunt Colorado but always get deterred when I hear about the crowds of hunters. Does hunting the primitive/wilderness areas drastically cut down the hunting pressure? Thanks

 

[flatlander69]

Thanks for the info.

 

[kulpak02]

Really great info!!

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Does hunting the primitive/wilderness areas drastically cut down the hunting pressure? Thanks

Yes and no. Yes on road hunters. There are no roads in wilderness areas. Typically trail heads are packed though, because they are the easiest access points into the wilderness areas.

 

[cnelk]

In 2015, I hunted a Wilderness in Wyoming. Horse ride 5 miles deep.
There was more guys there than the otc areas I hunt in Colorado

Everyone is going to 2 places.
1- wilderness
2- burn areas

 

[longbow3]

Great post, very much enjoy the information