Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado GMU 18/comments?

Anyone have any advice or comments on this GMU? Tag is bought so I'm kind of all in already. First Elk trip and this was what I could manage. I have an either sex tag. Of course I'd love to take a big bull but I'll just be happy seeing anything.

Any advice or comments would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks,
SDS

Which season?

Nov. 11-15

My buddy went up there and looked all over yesterday. Said he saw a lot of sign but so much will change between now and Nov. I don't even know where to start.

I realize the question is really broad but anything is appreciated.

SDS

I know of a guy that scouts up there alot from another forum if you want the info send me a PM.

If it's warm, the elk will be far up the drainages. Not meaning high as most greenhorns say, but as far away from roads and human activity as possible. I usually find them on steep north facing hillsides with water very near smaller meadows or thin timber.

If the cold and snow comes in, as I always hope for, the cow/young bull herds will be moving to their wintering areas surprisingly near the highways. I've found these herds on benches just above the highways and near the larger meadows in the drainages or just above. The bull herds are usually hanging out farther up the drainages in thicker timber, but adjacent to south and west facing slopes with decent grass. I usually find the herds right at the private/public boundaries. The open rolling or flat sage near high ridges, timber, and drainages are also a very good place to keep an eye on in early am and at sunset, especially if the snow flies heavy and temps drop into the 20s or less.

I'm in 18/181 at the same time every year. Unfortunately, so are a lot of others.

Thank you very much for the information. I had heard about watching the north hillsides but the rest is good information to have. Is that area pretty busy with hunters in Nov?

My buddy is looking for places to camp while we are there and I'm kind of along for the ride since I'm walking into this blind. Regardless of how the hunt goes I expect to have a good time.

Thanks again,
SDS

18 gets a lot of pressure so the elk move over the divide into the unit north or into the private property on the west side of 125. That late in the season you may get to hunt the migration from rocky mountain national park south west towards the winter grounds near craig. tom

I am headed into 18 for the 3rd rifle. I scouted it briefly this weekend. Lots of Moose, but no one was seeing many Elk. I'm not a very experienced Elk hunter, but it seemed like most of the hunters I saw were just driving four wheelers up and down the trails looking for tracks. Looked like any animals in there would be headed as deep into the brush as they could get.

Craig is northwest of 18. And those elk never get close to that fair metropolis. Or even close to any of the winter grounds near there..........

Got that right Hunts. But I'm OK if everyone wants to go to Craig to hunt the middle park herd!! Pumpgun could be my best buddy.

taz, The middle park herd don't even make it to the Craig area. Craig kinda belongs to the Bears Ears and White river herds. I don't know if the cdow does any of their tracking surveys online, but if they do, you'll be able to see where the elk from an area winters.........And most don't migrate as far as the deer. Maybe exbiologist will chime in.......

I know exactly where they hang out in every season, especially their wintering areas. Middle Park is nowhere near Craig. I just hope everybody follows pumpguns advice and goes to Craig!!

Oh.OK. Slow here... I get it finally...grin

At the first crack of muzzle loading the elk in RMNP migrate INTO the park. There are two hunter access points to national forest from in the park, special considerations on how things are done: no loaded gun in the park (this is a hunting reg, not CCW), get a ranger to verify the location of the shot AND if it needs tracked into the park, THEY DO IT.

Beware of looking down and following tracks, the boundary is easy to miss, just signs on trees. Carrying a loaded gun into the park is a fine at the least, shooting anything is a trip to jail. I know, followed a trail past a sign I didn't see. The rangers patrol regularly, and are very polite and helpful, right down to not writing up any more than they need to.

The elk work the boundary and bed both sides. I have considered going back, but am sure the next goof would not be a warning.

I recently talked to a ranger at RMNP about this. They encourage hunters and very much want us to be successful, as they have no other way to control the herd. I haven't hunted there so far just because all the checking in and out stuff seemed to be too much of a hassle. With the storm coming over the next few days, this might be a real good spot for 3rd season.

how does the checking in and out work for the surrounding park areas?

When I hunted there, there were two dedicated trailheads/parking areas for access. You buy the park access, fill out a form as a hunter. It is only something like 1/2 mile to the boundary, you want to be sure you are further in by all means, that was my mistake. I am not sure how scientifically located the signs are. The restrictions were, no loaded gun in the park, tracking into the park was to be done by a ranger if you needed to finish off one, have a ranger verify where the shot was taken from, and where the elk is before taking it out, you could start the gutting, just not move locations. The rangers regularly patrol the boundary, so there is a scent trail the elk can recognize Hunting camps are not allowed in the park, but there are forest locations, and motels in the area.

Wife and I were up there camping one year at the start of muzzle loading; must have been 200 elk walked through the campground opening day, so I know they move in from the pressure.

Yes, those GMU 18 elk mostly winter outside of Kremmling, Granby and Hot Sulphur Springs. It's not a very long migration compared to the ones that go through Craig and south into 211. Many of those don't just come from the Bear's Ears, some are coming in from much futher north in Wyoming.
As for other comments on the unit, it's got enough public land, but kinda overrun for my tastes, even in 4th season. I rate it as my 95th (out of 105) best unit during 4th season. Even during 4th season you're looking at over 6 hunters per square mile of public land. And they shoot about 40% of the bulls per year in that unit. 12% five year success average during 4th season, middle of the road elk density. Not ideal. But someone kills them, may as well be you. On the plus side, west of the park, the terrain isn't overly rough and there is enough road access.

Since the tag is either sex 4th season in unit 18 it also includes unit 181. I've been hunting around Kremmling/Granby over 30yr now lots of good areas in those units.

I've got the same tag plus late cow unit 18. They put alot of gates on the access road this year be interesting to see when they close them.

Hey Roper, how's that hope and change working out?

I waited until 3:00 pm on the last day of late season unit 28 to shoot mine. The big herds didn't start moving until the third day of heavy snow.

I'll be back up at Jeff and Sarah's for this year's late season. Should be good again.