Need Help With Locations

[ryancolter96]

Hi all,


I'm a Texas and new to the forum. I'm a college student in Abilene and will be heading to CO in August for my first elk hunt. As many know, CO is a huge state with lots of hunting land to choose from, and I'm just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction. I'm looking pretty heavily into the Weminuche Wilderness Area, but I know that there are tons of other places to go. I'm not looking for a monster bull, but I'd like to at least have some elk encounters, so anything helps.


Thanks!

 

[sjl2012]

PM me Ryan, I'm in the Abilene area. I mostly hunt NM but have hunted CO a couple of times in years past. Be more than happy to help if I can.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Ryan,


Shoot me a PM on specifics, I've spent alot of time in Colorado and specifically southern CO... been in the weminuche plenty. The general rule of thumb is elk numbers are highest at the northern part of the state and decrease the further south you get. Southern CO IMO is some of the toughest area in the country to kill a bull. Population densities aren't as high as the rest of the state and they have ALOT of room to spread out. The san juan mtns also seem like they've gotten alot more attention in the last 10years. I'm not trying to discourage you, if your heart is set on the wem then go for it, but some of the spots I had 10 years ago all to myself now have outfitters behind every tree with less elk to boot. There's still elk in this area but you may have to work harder here to 1) lose crowds and 2) find elk than other wilderness's in CO.

 

[windymtnman]

As far as your thinking of hunting in the Weminuche wilderness areas, what specific GMU are you thinking of hunting?  You can't just go anywhere there, as Unit 76 is a trophy draw unit, which takes a lot of preference points to get a tag.  You can go in the southern portions of the Weminuche and be in unit 77 though.
I live about 75 miles from there, so spend some time horse/mule packing in there, but to date, most of my pack trips have been in the Northern areas around the vast Rio Grande Reservoir.