Experience in a OTC unit versus a new, "Better" unit

[Dakota_Rookie]

Back in 2021, my hunting buddies and I hunted a heavily pressured, OTC unit during the archery/muzzy season. We were seeing elk every day and within 500 to 100 yards of a herd every day for the last days of the hunt but never closed into archery distance. They were in the middle of a recent burn and it was just tough to close that distance. The reason I think we were on that herd and seeing elk everyday was because we were getting into that burn while everyone else, it seemed, was hunting the darker timber, closer to camps and off of ATV's. We never saw hunters in the burn. The burn also had shut down a road for that season that we would hike in on everyday and also had to have been keeping pressure down so that herd of elk was finding a bit of refuge in the pocket. With there being 3-4 years of regrowth and opportunity to clean it up I am assuming this road would be reopened by now and that would make the area of the unit we are most familiar with much easier to access.

Flash forward to today and I'm in a predicament. My buddy and I have enough points that we can draw a "better" unit but not enough points that we'd be able to touch any of the "great" units for any season. We are looking to burn our points and go for a mid-October rifle hunt because that fits our schedules a little bit better this year. A rifle hunt in this timeframe and in the unit we hunted in 2021 can be drawn (according to GoHunt) with 1 point so it stands to reason we could come back here frequently in the future.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a unit that is more limited with possibly more limited archery and muzzleloader tags before the rifle season that would help limit pressure before we're there and during our hunt but I do put a value on having a little familiarity with the previous unit from 2021. I'm just not confident that unit would hunt the same way after a few years and in a different part of the season so I'm worried if we went back we'd have to relearn the area anyway. I'm also aware that just because every season in a unit is a draw it doesn't necessarily mean there will be less pressure.

For what it's worth, this would by my 4th season elk hunting, 2nd season with a rifle.

Any advice or discussion is appreciated.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve hunted 5 different units the last 5 years in Colorado. I killed 5 bulls in those 5 units (ML, archery, rifle). Only 1 I’d been in prior. None have been otc units.

Prior to that I hunted the same unit 5 straight years. I killed 5 bulls in that unit. The last 5 years have been a lot more fun. I’d vote to try something new!

 

[Hondo0925]

I’ve hunted 5 different units the last 5 years in Colorado. I killed 5 bulls in those 5 units (ML, archery, rifle). Only 1 I’d been in prior. None have been otc units.

Prior to that I hunted the same unit 5 straight years. I killed 5 bulls in that unit. The last 5 years have been a lot more fun. I’d vote to try something new!

This is kinda where I’m at. New places are fun

 

[D_wit22]

I think either one is a good choice. There would definitely be an advantage to going somewhere you have been before. However the elk could be on a different side of the mountain in late October compared to September. Sorry that doesn’t clear up the water, but I say pick one or the other, pour all your energy and time into scouting, getting in shape and just go for it! There are Elk in every unit, just need to find them

 

[Maverick1]

“We were seeing elk every day and within 500 to 100 yards of a herd every day for the last days of the hunt”

Couple of thoughts:
Never leave elk to find elk.
There is a definite benefit to going to an area where you know the elk will NOT be.
There is a definite benefit to hunting a similar area year after year.
Elk may not be in the same place from one year to the next.
If that road is open now the dynamics of the area changes.
Elk may be in different places in the archery season vs the firearm season
It is always fun to explore and learn new places.

 

[180ls1]

a lot more fun.

The most underrated metric.