First Elk Hunt - Unit Advice!

S

skinne88

New member
Jul 13, 2018
2
Hi All -


I am in the process of planning my first elk hunt. I only have 5 full days, and am looking at backpacking in. I have been e-scouting Colorado Units 14 and 15. I have the maps all marked up and now have analysis paralysis. Wanting to get deep enough to get away from the crowds...but also want to be mobile enough to switch it up and move if I am coming up dry or run into other hunters in my focus area. Hunting archery season, later September. Any advice on 14 or 15??


Thank you!


SK
 
No advice on unit. But second the notion to stay mobile. Move until you find them. Everyone wants to go deep and you might find some closer to a road than you think. I?d look steep and nasty before deep. Novice here so take it for what it?s worth.


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Sarvis creek wilderness in unit 15 is 1 of the few places you can truly get away from roads.  If you get too close to the colorado river in 15 it gets hotter and drier.  Also get to close to rabbit ears pass and the crowds grow again.  Hope this helps alittle
 
The one thing to keep in mind in Colorado is that you'll most likely run into other hunters. I was out there last year for the first time and compared to Montana it was completely different in terms of hunting pressure. One thing that will always stick with me from that hunt is this, "nobody goes up that drainage, way too difficult".

We had glassed 4 legal bulls in a very steep drainage our first night. Went after them the next morning and actually were able to locate 6 all legal bulls with a few over 300 inches. Passed a few other hunters that hunt that area every year and we told them the drainage we were hunting and they told us "nobody goes up that drainage, way too difficult".


As Corey and other very good elk hunters always say, "get away from crowds and go where others wont". Although we werent successful in bagging one of those bulls we went where no one else would and had our chances.


Best of luck in Colorado.
 
I understand where you are at.  Best advice I have for you is not to sweat it too much.  Sounds like you are on the right track.  It's your 1st hunt.  You are going to make some good decisions and you are going to make some bad ones.  None of us want to make them, but the bad ones teach you more.  And they stick with you.  It's just part of the process and it's a big part of what makes it so much fun. 

There is no right answer to how far back, not today anyway.  There is probably a right answer on the day you walk into the unit though, but it's dependent upon what the elk are doing, what the current hunting pressure looks like, what the weather is doing/going to do...  None of that can be known today.  And even on that day it generally requires experience to read all those tea leaves to really know what to do. 

Anyway, I would have a plan for both.  Then make the call once you get there as best you can, and learn from it either way.  Just remember to have fun!

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I'm familiar with both units and will most likely be spending some time in both early this season.  As you and others have stated....stay mobile.  I've backpacked in 6+ miles to a spot that I know is going to be perfect only to find outfitter tents everywhere (which there are plenty of in 14 and 15). 
I like to pack light and leave my truck a few hours before dawn and have a loop mapped out that I want to cover for the day, if I get into elk then I'll stop and spend some time that day trying to pattern movement, look for where I want to camp, and figuring out my game plan for the next day.  Then I head back to the truck, load up my base camp gear and start the fun.  If I don't see/hear anything promising on my loop, I'll drive to my next location and try again.  With 5 days, I would try to have at least 5 promising areas selected.
 
A fire started in the Sarvis wilderness yesterday


You can monitor it here - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5985/
 
I am currently planning to be in Unit 15 3rd week of September. Keeping an eye on the wildfire situation. PM me if you want. Depending on when you're going to be there we can share intel.
 
Great intel just joined Elk101.  This being my VERY first post.


Enjoying the forums and the information,


i?m Leaving NC on Sept 13 to hunt the last week of archery. I?m also looking at 15, ALSO 231, 25 and 26 over by the flat tops.


Has anyone hunted the old 2016 burn on the Sarvis creek area?



 
Canvasman said:
Great intel just joined Elk101.  This being my VERY first post.


Enjoying the forums and the information,


i?m Leaving NC on Sept 13 to hunt the last week of archery. I?m also looking at 15, ALSO 231, 25 and 26 over by the flat tops.


Has anyone hunted the old 2016 burn on the Sarvis creek area?
Click to expand...


Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area is closed and closure area is expanding as the Silver Creek fire grows.  So don't expect to be able to access much of 15 unless we get a monsoon, and all the hunters planning for the closed areas will be displaced to open areas.  I've hunted the 2016 burn, but it is fairly small and gets a lot of hunting pressure due to being the most recent burn in the unit and the fact that a lot of guys are running onX and trying to get back in the wilderness.  So I would start formulating multiple backup plans.  Good luck out there and have a safe trip out.
 
skinne88 said:
Hi All -


I am in the process of planning my first elk hunt. I only have 5 full days, and am looking at backpacking in. I have been e-scouting Colorado Units 14 and 15. I have the maps all marked up and now have analysis paralysis. Wanting to get deep enough to get away from the crowds...but also want to be mobile enough to switch it up and move if I am coming up dry or run into other hunters in my focus area. Hunting archery season, later September. Any advice on 14 or 15??


Thank you!


SK
Click to expand...

So how'd it go?  Any luck?  We started in the same area, went through all our options there, then relocated to another part of the state to find a lot more elk.
 
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