Unit 49 MZ Wrap Up....Wow, what a trip!!

[crcountry]

Well, its over. It started the day we found out we drew with 13 points in June, and ended Sat AM after 7+ days of elk rutting bliss.

Here are my Top 10 take-aways about unit 49:
1.) The herd bulls are huge!330-340". Satellites are 300".
2.) The herd bulls are smart!
3.) The herd bulls ONLY chuckle
4.) The cows NEVER talk. Ever.
5.) The elk never come out of the timber in the evenings. EVER. My spot in unit 52 NM is way different. The elk there will start to pop out of the timber 20-30 min before dark for shot opportunities.
6.) The elk get caught in the wide open in the AM's until 7am or so as they are making it to their north facing bedroom, but they get right into the thick stuff ASAP.
7.) The elk are highly nomadic! Unit 52 NM elk will hole up in a spot for 2-3 days and stay put unless they're bumped out.
8.) Every north facing (likely) bedding spot was torn up to high heaven. Huge rubs....I mean huge.
9.) When a bedroom is void of elk, they are over in bedroom #2,3, 4, etc. Weird, I would expect at least a few elk to be in every spot. They weren't. They were with the big, nomadic herd, and not well distributed.
10.) Colorado hunters are way more serious than NM hunters. We saw people 2.75 miles from the nearest trailhead. And they were walking in every day burning headlamps for an hour plus walking in and out of the honey holes. NM: Go 1 mile, and leave 90% of the public behind. Not the case in unit 49.

 

[crcountry]

Lastly: I may never do a MZ hunt in CO again. Open sights, loose powder, and elk that aren't too interested in coming in on a cow call or elk bugle, which isn't for the faint of heart.

If I Can find landowner vouchers, I would trade 9-days of MZ for 5-days with my 300RUM with rapid fire and 600yd realistic shooting.

Yes, we got close...nearly every day. Yes, we missed a 340" at 62 yards broadside. Yes, I missed a nice meat bull at 97 yds broadside, and yes, we shouldered a 300" satellite at 65 yds. The misses were misfires on the caps/powder. The quartering-too shot on the 300" was a rookie mistake, but my buddy had small aspens, and 2 shooting windows that weren't great. He should have squeezed the trigger on the next forward step....but that's hunting.

Salt Creek was devoid of elk, and had loads of people. We found the garden of eden elsewhere, and had a remarkable hunt.

Pics to follow

 

[txhunter58]

"We found the garden of eden elsewhere, and had a remarkable hunt"

That says it all. I think you will find with time, you will remember this hunt as a really great hunt and fantastic experience. As far as a "hunt" goes, sounds like you checked all the boxes except one, and getting an animal is not guaranteed on any hunt except behind a high fence.

I have been on rifle hunts where we never saw an animal! Getting to hunt the rut is something that is worth the effort and frustrations IMO.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[buckhunter64]

I feel your pain. Last year I cashed in 19 NR points to go ML elk in CO and never heard an elk bugle. Managed to kill a dink 275 bull but was really disappointed in losing the points and spending 6K with an outfitter for the experience I had.

 

[crcountry]

Txhunter: your words heal the wounds. Thanks

 

[cmbbulldog]

Sounds like a fun hunt, thanks for reporting back. Did you guys spike in or walk in everyday?

 

[crcountry]

This was one of my first non-spike hunts ever. We had all intentions of packing deep into buffalo meadows, and into the wilderness, but there were plenty of elk within 1-3 miles of the road system. Like most public land spots, unit 49 has enough roads that we could effectively access anything we wanted by merely getting walking by 5:30am. The country is pretty easy to walk in as well...minus the timber...which is pretty thick.

 

[WABULLSnBUCKS]

crcountry check your inbox. PM sent

 

[270Whatelse]

REz: Unit 49 MZ Wrap Up....Wow, what a trip!!

Did not realize the elk in unit 49 never come out of the timber before dark but thanks for the heads up.

 

[Bob92057]

>I feel your pain. Last year
>I cashed in 19 NR
>points to go ML elk
>in CO and never heard
>an elk bugle. Managed to
>kill a dink 275 bull
>but was really disappointed in
>losing the points and spending
>6K with an outfitter for
>the experience I had.

Ugh...yea I just did the same on an Az guided hunt. Was very tough

 

[jatwood91]

Well, its over. It started the day we found out we drew with 13 points in June, and ended Sat AM after 7+ days of elk rutting bliss.

Here are my Top 10 take-aways about unit 49:
1.) The herd bulls are huge!330-340". Satellites are 300".
2.) The herd bulls are smart!
3.) The herd bulls ONLY chuckle
4.) The cows NEVER talk. Ever.
5.) The elk never come out of the timber in the evenings. EVER. My spot in unit 52 NM is way different. The elk there will start to pop out of the timber 20-30 min before dark for shot opportunities.
6.) The elk get caught in the wide open in the AM's until 7am or so as they are making it to their north facing bedroom, but they get right into the thick stuff ASAP.
7.) The elk are highly nomadic! Unit 52 NM elk will hole up in a spot for 2-3 days and stay put unless they're bumped out.
8.) Every north facing (likely) bedding spot was torn up to high heaven. Huge rubs....I mean huge.
9.) When a bedroom is void of elk, they are over in bedroom #2,3, 4, etc. Weird, I would expect at least a few elk to be in every spot. They weren't. They were with the big, nomadic herd, and not well distributed.
10.) Colorado hunters are way more serious than NM hunters. We saw people 2.75 miles from the nearest trailhead. And they were walking in every day burning headlamps for an hour plus walking in and out of the honey holes. NM: Go 1 mile, and leave 90% of the public behind. Not the case in unit 49.