Hunting near the border....

[3darcher2]

For CO (or any western state) what's anyone's thoughts or what rules might be in place that I haven't found about accessing the edges of a unit?

If you hunt an oddly shaped unit like with a projection in it from a neighboring unit, can you cut across the other unit to take the shortcut to the other part of your unit? How about camping, road access? Would you camp in the next unit over if it had a good site or a campground, or park at a trailhead in the next unit if you had a short walk from that TH and a monster hike coming in from your unit? As long as you are not actively hunting and just passing through, should be OK, no?

 

[HuntInWild88]

I would say it completely ok. As long as your not hunting.. like rifle or bow is strapped to the pack. No ammo in the chamber... no making elk calls...I would make it very obvious that I wasn't hunting... like I drive through several units on trails to get to the unit I'm hunting.

 

[def90]

Well, you have to drive through other units to get to the one you are hunting. I hunt a unit in SE Colorado that pretty much requires you to access it via hiking through another unit as that is the only way to access the small area of public land without trespassing on private property. I would pack/strap your bow and any other hunting implements that you may have on you up on your pack so there is no mistaking that you could be actively hunting. There is even a sign in at the entrance of the other unit that asks if you are signing in in order to access the other unit.

 

[nphunter]

I hunt a spot that is full of elk and it is the border of a unit. Last fall i spotted my bull from the unit i was in, by the time I got down to them he had crossed into the neighboring unit. I had to cross too due to being cliffed out and ended up being able to get back in him and kill him. Packed him back across the border of the unit into the unit I started in back to the vehicle.

Fortunately here in OR a general archery tag covers multiple units. They are talking about switching that to all draw and unit specific. That would totally ruin that spot, those elk cross back and forth all day and the unit I normally hunt isn’t where i shot that bull last year.

My wife has a deer tag for that unit and I’m not sure how I feel about hunting it with a rifle, it would be easy to shoot deer from the wrong unit across the canyon and kill them in the proper unit. Not really sure on the rules on that I would assume that would be a no no. It would be possible to cross, glass up deer and then cross back and shoot them. I’ve never hunted that spot for deer for that reason, it’s way back on foot in a roadless area anyway but still very easy to get yourself in trouble. Especially since if you did kill something you would have to cross into the wrong unit packing out as well.

I know people sit in ID and spot deer in Oregon then cross over and kill them, they do it both ways there.

 

[Next Ridge]

I talked to a game warden once about this exact question, he basically said it depends on the situation and totality of what is happening. If you have a gps track that shows straight in straight out maybe ok. If we are packing meat out he is going to ask to bring him to gut pile. What other decisions have you made (no orange, have illegal sites) that add context, Etc. I got the sense it may be ok, but there was definitely no rules around it other than the fact that technically you are in a unit with a weapon without a tag for that unit. Basically it would be case by case judgement call. Just hope the warden isn’t having one of those days...

 

[Billy Goat]

I think technically your weapon would need to be cased. Similar to being on an ohv while driving down the road.

If the packout is easier taking it out into a different unit I'll do that, I can take them to the kill site and they can follow the bloodtrail to where I shot it.

 

[3darcher2]

What I see is a place where I can walk in a little over a mile across a pretty mild, established trail in an area unlikely hold game to get to the edge of a unit that would need a 3+ mile hike with a lot of elevation changes through some very good looking timber and parks. I'd probably be doing that in the dark both ways if I day hunted. Shooting hours would be in the unit I am tagged for, and I'd get there without blowing out the whole drainage.

 

[MOSO 300]

I talked to a game warden once about this exact question, he basically said it depends on the situation and totality of what is happening. If you have a gps track that shows straight in straight out maybe ok. If we are packing meat out he is going to ask to bring him to gut pile. What other decisions have you made (no orange, have illegal sites) that add context, Etc. I got the sense it may be ok, but there was definitely no rules around it other than the fact that technically you are in a unit with a weapon without a tag for that unit. Basically it would be case by case judgement call. Just hope the warden isn’t having one of those days...

I spoke a warden in Colorado about this myself. Great guy coming off the divide who had caught some guys in a fairly highly sought out draw unit. Same exact answer for most part. Hunting is hunting, camping is camping, hiking is you guessed it... still just hiking. If your doing something that your not supposed to, there’s a good chance your in some trouble and rightfully so. If you get stopped have your sh*t together and be prepared to defend yourself bc the question game is always on with a warden. Id find out who he/she is and introduce yourself and simply ask, they won’t forget you asking if you see them in the field. Or you could stay at the house and watch YouTube.


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[Still Hunter]

I had a unit drawn in New Mexico. I was going to have to camp in one unit and then hike 1 1/2 miles to get to the unit I drew. I took the time to find the name of the Game Warden in Area. I contacted him and let him know the situation, told him where I was planning on camping and my route to the Unit I drew. I invited him to come to my camp and meet me. I would GPS any shot or carcass location and I would let him know if I was successful. Great guy. I actually ended up walking the tag. I called him to let him know I would not n there. That's my recommendation.

 

[Poser]

I have hiked 5 miles through a unit to hunt a neighboring unit in CO.

 

[Trimbandit]

Believe it or not I contacted a landowner last weekend and asked if I could cross his place to get to some public ground on the other side. He said it was just like driving on the highway. You cross boundaries all the time. It just takes the personal discipline not to do anything you shouldnt be.
I was surprised to hear his response, wish more folks thought like him.

 

[canthitbombz]

Believe it or not I contacted a landowner last weekend and asked if I could cross his place to get to some public ground on the other side. He said it was just like driving on the highway. You cross boundaries all the time. It just takes the personal discipline not to do anything you shouldnt be.
I was surprised to hear his response, wish more folks thought like him.

He probably just appreciated that you contacted him first, you would not believe the amount of people that just do it with out asking.

I have done the same thing, and it actually lead to be able to hunt on that land owners property the next season. its amazing how much you can do just having good old fashioned sense.

 

[Cfriend]

One question I have: What if you shoot an elk and it ends up running on to the neighboring unit (where you don't have a tag)? I assume you have to contact the game warden at this point? I guess the concern is, depending on conditions, you could end up losing meat by the time the warden makes it out there.

 

[canthitbombz]

One question I have: What if you shoot an elk and it ends up running on to the neighboring unit (where you don't have a tag)? I assume you have to contact the game warden at this point? I guess the concern is, depending on conditions, you could end up losing meat by the time the warden makes it out there.

in Wyo you have every right by law to retrieve your downed animal ( wither on public or private ). the game warden or land owner may want to accompany you on the retrieval but they can not stop you legally. As far as the animal spoiling, i think you voice your concern to the warden and if he gives you any grief pull the " wanton destruction" card. he should let you go gut and remove your animal at that point.

Like i said though that is just for Wyo. not 100% sure about CO.