Colorado Unit 191- Any experience/advice?

[OR Archer]

My son drew an archery tag that encompasses this unit. Just looking at some numbers it has a high success rate. However it’s mostly private with lots of checkerboard of FS property. Anyone have any experience or general knowledge of the public land hunting there? He lives in the Denver area so he will have an opportunity to put boots on the ground. I’m just trying to help him narrow areas down to maximize his efforts scouting.

 

[cnelk]

That tag is also good for Units 7/8/9/19/191

191 is pretty low for archery elk, best to get up into 7/8/19, but be aware the Cameron Peak fire went thru lots of that country last year

 

[fishslap]

I spend a lot of time in 191 year round and I would not hunt it for elk, at least not archery with elk as my main quarry. There are a couple of small resident herds in difficult to access areas. They may not even be there during archery or any hunting season since they move across boundaries. They’re more likely to be on public much later in the fall/winter. I suspect the high success rate you mention is coming off private land.

 

[AWagg]

I spend a lot of time in 191 year round and I would not hunt it for elk, at least not archery with elk as my main quarry. There are a couple of small resident herds in difficult to access areas. They may not even be there during archery or any hunting season since they move across boundaries. They’re more likely to be on public much later in the fall/winter. I suspect the high success rate you mention is coming off private land.

I will be hunting (or hiking around with a rifle) GMU 19/191 for 4th rifle for my first time this year. It sounds like you know a lot about the area and I was hoping I might be willing to bounce some ideas off of you.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

What @cnelk said

 

[Ry15u]

I agree with everything previously said - if you have a tag that encompasses other units, I suggest you head to unit 8. There is a healthy amount of elk in there and I've seen pockets where the vegetation is getting really good after the fire last year. Will still take a couple of years to really kick in, but northern part of unit 8 has been lucrative for us

 

[cnelk]

I agree with everything previously said - if you have a tag that encompasses other units, I suggest you head to unit 8. There is a healthy amount of elk in there and I've seen pockets where the vegetation is getting really good after the fire last year. Will still take a couple of years to really kick in, but unit 8 near **** mountain has been lucrative for us

^^^ If you want that Mtn to still be good, I’d suggest editing your post. Unless you want lots of company

Just a thought

 

[Ry15u]

^^^ If you want that Mtn to still be good, I’d suggest editing your post. Unless you want lots of company

Just a thought

Appreciate the guidance @cnelk- just trying to be helpful but understand where specificity can go wrong. We don’t hunt unit 8 much more but I’ve edited to make it more general

 

[Overdrive]

191 can be low early, I saw one of the resident herds a couple days ago on private but they mostly hang on Livermore Mountain surrounded by private.
Due to the Cameron Peak fire there's still lots of closures and the USFS stated that areas like Crown point road, swamp creek and forest roads south of CR 86 (Deadman road) won't be reopening this year. Unfortunately this closes some good area down. This closure is for any access with stiff fines being threatened $10k if in the closure area.
It will be interesting to see what happens in these areas this year, I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of people pushed into smaller areas and tripping over each other to hunt.

 

[vanish]

^^^ If you want that Mtn to still be good, I’d suggest editing your post. Unless you want lots of company

He did edit it, but it still shows in your quote.

 

[spike camp]

He did edit it, but it still shows in your quote.

Shit show

 

[HunterJoeMI]

Why do people not use the Personal Message feature on these threads. Even the mention of a specific unit number and then a specific area with in the unit is just asking for major increase in hunting pressure. Work with people, but keep it off the open thread. Then to mention that "We don’t hunt unit .... much more" so I guess it is no issue that it gets overrun with hunters. Could be others on this site are looking to hunt there in the future, through their own research and working with others in a more undercover way. I have helped and been helped a few times by others. But keep the unit numbers and details off the thread! It would be different if it is a very high once in a life time point unit. Every unit deserves a future!

 

[Ry15u]

My apologies folks - still learning my way around and trying to be helpful. Didn't meant to upset you guys and lesson learned.

 

[Shadysailor]

191 can be low early, I saw one of the resident herds a couple days ago on private but they mostly hang on Livermore Mountain surrounded by private.
Due to the Cameron Peak fire there's still lots of closures and the USFS stated that areas like Crown point road, swamp creek and forest roads south of CR 86 (Deadman road) won't be reopening this year. Unfortunately this closes some good area down. This closure is for any access with stiff fines being threatened $10k if in the closure area.
It will be interesting to see what happens in these areas this year, I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of people pushed into smaller areas and tripping over each other to hunt.

Yep, encountered this last year with people coming to an OTC unit we were hunting due to the Cameron fire and unavailability to access hunting areas. It was an absolute zoo, 21 vehicles just at one parking area. I'm worried about that too, didn't draw a limited tag during the first go, did put it for the secondary draw.

 

[Jaquomo]

These units will be a real mess this year, especially the northern part of 8. So much closed to hunting due to the fire, but the same number of tags issued. All of my regular areas are closed, as with almost everyone else I know who hunts there. I advised my NR friend to turn in his tag and hunt OTC because 1000 bowhunters crammed into the north half of 7-8 will be a total shit show.

 

[AlpineAssassin907]

Yep, encountered this last year with people coming to an OTC unit we were hunting due to the Cameron fire and unavailability to access hunting areas. It was an absolute zoo, 21 vehicles just at one parking area. I'm worried about that too, didn't draw a limited tag during the first go, did put it for the secondary draw.

@Shadysailor this is completely off topic from this thread, but Im having a hard time trying to PM you so I went to a thread where I can reply to you. Do you still have the Exo mountain 5500 pack for sale? I’m interested in buying it. Let me know man. Thanks