Drew my first tag this year in unit 54 for archery elk. Never hunted in Colorado before, was looking if anyone had any pointers or advice. Not looking for any secret spots just some help to get started. Thank you in advanced

Get your ass in shape. There's not much air up there, and the mountains will kick your ass.

Check your PM's

I've heard it's some pretty rough country and we have been working out and preparing as best we can. We will see how good of shape we are once we get there haha

Go in MIll Creek road #720 I think go all the way to the end, start walking west. Don't be depressed after the first days climb you are almost 1/2 way up there !!!!!!!!!!

The road is fairly decent to the Mill Creek Trailhead and you can drive another mile or two with a 4wd ,but probably can't drag a trailer.

Then you hoof it another 2 miles to the end of that canyon and start to climb. At that point, it's pretty much straight up except where the trail snakes up that canyon.

I rode my mule up there last year scouting and was not impressed.

Probably a lot of camps along that 4wd road.

Kkale: Here is a link to the Elk mountains in central Colorado from www.summitpost.org/. You will be more interested in the West Elk Mountains that will be in Unit 54 & Unit 53 in the West Elk Wilderness area.

http://www.summitpost.org/elk-mountains/171580#chapter_9 Lots of info here ! *article & photo credit kane and summit post contributors

http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=236137&confirm_post=12 *photo credit to Kane

Photos looking into the upper portion of the West Elk Wilderness. Mt Gunnison on the left, the backside of East and West Beckwiths on the right, and Haystack Mtn area in the foreground from Storm Ridge. Most of what you see is in Unit 53 and a small portion is in Unit 54.

The first link is the Wet Elk Wilderness portion. Reading what is before the West Elk Wilderness portion and after is also interesting and enlightening with good photos.

As previously mentioned Mill Creek Rd is 727 Rd, it is midway up Ohio Pass Rd 730 Rd. You will drive approx 4 miles back in on that road before being near one of the West Wilderness boundary area. There are several pack trails off Mill Creek Rd into the Wilderness, ***very long pack trails. Walking these pack trails is quite a long journey over steep terrain or deep creek valleys. *** Be warned, and especially trying to pack out a elk from the Wilderness.

You access Ohio Pass Rd off Rt 135 a few miles (approx 3 miles) out of Gunnison headed N towards Crested Butte.

Mill Creek Rd is one access point into Unit 54, Swampy Pass Rd see TR 439 a pack trail off Ohio Pass Rd above the Mill Creek Rd entrance a ways ( 8 miles), is another access point into Unit 54. And west of Gunnison on RT 50 take FR 724 through the Saperino State Wildlife Area to Rainbow Lake is another access point into Unit 54 and the West Elk Wilderness.

There are also Pack trails up West Elk Creek, Coal Creek, Cow Creek and Soap Creek from Rainbow Lake & Blue Mesa Reservior. See Pg 57 & 58 in the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer. I highly recommend buying that Colorado Atlas.

I would have a 4x4 vehicle for access on all these roads. There will be long hikes beyond the 4x4 trail's end at the Wilderness boundary trailheads to get further into the Wilderness. As mentioned this is rugged country, be in shape. Mtn elevations here are 9,000 ft to 13,000 ft.

This is best hunted using mules and horses. Quads and bikes are not allowed in the designated Wilderness.

Summit Post is a hiking mtn climbing website, but much of the info here will help you with terrain knowledge and access.
See the boundary limits for Unit 54 in the Colorado Big game regulation booklet. RT 135 is the eastern boundary for Unit 54.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=38.73927,-107.13648&z=12&t=T A topo map link for the Unit 54 area in the West Elk Wilderness, take time to learn to use this mapper system. Sorry I can't get a live web link : https://mapper.acme.com/ try this and move to West Elk Wilderness Colorado area.

