What happened to the elk in unit 9?

Ok, I know about the land swap many years ago and I know the animals bail off the side of the North Rim when people show up, but I was up there on Tuesday and did 80 miles on an ATV, checked numerous water holes, hiked off the rim to a spring 1000' below and didn't see a single elk and very few tracks, even around water.

I bow hunted 9 back in 89-91 and learned the hard way that where you find the elk in the off season isn't where they will be once the crowd shows up. However, it was April 16th. I should have seen a few animals and definitely should have seen tracks and sign around water holes. I just can't fathom how it could have gone from such a game rich area to a game desert. I know there were too many cow tags given out back in the day but was there also some disease or sickness that wiped them out as well. I just don't see how overhunting (when they have such easy escapes off cliffs that few people will follow and onto private land) could knock the herd down that much.

Now the good news is that I put the unit down as my 3rd choice and didn't draw. I would much rather hunt CO OTC than what I saw on Tuesday. I'd still like to do it again one year for the nostalgia sake and because I do have one spot I think I could kill an elk in, but still. I just can't get over the complete lack of elk sign.

Would love to hear what those who have spent time up there in recent years have experienced. Is it really that bad or did I just have one of those days? Feel free to PM if you don't want it on a public forum.

To answer your question truthfully, yes its that bad. Way over hunted for all too long. When them elk would bail into the private all that was waiting for them were the hundreds of landowner tag holders. All the big surrounding ranches were issued way to many tags. The elk never had a chance in my opinion. The unit is not what it once used to be back in its glory days. All that said its a dang good place to kill a bear and if you can draw a deer tag up there your chances of killing a really good back are up there.

We hunted there about ten years ago with my dad on the mobility impaired hint. It was very bad. Everything you mentioned AND major poaching. Have never applied for that unit and never would after that experience. Beautiful country though.


*We are all in the same boat, just
wishing to be hunting right now!*

When you see more wild horses than elk you know it's bad!
We used to draw that bow hunt back about 15 years and we would have a blast. It seemed within a few years after that it went to crap. Not even the damn turkeys are hanging out up there. We used to see them all the time. Have not even bothered driving up there in the last 10 years. Hope somehow it can recover because it is a nice place to hunt plus it's close to home.
I did see 18 bulls together down in the Floyd Lee ranch one year that gave me hope that some would make their way up the mountain but guess not.

Too much hunting pressure and to many predators. Game and Fish used that as a bear dumping grounds for a lot of the problem bears. They dumped piles of bears there year after year during hard times which is the calving season. Bears and other predators ate the young, people killing the older and elk herd crashed. Be a few years before it bounces back

That certainly adds a piece to the puzzle. I'm sure there are a multitude of issues involved but it is a crying shame they let a good area get as bad as it is.

I grew up hunting and guiding in the unit. Used to be one of the highest populations of elk in the state. I think it was a combination of predators and to many cow elk hunts. I know the game and fish are doing a study or did on calf survival and it's a big problem. Very interesting to see if the population bounces back in 10 years. Pretty Sad!

well when you kill 200+ cows a year what did you expect. the few remaining elk rarely set foot off private land. hate to bash the G&F but, what were they thinking??? guess everybody got greedy.