CO Unit 20 Elk

[seeth07]

My wife and I just returned from a brutal but successful (might as well add lucky too) elk hunt in unit 20 during the first rifle season. While we were there, we learned a few things currently about the unit that we really wish we knew before going. If anyone has a rifle tag yet for this year and would like to know a few things before going about the status of the burns and other access issues, hit me up and I'll be glad to share what we learned that ultimately led to us filling both our bull elk tags.

 

[choovhntr]

My buddy and I just put in for first rifle elk in unit 20. We should get the tag no problem. Congrats to you guys on last years success! Any information and/or lessons learned you are willing to share would be greatly appreciated. We have never stepped foot in the unit, and trying to find info has proven difficult. Our plan right now is to backpack in a day early in the southwest portion of the unit bordering the park. Plan B is northwest of estes park, and plan c is the area of public just east of Estes park. We have no idea what to expect except a bunch of hikers.

 

[margotron]

As a fellow first poster, I will not ask for info!

As a rokslide and archerytalk member, I really like what y’all got going here

 

[choovhntr]

I understand how that can rub people the wrong way and apologize if it did. I too am a longtime member of other forums, and clearly missed the mark here as a new member trying to just jump right in. I believe in hunters helping hunters, but forgot that nobody here knows that yet. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

 

[jphares44]

Welcome to HT. Classic first post.

A little different when the OP is "hit me up if you'd like info on this area" and the reply is "yes, I would appreciate info on this area". Plus, @choovhntr has apparently done some research, with three different plans on how to tackle the unit. Good grief...

 

[seeth07]

A little different when the OP is "hit me up if you'd like info on this area" and the reply is "yes, I would appreciate info on this area". Plus, @choovhntr has apparently done some research, with three different plans on how to tackle the unit. Good grief...

yes it is a little bit different but the information I was willing to mostly share is very specific to the conditions from last years hunt as a result of the burn in the northwest area of the unit. next years season will be drastically different then this last years.

 

[seeth07]

My buddy and I just put in for first rifle elk in unit 20. We should get the tag no problem.

my best advice I can give you is to change your unit choice if you are 100% positive you will get the tag. The unit fluctuates with how many points it takes to get due to so few tags that go to a NR and I would say that unless you have at least 20pp, its no guarantee (I think two years ago it took 17). If you have 17 points, you should 100% be looking at a different unit unless you plan on hiring an outfitter for this unit.

 

[elkduds]

As a fellow first poster, I will not ask for info!

As a rokslide and archerytalk member, I really like what y’all got going here

Welcome to HT.
Next!

 

[elkduds]

I understand how that can rub people the wrong way and apologize if it did. I too am a longtime member of other forums, and clearly missed the mark here as a new member trying to just jump right in. I believe in hunters helping hunters, but forgot that nobody here knows that yet. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

Welcome to HT.
Next!

 

[elkduds]

Newer members, please note that we expect a rash of new members @application time, most asking about "any reports on unit xyz?" Most will engage in discussions here, leave for their hunt w promises to tell the story of their wilderness adventure. Then they are never heard from again. So the reply Welcome to HT is the generic welcome for this class of newbs. Kind of like:

]

 

[Knight.54]

my best advice I can give you is to change your unit choice if you are 100% positive you will get the tag. The unit fluctuates with how many points it takes to get due to so few tags that go to a NR and I would say that unless you have at least 20pp, its no guarantee (I think two years ago it took 17). If you have 17 points, you should 100% be looking at a different unit unless you plan on hiring an outfitter for this unit.

I’ll take this bait….I’ve got 18 points. So I’ve been over (point-wise).what it would take to draw several different weapon seasons in 20 for a while.
I am not applying to hunt elk in Co this year.

But my research keeps telling me I should consider this unit. Both of the late seasons, first rifle and muzzleloader are all under consideration. I hate the thought of my one big dump of elk points in Colorado being in a unit that only needed 2/3 of my gunny sack to procure. But I might never catch that next plateau of hunts(point -wise…creepy creepy)….so what units, pray tell does Seeth recommend I start considering researching if I want to hunt sometime after ‘23?

You can pm me if you don’t want it out here. I’m just curious what you think because I think I’m at a bastard point level and I need to either choose to pull a lower point hunt than my points could cover or risk getting too damn old to get up the mountain when I might or might not draw a slightly better hunt later.

I spent a night in a suburban once in September in 20, listened to bugles all night long, I have been saying for a long time…..one day I’ll hunt there….

 

[seeth07]

I’ll take this bait….I’ve got 18 points. So I’ve been over (point-wise).what it would take to draw several different weapon seasons in 20 for a while.
I am not applying to hunt elk in Co this year.

But my research keeps telling me I should consider this unit. Both of the late seasons, first rifle and muzzleloader are all under consideration. I hate the thought of my one big dump of elk points in Colorado being in a unit that only needed 2/3 of my gunny sack to procure. But I might never catch that next plateau of hunts(point -wise…creepy creepy)….so what units, pray tell does Seeth recommend I start considering researching if I want to hunt sometime after ‘23?

You can pm me if you don’t want it out here. I’m just curious what you think because I think I’m at a bastard point level and I need to either choose to pull a lower point hunt than my points could cover or risk getting too damn old to get up the mountain when I might or might not draw a slightly better hunt later.

I spent a night in a suburban once in September in 20, listened to bugles all night long, I have been saying for a long time…..one day I’ll hunt there….

I don't mind sharing my thoughts about the unit.

First off, the unit has an interesting herd dynamic. There are really two types of elk in this area - those that migrate and those that don't.

The migrating ones summer up on the national elk refuge and in Estes Park. Google "Estes Park" and "Elk" and you will see videos of 100s of elk running through town. These elk have such good sanctuary that they tend to migrate later than typical elk would. I saw this first hand last year as weather should have for sure been moving elk yet they were content to stay in the refuge right by the road.

