CO unit 4th rifle

[Iowaguy]

I'll be hunting CO 4th rifle. I have hunted the area in all other seasons but 4th. Hoping to find some on the move migrating. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[ElGuapo]

I hunted it for Deer year before last. Happy to give you my limited input.

 

[Wags]

Pray for snow….

Since you’ve been there before you have a lay of the land already you should have a rough idea of normal migration paths. It’s not my favorite area because of how a majority of guys hunt it but if you get weather and are patient you can come across a good hull.

 

[Iowaguy]

I hunted it for Deer year before last. Happy to give you my limited input.

Absolutely!

 

[firemtn]

Congrats on the tag! I haven't hunted unit 3 yet. All my experience is in 11 and 211. I will say I always see good buck that time of year and the migration could help. Walking ridges and glossing is where it at.

Thanks! Same to you. Glad to hear that, I am really eager to get after it this season. I know the unit is pretty heavily roaded but getting on those ridges and looking into spots that are hard to see from the truck seems like the best approach.

 

[CoHunter1991]

I just picked up a unit 3 tag for second rifle and was worried crowds this given the number of tags and OTC elk hunters. If anyone has some areas they liked and allowed you to get away from the legions please PM me. Probably will only get 2 days to hunt.

 

[Wags]

I just picked up a unit 3 tag for second rifle and was worried crowds this given the number of tags and OTC elk hunters. If anyone has some areas they liked and allowed you to get away from the legions please PM me. Probably will only get 2 days to hunt.

You'll be fine in 2nd rifle. It's 3rd rifle that's the zoo.

 

[Isaaccc11]

Got 4rth rifle season? Any luck last year?

 

[Tnjones1247]

In on 4th season too.

 

[jfk69]

Me three.

 

[Wmsc]

Pray for snow….

Since you’ve been there before you have a lay of the land already you should have a rough idea of normal migration paths. It’s not my favorite area because of how a majority of guys hunt it but if you get weather and are patient you can come across a good hull.

Wags- what do you mean by “how a majority of guys hunt”? As a new hunter I’ll try not to engage in distasteful behavior.

 

[Wags]

Wags- what do you mean by “how a majority of guys hunt”? As a new hunter I’ll try not to engage in distasteful behavior.

It's a road hunters paradise. Groups will radio each other and chase herds. Shoot across roads.... shoot into herds.... wound animals that they don't have tags for... private ranches chasing elk with ATVs to keep them on their land so their hunters can kill them... One morning as we were driving to town we happened across a herd that made the mistake of ending up on public ground. There were trucks parked all over both sides of the ridge and more came flying past us (on the mud road) to get in on the "hunt." When the shooting was done the 2 bulls in the group were wounded and back on private, 2 cows were dead (they laid there the rest of the season) and a calf was walking around dragging its intestines. I've hunted the area a fair amount and have seen this type of "hunting" every time. It's shameful and far from hunting IMO. Fun fact, 90% of those plates were CO plates, not out of state hunters.

I'm sure there are guys who do it right and get it done there. But a majority of the guys I've come across rarely leave the cab of the truck.

 

[intunegp]

It's a road hunters paradise. Groups will radio each other and chase herds. Shoot across roads.... shoot into herds.... wound animals that they don't have tags for... private ranches chasing elk with ATVs to keep them on their land so their hunters can kill them... One morning as we were driving to town we happened across a herd that made the mistake of ending up on public ground. There were trucks parked all over both sides of the ridge and more came flying past us (on the mud road) to get in on the "hunt." When the shooting was done the 2 bulls in the group were wounded and back on private, 2 cows were dead (they laid there the rest of the season) and a calf was walking around dragging its intestines. I've hunted the area a fair amount and have seen this type of "hunting" every time. It's shameful and far from hunting IMO. Fun fact, 90% of those plates were CO plates, not out of state hunters.

I'm sure there are guys who do it right and get it done there. But a majority of the guys I've come across rarely leave the cab of the truck.

100% accurate. Road hunters galore in trucks, side by sides, and quads. Seems the name of the game for most is find some elk and chase them around until you can jump out and shoot. Additionally, anywhere you see a truck parked is likely to have a pile of shit covered in TP and surrounded by water bottles and vienna sausage cans.

Last year I was glassing over a basin not visible from the road and a guy came by with his dog off leash. He wasn't dressed for hunting and I had been there all day so I don't think they were tracking a wounded animal or anything. Neither the man or dog had orange on.

One of my biggest pet peeves is this...you're almost always within earshot of another hunter whether you realize it or not. I watched some guys get out of the truck over 1000 yards away and could hear them talking about the day's plan before they took off again. Almost every time the shooting stops, you can hear ridiculously loud and obnoxious hooting and hollering and celebrating in the distance. "Look at the size of that one! Nice shootin' Billy Bob, you smoked his ass!" I understand getting excited about a kill, but this kind of celebrating is distasteful and discourteous to fellow hunters in the field.

Oh, and recovering animals. Vehicles aren't supposed to leave established roads. You won't see many people with a frame pack carrying quarters...you will see side by sides, jeeps, and quads driven up and over ridges in order to load a whole animal and minimize their already minimal amount of effort and work.