Bow or 1st Rifle CO 61

S

stixnblades

Guest
I'm struggling a little right now with this decision and thought I would check to see what opinions you guys have about this unit. I have always planned, as a non res, to hunt the 1st rifle hunt in 61. I have been in the pool that has had a chance to draw for the last 6 years but people keep jumping ship and setting me further behind. Point creep sucks and I want to cash in my points to hunt. I'm an avid bowhunter and took a good bull in utah with my bow but I saw several monsters that "if only had a gun in my hand" it would have been simple to seal the deal. I was set on rifle.
My cousin drew the 2nd season last year and told me that the area was crawling with people and the rut was long over. He didn't see very much and settled with a small bull. It's thick country and you have to go in after them.
So... would you go rifle and catch the end of the rut, gun in hand, with all the cow hunters? or hunt with a bow with less people?(muzzles will be there)
I want a better chance of taking the potential of the unit with a gun but love the excitement of getting close with a bow.

I should be able to draw with 18 points for sure with a bow but a chance of 1st rifle.
Thoughts????
 
In my opinion you cant go wrong with either one!! I hunted 61 a few years ago with my bow and it was amazing ended up taking my largets bull to date a 6x5 right around the 300 mark!!!Helped a former student 3 years ago during 1st rifle he was able to take his first bull, passed 9 bulls the first day (shouldnt have passed one of them) ended up taking a smaller 6x6 the second day. i spent alot of time in 61 last fall and saw a ton of elk,I do not have much knowledge of the 2nd season other than
61 borders unit 62 which is the most hunted unit in the state so it will be very busy up there.
 
I have rifle hunted elk twice in 61 on the first rifle. I have also archery hunted deer there. If I had the chance I would archery hunt it. PM me and I will be glad to talk with you.
 
If you have the time to dedicate two weeks to the hunt I would definitely go archery. Better rut action and less crowds. First season can be a lot of fun to. Just don't get your trophy expectations too high.

The mountains, not the hills.
 
And with bow season going later this year (ends the 29th), the action should be incredible

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-13 AT 09:10AM (MST)[p]Would I be on par to expect 290-310 archery? Should I be able to get something bigger with a rifle? I've heard that there are tons of elk but you really have to hold out to get 330+.
 
you are about right on with the 290-310 score, it all depends on how long you will get to hunt. When I had my archery tag I saw bulls that were much larger than the one I shot just didnt work out with them...I hunted 7 days and was in elk every day from sun up till about 11 every morning then would take a long nap and start all over till dark!! my bull was not the biggest on the mountain but if I had to do it over I would still send an arrow at him!!
 
If you like archery that is probably the way to go. Another thing to remember is that 1st rifle is only a five day hunt, if you have time to spend 7 - 14 days hunting, archery sounds better.
 
There's bigger bulls in the unit then all the bs internet talk leads you to believe. I know for a fact several 350 + bulls come out of 61, as well as 62, each year. I think people guess its cool to repeat what they read. That being said archery or even muzz is the seasons to go in 61. Several in the 360 to 380+ range come out over the years. I've killed a 360+ bull in 62 and have seen bulls that put him to shame pretty consistantly across the Divide Road. Hunt the P&J and leave the higher elevation stuff to everyone else.
 
>There's bigger bulls in the unit
>then all the bs internet
>talk leads you to believe.
>I know for a fact
>several 350 + bulls come
>out of 61, as well
>as 62, each year. I
>think people guess its cool
>to repeat what they read.
>That being said archery or
>even muzz is the seasons
>to go in 61. Several
>in the 360 to 380+
>range come out over the
>years. I've killed a 360+
>bull in 62 and have
>seen bulls that put him
>to shame pretty consistantly across
>the Divide Road. Hunt the
>P&J and leave the higher
>elevation stuff to everyone else.
>

Do you have a pic of that 360"+ ? And by the way " There are no big bulls left on the UNC " ! ;)
 
My opinions on unit 61 are not based on internet b.s. I had the archery deer tag in 2011 and spent several weekends and 3 weeks on the unc and in the p.j. middle ground and the lower ag. land as well. I must say that there could possibly be a few 360-380 bulls on that unit...but the best bull I seen may have went 330 I looked at at least 35-40 mature bulls and even the herd bulls pushing cows were seldom better than 310. Coloradoram you may be right but my experience on that unit...and I have hunted elk for 40 years in several western states does not jive with yours. I did enjoy the area alot, but no way would I hold out for a 360 bull on that unit. I spend alot of time shed hunting the UNC and have picked up only one elk shed that goes over 150" IMO the archery hunt or muzzle hunt may be the best but expecting a booner class bull?....come on man.
 
