Colorado GMU 80 Planning

[b littleton]

My brother and I are planning our first DIY mountain hunt for archery season 2016. I want to go to Colorado Unit 80 around South Fork as it is an area that I've always enjoyed visiting and I know how to get around fairly well. I know the downside is that it is a pretty heavily pressured unit due to the access to public land. we are going to put in for Mule Deer tags and buy an OTC elk tag most likely so we will each have a tag for one or the other and hunt together.

anyway, I mainly just want to talk to some folks that may have hunted the area recently so I can know approximately what to expect as far as running in to other people. Not looking for honey holes or anything, just some info on general experiences with this unit. feel free to PM me if you don't want to post the info where people can find it on google.

thanks,
Brandyn

 

[SarcasmPhD]

I can't comment on unit 80. However, I was in unit 78. I chose two spots I wanted to hunt. I got to the first at Weminuche Wilderness area. I got there to find one truck with a horse trailer, one truck with a covered trailer, two cars with them, two more out of state trucks all parked there. I spoke with a couple who was hiking. Asked if they saw any elk? No but we saw a bunch of bowhunters and hunters on horseback. I was like...WTF?! I ended up going to my other spot at 1030pm, which was over 20 miles away. This was also my first public land hunt for elk. I had heard stories about pressure. It's true.


Spoke with a woman who's husband set up a drop camp near the trailhead where I hunted. She said later this month there will be an outfitter that'll set up camp including horses. She also said you'll know they are there because of the trails they will leave on the ridgeline. She, here husband and friends hunt there the whole month of Sept.


Moral of the story: more than likely where you want to hunt will be busy.