unit 81
- Thread starter elk_crazy
- Start date
G
gonehuntin69
Guest
The elk hunting in unti 81 has gone way down because the dow has alowed you to have two elk tags and they have killed the elk off. I wouldn't recomend hunting in this unit. I have hunted it the last two years and haven't seen more than a dozen elk each year. I would recomend hunting unit 82 or 83 there is alot more elk there.
I've hunted the area off and on for approx. 20 years. Quit hunting it 3 years ago as it's really gone downhill. It used to be one of the better units in southern Colorado for big game hunting. It's disappointing to see an area with good big game habitat, and once a healthy elk population, go from good to poor. The FS has made a good attempt at controlling illegal off-road use by ATV's and other motor vehicles by closing roads to minimize resource damage and disturbance to big game and other wildlife. However, some folks simply don't understand the impact on the land and disturbance to wildlife, thus they continue to violate the closures.
The area used to have an abundance of elk, but the bull to cow ratio, and the number of cows began to decrease when the DOW began issuing late season (Dec 1 through Dec 30) public land cow permits 8-10 years ago. Although the number of permits was generally below 300, there were additional licenses available via unfilled youth tags from the regular rifle seasons. It's good to see they've cut the numbers drastically over the last 2-3 years. I fully support youth hunting opportunities as they are the future of hunting across the country, but also feel it could have been regulated a little more.
The cow harvest from these late season licenses, poaching incidents as mentioned earlier, mortality from predators, winter kill, and the extra harvest that occurred from unfilled youth tags during the regular and late seasons, are all factors affecting the health of the herd. Another factor is added disturbance via hunting animals when fat reserves are key for winter survival. The month of December and winter in the San Luis Valley can be rough on animals (deep snow and extended periods well below zero making foraging tough) even those in low elevation winter range. In my opinion, the cumulative impact from all these factors has caused a once healthy elk population to decline. It's good to see the DOW has finally made a few changes in managing the herd, hopefully it will rebound.
The area used to have an abundance of elk, but the bull to cow ratio, and the number of cows began to decrease when the DOW began issuing late season (Dec 1 through Dec 30) public land cow permits 8-10 years ago. Although the number of permits was generally below 300, there were additional licenses available via unfilled youth tags from the regular rifle seasons. It's good to see they've cut the numbers drastically over the last 2-3 years. I fully support youth hunting opportunities as they are the future of hunting across the country, but also feel it could have been regulated a little more.
The cow harvest from these late season licenses, poaching incidents as mentioned earlier, mortality from predators, winter kill, and the extra harvest that occurred from unfilled youth tags during the regular and late seasons, are all factors affecting the health of the herd. Another factor is added disturbance via hunting animals when fat reserves are key for winter survival. The month of December and winter in the San Luis Valley can be rough on animals (deep snow and extended periods well below zero making foraging tough) even those in low elevation winter range. In my opinion, the cumulative impact from all these factors has caused a once healthy elk population to decline. It's good to see the DOW has finally made a few changes in managing the herd, hopefully it will rebound.
elk crazy do not let opinions sway you one way or another. There is so much public land in 80/81 that I guarantee nobody has time in 1 season to hunt it all. Every year is different, too many factors to determining where the elk will be. If you truly come to HUNT unit 80/81 and dont limit yourself to one spot you will be successful. If you want additional information pm me with your questions. And if you listen to the all those that quit hunting 80/81, that leaves 1 less hunter I contend with.
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