The herds that don't migrate have learned where its public and where its private. The private from what I heard is generally all locked up with outfitter leases and there are a few outfitters that operate in the unit. Success rates and quality of bulls with these outfitters is extremely good due to these local herds and low tag numbers. Most NR that are applying for this unit are using the outfitter and having a successful hunt for 325"+ bulls. We saw two herds on private ranches both with absolute stud herd bulls.

You will not be the only ones on the public. Every day we met hikers (off trail just wandering like us through the mountains) and while those encounters were pleasant and not a big deal, hearing and crossing paths with dirt bikers was. Illegal ones at that since they were operating off trail.

Lastly, we found 3 forest roads that were illegally blocked off by I assume either outfitters work or nearby private land owners. I reported all of them to the game warden during my dealings with him and he mentioned that they deal with this issue every year and asked for me to send him the coordinates of where the locked gates/chains were put up. Two of these spots closed us off from accessing 1000's of acres of public.

Don't get me wrong, there are elk in this unit. I hear that the two late seasons can be a real blast IF the weather is right and also the archery season can be fun if you can get on one of the local herds that is wandering on public instead of private.

For us, first rifle was typical post rut elk. When we finally found elk, it was a herd of all bulls tucked away behind some private in a nasty thick area giving what post rut bulls like - sanctuary. I later found out that this herd of elk is actually one of those local herds and they are there year round.

If you look at what it takes a resident to get a unit 20 archery or 1st rifle tag, you will see that it typically is only 2-4 points. With 18 NR points, that isn't a unit you should be looking at unless you are going outfitted. There are way better units to spend 18 points on.

 

[Qubo]

I can only speak to September seasons but I will add to this. The short would be don’t waste your points for public land. I live in unit 20. I hike/mountain bike unit 20 every week. I also hunted it the last two Septembers. Helped a friend muzzleloader 2020 and archery myself 2021. My experiance was bad enough that I even though it took me just 3 points to draw and it seems it should be easy being my home unit I’ll never apply here again. I had bulls on trail camera all summer, then spent 9 days straight hunting archery and didn’t see a single bull or hear a single bugle. 2020 we saw one lone small bull quickly making his way through public. These elk know when hunting starts and know the public from private. Also September is still van life season for all the Boulderites. There are non hunters everywhere. And due to the over crowding the non hunters are always looking for new secluded spots and regularly leave trail going places you’d never expect to see non hunters. All this makes the elk very on edge. That combined with the sanctuary of not just the national park but the entire town of Estes, where they literally rut on the golf course, and all the private make this unit very hard for public land hunting. As mentioned in another post I also experienced many public roads with illegal chains or other blocks up that were obviously put there by local land owners or outfitters. I will say that I am not the most experienced, only archery hunting elk for the last 4 years, so maybe that was part of my problem, but I have been hunting for longer than that. And I’m sure some people get it done on public every year. I also can’t say much for rifle seasons, the elk definitely leave the park when it finally gets cold. For September at least I’d say this unit isn’t worth 3 points no matter your residency unless you use an outfitter.

 

[CMF]

How do you know the illegal barricades from a legal gate, and if they are illegal, is there anything illegal about cutting the lock?

 

[seeth07]

How do you know the illegal barricades from a legal gate, and if they are illegal, is there anything illegal about cutting the lock?

One spot was just a heavy duty rope strung across and well off the side of the road meaning it would be trespassing to go untie it. The other two were chains, one locked the other not. All three had "no trespassing" signs on them.

The warden I talked with confirmed that two were legal access points and was already aware of both of these spots previously having been blocked off. I did ask just like you are thinking about removing it myself and he stated not to because it would constitute a trespass and even he can't remove it.

 

[Qubo]

How do you know the illegal barricades from a legal gate, and if they are illegal, is there anything illegal about cutting the lock?

Similar thing to what seeth said. None of them where FS type gates. They where all chains with “No Trespassing“ signs on roads that clearly had easements. One of them was on state land that according to CPW website was open. You could see the CPW use regulations sign, saying it’s open, about 50 yards beyond the no trespassing chain.

 

[JAG]

The warden I talked with confirmed that two were legal access points and was already aware of both of these spots previously having been blocked off. I did ask just like you are thinking about removing it myself and he stated not to because it would constitute a trespass and even he can't remove it.

Yuk, that's frustrating. Did he elaborate on what the next step was or who has the power to enforce a breach of the Unlawful Enclosures Act? (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml...y force, threats,tract of public land subject)

 

[old roper 42]

Colorado reg do list bounty for unit 20 and warning that unit 20 license only valid small area of unit 20 and landowner permission advisable before applying.

I think that cover everything. If you know Boulder I wouldn't want to take it to court.

 

[choovhntr]

Thank you everyone for the information on unit 20. I actually ended up pulling my application after realizing that last year was a fluke with the people drawing with only 6 points. I probably wasn't going to get drawn. Again, I apologize as coming off as the newbie trying to find a "honey hole." That was not my intention. I'm glad to see the thread got back to valuable information for people wanting to hunt the unit. I'll be watching what happens in the draw this year with points to see if possibly next year would be an option. Either way, I'll be happy to share my experience in this unit and others that I have hunted or will hunt in the future on this forum.

 

[seeth07]

Yuk, that's frustrating. Did he elaborate on what the next step was or who has the power to enforce a breach of the Unlawful Enclosures Act? (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title43/chapter25&edition=prelim#:~:text=No person, by force, threats,tract of public land subject)

The Warden was going to let the forest service know and then I'm not exactly sure what their steps are. Probably contact the landowner first and tell them to remove it? Or maybe they just go and remove it? I'm not exactly sure.