Colorado Unit 40

[huntindude]

I'm not sure I have the points to draw 40 but I'm close. everything I hear is there is so much private you need an outfitter to hunt it, I checked a couple out and the prices they want seem way high to me for a 5 day hunt without a tag included.

Do you really need an outfitter to hunt it? and what kind of bulls are they taking? for the price if you're not hunting book class bulls it looks like a rip off to me.

 

[ToddT]

Never hunted there, but I thought about trying it myself until I found there was too much private. BUT, if I were you, and were serious about this unit - I considered this myself - put in for a cow tag in that area, if I am not mistaken it is undersubscribed. Doing this would give you first hand experience with the unit without wasting your points. Good luck.

 

[BeanMan]

The majority of the huntable portions of 40 are private. The public area around the Fruita reservoirs is small and not worth spending points on. If you are creative and strong you can climb in from the south side. Above all you will need a good map to make sure you know where the boundaries are.

Bean

 

[jims]

You better carry a GPS if you hunt this unit! Lots of intermixed private-public throughout the unit...with a lot of public land that is landlocked by private. Private land would be your best option!

 

[huntindude]

Thanks guys, I'm not into fighting with landowners as part of my hunt. are the bulls the outfitters are taking in the unit in line with the money they want?

 

[BeanMan]

40 has had some great bulls come out of it in past years. I haven't heard of anything really good in quite a few years. What I have heard was that the quality has declined. Mesa Mood Ranch has been broken up into a lot of small properties. Kind of ironic since Ricky Schroeder bought that ranch from the Gobbo's in order to permanently protect it. He decided Grand Junction/Glade Park life wasn't for him and broke the place up.

Thanks Hollywood.

 

[bldrbuck]

Beanman--you seem to know the area really well and I have hunted it (deer) for about 10 years now. My question is, with your knowledge and if you had the points to draw, would you hunt 40 for elk? What if you had say 12 points and you thought the
DOW was going to bring back point-banking and you could get two hunts out of it--would you hunt 40, 61, or 76? I'm primarily an archery hunter, but i'd venture into the muzzle world if I thought it would give me a better chance at a bull over 300".

Thanks for your insights and thoughts on this.

 

[BeanMan]

Blderbuck,

I've hunted 40 for deer a couple of times, spent times with friends who hunted elk there, and live within sight of 40. I would not choose it for a tag unless I had one of the larger chunks of private ground to hunt. I don't have that so I won't hunt 40 for elk.

I'm still way short of the points needed for a archery or muzzle loader hunt in 61 so points banking doesn't make any sense for me. For what it's worth I wrote a letter to the CDOW opposing points banking for the new five year plan. I also nominated units 62, 30, and 21 for inclusion as quality bull units. I think creating more quality units is a better method of dealing with the PP problem.

Bean

 

[ColoradoOak]

>I also nominated
>units 62, 30, and
>21 for inclusion as quality
>bull units. I think
>creating more quality units is
>a better method of dealing
>with the PP problem.
>
>Bean


Bean, I'm curious what you used to satisfy #2 under the nomination instructions, and whether you have heard back from any of the groups under #3. Your unit choices are good, I think.

2. Documentation of public support for limiting or de-limiting a DAU. This can include signature petitions (including addresses of the signatories), letters of support from individuals or interest groups, or any other relevant information.

3. Documentation that the interest groups listed below, at a minimum, have been formally notified of the nomination and have been provided with a copy of the nomination form.
? Local government officials including the Boards of County Commissioners and City/Town Councils associated with the DAU
? Colorado Wool Growers and the Colorado Cattleman?s Association
? Local Chambers of Commerce
? Hunter organizations
? Colorado Outfitters Association
? Local Habitat Partnership Program committees

 

[bldrbuck]

Thanks Bean--just the info i was looking for. 62, 30, and 21 are excellent nominations by the way. Can you imagine what the entire Uncompahgre plateau would be like to hunt with completely limited tags? Amazing...

 

[REDDOG]

would love to see 21 and 30 managed for trophy bulls. just cross the border into utah during the rut to see the potential.

 

[jcmuleys]

I would say that the hunts on private are inline with quality of elk that they are killing. I know of a bull that was killed this last year that scores over 400. Also two bulls around 350.

 

[ktc]

ColoradoOak and BeanMan,

I like your quality nominations. I was thinking about some nominations, but took the easy way out. I begged them to allow elk points to be traded in for deer points at a 3 to 1 ratio. I sure hope they listen so I can do my part to help the elk point creep and bottleneck for the quality hunts.;-)

I urge every one to stoop to my level and suggest the same! I would give my left nad (and right nad) for 4 deer points in trade for 13 elk points! Please write CDOW today!;-)

 

[BUCKSPY]

How do you hunt a unit for 10 years for deer and not know if its worth the points for elk?

40 is a strange unit. Completely opposite of most units where the private land is the lower ground. In 40 the private is the tops of the plateau and where the best habitat and consequentally the most elk live. Its managed accordingly with PLO tags and Ranching for Rich Guys .......er....I mean Ranching for WIldlife. The public land in the unit is fringe habitat and there isn't enough tags or pressure on the private up top to effectively displace the animals to the BLM during the rifle seasons.

61 is a better bet for the DIY hunter and muzz season is tops. 1st rifle is a gamble as the big and nasty guys are worn out and don't need but one wiff of some crusty nimrod out scouting to blow out into parts unknown. Its flat out monsterous country fit for the hardy and tough. Not for dudes afraid to walk out 2 hours after dark.

10, 201, and 2 are as advertised and the easiest hunt for 300 plus bulls in the state. Try breaking 340 and you have a goal on your hands.

76 is quite possibly the most awesome elk experience the state has to offer with big bulls in the alpine in the muzz season. Once again the 340 plus mark is an extreme challenge but the country is flat out incredible making this hunt my choice for a once in a lifetime points blowing experience.

Put that in your peacepipe, smoke it, but don't inhale. ;-)

 

[elkhuntr]

Buckspy, I don't think there is a unit 40 Ranching for Rich guys anymore.
Elkhuntr

 

[BUCKSPY]

Might not be. I really don't pay much attention to the RFW hunts as I think they are a joke and more entitlement for landowners. The RFW hunts allowed the easy killing of way too many 340 plus bulls in the rut with a rifle for way too many years and the harvest went from 340 type bulls down to 280-300 bulls with the occasional whopper. Bulls take longer to mature than mulies and it was too much killing of the top end bulls that caught up with 40. The same could be said for many of the quality units in Colorado. 300 bulls are pretty easy pickins but killing a 340 and up bull is a serious undertaking.