Durango Elk

[OkieElk]

I’d second the comments on steep county. I hunted east of Durango and it was much steeper than what I thought originally for google maps. I’ve hiked many other ranges in Colorado and these seem the most vertical for some reason. If you are lucky enough to get into elk you’ve dang well earned it. Good luck and get off the main roads.


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[njdoxie]

Don't forget us okies. Were just setting in front of the computer waiting on a good otc where at thread like this!!! otc Colorado is a shitshow to say the least and every year its worse because of "help" rendered on open threads.

It can be a shitshow, like where I’ve seen campers lining a fs road, I was floored at the crowding, glad I was just passing thru. Where I normally hunt, there’s more hunters every year, but it’s still not crowded like that. Hope it stays unlimited otc until I’m too old to hunt in 5 to 10 years.


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[Newtosavage]

I used to be bothered by hunters lining the roads until I kept seeing elk within 1/2 mile of all those camps. Two years ago, I heard guys from 3 nearby roadside camps complaining about a young bull moose keeping them up all night. LOL Three years ago, I was camped next to a highway and had two bull elk wake me up 3-4 times a night with their bugling.

Even in busy areas like that, spending the day hunting without seeing anyone isn't that hard if you're willing to get off trails and bushwhack a ways. But I understand it's not the experience most folks are looking for, myself included.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have hunted the Durango elk a fair amount. Plenty of people on the roads. I have rarely bumbed into another hunter in the woods. It does happen some of course. But at this point I feel like I know the areas I need to worry about it, and the areas I don't.

 

[Newtosavage]

Like I have said before, if it's an area that's easy for you to get into, it's easy for everyone else too. But do your homework before you bushwhack straight up a 1K' ridge thinking you'll have it to yourself.

Reason I say this is 4 years ago my buddy and I were looking for a spot where there weren't any other hunters, not that far from the VERY busy Hermosa park. We were rookies and had been running into other hunters daily (but still in fresh elk sign and seeing the occasional elk). My buddy says, "I'm tired of seeing all these other hunters - let's go somewhere they aren't." It was warm and the elk we had seen so far were all on the shady side of steep ridges, in the dark stuff. So we found a steep ridge and I went vertical straight up the dry side nearly 1K feet while he went around the base to the NE side. Our plan was to meet on the other side of the ridge and hope that I would push elk down to him, or more likely that he would push them up to me.

After over an hour of near-vertical, through blowdowns and a lot of sucking wind, I reached the top of that ridge only to discover an old logging road. I thought "no sweat, nobody else is going to go through that much trouble to get up to this road." Then about 15 minutes later, two guys come walking along, talking in full throated voices (why do people do that in the woods?) with packs on and bows in their hands. I was like, where the h... did you two come from? What I didn't know was there was a locked gate that came in from another road, and those guys just hiked about a mile in on that old logging road to the top of that ridge. So much for that effort!

I didn't tell my buddy I ran into those guys, so at least he thought we finally had a place to ourselves that day.

 

[chasewild]

Well, whatever unit you choose, make sure you put some scenic pictures up on instagram. That always helps things.

 

[dham088]

Following

 

[NMMuledeer777]

Only hunting the OTC Rifle hunts every year my success is usually every other year. This last year was tough only saw 2 elk total, no bulls. I would have to agree that there is a decline in population and of course an increase in hunters. The years that ive been successful has been when I somehow managed to find some elk that are in an obvious but overlooked spot. Never consistent though. But no matter what im still out there taking advantage of OTC opportunities while I still can. Best of luck to you this year!

 

[OkieElk]

I hunted in the area last year. Very steep, it will not look the same, go hunt it and get your eyes on it. I would recommend truck camping and going out 5-6 miles a day and returning to the truck.

Last year I thought about going out from the truck for 3 days in a row and couldn’t make it. I was tore up after the first day due to lack of oxygen. i has worked out and prepared like everyone else, but the terrain is just tougher out there it seems, so many places/ridges to hide for the elk and thick cover everywhere.


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