CO Unit 68/681 4th Season Rifle

[austinphps]

Hey Guys,

Anyone have any experience with this unit/this late in the season?

I looked at the snow average for Saguache and for November it's only saying 2 inches. Obviously higher up will probably be more snow.

Are the elk going to be pushed down from the higher country at this time of year?

Are the STLs heavily hunted in this unit?
How are road conditions? Typical NF roads?

I have never been to this area of CO, but plan on getting some boots on the ground this summer/fall.

Going to be a hard unit to hunt this late in the season?

Any general or specific info on the unit would be a great help.

 

[armadillo66]

I am hunting OTC archery in 68 and I also drew a Oct 15 rifle Bull tag for 68.
Late season you have many road closures out in that area.
Also there is just a huge amount of beetle kill timber standing dead everywhere in western Saguache county.
As for 2" of snow in Saguache, in town, yeah might be about right for Nov Dec time, but Saguache town is only 7500ft, Where the elk are in Unit 68 that late, probably still higher altitude. This last winter, La Garita and Saguache mountains got pretty good snow, much of it late and it has rained up there every day in the last week. Saguache Park averages 10,500ft I would say
I was up in Saguache Creek headwaters area this week, made sure I can get my Jeep into the area I want to hunt and also work on figuring out plan B and plan C for easiest backpack in if I cant get my Jeep closer.
Good luck

 

[DEHusker]

I've hunted 68 and 681 for 4th season elk before on a bull leftover license. The hardest part of 4th season hunting in those units is finding the elk. I know a guy who has hunted there every year for the past 18 years and has taken elk 17 of those years. He always gets a cow tag but prob has a chance to shoot a bull every other year if he had the tag. That being said, if the weather is warm and there is no snow it is an incredibly tough hunt. Elk are still high but they are skittish from OTC seasons and tough to find. You must be willing to look ALL OVER the entire huge unit to find them. Roads are pretty good unless there is snow then they are tough to pass up high. If it snows you can cut tracks and find them sometimes. Good luck. Lots of public land but very big country too.

 

[Gkalk1]

I've hunted 681 in the past, only OTC seasons and 2nd DEHusker, it is tough, the hiking isnt to bad but trying to find the elk is work. the second year we hunted it, we basically walked on top of 5 cows and had no idea they were there until we glassed them from the opposite ridge... it is incredible how tight they held to a small blow down. otc may be a different hunt than 4th though, we went as high as we could and hit the nastiest stuff we could find. we also ran into more than a few hunters.