Which Elk hunt, Colorado or Utah?

azbow

azbow

Active Member
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Looking at cashing in my pts this year for a great Elk hunt in either Colorado or Utah. I have plenty of pts for any tag in Colorado, like unit 2 or 201 rifle. Also think I have enough possibly for a Utah San Juan archery tag or equivalent. I am hoping for some direction from you guys in deciding which hunt to go for. Open to other ideas also. Hope to have a chance at a 360 or better bull in Colorado and somewhat bigger than that in utah. Been waiting a long time for a "one and you're done" elk hunt. Thx
 
Hate to burst your bubble, but they reduced the tags on archery San Juan from 2 to 1 last year, so there were no max points tags and the max point holder only had a 0.5% chance of drawing. So unless they add back a tag, you are SOL on that hunt. The early gun hunt went for 21 points (100% draw). That of course assumes you are a NR of Utah.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
For sure burn your points in Colorado. There are several good areas that you can chase a 360 bull. How many points do you have in Utah?
 
Wow TX, didn't realize they did that. Almost impossible to get a really good Utah tag. Don't have quite enough for the rifle tag at 21 pts.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-14-15 AT 03:07PM (MST)[p]For Non-Resident CO unit 201 rifle you will have about a 50% chance with max points of 24+ points. If you go archery 201 you will need 23 points this year

for unit 2 rifle you will need 24 points for about a 50% odds of drawing. unit 2 archery 22 points will get you about a 50% chance of drawing.

How many CO points do you have?
 
Also watch the snow pack and precip right up to the end before putting in. A wet year verse a dry year can add or subtract a lot of inches off the bulls. Put in for both, you can always turn tag back in Utah. Those are all awesome hunts.
 
Good luck with either, lots of points in utah and colorado is a good place to be. When you do draw take it all in and enjoy the experience. You should be In for a couple great hunts. Don't get to hung up on score. Please don't draw a tag and turn it back in because conditions are not ideal, that's weak!
 
az,
Assuming you have plenty of points in any state can sometimes be a recipe for disappointment. I know from experience that odds charts don't always add up the way they look.
That being said, you have obviously put in your wait time and you might consider applying in both states with the idea that if you draw both, you can always turn back the one you don't want.
I would for sure not try to hunt both, but rather spread out the fun. At any rate, best of luck. You have some exciting times ahead!
 
I believe that I have enough pts in Colorado that it is a sure thing to get whichever hunt I choose. Just don't know which one would be the one to go for. After so many years of building up for a chance at a great hunt, it is stressful to actually use them. I want to do it while I am healthy enough to still get around, or the game depts change the rules again. Thanks guys for your imput.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-15-15 AT 12:55PM (MST)[p]No, you don't...

I pulled the recaps to check the numbers.

Max points for NR elk in CO will be 25. Last year there were 10 hunters with 24 points who put in for 201 rifle (EE201E1R) So 2 would have drawn leaving 8. The best guess is that those 8 will now have 25 points, and if you join in (assuming you have 25PP in CO) that would be 9 hunters for 2 tags which means you have a 22% chance.


So unless you have 26PP in CO (how??) you are not guaranteed 201 rifle elk.

Unit 2 rifle will have about 16 hunters with 24PP so if you have 25PP you could probably get a Unit 2 rifle (unless another 25 pt holder switches too)

If you would just say how many points you have it would be easier to give you an opinion on the hunt?

Here's the link:
http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/DrawResults_PreferencePoints.aspx
 
UUnit 201 rifle or unit 2 rifle. I've grown up in both units and have become more partial to unit 2 over the years. Easier to draw, much bigger unit, equal quality to unit 201.(in my opinion) You can't go wrong with either though. Unit 10 is a good hunt but not quite the same as 2 or 201.

Coloradoboy
 
Pretty harsh there wild
You are looking at the numbers of pts of people that applied for those hunts. There are people (at least one) that have more pts than that, they just didn't apply for those hunts. I have waited a looong time to decide when and where to hunt elk in Colorado, any help?

Coloradoboy, No diff in quality of hunt or size between 2 and 201?

