Co. Unit 74 Sept. Bull Archery

[377Archery]

I’m looking into hunting this unit, but have never been there. Can anyone give any insight into the terrain, weather, and access. I’d like to hunt with a base camp with the option to hike in a couple of miles.


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[Newtosavage]

PM me. That's where I started elk hunting, and will probably go back there this fall.

 

[dirtytough]

There was a fire there last year. FS isn’t sure if they will open the area up yet or not last I heard. I would definitely check to see if that area will be open if you are planning to hunt near there.

 

[tonechaser88]

Any Colorado unit that has a "Wilderness" in it, I think is worth hunting. All the insane pressure from the roads kicks animals into those roadless areas and they don't come out until pressured out by weather or people. What season are you hunting?

 

[MuleyFever]

Parts of 74 are full of hikers, bikers and Jeepers. Watch out for the trails, especially the Colorado trail.

 

[1arrowshort]

Tonechaser88, I think your answer is in the headline. (Co. unit 74 Sept. Bull archery)

We were going to hunt that unit last year but like dirtytuff said there was a fire and it was closed in the hermosa area. Yes there's places to camp, and yes you can get away from people. They have cattle in there at times and I think that hampers things a little but with the fire they might not be there this year. It is a popular recreation area and alot of mountain bikers and dirt bikes. Weather obviously depends but we had 40s at night 70s during the day just a few units north of 74. Terrain? Mountainous. It should be opened up by sept but call fish and game to verify, you dont want to spend a bunch of time pouring over info making a game plan only to find out you can't hunt that area.

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[Newtosavage]

Parts of 74 are full of hikers, bikers and Jeepers. Watch out for the trails, especially the Colorado trail.

Yea, whatever you do, stay away from the Colorado trail.

And Hermosa park is a sh*t show in Sept. between the mountain bikers, hikers, fly fishermen, atv'ers and hunters. Might as well hunt in downtown Estes Park. LOL I rolled through there 2 years ago to visit with some friends who were camped there. There was literally a circus tent and about two dozen 5th wheel campers and 200 mountain bikers set up at the Hermosa Ck. trailhead for a big event they were having. I guess the elk are used to it since someone camped with my buddy killed a 4x4 not far off that trail, but it's definitely not the experience I am looking for.

 

[377Archery]

Any Colorado unit that has a "Wilderness" in it, I think is worth hunting. All the insane pressure from the roads kicks animals into those roadless areas and they don't come out until pressured out by weather or people. What season are you hunting?

I was hoping to make it up there around mid September.


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[Beendare]

Funny you mention U74. I was in the Durango F&G office one year waiting to get my whole Conservation cert thing squared away....and while sitting there waiting the Biologist on the phone kept directing caller after caller to the same spots in U74.

I swear it was like a pre recorded message..."Hunt 74"....its no wonder its overrun with hunters.

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[Mike1187]

I’ve hunted it several years now, except for last year due to the fire. The unit is BIG, just do some homework, get some good maps, be mobile and you should be able to find some low traffic areas. The weather can vary quite a bit, so pack for every possibility because you’ll probably experience it all. Leave what you don’t need at your base camp. Temp range can be upper 20’s to upper 70’s. If you want to visit more about your plans send me a PM.

 

[pokorn28]

I’ve hunted 74 a couple of times and have always seen elk. When I’ve been we have always been chasing mule deer.

It is limited access in the bulk of the wilderness area. There are a few places that allow some UTV/ATV travel, but they typically have a fair amount of traffic on them from other hunters.

As others have pointed out, there was a big fire there last year. It basically had half of the unit shutdown and really concentrated hunters in the same areas. A lot of guys, including myself, were forced into Cherry Creek because we couldn’t get to our usual spots up Hermosa Creek and other areas.

I would also say it’s worth checking out the area around Purgatory. I saw elk in there last year. But again, lots of people hunt that area too.

Overall it’s a good unit, not too different than a lot of other areas in the sense of you have to put in the work. With it all being wilderness it limits travel to horseback or walking. Very little motorized access. It’s also very big country, steep mountains, high peaks etc.

Good luck to you and feel free to PM me. I can give you some info on places I have seen elk the last few years.

John


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[Newtosavage]

Funny you mention U74. I was in the Durango F&G office one year waiting to get my whole Conservation cert thing squared away....and while sitting there waiting the Biologist on the phone kept directing caller after caller to the same spots in U74.

I swear it was like a pre recorded message..."Hunt 74"....its no wonder its overrun with hunters.

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Well, if they were already calling the Durango office, there's a good chance they would be coming to that area anyway.

