Colorado GMU 12 3rd Rifle Elk

[DevilDog82]

Hello Everyone! This year will be my 2nd year out to Unit 12. My first year was a success, but entailed a good amount of competition for a few amount of elk. This year I'm flying solo and going to change it up a bit. Does anyone have experience in this unit, especially around Sleepy Cat, Horse Ridge and Milk Creek during 3rd Rifle? I am heading out there to get about 2 days of scouting and planning on pushing myself far past the farthest hunters. Is this area of unit 12 worth the push or will the main herds be hanging out on all the outfitter ranches?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[B-rad 316]

I have hunted that area in 2nd rifle season,several years ago. It wouldn't be an area,that I would hunt in 3rd season.

 

[coloradoshedhead]

It can be a great hunt if the weather is right, but if there isn't any incentive to push the elk around the hunting could be slow. Any of the later seasons are that way though, the pressure of previous seasons has already set in and being in the back country might not make a bit of a difference if the elk are holed up on private. I used to catch a bunch of grief for rifle hunting the later seasons on the west slope up in the timber, with guys saying the elk by that time will be pushed down to the intermediate zones comprising of mostly private property or tons of hunters on the limited amount of state or blm that is spotty inbetween. Although if you have a spot you know the elk frequent and is a "migrating route" you can't go wrong. And the only way to find those spots is being in country figuring it out first hand. The best piece of advice you are gonna get is if your heart is in it you need to get out there find those routes and be successful, which doesn't always mean bringing home backstraps, but sometimes just taking in the knowledge you've learned of the animals characteristics or the land the critters utilize. Go hunt son, its the only way you will please yourself, even if your not successful.