CO Unit 81, any advice and or opinions?

[hunting1]

If I do not draw a tag this year in any of the states I applied I was thinking of doing a backpacking trip for elk in 81 near the resevoir. Anyone have any comment to share that has been up there? Thanks and good luck to you all!

 

[Phantom Hunter]

Hunted in there in 94. Had 4 feet of snow on level ground during the first hunt. Be perepared. Have a friend who has hunted in there a lot. He camped beside the river and rode his horse up into the wilderness area each day. Seems like he did real well most years until his health started keeping him home the last few years.

Phantom Hunter

 

[coelk81]

That is my neck of the woods. Been hunting there for as long as I was old enough to hunt elk. Backpacking that area is a good idea, but better if you got horses. Good areas would be Adams Fork, Blue Lake, Kerr lake area and the toll road. Another good area is Saddlecreek or Lake fork. It is an old logging road takes you up behind the resevoir. That area is usually pretty good for elk. The whole unit and unit 80 have a ton of elk, but no real trophies. But then again in my opinion any elk is a trophy. I also wouldn't limit myself to Platoro area, look at Osier park(it sits on the border of CO/NM) Fox creek, and La Jara resevior. All of which are easier walking and contain about the same amount of people. No matter which area you choose to hunt your success depends on you. Hope this helps, if you want more specifics let me know.

 

[hunting1]

Thank you! Those were the areas we have been looking at on the map. A trophy to me is good friends, excercise, and any legal animal I harvest, so it would be great!