Unit 40 Elk
- Thread starter pdkillr
- Start date
Had an archery elk tag this year. Hope you hired an outfitter and/or have access to private land. There is a darn good reason why Coloradoboy and others rightly advocate hiring an outfitter in this unit. There are obviously some amount of really big bulls in this Unit to justify the $15k price tag for an outfitted hunt on private ground there. You can scroll thru the outfitter pages and see some pics of really nice bulls taken there. That said, the public ground on the west side of the Unit is rough pinyon and oakbrush winter range and the elk may or may not filter in there during your hunting season. The National Forest is so close to GJ and relatively small(roughly 3 miles by 4 miles) that the locals there have it figured out if there are any big bulls on that ground and where they are wwwaaayyy before the archery opener. Muzzleloader deer and elk hunters do a pretty good job of pushing the remaining elk on to the surrounding private. Couple that with every camper, mountain biker, hiker and who knows who else who rightfully use that ground as well and it's not the best setup for the public land elk hunter.
The private ground to the south and west of the National Forest is some of the prettiest elk and deer habitat I've ever seen and I have hunted deer and elk in CO for over 35 years. I did have three shot opportunities at small bulls that I passed on - hoping to find one of the larger bulls that may have wandered onto the public. I believe the older bulls have the gig figured out - I heard very little bugling on public but absolute bugling chaos 3-400 yards across the fencelines on the private. Hunters would walk the fencelines and call to those bulls with absolutely no luck in persuading the herd bulls to come and cross the fences. The calling might be effective if you had the opportunity to advance on the bulls but the fenceline ends the game. The 3 bulls I had shot opportunities at were obviously satellite bulls with no cows.
You might want to consider a bear tag - I had a tag and walked up right behind one ambling down the same trail I was walking very early one morning. I got a little unnerved by the encounter and I never considered killing it and was happy to freeze on the trail and let it put some distance between us.
All this being said, if you're out there giving it your best shot, anything can happen and you may see the biggest darn bull in the Unit on public ground and anchor him. Best of luck to you and I hope you have an enjoyable hunt, make some memories and harvest a monster bull. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have if I am able because this was a one and done hunt for me and this Unit.
The private ground to the south and west of the National Forest is some of the prettiest elk and deer habitat I've ever seen and I have hunted deer and elk in CO for over 35 years. I did have three shot opportunities at small bulls that I passed on - hoping to find one of the larger bulls that may have wandered onto the public. I believe the older bulls have the gig figured out - I heard very little bugling on public but absolute bugling chaos 3-400 yards across the fencelines on the private. Hunters would walk the fencelines and call to those bulls with absolutely no luck in persuading the herd bulls to come and cross the fences. The calling might be effective if you had the opportunity to advance on the bulls but the fenceline ends the game. The 3 bulls I had shot opportunities at were obviously satellite bulls with no cows.
You might want to consider a bear tag - I had a tag and walked up right behind one ambling down the same trail I was walking very early one morning. I got a little unnerved by the encounter and I never considered killing it and was happy to freeze on the trail and let it put some distance between us.
All this being said, if you're out there giving it your best shot, anything can happen and you may see the biggest darn bull in the Unit on public ground and anchor him. Best of luck to you and I hope you have an enjoyable hunt, make some memories and harvest a monster bull. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have if I am able because this was a one and done hunt for me and this Unit.
Wapitiwilly
Very Active Member
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I would be happy to share some good intel with you. PM me
bowhuntinnut
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No offense but what the first guy said has absolutely nothing to do with what you will encounter during the 3rd season hunt! We hunted 3rd season last year, everything was busted but the elk were there.
"Some on here just can't help it!"
Really???
The man's words: "Just seeing if anyone has been there and how the elk are looking?"
As far as I know, there's only been two seasons so far - archery and muzzleloader. I was in the Unit until the 29th. I qualified my post by clearly stating I had the archery tag. I thought I would relay my experience for this gentlemen as well as anyone who might be contemplating the same decision I made on this Unit.
I've visited this site for over a decade and provided a lot of help ten years ago on a Unit #1 early rifle elk hunt to several guys in the 2 or three ensuing years after I took that hunt. In addition, I've provided help in years past on a Unit 10 deer hunt having hunted it several times mainly on vouchers. Look it up in the archives. These kind of condescending responses will continue to drive people away and give folks pause about providing info and offering to answer questions.
I guess a little gratitude was just an unreasonable expectation on my part. SMH.
Really???
The man's words: "Just seeing if anyone has been there and how the elk are looking?"
As far as I know, there's only been two seasons so far - archery and muzzleloader. I was in the Unit until the 29th. I qualified my post by clearly stating I had the archery tag. I thought I would relay my experience for this gentlemen as well as anyone who might be contemplating the same decision I made on this Unit.
I've visited this site for over a decade and provided a lot of help ten years ago on a Unit #1 early rifle elk hunt to several guys in the 2 or three ensuing years after I took that hunt. In addition, I've provided help in years past on a Unit 10 deer hunt having hunted it several times mainly on vouchers. Look it up in the archives. These kind of condescending responses will continue to drive people away and give folks pause about providing info and offering to answer questions.
I guess a little gratitude was just an unreasonable expectation on my part. SMH.
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