Colorado GMU 751

[dpaine84]

Hello I live in South Texas and me and two friends decided that 2018 is the year to go for Elk. We have narrowed it down to unit 751, and are planning on buying 2nd season OTC tags. The main reason this unit is the one we chose is because my buddies boss has a cabin in the unit that we plan on staying in the week before the season. We plan on getting there and scouting out the area prior to going into the back country.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have spent a lot of money so far on gear ie... Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, camo clothes, cook stove, water filter system, sleep pad game bags, GPS, ONX maps, Binos and so on. I think I may have gone overboard on the gear I have bought so far, but I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

My buddy has decided that the best location to go would be parking our vehicle at Pine River Campground and hiking up to somewhere near Emerald Lake. After viewing some of the overlays on ONX maps i am not sure it this is the greatest spot. Our plan is to hike in and set up a camp and hunt out of camp each day. I guess as the days get closer I am just trying to get some advice, a. because this is our first unguided public backpacking hunting trip, and b. I havent been able to find much on this unit for 2nd season elk. Any advice would help, thanks again.

 

[Wildlifer]

Welcome, I'm not sure how receptive people are going to be with your first post being a very generic "I need help in this unit" I sounds like you are on the right track with doing your research but you may need to do a lot more an come up with a very specific set of questions. This will be my first year hunting elk as well and this site is a wealth of knowledge but very few people are just going to freely offer generic unit advice online. More importantly you don't want generic advice either. Just as an example I have yet to narrow down a unit but I am researching daily. Once I do decide on a unit I am going to try and learn it and apply what I already know and what to look for to it. At that point I may have some very specific questions such as, in this area at this time of year at this elevation ect ect.....my game plan is this.... am i on the right track here? If I am I have a few more question if anyone could chat privately if im off on something could you provide advice to get me on track? Long story short I've noticed guys are more than willing to help if you are doing all you can to help yourself.

 

[dpaine84]

Welcome, I'm not sure how receptive people are going to be with your first post being a very generic "I need help in this unit" I sounds like you are on the right track with doing your research but you may need to do a lot more an come up with a very specific set of questions. This will be my first year hunting elk as well and this site is a wealth of knowledge but very few people are just going to freely offer generic unit advice online. More importantly you don't want generic advice either. Just as an example I have yet to narrow down a unit but I am researching daily. Once I do decide on a unit I am going to try and learn it and apply what I already know and what to look for to it. At that point I may have some very specific questions such as, in this area at this time of year at this elevation ect ect.....my game plan is this.... am i on the right track here? If I am I have a few more question if anyone could chat privately if im off on something could you provide advice to get me on track? Long story short I've noticed guys are more than willing to help if you are doing all you can to help yourself.

Thank you for your input. I guess I am just wondering if I am in way over my head or not. My friend is a little bit overweight and I am concerned that he will not be able to keep up with me. In your opinion how far is too far for a pack in/pack out? I have found a spot on the map that I would like to set up camp and it is about 9500 ft in elevation. The camp location shows to be a little less than five miles from our truck. I think that is very manageable for me, but IDK about my buddy. I also have a question about the weather that time of year....Should I expect freezing temps and snow. I have been told it depends and could be up to 70's during the day and low teens at night. This is third hand information. Also another question I had is how far of a shot can I expect? I have also had third hand information that if I see an elk it will probably be 100 yards or closer and I better take the shot cause I wont see another one. I am bringing my .308 and think I would be good out to 350 yds. My other buddy is bringing his 7mm and currently is shooting at 400 yds. Any thoughts.....

 

[orionthehunter1]

Hope you have plan b because that unit is shut down until further notice do to drought and a large wildfire

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Looks like you guys are taking the scenic route. Instead of a six mile up hill hike to a lake, I would look in OnX at the roads in the area that start you off in elk concentration.

 

[justinspicher]

From the pine river trailhead to the emerald lake trailhead is most a deep canyon next to the pine river. Not much to but walk in, maybe fish.

Emerald lake gets a ton of folks, even into September so I’m not sure it’s the best place to hunt. It’s also in a fairly deep bowl so the surrounding terrain is steep and full of blown down trees. Since the forest is closed right now there isn’t any trail maintenance being done and I’m sure there are multiple trees down over the trail everywhere.