Coloradoram must have a bunch of points and is trying for the NW corner of the state... :)

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?
 
>Coloradoram must have a bunch of
>points and is trying for
>the NW corner of the
>state... :)
>

Lol, nice one. You internet experts are all right..... no big bulls in 61 or 62. Good luck regardless.
 
Ram, Like I said my opinions on 61 are based on my own experience on the ground In the unit. I am only saying what I am saying cause a guy who has almost 20 years of points should be given firsthand honest feedback. I will not post information secondhand on any unit. The best outfitters on the unit are not killing the type of bulls you describe on a regular basis.Telling someone there are "several bulls that would put your 360 bull to shame" is at the very least misleading if not B.S. I believe that there might be a few Boone&Crocket bulls in 61 but it is rare indeed to see or kill them...just chech the record books. best of luck, Dik
 
Hold on a second. I never once said he should old out for a 360 bull. My point was that there are bigger bulls in the unit than 330. Everyone on the internet, including this site, will give advice not based on personal experience but on what they read on Eastmans, Muley Madness, etc. I've hunted 61 or 62 since 1981. I wouldn't claim to be an expert as a local who can spend every other day up on the Plateau, but I would say I have excellent knowledge of the area. Wouldn't you agree that the last 8 to 10 years the majority of hunters in 61 are going to be so freaked about eating tag soup on what is now a once in a lifetime license that they pull the trigger on the first 300 - 320 class bull? I don't blame them. My point is if you want a 350 + bull they are in the unit and in better numbers than folks on the net lead to believe. That doesn't mean their behind every tree. Some trophy hunters would pass a hundred 330 bulls and eat the tag unless they saw 350 inches. Since 1981 I have seen 10 or so bulls in either 61 or 62 that would break my 360 unit 62 bull. I shot my bull 1st rifle in 1998. The 360+ bulls I have seen were all during bear rifle in conjunction with archery or muzz and were seen since 1995 or so, including one in 2010. There ya have it, should have clarified more instead of shooting my mouth off. Best of luck.
 
Another thought that came up... I don't think I am giving BS advice. I'm stating what I know and have seen. If someone reads my post and says "I'm gonna hunt the P&J and kill a 360 bull" then they are a fool. I've hunted P&J country in 62 and have not seen one elk in 10 to 15 days of hunting and scouting. My point is a lot of elk spend the entire year in that type of terrain and my observations have led me to believe the few bulls I do see in that country are a much higher quality then those in the oak canyons off of Divide Road. You know if your paranoid about eating your OIL 61 bull tag shoot the first bull you see. If your like a few, where nothing short of 350, 360 or whatever will do, then take a chance and give it hell. Thats all I'm saying. Didn't mean to come across as an azzwhole. Good luck in your hunt, you'll have fun.
 
Stix, I hunted 61 archery with 13 PPs, no regrets.

My partner held off and drew 1st rifle with 17 PPs.

He's VERY conservative and said he missed a 370 bull opening day. BUT 2 things; He got hooked up with a friend of our friends that lives near Delta, and knows 61 and 62 very well, AND he hated the 5 days hunt.

Without the "insider" info, he probably wouldn't have seen as good a bulls as he saw. He saw several over 330, and was willing to take any of these 3-4 bulls, it just didn't happen. He did hunt my hot-spot from my archery hunt and saw 5 bulls he said were at, or a little above 300", all in one evening. BUT with the 5 day season, he never went back to it.

As a archery hunter, who likes loooong seasons, it's a no brainer for me. You need to decide, like others mentioned, can you give 2 weeks to this hunt?

Having 8 bulls working at one time, getting 2 shots, at 2 different bulls, from the same set-up. That's my idea of fun. If I ever decide to pay the landowner fee, I'll hunt the entire season next time, with a 330" or tag soup mentality.

Good luck on your decision.
 
Well... It's a done deal.. I checked my points over the weekend and it has a Big "0". Archery, Here I come! I'm super stoked. Thank you all for your input and I could be possibly getting into further contact with you to get some details. Thanks again,

Stix
 
Congrats Stix but you took my tag.LOL
I didn't draw with 17 thought I had a good chance with the tag increase but there must have been quite a few jump in.
Good luck should be a fun hunt.
 

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