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What is the elk hunting like in Colorado GMU 76?

I accompanied a friend on several scouting trips when he was hunting bighorns there. I've hunted across the Divide in Sawatch Park. But never hunted around Creede.

Who has hunted elk in unit 76. What can you tell me about the area?

KC

Been a while but backpacked up on the north side of the reservoir several times. Lots of medium size 6 points in 76 during the summer, archery, ML, and first seasons. Later seasons the elk come down and get hammered in the OTC units, keeping the bulls on the youngish side. Of course on occasion some bulls live long enough to get pretty big.

In the mid 90's two guys from Gunnison videoed the elk herds on the tundra for a couple summers. It was quite impressive--nursery herds of 200-400 head together, big bachelor groups of bulls in the 300-325 B&C range.

I've read before in CDOW reviews that 76 has a general shortage of "big" bulls, but if that's the case, why does it take so many points to draw a tag there?

is it just loaded with elk?

I've spent some summer vacation time up around there, and it looks plenty elky, but I haven't done much hiking there.

there was a bad fire there a while back, and it really scarred the area between Southfork and Creede. we drove the backroads checking it out and were surprised that the fire was SEVERAL years old, and not much re-growth had taken root. This would have been summer of 2014. Might be considerably different now.

I have ZERO hunting experience there. Just telling you what I've seen and heard.

Member

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 207
I’ve been meaning to post something about this. I drew the early rifle tag this year. I wanted a wilderness pack in type of hunt so my primary interest was the area south of the river. I spent a week there in August backpacking into some of the drainages. Lots and lots of elk around, and no people beyond the trailheads. I caught some excellent cutthroat trout as well. I decided on Chief Mountain as my first choice place to hunt, and the area above Big Ruby lake as my second. Ute creek had a permanent outfitter camp and the better areas were a bit farther than I wanted to go. I also went up to Weminuche pass, where I did see a few bow hunters. That spot didn’t feel as good.

My wife and llamas and I arrived 2 days before the opener. At the trailhead for Chief Mountain we ran into an outfitter who it turns out had a camp for hunters close to where I planned to camp. He did not seem happy to see us and told me he was damn discouraged as all the elk had moved out of the area. I was skeptical about the elk having moved out, but didn’t want to deal with a grumpy outfitter and hunters, so we moved over to Fern lake trail to go up to Big Ruby lake. There was an outfitter there too, but a hell of nice guy named Greg Pearson of Long Ridge Outfitters. He opined that there was plenty of room, told me where his camp was, and mentioned some spots that might be good. We camped at the trailhead,and could hear a bugle now and then as we went to sleep. Next morning we packed in 5 miles to Big Ruby and set up camp and poke around for the rest of the day. Next morning was the opener and I went to a spot about a mile from camp that I had scouted in August. Out in a large alpine basin I found a large bull and some cows. The problem was it had snowed 2 days ago, then the sky cleared, snow melted some, then a cold night so the snow now was very crunchy. There was a drainage I could use to keep out of sight for a stalk but I was afraid they would hear me crunching though the snow. I sat about 700 yards out thinking and watching him and listening to him bugle. I thought maybe I could wait for the sun to soften up the snow some.

After I had been sitting for about 10 minutes another bull started bugling in the timber close by, and cows started coming out. More bugles, then the bull in the photos appeared. This was about 0830. Before the hunt started I had decided I wasn’t going to pass one on opening day that I would be happy with on closing day so I took the shot at 160 yds. I had decided I wanted to leave the meat on bone for 24 hours (see thread in General Big Game) so I field dressed, then took the quarters off but left the back straps on. Went back to camp and enjoyed some whiskey with my wife. Problem is when I came back next morning 2 bears and dragged off a front and a hind quarter, and eaten about 1/4 from each. Dang. Nonetheless I got lots of great meat. I have already eaten some and it is not gamely or rutty at all.

So my thoughts about 76:
1. It is great to be in the San Juans in October. Lots and lots of elk, great mountain scenery, few people. After leaving the trailhead I never saw another hunter.
2. Every drainage that is good pack in to and hunt has one or more outfitter camps in it. On the other hand, it is big country. I am used to hunting around home in Unit 18 which is heavily hunted bow season through late season. There is no place to avoid people.
3. The wilderness trailheads (Fern Creek, Thirty Mile, and Ute Creek) have nice big dispersed campsites with room for stock.
4. All the locals I talked to around Creede were nice and helpful, even the hipsters in the backpacking store in Creede. The local Parks and Wildlife officer is a good guy. If you call CPW in Del Norte they will give you his cell phone number.
5. Was it worth 17 points? Damn right it was, at least for me. I wanted a back country hunt in the high mountains more than I wanted antler size. I am aware that 76 doesn’t produce bulls as big as the northwest units do. I wanted a different experience.
6. Sadly I likely won’t live long enough to do it again, unless I buy a landowner voucher...which I wont. After I killed that bull we spent a couple more days in the area just soaking it all in.
7. It seems that there are good places to hunt in 76 without packing in.