From the pine river trailhead I’d say that you can’t start effectively start hunting with any luck unless you go about twelve miles or so in.

Google maps doesn’t do this place any justice and will give you a false sense of reality. The terrain here is usually steep and thicker than it looks on GE.

 

[mproberts]

TBH... and no offense because I could be wrong but you sound like you are in a bit over your head right now. I would really take some time to read through a lot of the threads on here, even if it doesn't pertain to your unit. There really is a lot of good general information on here, tips on where to gain hunting knowledge along with how to set your hunt up for success. Just start reading and when you think you have read enough, read some more. I think you will get a better idea of what it takes to be successful, especially in OTC units. You will also get a better idea of what questions to ask on here and not to provide specific locations in open threads for lots of different reasons. I get that it's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on gear (bc its sexy and something easily controllable) but honestly tactics, fitness and just general knowledge that can be learned on here is wayyy more important to success. To answer one of your questions I would be concerned about your partner if they are overweight because you are only as good as them. Basecamping 5 miles back sounds great until get there and realize how big and rough that country is. There also is no replacement for real world scouting, onx is great but will often lead you into a plan that just isn't physically possible. Good luck and congrats on getting into this type of hunting.

 

[dpaine84]

TBH... and no offense because I could be wrong but you sound like you are in a bit over your head right now. I would really take some time to read through a lot of the threads on here, even if it doesn't pertain to your unit. There really is a lot of good general information on here, tips on where to gain hunting knowledge along with how to set your hunt up for success. Just start reading and when you think you have read enough, read some more. I think you will get a better idea of what it takes to be successful, especially in OTC units. You will also get a better idea of what questions to ask on here and not to provide specific locations in open threads for lots of different reasons. I get that it's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on gear (bc its sexy and something easily controllable) but honestly tactics, fitness and just general knowledge that can be learned on here is wayyy more important to success. To answer one of your questions I would be concerned about your partner if they are overweight because you are only as good as them. Basecamping 5 miles back sounds great until get there and realize how big and rough that country is. There also is no replacement for real world scouting, onx is great but will often lead you into a plan that just isn't physically possible. Good luck and congrats on getting into this type of hunting.

Thanks for the input and I was aware of the fires just didnt know if that would affect October, but im sure it will. I will definately do some more research on some more units and once I am there I plan on doing lots of recon missions. As far as specific location yeah I know that is not a good idea, but I never planned on hunting emerald lake just what my buddy wants to do. I do understand that research is key and I have so much stuff going through my head its hard to put it all down. Once again thanks

 

[bwlacy]

Here is my take on it for what it's worth. I've only hunted out there 2 times, different unit in the south west part of the state. Being from Texas you are not used to the altitude, it is going to kick your butt the first few days. I'm from Michigan so it's not much different. Steep terrain, altitude change, and overweight are not a good combination for packing 5 miles. I would say there is no way he'll make it that far with a loaded pack if there is much altitude gain. In 2015 we did our first back pack hunt. The first day we gained about 2500 feet in 2.5 miles with a 70lb pack and it kicked our ass! I worked out for a year and was probably in the best shape I had been in since my military days, I was 45 though and thought I was ready.

Possibly find an area you can gain altitude with a vehicle and plan on only packing a mile or two. Take it slow the first few days and get acclimated. Read everything you can. Start working out now if you haven't already. Take breaks, enjoy the scenery, and have fun. It's a big learning curve.

 

[dpaine84]

Your input is much appreciated. Back to researching for me.

 

[RallySquirrel]

No disrespect to your hunting buddy but if he cannot commit to being in the kind of shape required to successfully elk hunt then you need a different partner. As a fellow flatlander, the mountains are no joke. 5 miles with 65# could take 3-4 hours depending on your elevation gain. Now, what are going going to do when you get an elk and have to pack a 75# hind quarter out (times 3-4 with loose meat, shoulders, antlers)? The one item I have never wavered on when I've been asked by folks who want go out.... GET IN SHAPE. If will define your enjoyment and your success rate. Elk hunting is absolutely awesome and I hope you make it out. Good luck!