Hate to flip a coin to decide
 
I wouldn't go for an archery tag in Utah this year. This year has the worst dates for the archery season here. Utah always starts the archery season on the 3rd Saturday in August and the season runs for 4 weeks. That puts the opener on Aug 15th and closing on Sept 11th. Next year it will start on Aug 20th and closes on Sept 16th. That 5 day swing makes a huge difference for us archery guys..... but I probably don't have to tell you that.
 
Look at the Hunt Recap report which has a category showing all people at each point level. Page 293, shows 1 NR with 26 pts and 4 with 25. So it seems that would be one way to gauge what your worst case odds are in lieu of looking at a specific unit summary. People do switch what they apply for or whether they only bought a pt. so the overall summary is good way of determine where someone stands and what the worst case might be. So with the pts. I have now, I'm guessing I'll be about 136 when I draw unit 2 or 201.....assuming everyone ahead of me draws first!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-17-15 AT 03:55PM (MST)[p]AZ, Just trying to get info that you apparently don't want to share, yet want info back.

So from what can be gathered from your posts, you haven't denied that you are a Non-Resident for UT and CO.

In UT you "don't quiet have enough for a rifle tag at 21" So you have less than 21 bonus points there, yet won't say exactly how many?

In Colorado you apparently have more than 25 PP so you must be the only NR with 26 points last year or one of 4 with 25? yet won't say exactly how many?
 
AZ, With 19 NR pts in Utah I would not do an archery hunt! They always have early dates and most of the top units usually only have 1 nr archery permit making it luck of the draw. If I were in your shoes I'd put in for an early rifle hunt(better chance at drawing and successfully filling your tag). If you are planning on doing the hunt DIY I would put in for the Plateau/Boulder or SW Desert, or if you are willing to go guided the Panguitch Lake would be my top choice.
 
>Pretty harsh there wild
>You are looking at the numbers
>of pts of people that
>applied for those hunts. There
>are people (at least one)
>that have more pts than
>that, they just didn't apply
>for those hunts. I
>have waited a looong time
>to decide when and where
>to hunt elk in Colorado,
>any help?
>
>Coloradoboy, No diff in quality of
>hunt or size between 2
>and 201?
>
>Hate to flip a coin to
>decide
Yes, I'm my opinion and years spent between the two units the quality is very close and it just depends on the year which throws the bigger Bulls. Biggest bull I've ever seen in this state was in 2 back in 07. With that being said both have been on the upward trend of throwing out a 380 plus inch bull each year. Average herd Bulls in each unit are typically 320 to 350ish.

Coloradoboy
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-18-15 AT 05:03PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jan-18-15 AT 05:01?PM (MST)

I would say unit 201 muzzy.

If you are a dedicated to killing the biggest bull in the unit than you have a better chance to cover 201 than 2 (a lot bigger)

If you scout all summer you would have a good idea in 201 what bulls are out there, then focus your hunt on a couple specific bulls. During the hunt you will also be able to cover the unit depending on conditions. while in 2 you would have to focus on part of the unit and maybe second guess if you should move around to somewhere else. I have often found focusing on an area and knowing it intimately is better.

As for Muzzy, I think its the best season in Colorado. The elk call better and are not locked down. They also haven't been hunted as much, though that may not be a factor in those units. But most important if you did all your summer scouting you get first crack at the bull of your choice (most archery hunters don't kill the first 2 weeks since they know it gets better the last 2) instead of competing with all the other rifle hunters or having it killed during archery/muzzy season.
 
Well I hunted Unit 2 archery this past year with my buddy who had a tag and the archery hunters were all in there from day one of the start of the season. They had them bulls pushed around pretty good prior to the Muzzy guys getting there. If I am looking for a big bull and have the time to pass on the 330's I would hunt archery. Unit 2 is a big unit but for the most part most guys hunt Douglas Mountain and stay close to water.
 
Good info guys, Thankyou. I am a DIY hunter and will get in at least a week of scouting before the season to try and locate the best bulls. Getting a little (lot) hard of hearing so that hurts locating bulls. Hope to get a little help to cover that. Not a muzzleloader shooter at this point, but that is possible. Do the bulls shut off and hide by the rifle season in 2 or 201? Havn't checked lately to see how 19 pts in Utah would stand in the rifle hunts but will check on hunters trailhead.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-18-15 AT 08:51PM (MST)[p]There's not enough pressure in 2/201 to shut elk off. . . Good luck. Do us a favor and keep us posted. Most of us will never hunt those units.
 
