Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado GMU 181 / 27

I'm hunting both units this fall and am wondering how the Elk and Mule Deer hunts usually go. I've read up on some stuff and it seems it's not the best Elk hunting location. I'm optimistic about an average Mule Deer buck. Any information would be great! My dad and I are camping and looking to go as far back into GMU 181 as possible for a Bull Elk or Mule Deer buck.

What season are you hunting?
Have you scouted? Why are you optimistic about the deer and not elk?
Are you going to focus on one species at a time, or hoping to hunt one particular spot for both?
Would you rather kill an elk or a deer?
Are you car camping or packing in? Reason I ask is because "go as far back in GMU 181 as possible" means maybe 3 miles at the most, making packing in not totally necessary or even all that practical.

Third Season. I'm basing optimism on mule deer from the 2010 and 2011 harvest numbers in that unit. The success rates were a lot higher on mule deer than elk, but I'll be hunting both at all times.

This is a true statement. I've been hunting in 181 most every year of the last 15 (in-laws family are from there) and there are very few places where it would be worth it to pack in a camp. With relatively short walking distances between road accesses, a car camp will be much more comfortable and allow you to be more mobile (and better-rested to get out in front of other hunters).

181 is largely about using other hunters and escape terrain to your advantage. Be in front of other hunters and try and find some natural escape routes. If you are reasonably adept at hunting in the timber, that can be very, very good there.

Expect a lot of company on opening weekend of the 3 main rifle seasons, though a lot of the pressure generally clears out by Tuesday.

We will be setting up a camp and returning to it nightly. Are there naturally elk in this area year round or do you have to hit it just right weather wise to catch them migrating through? I've heard both regarding 181 and 27.

unit 181 back up to the divide and is very small unit with lot of private land lot of ATV's. Unit 27 more private land than public and is hunted hard starting with archery season.

easy access to unit 27 is off hwy 134 county rd 19 and that rd end Hwy 40 most camp off that rd in the national forest land. there some trail off that road that go back to the west and I seen some packer going in there archery season and I guess they get back into unit 15 which is part of the Sarvis Creek wilderness.

some private land and either sex elk or cow tags include units 181 and 18 kind of a funny deal.

When I first moved to Co I hunted unit 181 and they did lot of land swaps over the years and where I hunted it's now private and there was some good buck in there.

Well good luck

Cool so the actual public land area is relatively small in both units making it pretty competitive when there's 300+ hunters with bull elk tags. Can't wait for the challenge! Thanks for the insight I appreciate it. Both units have some quality bucks then?

I guess I should of put when I moved to Co in the 70's in this post "When I first moved to Co I hunted unit 181 and they did lot of land swaps over the years and where I hunted it's now private and there was some good buck in there."

haha ok well either way I doubt the deer herd has changed too drastically since then...then again maybe it has..who knows...

I am heading to gmu 27 this fall, mule deer hunting, can't wait, I figure it's a deer and if one has luck and hunts terrain good things will happen

The lions and coyotes have greatly reduced the deer herd in 18/181 and 27 in the last 10 years. I used to see hundreds of deer in a season in those units. Last year's archery, I saw less than 10 deer in 8 days of hunting. Saw dozens of coyotes though. Even fewer in the fourth and late elk seasons. The elk herd is also quite a bit lower than it was in the late 90s, early 2000s. I believe that is simply because these are some of the "sacrifice" units that DOW manages the herds to maximize revenue, not quality. These units have been "extra" tag and late cow elk units for at least 16 years. This has greatly reduced the herd. Rancher friend of mine there who's property is directly below the FS I hunt took three very large male lions off the ranch 4 years ago. There are still at least three others around Granny's Nightcap. He used to be the one man coyote population control in the area until he passed on to greener pastures three years ago. Said they ate too many of his rabbits. The coyote population has exploded since then.

There is a very large amount of very rugged territory in the northern portion of 181, the Rabbit Ears Range which is the northern boundary of the unit and is also the Continental Divide that never sees any serious pressure beyond first rifle season. Simply because the access is extremely difficult beyond 1st season in a normal year. Most guys have only seen that portion of 181 that is easily accessible via Eastern Gulch, home of the numerous Hoovervilles during the regular seasons. I and my hunt pards have been extremely successful in 181 despite the crowds. But, as with any elk country, you have to know the area and how the elk use it.

You will certainly find lots of hunters in the regular rifle seasons, especially in 181. That place looks like Hoovervilles around every bend during the regular seasons. Also lots of jerks who have no respect for other people. The east and middle sections of 18 are even worse for crowding. The Red Dirt Road area above Big Horn Park subdivision all the way to Rabbit Ears and Hwy 40 in 27 gets pounded hard by lots of folks in the archery and regular seasons. The Milk Creek STL sees very heavy pressure directly off of Hwy 40 and from the north. It used to be a fantastic area for deer. Didn't see one there last year. Saw lots of them down on the surrounding ranches, avoiding the pressure.

Good luck.

Taz,
Thank you for the great insight, I would really appreciate any pointers ,I had picked out an area in 27 on google earth from red dirt road just above the lake!

The Gore Range Divide is boundary between unit 27 and 15 and it's not a straight line. Red Dirt Rd above the lake is less than 1 mile from it and Red Dirt Rd also goes thru unit 15. It's one of the units on deer tag need to be real careful on that boundary DOW in there also checking.

Roper

Long time no see. Hope to be out at the range a little more this year. Finally quit working to jobs. How are you doing.

I'm doing good and starting to shoot more and now that your slowing down hope to see at the range.