Tough archery hunt unit 66 CO

[dwelk]

My 3 brothers and I burned all our PP's and drew tags for unit 66 this year. The last time we were there in 2012 we had bulls screaming at us most of the time. We ended up taking 3 bulls within 250 yds of one another, and should have been 4 for 4. Needless to say we had high expectations going into the hunt. We hunted mid Sept thru the end of the month and did all our hunting in the Powderhorn wilderness area. To make a long story short we only saw and heard 2 bulls and a few cows the entire time and we hunted some of the best looking terrain in our 20 yrs of hunting. Most of the sign was over a week old and we hunted from 9200 to 11800 ft in elevation. Thankfully we shot the only 2 bulls we encountered - a 6x6 and 5X5, which all you archery hunters know never happens. I had a 30 minute calling battle with the larger bull and 2 set-ups before he finally came charging in and my brother put a great shot on him. It was the best calling sequence I've ever had so it was an absolute blast. What we can't figure out is where all the elk were? The only thing we can think of is the snowstorm that hit the area the week before pushed all the elk down to lower elevations. The 2 bulls we shot were around 9300 ft. I was wondering if anyone else encountered the same thing in areas close to there where the snowstorm hit? Any other theories? Thanks.

 

[WI Shedhead]

Spent seven days in 68 in the same time frame. It was really really tough

 

[Stalk’nAwe]

Spent a week in 74 similar experience, except no tags punched! Saw one bull, heard 2 all week...saw WAY more hunters/camps than last year when it was OTC...hoped the change to draw only would cut Hunter numbers down but seemed to have the opposite affect somehow

 

[Jwknutson17]

Few guys I know struggled this year in what were great areas in the past. Times are changing. I also think CPW overestimates the numbers. I used to watch huge herds of 300 plus year after year dwindle down to only in the 40-50 numbers, if that even.

How much time were you able to scout this year?

 

[Jd259]

That’s not what I wanted to hear I drew a second season bull tag in 66 to go along with my deer tag I drew there... see any good deer atleast?

 

[HighDesertSage]

LMAO, you killed two bulls and had elk talking to you. Sounds like a tough season....

 

[dwelk]

We only saw a couple mule deer. There was virtually no pressure from other hunters. We didn’t run into anyone in the woods and saw a small number of other hunters on the road and camped.

Don’t get me wrong we all feel extremely blessed to have taken the only 2 bulls we encountered which never happens with Archery. I’m just trying to understand the big difference in elk numbers. We remote camped and hiked back in miles as well.

We were not able to do any scouting since we are from MN.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KHNC]

LMAO, you killed two bulls and had elk talking to you. Sounds like a tough season....

You dont think 2 bulls bugling in 16 days would be tough? Sounds like extremely tough conditions and extremely lucky to kill those two bulls. You must have low standards for a good elk hunt as far as elk ecounters.

 

[5MilesBack]

LMAO, you killed two bulls and had elk talking to you. Sounds like a tough season....

Several years ago I had my worst season ever, and just happens to have been that unit, and came out with a 6x6. What you take out doesn't necessarily represent how the season went.

Any pics of the bulls?????

 

[HighDesertSage]

You dont think 2 bulls bugling in 16 days would be tough? Sounds like extremely tough conditions and extremely lucky to kill those two bulls. You must have low standards for a good elk hunt as far as elk ecounters.

I would consider 2 dead bulls, 50% success, with archery equipment, on public, in a unit that is mostly OTC for residents, pretty damn fine hunting. Not sure what else you could ask for, but what do I know. I spent 9 days in 54, just across the lake last November scouting/hunting during 4th rifle and never laid eyes on a legal bull. Saw 5 cows.

I stand by my original statement, I do not believe that is tough hunting.

 

[KHNC]

66 is OTC for residents? How many points required for NR? I assumed it took 7-8 pts for archery. Far from OTC if so.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Several years ago I had my worst season ever, and just happens to have been that unit, and came out with a 6x6. What you take out doesn't necessarily represent how the season went.

Any pics of the bulls?????

I guess it's more black and white than that for me. As long as the OP enjoyed the time spent with his brothers, that's what's important.

 

[KHNC]

I see now is 6pts for NR and 2 pts for R. Still far from OTC for anyone in colorado.

 

[wind gypsy]

I would consider 2 dead bulls, 50% success, with archery equipment, on public, in a unit that is mostly OTC for residents, pretty damn fine hunting.

What am I missing? I see high odds for Residents in some of the rifle seasons but no OTC.

This unit is an odd contrast of what it takes for NR vs R to draw it..

 

[HighDesertSage]

66 is OTC for residents? How many points required for NR? I assumed it took 7-8 pts for archery. Far from OTC if so.

2 points for archery, all the rifle tags can be zero points.

 

[HighDesertSage]

What am I missing? I see high odds for Residents in some of the rifle seasons but no OTC.

This unit is an odd contrast of what it takes for NR vs R to draw it..

I'm amazed at what NR drop on points in that unit. Personally I don't think it's worth it. CPW actually states in past herd objective reports that its still managed for opportunity. Maybe OTC was a poor choice of words. Point is, if a res wants to hunt it every year he/she can. Hell the leftover app was flooded with rifle and archery tags last year for 66. I've spent enough time there that I would not consider it that good. I lived in Montrose for a few years, elk hunted it, deer hunted it, and shed hunted it. I would take a WY General tag over 66 any day.

For what the OP got, in that unit, I think he did well.

 

[CJF]

I had the same tag....that wasn't my experience. That's all I'll say.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Spent a week in 74 similar experience, except no tags punched! Saw one bull, heard 2 all week...saw WAY more hunters/camps than last year when it was OTC...hoped the change to draw only would cut Hunter numbers down but seemed to have the opposite affect somehow

I had deer archery in 74. I live a mile from Purg. Absolute Sh!tShow this year. Limiting tags is Ludacris.
I hunt/guide elk in 54/66/68/76/80. As bad as the hunting might have been in 66, you dodged a complete bullet in SW CO. And I agree with the WY general tag as better than all these units down here. Well, maybe not 76.
CO is not wilderness anymore, its just a big managed park.

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

66 has some awesome country. There are, however, much better places to hunt elk in Colorado. Or Wyoming as desert sage suggested.

 

[Grant K]

I'll try to say this without putting too much info out there about a specific unit.... first, archery elk in CO, in general, is a different ballgame than 5 years ago, if you haven't been doing it every year it would probably feel very different in any unit... second, your particular unit is one of the most inconsistent units I have ever hunted, I've had some of my best and some of my worst hunts there, for no discernable difference, some years just suck, sometimes the elk aren't in the same areas, sometimes they are barely in the unit...I rarely hunt there these days because the consistency is so lacking.