Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Unit 11 Public Access

I was just wondering idf there is much public access for elk hunting in Unit 11 or is most of the unit private land. Thanks

Their is pretty good chunk of blm land in unit 11 but from what I read most of the elk high tail it private ground in unit 11. I hunted across the road from 11 in 12 and 13

79S
Across the road from 12/13 is 211 not 11. 11 is west of 211.
Pinyon Ridge has some elk but they quickly run over to unit 10. Cross Mtn also but they go onto private land along the river pretty quickly. If you go to the Pinyon Ridge area be aware that if it snows or rains get out quick or have good 4X4 with all wheels chained up. You can really get bogged down in mud there.

Oops yes 211 I knew their was 11 in thier.. I almost bought the left over tags last year for that area but after reading and some research I went with a unit 13 tag.. I apologize for the screw up..

79S
Yep 211 used to hunt pretty good in the late 2nd, 3rd, and 4th season cow. Now the elk stay up in the mountains until the end of the 4th season and there is hardly any migration until after the regular seasons are over. The late season cow hunting can be good in December.

I have friends who hunt 11 3rd season and do OK but it is very hit and miss for them and apparently a small area since they do their damndest not to let me know any specifics. They are great guys but some of them are certainly the gang that can't shoot straight. They don't like the work in my walk-in area and don't like the idea of my cousin and I shooting at stuff they miss fairly routinely. The guy who got a bull last year shot it in the head......not likely his aiming point.

Some years they see nothing that hasn't moved on to private and last year they hit 2 separate herds moving through close enough that they couldn't miss. The alpha of the group can really hunt and he struggles to fill tags in that area many years.

Sounds like the amount of elk harvested is proportional to the amount of boot leather invested and a bit of luck, that works.

shootsaswede

Totally agree. Hunted 11 several years. Jumped a lone cow in the junipers not far south of CO 318. She made tracks for a ranch that's along the river where it crosses CO 318. Only shot I had was a running shot at about 250 - 300 yards in a 15 - 20 mph gusty cross wind so I let her walk. The first time I hunted 11 I was just south of County 10 east of Cross mountain and had driven to a low point along a 2 track. I got out of the truck to glass the sage flat below and as I turned back to open the back door there was a legal bull standing there watching me about 30 yards away. I did try to track that bull in the junipers and found out that he had circled back in front of the truck about 300yards and jumped a few fences while heading out in the direction of Cross mountain. Probably would have had a shot if I had stayed at the truck. Didn't see anything the rest of that hunt. Well that's hunting.