I have 10 Preference Points for Elk right now. I was thinking of Unit 61 fall of 2014. I have done some research and spoke with a biologist. I will be on my own (on foot) on a DIY hunt. Any thoughts, suggestions or opinions on Unit 61 or a different Unit with 10 pts for Elk would be appreciated. Thanks.
Unit 61
- Thread starter UT HNTR
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
Yeah, need to know which season your looking at. 10 points won't get you archery or muzzleloading. Not sure about 1st season which imo would be your best bet if your rifle hunting.
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
I don't think 10 points will get you any hunt in 61. I have 12 and I'm pretty sure my research led me to that realization last year. And, the points will keep going up . . .
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
You might be right for a non-resident. I haven't looked. A resident can draw a rifle season for less than 10 points. Although1st may be approaching 10?
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
The point needed in 2012 (last year available) were:
M/L R=14 NR=19; 1st rifle R=10 NR=18; 2nd R=6 NR=15; 3rd R=6 NR=15; 4th R=7 NR=15.
M/L R=14 NR=19; 1st rifle R=10 NR=18; 2nd R=6 NR=15; 3rd R=6 NR=15; 4th R=7 NR=15.
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
Thanks CC. IMO unit 61 is not worth waiting that long for! I can't believe it takes that many points for NR.
In 2012 it took a NR 16 for archery elk. Both my dad and brother will be applying for the tag next year with 17. They have been chasing that unit since it took 11 and they had 10. I hope they can burn their points soon. They applied for points only this year because we drew wyoming elk tags and we only hunt one state a year.
Are you saying that because of trophy quality, access, population, etc?? Just curious, I haven't done a lot of research on that unit, since I have 3 points and will never chase high point units again after burning 10 in 2010.
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
I guess trophy quality. Don't get me wrong there are some nice bulls there but not enough to justify waiting almost 20 years! The unit holds a lot of elk and is fun to hunt. Plenty of decent 6 points. Just not worthy of that many points or more importantly worth waiting that long and not getting to hunt for 20 years. I think Nymore a guy is better off finding a unit he can hunt every couple years instead of waiting so long to shoot a 300-330 type bull.
thanks for the input cohicntry, originally they planned on going guided but not sure what they will do now. If they decide to do DIY I will likely go with them and will help scout next summer. I think it would be a good opportunity to get to tag along and see what 61 has to offer.
BKC
Very Active Member
This is one of those head scrathers as to why it takes so many points for a NRes and compariatively not so many for a Res( don't get me wrong, 10 points is still quite a bit for 1st rifle). Compared to other "trophy" units, this unit is on the edge of being a real good one. I think NRes bail from the real good units because it is just not going to happen anytime soon so this unit gets the attention. I did some work in the town of Nucla and saw a picture in the local paper of big elk feeding on some ground that had been reestablished and reseeded by a local coal mine. I always thought it would suck to see the real big boys on ground you couldn't hunt. The one thing that I always looked at is why Res don't give it as much credit as NRes. Is it because we are here and have a chance to scout it and actually see what is in there? Is it because maybe we hear a few more stories about these and other units? Usually a good unit has maybe a 380 , a 360, some 350's and alot of bulls between 340 and 320 taken off it every year. I don't think this happens in 61.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
There is just as much resident demand for these tags, probably as much or more than NR's. The answer is that there are a lot more res tags available. I havn't checked, but the data is available on the state website. I'll bet there are at least 60 to 70% more tags for res draw.
Just checked data for 2013 (a little hard to understand?), here is what I think is the breakdown:
M/L R= 35, NR=8, Landowner=7
R1 R=103, NR=25, LO=22
R2 R=136, NR=34, LO=30
R3 R=136, NR=34, LO=30
Now you can see why it takes fewer res points.
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Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
With 21 points I'm one of those in the boat wondering if I should jump ship and go for the Unit 61 muzzleloader tag. The intel I have been getting on the NW corner of Colorado and the adjoining units in Wyoming (Unit 31 and 32) is that the trophy quality is off the past 5 years. That is not to say its not still a great hunt, just not as many top end bulls, and most guys are killing 300-330 bulls. I think even when the quality is there, MOST guys have a very tough time passing a 320 bull.
From what I have heard, Unit 61 is very capable of producing a 300 to 330 class bull.
From what I have heard, Unit 61 is very capable of producing a 300 to 330 class bull.
BKC
Very Active Member
uh, I agree totally with your assesment. I think a 300-330 bull is achievable in unit 61. I think it drops off a little faster than other units when you start looking for bigger bulls. Also I was surprised at how many tags, CC showed, are available for this unit, and that didn't count archery.
There are way more tags given out in 61 than the other units, 2, 10, 201. For instance in 61 there are 100 archery tags given out to 201 giving out 8.
Unit 61 Archery
R-68
NR-17
L Own-15
Unit 201 Archery
R-6
NR-1
L Own-1
More tags means less big bulls will make it to that 380 size. The next step in points from 61 is 76, they allow 160 archery tags, smaller bulls yet....on average of course.
Unit 61 Archery
R-68
NR-17
L Own-15
Unit 201 Archery
R-6
NR-1
L Own-1
More tags means less big bulls will make it to that 380 size. The next step in points from 61 is 76, they allow 160 archery tags, smaller bulls yet....on average of course.
Red Raider
Member
The word I get out of unit 61 is there are lots of elk. The average Bull taken out of there is 320 to 330 range. Lots of 6x6 Bulls in the 280 to 300 range. Dark Timber Outfitters guides in there alot. The are located on Divide Rd which split 61 from 62. Nice guy Said he averages 327 Bulls out of 61 (that was 3 years ago).