I used to answer calls about public hunts years ago, and I got so many of the same "what's the best spot" questions... I always answered them honestly, but it was always the same answer. Not sure what else I was supposed to do. One time, about four groups of hunters showed up at the same windmill at the same time. They had all asked me the same question and all got the same answer. Wasn't my fault. LOL

 

[Newtosavage]

I’ve hunted it several years now, except for last year due to the fire. The unit is BIG, just do some homework, get some good maps, be mobile and you should be able to find some low traffic areas. The weather can vary quite a bit, so pack for every possibility because you’ll probably experience it all. Leave what you don’t need at your base camp. Temp range can be upper 20’s to upper 70’s. If you want to visit more about your plans send me a PM.

I've been snowed on and sunburned in the same week in September in 74. LOL I think we had three seasons in one day above 10K. All part of the fun.

 

[Mike1187]

Ain’t that the truth!

 

[TexasCub]

I know 74 gets hit hard, do you guys that have hunted it think that it would be worth going into it with horses and get some breathing room from the crowds? Say midway up Hermosa Creek and breaking off to the east and working those creek drainages. Or would there still be excess pressure in there too?

 

[Poser]

I know 74 gets hit hard, do you guys that have hunted it think that it would be worth going into it with horses and get some breathing room from the crowds? Say midway up Hermosa Creek and breaking off to the east and working those creek drainages. Or would there still be excess pressure in there too?

I wouldn’t count on Hermosa Creek Trail being open this Fall. That drainage was heavily impacted by the fire and there is a lot of concern about runoff and mudslides from the epic snowpack this year. It may be as long as 3 years before the Trail is rebuilt. That being said, lots of horse traffic on virtually all obvious and popular trails in 74. Sept is also prime for Mtn Bikes on the non wilderness trails and there are also outfitters servicing clients with horses as well as many 4WD roads that can get you pretty deep into the unit. I will say this: there are always elk in 74 and they use the terrain to their advantage, be it close to the roads and access points or far away. Plenty of hunters “going in deep”, too.

I biked through 74 on the CO Trail from Molas Pass to Durango over 3 days last September. Saw and talked with quite a few elk hunters. Only one of those hunters seemed to have a clue as to what was going on and most were expecting to see vast herds of elk out grazing in the wide open alpine. It’s easy to get starry eyed at the beautiful alpine setting but the elk ain’t where it’s pretty and, if you look for it, there is PLENTY of nastiness to go around in 74: look for the terrain that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.

 

[upslope 50]

I hunt 74 because its close and I know the country. If I could start over, I would pick one that has less traffic and people. Even several miles in you hear the Jake Brakes and see way too many people. There is game, but in CO there is game in most places. Its best to just hit the same country until you learn it and figure out where the critters are. Pick a unit that has access but not too much. If i had horses to use this wouldn't be my choice. I would pick a unit you could find a ridge that goes in a bunch of directions, without worrying about unit boundaries, roads and drainage's you cant get across.

 

[chasewild]

Is it that time of year already with post after post with GMU numbers in the subject line?

Every unit in CO has elk. Every unit in CO has hunters...a shit load. Every unit in SW colorado has steep country. Every unit in SW colorado has tons of recreation. Every unit in CO has tons of out of staters asking for "tips." Just pick a unit and go for it.

 

[Newtosavage]

I hunt 74 because its close and I know the country. If I could start over, I would pick one that has less traffic and people. Even several miles in you hear the Jake Brakes and see way too many people. There is game, but in CO there is game in most places. Its best to just hit the same country until you learn it and figure out where the critters are. Pick a unit that has access but not too much. If i had horses to use this wouldn't be my choice. I would pick a unit you could find a ridge that goes in a bunch of directions, without worrying about unit boundaries, roads and drainage's you cant get across.

Jake brakes, mountain bikers, drainages you can't cross...

Yup, you were in 74 alright.

Tcub, your plan on Hermosa would be a good one any other year. But after that fire, I would say no. But I haven't put my boots on that ground in a couple years so who knows.

74 is a gorgeous unit with everything I want. It's crowded, but with as many non-hunters as hunters, and it's still not as crowded as 12/231 that I've hunted the past 2 years. And those were just about all hunters.

Chasewild is absolutely right IMO. Pick a unit and get to know it and go hunt. My buddy and I were on elk last year 100 miles from any place I'd ever hunted before. They are where you find them.

 

[Tobe_B]

Funny you mention U74. I was in the Durango F&G office one year waiting to get my whole Conservation cert thing squared away....and while sitting there waiting the Biologist on the phone kept directing caller after caller to the same spots in U74.

I swear it was like a pre recorded message..."Hunt 74"....its no wonder its overrun with hunters.

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If you worked as a F&G officer and knew you were going to be out checking licenses and camps, wouldn’t you want the bulk of people heading to the same place?

They do the same thing in my unit. Send everyone to one spot that has lots of room for camping, then when hunting season is going on make a loop of the camps and make sure everyone is playing along fair.


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