Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Heading to 61

Ok I got a muzzy 61 tag going this weekend to look around any advise on places to focus on and or stay away from
Thanks Jim

Look for the guy riding a Yamaha Grizzly with a white Jack Russel Terrier. He's seen a few elk.

Are you bringing an ATV? They are most essential for getting around on the legal trail system to where you want to start hiking.

Glassing from Windy Point is a waste of time.

Generally, the whole Tabeguache drainage is a good place to start. Especially the south end high up. The better bulls will be hiding down in the nasty lower canyons after they have been pressured a lot.

Are you COhuntr from MM?

No sir from Colorado
I also sent you a PM

Nice tag!
It's been 8 years since I hunted there but probably hasn't changed that much.
We had success (rifle season) in the canyons and drainages to the west of Windy Point by dropping down and hunting along the benches and ledges along the sides of the canyons.

Looking forward to this one!!

I was already to go, camper loaded up, trailer with atv, and noticed a trailer tire with a bad separation. Dang it, now I'll have to go up in the morning after getting new tires on the trailer.

Bears were thick again. We got to watch this little guy while his Momma bear woofed at us.

Nice picture

I don't know if CPW is pushing bear tags, but I got an email from them the other day telling me to buy one. Anyone else get one.

61 is far piece from where I live, so I have never hunted it.

I'd hunt a bear if I wanted one, pretty sure I could tag out on the Unc. It's only 47 miles to where we usually camp but they taste so bad.

I got that e-mail too. Funny story, when I hunted 61 it was with a bow, and if I'd had a bear tag, I could've shot more than one. The last one we came across beat us to my bull. He had just started in on the bull, there was a claw mark on the exit wound where he'd tried to open him up there, but no dice. So he went right for the "evidence of sex" and ate it. I took photos, just in case I got checked by DOW. Which I did, but all he checked was my tag.

Have heard 61 is the unit for bears, seems like that is the case for sure.

i have a 3rd season rifle tag for a cow, heading down there to scout over labor day weekend. i dont know much about the area, but i was told about some good trails up in the NW corner of the plateau to start at. if anyone has any suggestions i am all ears, and i would be happy to share what i learn on the scout trip. PMs also welcome.

Late in the day I killed a bull in 61 and worked on it into the night. Those pieces that I was not able carry I hung securely in a tree.

The next morning I returned with some help and my cattle dogs went crazy (hackles up, ears back, barking) they were intensely focused on a nearby stand of oakbrush where the bear was still waiting. The bear had made a half-hearted attempt to pull the elk quarters out of the tree but had mostly eaten the gutpile and mounded it up with a huge pile of oak leaves.

It was nice to have the blue heelers along that day.

I just got back from 61 and seen 2 bears in 2 days and the most bear sign I have ever seen, walking around in the oak brush can make me a little nervous

Sounds like if a guy has a bear tag in that unit, he should be rendering bear lard. Wife and daughter have enough points for an elk tag in there and we may want to buy a bear tag too.

sometimes the bear poop is so tick it's hard to avoid, especially if you are watching the woods and not where you put your feet.

I archery hunted 61 2 seasons ago, and I also should've had a bear tag. Saw several and at archery range on a couple of occasions. Also a lot of grouse running around, so a judo point or two, if ya enjoy eating grouse.
Enjoy your elk hunts in 61. I took more pictures of bull elk when I hunted then I ever have in all my other years of elk hunting around Colo. Friggin' lots of elk and very few hunters.