I agree with wildwilderness and would recommend unit 201 muzzy.

I have hunted unit 2 in the past early rifle and it is a really fun hunt but think the best hunt would be in 201. During the early rifle the bulls were still rutting when I hunted but the majority of the big bulls I found were broken up. The only problem with the muzzy tag is I believe there are cow hunters in the unit at the same time. With the early rifle there will only be the other bull hunters.

Each unit has its challenges and can produce giants each and every year. If you have waited this long it might be worth it to hold off one more year and make a trip out there to decide which unit you prefer.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-19-15 AT 10:43PM (MST)[p]I've never honestly been a fan of the Muzzy hunt. 1. Its the shortest season 2. You have to deal with cow hunters (why the hell they give muzzy cow tags i have no idea) 3. Its on the front half of the rut if not before the rut at all. In theres years I've spent running around the NW corner it seems the true peak of the rut is right around october 1st. If you truly want the best chance at a good bull go with the rifle hunt, unless you are dead set on archery. 201 could be a good option as others listed; primarily because its a smaller unit and easy to cover without multiple scouting trips to cover lots of country. However like Tracker said... unit 2 will have a fair majority of the tag holders huddled on Douglas Mountain because its all they know and they see it as the only place that holds elk... however those who know a thing or two will head north to areas like the Bear's and Lookout mountain... Less elk... but better quality of bulls.

Coloradoboy
 
In order to "guarantee" a tag, you need to select a unit with Max Point Bonus Tags (in Utah).

It looks like there are several Early Rifle units you could draw this year with 19 points. Dutton, Book Cliffs South, Fishlake and of course Wasatch. Also, you would be pretty high for both Pahvant Early and Boulder Early it looks like with 19 points, but no guarantee.

I've been on Boulder during the rut last year. I was hunting deer, but there were elk everywhere bugling. We could tell which bulls were herd bulls versus satellite bulls. It was amazing. I wished we had spent our time "hunting" the elk, just for the experience.

I have had the same experience in the Book Cliffs previously during the rut. Lots of buging and lots of elk. Big, Big country. Makes it very fun. Not to mention accessibility.

Good luck whatever you decide.

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
A lot of good info and more to think about. Thanks guys for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience. I do appreciate it!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-21-15 AT 08:01PM (MST)[p]For UT with 19 pts the Boulder early rifle is the hunt. It is a very large unit but has the bulls "somewhat larger than [360]"

I don't think a "week of scouting before the season" will guarantee you a 360-400" bull anywhere though. You will need some good luck when you cash in the points
 
I know that a week of scouting isn't a lot of time to find a big bull but from what I have seen, the Bulls move and change areas when the rut starts. Bulls located earlier have left and you have to get lucky to relocate them. Hopefully they won't move far in the week before the hunt.
 
>Do them both ......Before the game
>and fish depts change the
>rules...


That is what worries me. It has happened before...
 
After looking at precipitation maps it looked pretty dry in most of Utah so I decided to wait on really trying to get a tag this year. But I did put in for San Juan. Now I am still trying to decide on Colorado...
 
Yes I cashed in on unit 2 rifle elk in Colorado. I also went for the Antelope hunt up there since it starts the last day of the elk hunt. Looking forward to having some fun.
 
Sweet, good luck to you on the hunt, I hope you shoot a monster... Like 400"+
I don't have the patience you do to wait for a tag that long, you certainly deserve a good hunt and good bull.
 
Thankyou Elkman, it would be really nice to see some big Bulls.

Sambo, I am also a NRA Life Member and so was my Dad, from the time he got out of WWII until his end last year.
 
Will be looking forward to some great pictures from your hunt.
Good Luck hope you find and take a Monster Bull.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
That is a 2 N UR DONE Hunt.
When we are talking over 20 points we don't have very many of those in us.
I hunt my second choice, 2nd or 3rd or leftover licenses every year so I can hunt and get a point every year. I do that for Colorado Deer, elk and antelope. If I hunt the previous year for either deer, elk or Antelope the the preference points are free for the next year. If I don't than they are $30 for deer and antelope and $40 for elk.

Right there is a good way to put you in the drivers seat as far as points in Colorado.

Greg Merriam
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