Hope this helps you and best of luck. Hungry Horse

Tenderfoot Outfitters operates out of the Swampy Pass trail head,so that can get a little crowded.Plus that is one of the main gathering points for the rancher that has a grazing lease in that entire area. A person might run into more than a few cows there

Saddlesore: I am not the OP, but I am always thankful for the local knowledge of the area that you offer. I know you and KC are one of the elk hunting guru's of the area, and offer good advice. Thank you, HH

Kkale: A web link with trailheads and pack trails in the West Elk Wilderness

http://www.coloradoswildareas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WestElkTrailheads_map.jpg
Click on the map to enlarge

Use this in conjunction with a good mapper system. HH

They really left out a lot of trailheads. In addition to those indicated on that map you can access unit 54 from the following trailheads:
Horse Ranch Park Trailhead
Lost Lake Trailhead
Swampy Pass Trailhead
Beaver Ponds Trailhead
Mill-Castle Trailhead is actually three separate trailheads(Lowline Trail, Mill Creek Trail, Little Mill Creek Trail)
Zigzag Trailhead
April Gulch Trailhead
Beaver Creek Trailhead
Sun Park Trailhead
East Elk Creek Trailhead
Lion Gulch Trailhead
Coal Creek Trailhead
Big Soap Park (several trails start there)
Curecanti Creek Trailhead

There are additional access points on the west side of the West Elk Wilderness but they're not in unit 54.

KC

KC: Thank you. Excellent listing of access points and pack trails. I am not the OP, but I definitely was not aware of all these, many of them, but not all you listed.
If you enlarge that map by clicking on it, you can see many of the access points aka pack trails you mention.
I was just hoping to show Kkale some access points to help him, since he said he has never hunted Colorado before, when I found this access map. I have sent him additional info in PM's, but he has not read them yet. Not sure why ?

Saddle sore and yourself are great contributors to the Colorado elk hunters questions. I found a thread from 2012 where you contributed a lot of info, thank you both for all you have offered over the years. HH

Kkale Some photos as you drive up Mill Creek Rd Rd 727

http://www.edarnell.com/Trails/page34.html ClicK the link, photo credit Ed Arnell


Ohio Peak at the upper end of Ohio Pass 730 Rd above Swampy Pass trail head road Tr 438 Tr 439
https://adventurequickies.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_3908.jpg photo credit Ashley Upchurch-Kreykes

KKale please see the flashing red arrow when you log in as you have several PM's from me

HH

KKale: here is a link to summit post gallery 14 photos to see the Anthracite mtn range along Ohio Pass Rd.

http://www.summitpost.org/anthracite-range-ohio-peak/images/p-153635

Read the paragraph under/about Storm Ridge about the elk and where Kane names many high pass locations or mountains in the area. * Bingo !!! Many of those places are in Unit 53 not unit 54.

http://www.summitpost.org/storm-ridge/236080


HH

Kkale: here is a link to Lost lake campground off Kebler Pass Rd on FR 706 at the base of East Beckwith mtn

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gmug/home/?cid=STELPRDB5368213

The link will show nice photos, a detailed description and directions to it.

HH

Kkale: Here is a link to the Blue Mesa Reservior with photos and information Double click the photos to enlarge them

http://www.sangres.com/colorado/scenic-byways/westelk-bluemesareservoir.htm#.V76jBeTr3v9

If you go to a Google page, Chose images, type in the search block: Unit 53 or Unit 54 Colorado elk hunting areas, you would be amazed at the info available. Vary your title to find specific photos interest, then click on go to webpage. That is how I found a lot of this information.

http://www.sangres.com/colorado/ offers a lot of info

HH

Kkale: A link to a article: 5 Tips for beginning elk hunters.

https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2014/09/19/five-tips-for-beginning-elk-hunters/.

HH

Kkale: A web link to Unit 54 % hunter success, numbers killed in each season bull & cow, Archery Muzzleloader 1st rifle 2nd rifle 3rd rifle 4th rifle and for several years. 2012-2015

http://www.toprut.com/hunt/colorado-elk-unit-54/

Hope all this information helps you, and you folks harvest some elk.