 

[Silverado]

If I were you I'd be looking for a new area to hunt. If I'm gonna be walking in that far I like to have alot more options as far as areas to hunt. Like previously stated that area is steep and nasty and you'd kinda be putting all your eggs in one basket there imo. There's lots of country around that provides a lot more options without having to be that far in. My opinion is that 5-6 miles in would be as far as you'd want to go, for your first backpack hunting experience atleast, but that ofcourse depends on the terrain and what kinda shape you're in. For that time of year find places you can glass and cover as much country as possible. As far as shot distance goes get comfortable in the 200-300 range at minimum. Good luck, and pray for rain and the forest to be opened back up by then!

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[Tberg]

Go over to gameplannermaps.com and get signed up so you can use their map viewer. Start looking for areas with meadows for food and timber for bedding. see if there are any burns in the unit. look at the forest roads/trails to judge access/pressure from other hunters. order a map and start marking it up with plan A,B,C, etc. you never know what youre going to find until you get there. packing in 5 miles is not the only way to kill an elk. there are plenty of them within a mile of the road where no trails go. Its an OTC tag, stay flexible on where you hunt, even if its in a different unit.

 

[johnhenry]

If you are planning on carrying a pack more that a mile into those mountains and you are not from here and hike them with a pack every weekend then get your pack weight down to below 50lbs including your rifle and ammo. So thats 40lbs total weight with food water and gear.
Not so easy to do.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Do the work. Tell your buddy to do his work. Go and have fun. You aren't going to die from going and, all this over your head crap is ridiculous. They don't know you and, neither do you evidently. Expect COLD weather. Buy accordingly. Get in as good as shape as you can. Insist your buddy do the same. You and he both are going to be tired and sore. Condition really helps with that. It is also paramount in recovery. Go and do it. Don't talk yourself into a hard time before you even go. Yo have enough time to do a trial run or two to get things worked out. God Bless

 

[mavmskyb8]

Check out elk meadows. Couple miles away from where you are. Roads everywhere, park and hike a couple miles.

 

[justinspicher]

South of hwy 160 it’s not nearly as rugged as the northern area. Much easier to walk in. It’s also closer to town and you’ll have cell coverage almost everywhere.

 

[gabenzeke]

I've hunted that general area a couple times. A couple things I will say...first, if you don't think your buddy can hack it, I promise he can't. It's tough country. He may be able to do a couple miles real slow, but you may end up doing most or all the work should you guys end up successful. The other thing is if you are planning on making these backcountry backpack type hunts a yearly thing, just go. Maybe find some slightly easier terrain or whatever, but seriously I've elk hunted 3 years now and I really don't think you can appreciate how tough the country is until you've done it. But once you've gone, you'll be hooked and know what your plan should look like the next year. And you never know, my first year I was in all kinds of elk the first morning.

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[Poser]

As others have said: rough country. I recall talking to a guy last year who blew a serious amount of points for mzl mulie tag, I believe in that same unit. He was from Florida. He had a whole month off from work planning to scout. I talked to him on day 3 of his 30 planned days and he had already thrown in the towel before he could even hunt. He was riding the train and going back Home. Defeated by the terrain. You can spend 2 hours going a quarter mile in the San Juans. I would not let the convenience of a free cabin dictate where and how you hunt. It might make for a free place to acclimate, though, You can get a shower at the laundry mat in town or a cheap hotel room if you need to recharge. I would go where you expect your best opportunity exist within the context of your physical ability. If you end up spending hours driving to and from this cabin, it’s not saving you money or convenience.

 

[Bearshirt]

My advice is to start out slow and low. Spend at least the first day poking around in 8-9k range. Take your time, move slow and keep your eyes open for elk. After that first day you will know what to drop out of your pack.

Then work your way up into higher elevations. Drink lots of water weeks before, on your way, and while out there. Staying hydrated will help with flushing out lactic acids in muscles and help with recovery. Get a powderd magnesium/calcium suppliment to mix with water. Start taking this before you get out there so your bowls have time to get used to it. If your urine is dark yellow and you havent pooped in days your very dehydrated.

Go slow, cover lots of ground and look for elk. Dont hunt trails but use them to easily get back in there. This year will be all about finding water.