Unit 61 colorado elk

[MuleyHunter]

I would definitely be hunting the 2018 burn... the lower country got torched pretty good, but the oak brush and quakies just got cleaned up. The elk were back in the burns right away during the rifle seasons. It should be really good this year for better antler growth also.

PM me for more specific areas to hunt...

Also here is my brothers bull from 2011

 

[FireWillie77]

Beautiful bulls guys I should draw my archery tag there this season


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[gbflyer]

It?s an oak brush covered nasty bugger unless you?re way up high or down low in the cedars. I?d think that black powder season would be prime as the elk seem to be very vocal in that unit. Private land scattered about so have a good means of avoiding that. Hunted there the 3rd rifle 2018 with a cow tag. Saw lots of bear sign.

 

[sptsman4]

I've got 24 pts NR so should be able to draw 61 ML. I'm torn between 61 ML and 76 early rifle. I'm 71, going solo, and don't know the areas so I'm thinking it might be time to go guided. Any recommendations on where to hunt, which unit, or any good guides would be appreciated. There are fewer tags and much higher success rate in 76 early rifle but I was thinking that the 61 burn could be pretty good. Thanks

 

[MountainHigh]

Hunted 61 muzzy in 2017 with my dad. Saw a ton of elk, great hunt with lots of encounters. Thick cover for sure and the elk love it! I think killing a 320 bull there is very doable just don't go into your hunt thinking there are 350 bulls running around everywhere because it takes so many years to draw. There are definitely bulls of that caliber in the unit but you will work for them unless your lucky which we are not!

 

[MountainHigh]

Sptsman4, I hunted 1st rifle 76 with friends back in 2016. We hunted a pretty small area on south end of the unit and killed two 300" class 6x6 bulls in 3 days. Hunted an area that was not too steep, drove around after the hunt for a day to check out the entire unit, from what I could see 76 would be great hunt but I think may be more physical than a 61 hunt. If you do your research there are many areas that would be easier to access and the vertical climb would be much easier depending on your physical abilities for a 61 hunt. My dad was 70 when we did his 61 muzzy hunt and 8 days of hunting hard kicked his butt!

 

[sptsman4]

Thanks. Wow, a great bull! Good tip on hunting the burn--I wasn't sure how long it would take for them to move in there.

 

[sptsman4]

Thanks for all of your help. After looking at my options, I finally decided to put in for the 76 ER hunt. I also decided at 71 and going solo it made sense to go outfitted. I like that it's a 3 1/2 horse ride into the wilderness area camp with no other hunters around. It's beautiful country and hopefully the 11,000 altitude won't be a problem. The outfitter has great recommendations and takes some great bulls. Thanks for all of your info and willingness to share. The other real plus is that it's an ER hunt vs a ML hunt which hopefully gives me a better chance at a big bull (400 yds vs 125 yds!). I've bow hunted the last few years in UT and have yet to put my tag on a bull! Best of luck on your hunts this year. Larry

 

[kstitz]

I would have chose that early rifle season also. Gonna be an amazing hunt in some beautiful country! Good luck!

 

[Winchester]

Good luck on your hunt !!

 

[JimP]

I don't think that there is a unit out there that won't hold 350"+ bulls, it is just finding them that is the problem. While 61 has a lot of them I am sure that 71 is going to have a good number of them.

Good luck on your hunt, and I want to see a report good or bad when you get back next fall.

 

[30338]

My 23 year old daughter just found out she drew her tag in Unit 61 for 1st rifle. She has taken whitetail, mule deer and antelope bucks, so this will be her first elk hunt ever. Looking forward to seeing what this unit holds this fall. And recruited her older brother in case we need packing help.

Will be working with her this summer on two different rifles. Need to determine likely shot distance in that unit through some scouting trips. We'll practice to longer ranges but hoping for under 200.

 

[JoeH]

I burned 21 non resident points on the second season for unit 61 this year. Would have loved to drawn the archery tag but even with 21 points I was a quite a few years away. I have had conversations with quite a few people on where to concentrate on and I think I have gotten a different answer from each one. But everyone says to glass from high and hunt deep. I would love to talk with anyone who has had the tag in the last few years there just to heard how it went, and what to expect after all this will be my one and only shot here. After October if anyone wants to hear how it goes I will be glad to share.

One thing I was wondering, dose it pay to have a bear tag that late in the year or are they starting to den up by then.

 

[30338]

Typically I would say yes, buy the $100 bear tag. But seeing as how you burned 21 points, I would for sure not shoot a bear before the bull goes down. If you don't mind burning a $100, there is a good chance a bear will find the carcass of your dead bull after the meat is packed out. Good luck to you on your hunt. We are excited as well.

 

[bullwinkle50]

It depends on what part of 61 you plan on hunting. The unit is a very large unit and covers everything from dark timber, to open parks, to ponderosa forests, to oak brush. There are places you cannot see over 50 yards and other places you can see tomorrow.

Randy

 

[ahcarothers]

I am an old elk hunter and a new contributor. Fully expect to draw Unit 61Archery for 2021, 27 points going in. I only started killing elk when I picked up the bow, so it is the only way to go. It is a very long unit and I hope to be able to glass it all. I will be able to spend all of Sept there.
Anyone willing to share information now, I will gladly pass along to future hunters. It is not likely I will draw another tag

 

[elknailer]

If I draw with 24 nr pts I'm looking for 280-300.

 

[ahcarothers]

I hunted the early rifle season but spent a lot of time in there during the muzzy season. It was not a whole lot different from ML to early rifle. We saw a lot of bulls (heard a lot more, very thick cover). I think I saw one bull that would go over 350 during the ML season and several in the 320-330 range. There is a very high population of 5x5 and 5x6 bulls that we saw. Unfortunately I had a death in the family the night before my opening day so I went after the bull I ended up with on day one. If I had a little more time I might have killed a larger bull but was still happy with how it went. I got some good information from guys on this site that helped in my search.

Hi, I am an old elk hunter expecting to draw an archery 61 tag this year with 27 Pts. I have been fortunate enough to kill a few elk, on the average size, and am hoping for the elk hunt of my life. I am doing a DIY archery in 61 and would appreciate any information you provide. I plan to pass along my on the ground experience to help future hunters. It took 28 years to get here, so I do not expect to make the trip again.

 

[JimP]

Back in 2014 I had a muzzle loader tag for 61. Starting in July we scouted from the north to the south end and decided on the south end.

My partner had a archery tag and was down there a week before I got there. He met me at a spot and told me that plans had changed. He wasn't seeing that much where we planned to hunt on the south side so we went to plan 2.

We ended up hunting around Spruce Mountain, I took a good 5x6 on the opening and my partner arrowed a 340 6x6 the next day.

The Spruce Mountain area is not for the faint of heart. The roads are on the top and the elk are in the bottom.

 

[elknailer]

drew co unit 61 archery with 24 pts