Choosing a unit/ area for the long term

[Bowhunting197]

Hey guys, figured some of you may have some background on this. I’m looking to dig into a unit/area for rifle elk hunting and make it home for several years. Planning to use my preference points to do a first rifle hunt and then continue to hunt the area on otc tags for 2nd/3rd.

What are parameters you value for choosing a unit/area to focus on for elk hunting?

I am Having a hard time choosing an area to commit to, I do not want to jump around once I pick so trying to put some good thought into it.

What are certain criteria you evaluate when choosing an area?

Examples
Hunter success %
Access- I’m a truck and my 2 feet for acces
Topography ( open vs thick, really rough vs easier terrain)
Animal population density
Bull cow ratio
Bull quality
Migration patterns.

Within those parameters what is attractive or not to you?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dos Perros]

Access and topography. I would pick a unit that fits my hunting style and hopefully one that is unlikely to change much over time.

 

[bz_711]

Access and topography. I would pick a unit that fits my hunting style and hopefully one that is unlikely to change much over time.

Agree with access and topography. I love to hunt with 13,000-14,000 peaks in view...it adds to the hunt for me plus means some high country spots that others might not put the effort in to access. So I like a mix of hard to reach terrain but also some roads and other easy access spots for day hunts. I want plenty of water for both me and the elk. Hunter success means very little, but I do like some trophy potential even if I'm going to shoot anything, I want that additional chance of seeing a whopper!

I think you are on the right track, way better to hunt a spot every year and learn it fully than jump units every year. Good Luck!

 

[cnelk]

Lots of cow tags.
Means the herd is over objectives

 

[Hnthrdr]

Honestly just pick an area you like. Get to know it. This will make you successful 99% of the time. Chasing BS stats which may or may not even be true, meh, it’s wishful thinking. Personally and with lots of buddies, the consistently tag out in super crowded otc units, it’s because they know them like the back of their hands and have been hunting them for decades plus. No substitute for experience/ intimate knowledge of a unit

 

[Indian Summer]

Honestly just pick an area you like. Get to know it. This will make you successful 99% of the time. Chasing BS stats which may or may not even be true, meh, it’s wishful thinking. Personally and with lots of buddies, the consistently tag out in super crowded otc units, it’s because they know them like the back of their hands and have been hunting them for decades plus. No substitute for experience/ intimate knowledge of a unit

This! Once I know an area, I don’t care how many elk are there. I only need one. And the competition at the trailhead doesn’t matter either. I haven’t looked at success rates or anything like that in years. Pick a spot with elk where the lay of the land and the amount of cover suits my style and that’s all I need

 

[TaperPin]

My favorite spot is relatively small and somewhat near really popular areas, but doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. I agree with the others that say get a place you enjoy and matches how you like to hunt. I couldn’t tell you the ratio of anything, the number of tags, hunter success numbers, or anything that folks use to over think it. For me it’s the perfect combination of wet wallows, dense cool timbered fingers, benches, springs, elevation, topography, travel routes that are easy to figure out, and nice camp spots. Elk are always in the same places each year and do the same things.

The more days you can live in an area, the more you’ll appreciate it, and make sense out of it.

If someone forced me to hunt a different state I’d get as far away from population centers as possible to avoid local hunters, look for steep country to keep lazy hunters away, away from horse trails, north facing with a few small streams, some dense timber with some feeding areas that are hard to glass. The harder the area is for someone to sit in a car, on a horse, or on a single high point and glass the better.

Every year I make it a point to scout or hunt beyond my normal boundaries - understanding the surrounding areas helps make sense of animals coming and going.

 

[newbie247]

Hey guys, figured some of you may have some background on this. I’m looking to dig into a unit/area for rifle elk hunting and make it home for several years. Planning to use my preference points to do a first rifle hunt and then continue to hunt the area on otc tags for 2nd/3rd.

What are parameters you value for choosing a unit/area to focus on for elk hunting?

I am Having a hard time choosing an area to commit to, I do not want to jump around once I pick so trying to put some good thought into it.

What are certain criteria you evaluate when choosing an area?

Examples
Hunter success %
Access- I’m a truck and my 2 feet for acces
Topography ( open vs thick, really rough vs easier terrain)
Animal population density
Bull cow ratio
Bull quality
Migration patterns.

Within those parameters what is attractive or not to you?

Thanks for the help!

Topography mostly.

 

[Hnthrdr]

My favorite spot is relatively small and somewhat near really popular areas, but doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. I agree with the others that say get a place you enjoy and matches how you like to hunt. I couldn’t tell you the ratio of anything, the number of tags, hunter success numbers, or anything that folks use to over think it. For me it’s the perfect combination of wet wallows, dense cool timbered fingers, benches, springs, elevation, topography, travel routes that are easy to figure out, and nice camp spots. Elk are always in the same places each year and do the same things.

The more days you can live in an area, the more you’ll appreciate it, and make sense out of it.

If someone forced me to hunt a different state I’d get as far away from population centers as possible to avoid local hunters, look for steep country to keep lazy hunters away, away from horse trails, north facing with a few small streams, some dense timber with some feeding areas that are hard to glass. The harder the area is for someone to sit in a car, on a horse, or on a single high point and glass the better.

Every year I make it a point to scout or hunt beyond my normal boundaries - understanding the surrounding areas helps make sense of animals coming and going.

Always good to constantly explore/ expand your knowledge my core area, I started with 3-4 spots now I have 3 times that many that I can audible to depending upon the weather/ hunter pressure/ etc. last year seems like there were hunters everywhere, 2023 was pretty dead as far as pressure goes.

 

[jgilber5]

Pick a unit you think you'll be able to draw every year going forward. Unless you're a resident don't count on anything staying OTC for the next decade.

 

[Bowhunting197]

Honestly just pick an area you like. Get to know it. This will make you successful 99% of the time. Chasing BS stats which may or may not even be true, meh, it’s wishful thinking. Personally and with lots of buddies, the consistently tag out in super crowded otc units, it’s because they know them like the back of their hands and have been hunting them for decades plus. No substitute for experience/ intimate knowledge of a unit

Good stuff, areas I’ve hunted previously tag availability is more of an issue. Hoping to choose an area and do exactly what you’re saying.