Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Unit 54 tags Question

I'm new to elk hunting. My hunting partner and I are planning on making our first hunt at Unit 54 in Colorado during 2nd Rifle Season 2016. Looks like we can put in for Cow tags during the draw. But, if we don't get drawn, we can buy OTC Either Sex tags. I understand we may not have a good chance of getting drawn our first year. But, it looks like we'll be able to buy the OTC Either Sex tags online as long as we're ready to buy online right at the opening bell. Are their any flaws to this plan? Maybe we're not quite understanding the rules. If not, please clear it up for me. Thanks.

Generally you are correct. However,that cow tag that you draw is a "B" tag, which means that if you draw, you can still buy the OTC Either Sex tag which is an "A" tag. This could give you two elk tags.

And yes ,you must be on the computer to buy one of those OTC tags w/cap the first day they go on sale as they get sold out by afternoon.

Looking at the 2015 Preference points issue of Colorado Outdoors Magazine, there were 126 applicants for 170 cow tags, 2nd rifle. Which means everyone got a tag

After this years seasons,I talked to the local CPW officer for that unit.

CPW is contemplating not issuing those OTC Either Sex Tags for 2016 as they feel they have the elk herd down to herd size objectives. Therefore,you might see significant changes in tag allotments and those OTC tags might not be available.

Another factor to consider in your plans.If you are thinking about hunting the eastern side of Unit 54,for several years now after the 1st-2nd days of the 1st rifle season, large numbers of elk head for the private land down along Ohio Creek bottom land and remain there thru all the hunting season. Last year as we were leaving, we stopped counting after we passed 300 and typically there are 500-800 elk there on those hay fields. That draws in about all the elk of all the area west of there and finding any elk gets to be a pretty hard.I don't know what happens over on the west side in the Soap Basin drainage though.There is nothing the CPW can do legally to get those elk moving off those properties

Tenderfoot Outfitters ( Fred Stinson) who has the permit in that area did a little better in 2015, but in 2014, they killed one bull and a cow, for all of archery, muzzle loader, and 1st and 2nd rifle season.He was not a happy man.
I have hunted that unit on and off for 25 years and it gets harder kill an elk every year.I usually do fairly well but I know the area intimately and I have mules so I can cover more ground for more days until I do find a few elk. If it was my first elk hunt, I would look else where. If CPW does change the tag allotments for 2016,I might very well go elsewhere myself.

Here is a small group of those elk on the Castleton Ranch. Multiply that by 20 and you will get and idea of what we saw in 2015.

We're looking at somewhere North and/or West of Middle Beaver Creek. We've got plans to hunt there, the Soap Basin, and anywhere else in that area and to the west of there. My hunting partner is a college athlete and I am a retired Marine combat vet. So we're both prepared to do a little walking if needed and we're planning on going in pretty light. I've also heard a lot of guys talk about hunting the areas between the private land on the north bank of the Gunnison River and the public land to the north of there. They try to catch the elk moving back and forth.

If not Unit 54, what would be your recommendation? We're not looking for a trophy bull, just a clean kill and some meat on our first elk hunt. Figure we'd want a place where we could get an either sex tag.

I can't really give any good recomendations for foot hunters.I hunt with mules and get pretty far back in. All I can say is where there are elk one day,there might not be any for two weeks + and where are no elk there may be a herd the next day. They get pushed around a lot from hunting pressure.

The either sex OTC elk tags won't be available next year in 54. Check the last commission meeting notes or maybe the one before.

Maybe I was looking in the wrong section,but there is an error in the notes.It now shows a hunt code of EM054U2R instead of the EE054U2R. Then in the column to the right it says no change. This was in the Wray meeting notes, Issues, Chapter W-2 page 33,.

Cow tags will still be available in the 2nd rifle season,but last year,there were no left over cow tags after the draw.

Thanks for the input. We'll try to get drawn for a couple Cow tags in GMU 54 probably. If that fails, we'll try for OTC tags either in 54 or wherever we can get that looks promising.

If we get GMU 54, we're willing to walk a ways in if we need to. Somewhere around the Castles or other far and away places will work. Figure the elk are hanging around 8000-9000 feet during the 2nd rifle season.

Any more good information regarding GMU 54 hunting locations or getting tags for 2016 there is welcome. Keep it coming. Thanks.

No,As I posted,those elk are hanging around the Castleton Ranch and other private property down low during the 2nd season. They come out of that area.

If you want to get in further, go to the Horse Park Ranch,west of Crested Butte and go in the Beckwith Pass Tail and hunt Unit 53 west of Swampy Pass

PM KC on this forum and get his opinion. He hunts that country too

Saddlesore has given you great advice, that can only be gained with the experience he has in 54. We've hunted it the last two years in muzzleloader
for cows. We have horses, last season we hunted the West side. Soap Basin and Big Soap park. The problem is when you get in more than five miles in both places you run into the two outfitters on the west side. LB Mullin out of Soap basin from the Coal Mesa trailhead. John Sund out of the Big Soap park. They are both really nice guys, but have several drop camps in their respective areas. This year we tried Rainbow Lake trailhead.
Went in on Sunpark trail and who did we run into but LB Mullin he has a drop camp in there too. Another outfitter was up in the Baldies around middle Baldy also. We scouted opening day of bow season for our muzzleloader hunt this year. On the way home we drove up Mill Creek Rd.
Saw the same as Saddlesore's picture on this thread only more like 200 head of elk on Castleton ranch, this was on the opening day of bow season. It's beautiful country, not saying you can't kill an Elk there but you will really earn it.

Craig