Hello friends,does anyone have suggestions for Colorado 1rst Rifle elk? I have 8 pref pnts and applied for GMU20. After researching it looks like that may not have been the best decision. Some options look like possibly GMUs 48, 49, 69, and 501. I have until Friday to make a corrected request. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dean

I've hunted most of those units and for me it's a toss up 'tween 20 and 49. I know both units very well, both units hold nice bulls, both units have a lot of private land. But if I had to choose one unit other the other, I would spend my 8 pp's in unit 49. The deciding factors for 49 over 20 would be RMNP and less private land. The elk in 20, when pressured, will use the national park and private land as sanctuary very fast and they may not come back across in the limited time you have to hunt. Unit 49 has far more national forest land than unit 20.

Thanks for a reply. I spoke with one of the CDOW hunt planners yesterday and he recommended staying with 20. Said they only offer 20 tags for the season so the hunt pressure is very minimal and there's a lot of elk moving on and off the park. He had hunted the unit recently and saw plenty of elk on the NF. I'm still trying to decide.

What type of hunting are you planning on doing? Set up a camp and walk in everyday or are you planning on a backpack hunt?

I really enjoy 49. These all DIY hunts with a buddy. We drew on alternate cycles so would both go with one tag and help out the other. Great trips. He has since reached the age and physical ability (bad ankles) where he can no longer hunt. I have not lived in the US for years. I hope to retire next year and I will head up there, likely with a son or two, and give it another go. These trips with my bud are top of the list in my life's hunts.













[img]http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa437/boxhead61/Colorado9.jpg[/img]

The plan is to spike in as far as necessary and stay after them. I'm hoping to get out there in August to scout and see how many roads have been reopened in the flood area. The USFS site is showing many still closed in the northern part of the unit next to the park. Figuring it may help keep the tourists out of the elk's summer range all summer.

Great pictures EdM. I'm always telling our hunting clients who've not been out there that if a picture is worth a thousand words, being there is worth a thousand pictures. I've got three bad joints from old injuries that are about to end my heavy pack hunts so I'm putting it all in for this one. It looks like I may have my son who's just gotten out of the USMC to hunt with and help with the load bearing.

I hunt 501

So did you stick with 20 or switch? I am also interested in 20 and 49 for next year and hope to do some scouting in these this summer to decide. I'm not familiar with either unit other than some initial research, but if you do decide to come out to scout, I may be interested in helping you scout if I happen to be available. Can't make any promises as I have a couple other scouting plans but if you're interested, shoot me a PM.

I left my app with 20 as first choice and signed up for the leftover list. I guess we'll see when the results come out whether I got drawn for 20 or not. I'm planning on heading out around August to scout if it's a go, so I'll update after the draw. Thanks

I have another question for the Colorado residents. After sorting through the vast amount of statistics info on the CDOW site, let me get this straight. Even if you are a resident and live in a limited hunt unit, you still have to build preference points and wait for years to hunt in that particular unit unless you get landowner tags? I see where some units require up to 22 pps for residents.

110% correct. Even landowners have to apply for landowner tags. They don't get them automatically.

That would be extremely, "discouraging" to say the least, to have elk in your backyard and have to go somewhere else every year to be able to hunt them.

correct .. some units require numerous points
Recognize the number of tags available for the specific season
and unit and number of applicants

I'm going gray writing about this... .. .