holy cross wilderness

[Jazzdog]

okay, so i'm sort of settling on the holy cross area for an OTC backpack archery hunt this year. it's my first backpack hunt and im doing my part to get myself in shape for it. can anyone offer any pointers on access for the holy cross area.
i've been through the colorado website but not finding much about the best way to access the area. coming from louisiana and not going to be able to svout ahead of time. i don't have any expectations of success and am treating it all like a big scouting trip.

 

[Mmcan]

Access to that area is fairly arduous on foot, altho not extreme. My biggest concern about it is that Holy Cross is a destination location for Jeepers (I have been there and done that, and it is awesome). September is prime jeeping time for many, so I would research exactly where you plan to hike/hunt relative to the Jeep trail.
Then again, the trail might offer you access to altitude and then you could hunt laterally instead of vertically some days.

 

[Mmcan]

This is the Holy Cross Trail via jeep in mid to late June.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki0m1foA8ek

By September,the snow is gone, and I've seen many a jeep heading up that trail to the summit.

So just be aware that as the elk get wary, that big yellow jeep is a hindrance, or a helper as it might push elk in the direction you choose to hunt.

 

[drrice]

There are jeep trails in the wilderness?

 

[Bar]

It's not all wilderness.

 

[Wrench77]

It's not all wilderness.

I'm confused. The Holy Cross Wilderness isn't all wilderness?

 

[Bar]

Not where the Jeeps are.

 

[sodaksooner]

There is a piece that cuts up though to holy cross city that is not wilderness. It does allow easier access to that area

We camped on that area last fall right on the wilderness boundary. Lots of traffic and jeeps. Not many elk.

 

[Mmcan]

There is a piece that cuts up though to holy cross city that is not wilderness. It does allow easier access to that area

We camped on that area last fall right on the wilderness boundary. Lots of traffic and jeeps. Not many elk.

Zactly

 

[drrice]

Is that just north of homestake lake?

 

[sodaksooner]

Northeast. If you look at the maps, that cuts right up into the wilderness. You also get a lot of hikers in that area because there are some good trails.

I will say lots of relatively new sign, but most elk were out of there. We did get a few bulls to make noise, but it was a struggle. Very elky country though, and there had been a huge bull in there at one point last year by the size of the fresh rubs. We hunted in there several days and saw or heard just a handful of elk.

Jeep traffic was thick all week and we camped right on the road. Wilderness boundary was right behind our camp.

 

[Bar]

The only time i'd go there would be with this guy. I like more solitude for elk hunting.

 

[drrice]

by the looks on the motor vehicle use map it looks like there is a lot of country where you can get away from jeep trials.

 

[sodaksooner]

To be fair, we hunted other areas in 49, not just there. There is a lot of country for sure. Don't let my experience steer you away. We didn't get west of homestake lake at all and I wanted to hit a lot of that. Just a hiking trail up there.

 

[bz_711]

PM Sent.

 

[drrice]

yeah i was pretty set on this unit too but now you guys got me thinking
exactly what i dont want to deal with are jeeps

 

[sodaksooner]

There is a lot of traffic on homestake creek road, but we I will also say that we only saw two other hunters in there all week in the wilderness, and they were with a group of people we know. Like I said there is a lot of country to hit.

Also that entire area is mostly dark timber and most all below timberline until you get up on the west end, so not a lot of opportunity to glass.

OOPs, I meant unit 45 in that post, not 49, that's a draw unit.

All that being said, if we don't get our draw tag, we might hit the area a few times just to feel it out aw we will probably hunt 45 again. There is a lot of stuff that jeeps cant get into. That jeep trail area is really pretty restricted. Don't let it scare you off.

 

[drrice]

We plan on back packing in a ways and camping so hopefully that will help us out. Just trying to find a spot to start is the hardest part as there looks like a lot of good areas. I am sure we will second guess every move on our first time though.

 

[Jazzdog]

appreciate all the information, i saw the jeep trail on the map off the colorado website. was hoping someone had accessed it from the other side or away from the jeep trail.

 

[bz_711]

This should help some - the motor vehicle use map from that area:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3800000.pdf

sooner is also correct in that much of this is what I call "dark timber"...I no longer bring binocs while I hunt as the most elk sign is in the thick/steep stuff...great for close range bowhunting though, but the areas with a lot of blow down timber are terrible to get through. I've been to this area 5 times, and packed elk out 4 of them(2 of mine, and 2 different buddies)...but we also have guys in camp each year that see zero elk...you definitely have to earn them.