September and first week of October in the San Juans is my favorite place to be--ever.

great story, RiverDog! sounds like a good hunt.

I put a couple photos in the image gallery. Couldn’t get them to post here.

Casey:

Thanks for the info.

Which reservoir? Santa Maria or Rio Grande?

KC

KC,

South and a little west of Rio Grande Reservoir.

Although I don't have as many PP's as you, I'm kinda' looking around too. Things have changed for me with the timing of the seasons, more people getting into the back
country and screwing up some of my "hotspots", and preference point creep that seemed to jump quite a bit in the last two years (thanks to a booming population of "lifestyle" immigrants).

Plus, in west-central part of the state elk populations, calf recruitment, and success rate has declined. CPW is becoming concerned, and I wouldn't be surprised to see cow tags reduced even more in coming years, putting more pressure on other PP elk hunts and OTC units.

riverdog:

Thanks for your reply.

KC

KC, 61 is probably better than 76, I think you have enough points for the early first season. I drew 61 2nd season three years ago.

I'd second that, on unit 61. Much easier access to most of the unit too.

beanman & smokepole:

Please tell me more about GMU 61. I've not seen much of that area. It's on the west slope of the Uncompahgre Plateau, isn't it? Looks pretty steep. Why is access easier?

KC

Jeep trails and roads abound. Parts are steep in the canyons but not all of it is. Lots of bulls over there. More than I've seen or heard anywhere else on the national forest.

KC -
I've hunted unit 76 twice and unit 61 three times in the past 10 years or so.
I don't think you would go wrong with either area. I think the altitude and terrain is the biggest difference.
Describing them is kind of like the story of the blind man and the elephant - lot of it depends on where you are.
The high altitude hunting in Unit 76 might be well suited to a mountaineer alpine type like yourself.
I have always seen nice bulls in both units.
One possible difference - I believe that 76 offers an early rifle season - prior to 1st season.

In 76 the North Fork fire was enormous and the much of the forest that survived the burn isn't healthy. Regardless, there were still elk in both those places when I was there 4 years ago. Lot of hunting above treeline too. A number of hunting parties that I know hunt above treeline in 76. We found elk up here the day I took this photo even though it looks unsuitable for man or beast. In early season you wouldn't have to deal with this of course


On another day in 76.



I saw nice bulls almost every day in Unit 61 last week. It is probably even much better in early rifle season.
This bull had a nice black mane. Too bad I couldn't get the mostly obscured bull in the photo but there are some very cool bulls on 61 sporting these jet black manes.


One thing I like about 61 is starting high on the divide and hunting down, instead of having to climb. 1st rifle season in 61 can be very warm.

This is a summer scouting photo from 61. This is down on one of the remote benches. My dog is disappearing into the 5 ft high ferns. This is a trail believe it or not. I noticed right away that the bear sheit here is not composed of seeds and berries, it is hair and bone instead. We left shortly after taking this picture.


Couple more from unit 61 last week





For some other references check the YouTube video by Randy Newberg on hunting 61. There are some links somewhere on this forum.
For some great photos of the elk herds in 76 search the Colorado forum at Monster Muleys for posts by rocketman - probably at least 5 years old now - be sure to check search archives.

Good luck with whichever you choose.
PM sent

Alamosa, Is that ‘trail’ photo Frank’s Bench? How was the cow hunting? KC, I’d be happy toi talk to you about 61, I live close to it so we camp up there a lot (no mosquitoes compared to Grand Mesa), shot a nice bull during 2nd season three years ago, and have scouted it a bit.

Ya. I had always heard of Franks Bench as being a 'Jurassic Park' type of place. It did not disappoint.
It was on my bucket list.
I had attempted to go there years before but never made it until now.
There were no cows there (but we found some other places).
We saw the remains of a nice bull someone had killed there in an early season.



There were bulls on this shaded slope above the bench but it took 1/2 day just to get to the place where I took this picture.
I do not think anyone could hunt this without equestrian support.

I scouted Frank's bench four years ago in the early spring. There were so many bear poop piles on the trail you could hardly take a step without hitting one. I recognize the shaded ridge too.

eggsalent pics, Alamosa.

I'll never draw a tag for these areas, so always happy to ride along via the 'Fire.

KC, I know you'll document your hunt well and share, so I'm already looking forward to your hunt.