HH

Damn good thread.

A lot of good info,however,what has not been said is very early in the season, maybe even starting in archery and muzzle loader or the 1st few days of 1st rifle, most of the elk in those eastern drainages head for the Castleton ranch along Ohio creek and the Ohio creek road.

In 2015, coming out the end of the 2nd rifle season,we stopped counting at 300 head of elk in the hay fields along the road.In 2014,there were over 500 head.

Talking to the CPW guy there,they have had some problems with guys hunting the fence along the west boundary of that ranch. They get there by going in thru the Mill Creek trail head. The CPW claims there is no way they can harass those elk back onto NF land

That is why Tenderfoot Outfitters has had such poor success rates,according to Fred Stinson ,owner of Tenderfoot.

Tips from KC and saddlesore helped us get a couple of elk in 54 the year before last.
I'll always be grateful to those guys for that.

Saddlesore: Thank you for that local knowledge offering, great local hunting information that I cannot offer, living in s/w Pa. Someday maybe, sooner than later... I hope to be a Colorado resident.
In the meantime, I hope my contributions to this thread helps folks, especially those who have never been in the Gunnison area. My time there was very limited in Oct 2004 on a elk hunting area scouting trip.

I am grateful to www.summitpost.org/ contributors, KC and saddlesore and Foster, BeanMan, and 2004 folks from Arkansas @ Horse Ranch.

Hungry Horse

Kkale: a you tube video of a Unit 54 hunt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voX1mt47btgale

Hunting Unit 54 with Tenderfoot Outfitters. Looks like 2007 time period, you can see the "Castles" in the background, looks like Swampy Pass access.

Video credit Tenderfoot Outfitters

Good Luck on your hunt. HH

Tenderfoot packs clients in from Swampy Pass Trail Head, but then head up Little Pass Creek.Their main camp is just east and tad north of the ridge that the Castles are on and n the boundary of the Wilderness area.They hunt north of that along the trail that eventually becomes the Beckwith Pass Trail or they go south and around the ridge of the Castles and hunt up towards Storm Mountain pass, and all the country between that.Besides their base camp,they have several drop camps around that general area.

They have a permit from the FS that allows them to use trucks to take their equipment/camps in a before the season and after the season.They usually take their camps out after the end of the 2nd rifle season. That road takes off the Ohio Creek road on private land and is not accessible

saddlesore: Thanks for the local info on Tenderfoot's hunt area. Pretty country, looks like a good Outfitter. HH

I've hunted in 54 3 times now and all the info Saddlesore gave me and is supplying to you is dead on. This thread is invaluable info. The info on the cows read it twice. they are all over the area from the swampy pass trail head until the ranchers lease runs out.

From what I've heard from the outfitters they have struggled with the elk residing on the private ranch (alfalfa fields) and Fish and Game has yet to find a way to control that. They've even used drones to try to push the elk back to the public ground. I think it puts the number of tags vs the available elk in area 54 in a disproportionate place.

oh and better get to walking!

Sorry I've been mia the last couple weeks, and haven't posted any responses. I've ready over all the info everyone has given me. I feel pretty good about the hunt, and want to tell everyone thank you. Y'all have been more of a help than y'all really know. We are about 14 hrs away from being in gunnison and let me tell you we are excited! I will keep y'all posted on the hunt pending service. Thank all of y'all again

You are timing it right! I have a buddy on the mountain the last 10 days. It's been very slow. Last night was the first bugling they had even heard at night. It should be about to break open in that area. He's had a rough hunt and has been ready to quit. Hang in there and stay positive is all I can tell you now!

Oh and he said the new Micro brew in Gunnison is GREAT!

Kkale: Archery season has been over for a few weeks, hope you had a good hunt, please tell us how your bowhunt went in Unit 54. Hungry Horse