Weminuche mule deer

[Prestjd]

Anyone know how crowded the elk creek trail to some of the lakes to the north are?
Drew a muzzleloader tag for deer and trying to get off the beaten path but not into horses or outfitters if we can help it.
Elevation is mostly above 11k, found a few places we could camp 10,750 or so.

We are planning on backpacking in 3 to 5 miles give or take a few depending on finding some deer.

Or would south be better to get farther from some hiking trails?
Hard to tell how big/wide streams and of coarse rivers are on e scouting. Living in Oklahoma is making this tough. Lol

Any advice or what not to do would be appreciated.

Mostly been looking in unit 75 but tag is good for 751. Thanks.

 

[robby denning]

congrats on drawing.

Nothing from me on area specifics but offer that you hunt within 1,000 ft both ways of timberline. The muzz dates can be tricky as the bucks are getting out of the high high open stuff but IMO they're not going way down the mountain. It's always a battle of the mind when you can see all that open country but few bucks, but I've found they're close by.

Keep us posted!

 

[Prestjd]

Thank you.

 

[Poser]

From the West:

It’s a 3,000 ft descent down to the animas river (which means it’s a 3,000 ft climb out out there and it is a soul crushing bunch of endless switchbacks). There is an outfitter who basecamps out of Elk Park and usually a drop camp or 2 accessed from the train. Vestal Basin is the 2nd most popular basin in the Weminuche (2nd behind Chicago basin) as it is extremely popular with climbers. Surprising since the trail there is unmaintained and fairly terrible. I’ve been in vestal basin and there were easily 30+ tents.

From the North: highland Mary lakes is an extremely popular day hike, likley averaging several hundred people a day. I once camped up there in a cold weekend in September and there were 10+ tents around the lake.

Elk park to the CD is 6 miles and ~4,000 feet or so of climbing. With the exception of the social trail to Vestal Basin, it is very difficult to get off of Elk Creek trail until you get close to 12,000 feet as it’s boxed in pretty tight and steep.

Oh, also that entire trail system is extremely popular with fast packers because you can link up long mileage with peak bagging without doing an out and back. If skinny guys with short shorts and knobby knees turn you on, you’ll score for sure.

 

[Prestjd]

Damn. 751 is looking better

 

[justinspicher]

751 will be full of archery dudes, there are limited roads to access national forest and even less trails. The trail heads will have crowds of vehicles. Cave basin leads to the wilderness area and is a friendly 4.5 mile out and back trail. Vallecito and Pine River trails go all the way through the wilderness areas as well, but the first several miles are through a canyon so there’s no real hunting. The first three miles of the Pine River trail is also on private. There are a few outfitters as well, with established camps up both Vallecito and Pine river, as well as cave basin and burnt timber.

 

[BrokenArrow]

I second both poser and Justin. I think we have all had our days on every trail in there, hunting season and not.
Elk park is full of CO trail rats. It’s not a wilderness anymore in my opinion. The weminuche is just a big public park.
5-6 miles in just isn’t the same as it was.
Sorry to say it, but the biggest bucks are in town neighborhoods.
Saying that, I actually like to hunt deer closer to town in regular forest.
You can definitely get away from folks by accessing 75/751 from the north and do a weminuche hunt. Even then, You will have competition, so go where they aren’t. Only way you can do that is get to a basin and adjust away from other people. Sharing is caring, lol.
I do think there is decent deer numbers still. Declining population. This might just be the good old days. Make the most of it.