Good morning gentlemen. I was trying to gather any information
I can on hunting the 1st rifle season in unit 79 in Colorado.
If youve hunted it before would you go back? How bad were the
crowds? If a guy got away from the roads and hiked for several
hours prior to daylight every morning do you think you'd have
a decent chance at seeing enough elk to make it worthwhile.
I've hunted 66 several times before it went to a draw area
but I'm just not familiar with the Southfork area. Thanks
for any information your willing to share. Later Taters.
I have hunted 79 3 times in the last 4 years. We would camp near Embargo Creek area and ride our ATV's to different spots and hike from there.
We only hunted 1st rifle one time and there were a ton of people. Its a good spot for deer and Antelope so I don't think everyone is there just for Elk.
I might be able to .pdf you some topo maps of the area.
I just got back yesterday from the South Fork, Del Norte area. I have a friend who owns a ranch on the lower end of Embargo Creek, he runs cattle during the summer over much of 79. I'm very familiar with the area, have never hunted 79 but have hiked and fished over most of it and areas 80 and 76 sincee I was a kid. Not quite as much high country in 79 comparitively speaking, but that is where the elk will most likely be during the first season. Look near and around timberline (10,000+ ft) during the first season. Area 79 is where I have seen my only honest to goodness 30" mulie. Of course i didn't draw a buck tag for it yet!
Dad and I just scouted a fair portion of Area 80 right across the highway last week and everything was well above timberline, spotted a few groups of cows but no bulls.
Crowds could be a problem, but get AWAY from the roads and you can find elk. Get in shape, buy a good pack and GPS and let the other hunters push the elk to you.
Also, call the Forest service office and get a map of the Rio Grande National Forest, 79 falls within the Rio Grande national forest. It's not as detailed as a topo but can be used in conjuction with the topo to help you find roads, trails etc.
Good luck, I'll propably be right across the highway in 80 at the same time.
Bill
I've taken 2 elk in unit 79, both on the late season cow hunt though. beautiful country!!!
my avatar pic is in 79 actually
Thanks alot for the info guys. Living close enough to
scout during the off season is a great advantage that
I'd love to have. I'll bet the mountains are beautiful
now with all the snow melt this year.
Hey TX270 does the unit have a alot of small ranches to
contend with?
TexasTBag-- hey buddy I got the map you sent me. Thank
You PM sent.
Thanks again for the help fellas.
The only small ranches are mostly on lower (closer to highway) Embargo creek. The National Forest Map I mentioned will show private land, including my friends. Not to worry, I would say private only consumes maybe 3-4% of the entire unit.
Also most of the private land is along Embargo creek going up. This is not the area you will be interested in hunting elk during the 1st season anyway, so it's really a mute point. However private land can pop up in strange places up there, like a 160 acre parcel in the middle of thousands and thousands of acres of NF.
Again, the National Forest map I mentioned will plainly show these in white.
Now on a late season hunt after most game is pushed down, then the close observance of private land markings can be important.
Bill
I wouldn't worry about private land if you are Elk hunting. If you are deer hunting there are tons of deer that feed in fields down at the bottom of embargo creek in the morning, find their game trails they use to get down there and you'll probably have a good chance at getting one in shooting range.
Be careful if you are up in the NF during smokepole or archery season. Tons of livestock are grazing on the NF, I think that they have to be of the land by a certain date which is usually before 1st rifle.
Also if you see a huge herd of sheep, stay far away!! Those sheep dogs are mean little son's of bit*hes!!!
Also, if anyone need some .pdf topos of that area I can email them. Just shoot me a PM.
Thanks for the help Guys. We normally hunt the first
season but are thinking of trying a late season hunt
because it seems more likely to get drawn on a second
choice. Later Guys
Uhm....I guess you mean your applying next year? It's way to late to apply for draw tags now, unless you get a left over tag if there is any. I don't think 79 is over the counter for bulls but 80 is.
Bill
Yea tx270 I'm already thinking about elk season 2009. I'm
hunting the 1st rifle this Oct in GMU49 near Leadville. I'm
out of points again so I'm starting over next year. Thanks for the help buddy. Later Baker
I was born and raised across the river in Del Norte. Unit 79 was always the place to go for a late season elk or when the snows are deep. It's well known to the locals that all the elk from Unit 76 migrate down through Haney Canyon into Alder Creek when its time to head for lower country. I have personally watched them cross the river at Coller SWA and then over Hwy 149 into Unit 79.
My brother has hunted that area 6 out of the past 8 years and he is disgusted with it. Also, that damned Pool Table Mountain Road is one of the roughest forest access roads I have ever been on.
With all that being said, my father claims that big bulls will head to the sagebrush and hide in the pinyons and cedars during hunting season. Of course, when its hot and dry in late October, no one would look for a bull elk there. Maybe he knows something...
Good Luck to all of you! I am stuck in England until the fall of 2009.
Thanks for the info fell'a.
My goodness 3584 your a long way from home!!
If you feel like sharing what takes you to
Bloody England ????
hello
i hunt 79/76 for deer and elk will be going back first combine season i have done well i stay at blue creek lodge wagon wheel gap would like to talk about this area with you i live close to kingwood
281-659-5610
Hello bkgrizz59. I see by the time of your post you were up
late last night so I'll give you a ring later this afternoon.
Thanks for the reply. Later Baker
UPDATE:
to ELKHUNTER49-- I was in England working for the gubmint, now I am in Germany. Did you hunt Unit 79 in 09? I just spent a week busting my tail in that unit (2nd combined Rifle elk). I went all over the place, hunted all elevations, sections of that unit, even bleeding over in to 681. I know a high school buddy and his brothers killed 3 bulls in the sagebrush country just north of Del Norte. I think all 3 bulls were 5x5's...