Questions about unit 61 in Colorado

Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
6
I have enough points to draw 61 for archery elk. I'm trying to do some research before the.
What are the forest like? Is there a ton of beetle kill, or blow down? I have hunted the north part of the state and I know with all the bettle kill falling it makes it almost impassable in areas.
Is it extremely thick where it would be a waste of time to have a spotting scope or is there some areas you can do some glassing on slow days?
By looking at a map it looks like there are a lot of roads or 4x4 trails. I all honesty could you get 3 miles from one road and not be close to another?
Last one for maybe anyone from around the area. Is there much snow up there now? I would like to look around the unit before the draw.
Thanks
 

11boo

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,275
Location
Grand Jct, CO
Check the USFS website for access before late spring. Divide road is closed to most traffic all winter. Yes, there is snow now. That is the only way in I’m familiar with, probably other ways in from the bottom of 61.
never been in that unit, just 62 with a few thousand friends.
 

ahlgringo

WKR
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
1,031
It is a completely different landscape than N Colorado
get used to big canyons, whole ton of oakbrush, with some aspen/evergreen higher elevation areas

beetle kill is not a real issue

I find a spotting scope useful-ish, it is really hard to glass into September oak brush depending on its height, but there are a lot of vantage points.
 
OP
T
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
6
Check the USFS website for access before late spring. Divide road is closed to most traffic all winter. Yes, there is snow now. That is the only way in I’m familiar with, probably other ways in from the bottom of 61.
never been in that unit, just 62 with a few thousand friends.
Thank you. I went up there this weekend and drove as far up the roads that I could. There was no way to get to the divid road. But I got to see lots of country.
I have always notice that 62 has a lot of hunters. That is one reason I've always wonder how 61 is suppose to be so great.
 
OP
T
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
6
When it rains the roads in 61 turn to grease

Lots of bears

Fun hunt
Thanks
I went up there this weekend and took most the roads as far as I could. Where the snow was melting it was slimy. I can only imagine the roads that are all that red dirt.
I hope it's as fun as everyone says. I hope to learn a lot and have fun doing so.
 

LandYacht

WKR
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
773
Location
Frisco
I have enough points to draw 61 for archery elk. I'm trying to do some research before the.
What are the forest like? Is there a ton of beetle kill, or blow down? I have hunted the north part of the state and I know with all the bettle kill falling it makes it almost impassable in areas.
Is it extremely thick where it would be a waste of time to have a spotting scope or is there some areas you can do some glassing on slow days?
By looking at a map it looks like there are a lot of roads or 4x4 trails. I all honesty could you get 3 miles from one road and not be close to another?
Last one for maybe anyone from around the area. Is there much snow up there now? I would like to look around the unit before the draw.
Thanks

You can have pine forests in the areas around windy point, or cedar, juniper, and oak brush down lower. No beetle kill to speak of.

Yea you can use a spotting scope in 61 and it is one of the rare units that it would be beneficial. However, I much prefer a set of 10x binos on a tripod.

You don’t need to get away from roads three miles.

Lots of snow up there.


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OP
T
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
6
You can have pine forests in the areas around windy point, or cedar, juniper, and oak brush down lower. No beetle kill to speak of.

Yea you can use a spotting scope in 61 and it is one of the rare units that it would be beneficial. However, I much prefer a set of 10x binos on a tripod.

You don’t need to get away from roads three miles.

Lots of snow up there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thank you, after this weekend looking around. The junipers look like they could be the hard to hunt, to get a clean shot. Or the best cause it would be a 15 yard shot at most if you get a shot.
 
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