Colorado unit 551

[neverbeenonanATV]

I got a late season deer tag for unit 551, and did not realize elk tags the same season were over the counter. Any help on what I'm in for? Should I expect to see a decent buck?

 

[ridgewalker]

I almost put in for that unit with my 7 points, but decided on 61 for that very reason..all the elk tags.. From the research I did, I think you are still going to have a great hunt.. It sounds like a very quality unit..Good Luck to you! How many points did it take?

 

[neverbeenonanATV]

I had eight points. The way I read the regulations I thought the only elk in season were about 100 draw cow tags. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see bull tags are over the counter.
I will think about you on opening morning 15 minutes before light when I'm watching about 20 pairs of ATV headlights in a hurry to get somewhere. Good Luck.

 

[buxnbulls]

There are also lots of elk tags for unit 61. Colorado has over 350,000 elk and are way over their objective. They are offering thousands of elk tags in the entire state! All units in the Gunnison Basin are projected to be excellent this year. We have 2 tags for the late 551 hunt, and are very excited about it, and you should be, too. If we have good snowfall, hunt within 5 miles north or south of Highway 50. You should expect to see several bucks in the 170-180" range. Good luck to you.

 

[walltenthunter]

Some words of advice for 551 hunting this season. 1. The deer hunting should be excellent. Leave the ATV in your drive way though, as this country is not(thank god)as ATV road ladden as other parts of Colorado. Once you understand that, and if you don't mind walking, I would recommend Tomichi Dome, a monsterous volcanic dome you can access off of Hwy 50 on a BLM road coming right off of Hwy 50 directly south of the Dome. The road is a bit rough, yet any 4x4 would make it, and I have seen non 4 x4s there too. Another access to the Dome is off of the road to Waunita Hot Springs, that road paved coming off of Hwy 50 closer to Gunnison. When on that paved road you can proceed about 8-9 miles as I recall to the north end of the Dome where the state land parcel is adjacent to small reservoir and dam (Waunita Lake), about a mile and half before you get to Waunita Hot Springs Lodge. Get a Gunnison Forest Service Map to see where the national forest land is as well as the BLM lands. The state trust section has signage. This is TOUGH country, yet there are good #s of deer,especially walking in a bit. Walk in about 2 miles from the lake (going south) into the Dome and hunt the westerly side along rock slides and aspens. You might also pick up an 'over the counter' elk tag, as there are good #s of elk around. As such, hunt with a packframe as you will not getting your animal out whole, for sure. I would recommend the hunting lower on the Dome, along the aspens where they intermingle with rock slides. Again, this is rough counry, so if you are not ready for a rough hunt, then another option would be hunting the more open Saguache country to the south of HWY 50, closer to Parlin then southeast from there. In the late season the bucks come into these winter range open sage hills sprinked with patches of pines and various clusters of oak brush. Any cover here can hold bucks. My advise for 551 is to walk, and forget the ATV or getting close to your hatrack via 4x4. Guess you know how I feel about off road vehicles. No mind, the deer think just the same.

Good Luck. I'll be accompanying my daughter hunt 551 the same season, on foot.

Good luck.

You should have no problem finding a buck. As for the elk, they are where you find them. They're in the same country though.

 

[neverbeenonanATV]

I appreciate the advice. As for the ATV's I don't own one and actually I have never been on an ATV. I have been walking a couple of miles a day with a pack and am getting charged about the hunt. The only hunts I've ever been on were do it yourself backback hunts. I thought about getting an elk tag but with only seven days to hunt I don't want to get sidetracked while I'm after a trophy mule deer. Good luck! I hope everybody gets a monster muley. I just hope I see enough nice deer that I can be selective.

 

[walltenthunter]

You will do fine. Given your propensity to hunt on foot, I feel confident you will get a very nice buck. Actually both sides of Tomichi Dome (east and west) are excellent habitat for deer and elk. This is how I hunt for what it is worth. Get to where you can glass open sage into aspens or pines, at dawn. This means walking into your area in the dark. This may or may not work the first day as you get accustomed to the landscape. Your best bet though for an unsuspecting muley buck is the first 2 hours of shootable light, when the bucks are still out in the open. In the middle of the day, hunt the timber but very slow, where you do not intend to glass the next day or that afternoon. Essentially if you blow them out of there god knows where they will be later. Muleys I have have found are fairly easy to jump in the timber and get a nice shot. Towards the end of the day get back to where you can glass the open areas. This unit does not have alot of deer hunting pressure so the bucks will believe it not feed out in the open until about 10 in the morning where not disturbed, then get active again around 3:30 P.M. Trust your insticts but I think you will find more low than high elevations, though the nastiest of the timber bucks that die of old age live in the worst places, and on the Dome that equates to towards the top. I talked to some out of state elk hunters a couple of years back hunting the south end of Tomichi Dome and they said they saw many big bucks, yet could only watch, and they were pretty lousy hunters.

You'll do fine. Hunt all day way back in. The guys whom spend mid morning till afternooon in camp miss out often in filling tags. Have fun. I predict you will see few hunters, as 90% don't go in further than a mile, 50% less than 3 miles, and beyond there you are literally in wilderness with only the critters. Ask yourself where you would be if you were a 6 year old 6x7, 28" high, 7" base, 5" brow tined, deep forked, wide sweeping spread, white faced muley buck. Such a buck of this description is there, bank on it. Not close to any road though.

P.S. - I and my family since the 60s have had many fine hunts in this general country, and about 7 or so of the racksnow have reincarnated into being part of one of two antler chandeliers in my living room. Thank the Gunnison community by going into Gunnison a few evenings to spend a few dollars for them having the courage to reduce buck tags 90% years about 6-7 years ago to allow the white faced bucks to come back. A true story in wildlife conservation success.

 

[walltenthunter]

NeverbeenonaATV:

P.S. - Send me your address at my work e-mailaddress and I will send you a color aerial map of Tomichi Dome, plus I can get you a topo of that area from the Denver Federal Center which will show you the roads nearby, plus the areas I would focus on if I were you. This may cost you a whopping $5 though,simply covering my costs. Can you beat that?



E-mail me your name/address # [email protected]

 

[camo_deerslayer]

Please do support the locals. The Quality over quantity decision is not financially attractive to the local businesses, but they seem to support it anyway. My hats off to them!

Any suggestions on unit 55 (walltenthunter). You appear to be a huge help!

 

[dlelk1]

I have never looked at hunting colorado, only dreamed of it. Do you know if there is any over the counter permits close to the Utah border, I dont have much time to hunt but would like to get in another hunt. If you have any info on areas or fees I would love to know. thanks DL