Unit 61 problems

[muleycrazy23]

Anybody else having a hard time in 61 for first rifle? Everyone we have talked to has seen next to nothing. They have pretty much not bugled that much. I think the snow got them all screwed up and they don't seem to be moving much or possibly starting to migrate. We had some nice ones found last Monday and they all seem to be gone and just small bulls moved into the area. Just wondering if anyone is having any luck and if you are what level the elk seem to be at. We have been high low and in between.

 

[COBUK]

I scouted 61 the week before 1st rifle started. Glassed a bunch of country. Didn't see many elk. Didn't see many deer. I did see two mature bulls on Monday morning, already off of the cows and bach'd up with smaller bulls. Saw two smaller herd bulls on Tuesday with cows and still bugling. Drove away from 61 on Thursday morning wondering what I had done wrong. Maybe the local guys will chime in and tell us what we missed ?

 

[SanJuan]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-13 AT 08:10PM (MST)[p]This is the fourth time my dad has hunted 61 since it became a limited entry unit and he has accompanied at least that many on there hunts. He spent 10 days scouting and hunted every day of season without seeing a shooter (we did see one that would have been a shooter had he not been so broke). He had a few days he didn't see elk at all. Granted he is 68 and doesn't get around like he used to but it was a tough year in there.



The mountains, not the hills.

 

[muleycrazy23]

Ya it was tough. I heard of a 350" bull killed on the north end of the unit opening morning but that's about it. We passed 20 or so bulls including a couple ok ones that aren't really shooters in 61. My bro ended up shooting a small 5x5, just for some meat, last night. He wished he would have shot one of the other nicer ones but you cant shoot the big ones if you take the first decent one you see. I think the weather really messed things up. It pretty much shut down the end of the rut and sent the big boys into hiding. There was a lot of bugling Saturday night and Sunday morning but the second round of snow shut them up. Im glad I didn't blow all those points to have it end up the way it did this year.

 

[elkmeat]

just got back from 61,62,we stayed with an outfitter who was seeing 5 to 10 bulls a day in 61.they were bugling from the 12 th tell end of season. we had them bugling even in 62.they were high at frist, then went low because of the two snowfalls we had.one hunter in camp killed a green score of 347,with 5" of deduct. beautiful bull. lots of mass.they saw at least 3 bulls over 340.saw a couple of bears, lots of sign.if you go 2nd or third season better have a set of chains and winch. roads are a mess. ruts two feet deep in 62.good luck hunters