Colorado GMU 52 - 4th Rifle Season

[SBAHunts]

Hi all,

Me and my firefighter buddy are hunting with Cow tags near Cedaredge/ Grand Mesa for 4th rifle season - we got Cow tags because we just wanted some meat in the freezer. We are driving out from California this afternoon to get a full day of scouting in and are excited as you can believe!!

No rain or snow in the forecast so I'm not sure what to expect being this is our first time in this GMU.

I would appreciate any info folks have to offer especially 3rd rifle gang on how best to approach this hunt. Do local farmers or ranchers allow access for reasonable fee - if so how do you locate?


Any PM's much appreciated!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Weather was good all weekend in Hotchkiss/Paonia area, although Denver is getting hammered with snow and Vail pass closed for a while yesterday so I wouldn't be surprised if something heads that way eventually. There were some cow elk down on the private this week but not many, they have been bedding down in the oak brush during the day and coming down 10min before shooting light ends and they are off the fields before first light. It's been so dry in that area that every pivot system has a pile of moo cows on it which seems to be keeping the mostly elk on the public. Several of the public land access points in 52 close to vehicle travel on 11/15, people always seem to get hosed by that just just be aware.

Good luck!

 

[SBAHunts]

I didn't know about the closures on 11/15- hopefully closed to atv as well? Thanks for the info and best wishes, it will help our strategy.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Sorry 11/17 not 11/15 and yes they are closed to OHVs as well. I was on FSR 128 this weekend, Leroux creek, and I swear the sign said 11/15 but it looks like it's 11/30.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3841427.pdf

 

[SBAHunts]

thanks for the link, it looks like 11/30.

I saw the overall success rate in 2017 was 10% which is a bit discouraging. Is there lots of pressure in this area during 4th rifle or is it just a difficult terrain to hunt?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

There are 15 deer tags for the 52/521/411 there were 15 cow tags drawn for 52 and something like 250 tags available for 41/42/52/411/421/521... needless to say there is hardly any pressure in 4th season in that area. Honestly, I think the low success rates are because 1. A lot of the elk are on private and 2. Meat hunters tend to be road hunters. If you plan on hunting from a truck you are going to have a bad hunt.

 

[SBAHunts]

we are hikers not road hunters so hopefully our odds will be better. Trying to decide to go off the Hwy65 (west side) or more on the east side of the GMU. Not having been there, using Tuesday as a scout day will be important

 

[Deleted member 28227]

About as good a plan as any, there was an army parked behind my in-laws place during 3rd season, so I can't advocate enough how important it will be to get off the atv tracks and put in the hours glassing the oak brush. With all the leaves down you can see into most of the thickets, put those binos to good use.

 

[Outdooraddict]

That picture is right behind my house (ok, like a 1.5 miles). I will NEVER go there again during rifle season.

 

[SBAHunts]

wllm1313 - thanks for your advice- it was spot on and I appreciate your willingness to share it. Below is how my hunt unfolded

Day 1 - unfortunately arrived late at our hunting spot which was 1.25 miles from where we parked our vehicle. I was totally unfamiliar with the timing of the hike ans was relying on my partner who had been here before to factor in those considerations. My partner, needed a rest on the hike-in but instructed me to keep moving...did I say we were late. As soon as I crested a ridge, I saw three elk on the south facing, very steep hillside in the oak brush moving from left to right towards a stand of Aspens. I tried to spot or make contact my partner but to no avail. They were at least 900-1000 yards away (uphill). I immediately put a stock on them, hiking straight up with an idea of contouring from left to right through some very thick oak brush ranging from 3ft - 9ft tall. What I didn't count on was the bright glare of the sun making it almost impossible to see. As I navigated upwards to 9,900ft, which took a lot longer than anticipated as distance and ease can be deceiving from below, the elk moved into the Aspens. I then spotted 2 cows above me in the Aspen stand. I moved to within 50 yards but I could not get a shooting lane before the elk moved on deeper into the Aspens not be seen again that day.

Day 2, went back to the same spot but an hour earlier, no elk encounters. My partner decided to take the evening off but I had elk fever despite my lack of success the prior day. I ventured alone in my truck to a spot where I could glass the same hillside from the road. About 30 minutes before sunset, while I was chatting on my cell phone to my brother to check up on his hernia surgery, I see about 16-20 elk coming down the Aspens into the oak brush clearing & then disappearing into another stand of aspens.

Day 3 - Elk fever at a higher pitch. We go out in the morning and again no success in seeing any elk, lots of sign. After a bit of discussion, I convince my partner to do an evening hunt with the hope of seeing that same herd moving down the hill similar to the prior evening. After a quick 1 hour nap, we are feeling revitalized and hike back to get in position on the hillside, approx. 2 miles from the trail. Again no elk. We are exhausted but not discouraged!

Day 4 - We decided that based on all the current sign in our area....and the lack of hunters, that it was just a matter of timing. If we went back to same area, working it, it's just about as probable to be into the elk again vs trying a totally different place. Unfortunately, no elk that morning. My partner was done for the day- no evening hunt interest.

Day 5 - unfortunately my hunting partner is firefighter and with the issues back in CA, we had to cut our trip short which was a bit disappointing but understandable. We had 14 hours on drive back to discuss re-hash the details with thoughts of how we will hunt it next year. The disappointment of not being successful immediately faded when I got back to my beautiful wife - safe & sound!

A little snow would have helped greatly. I question if we should have been on the east side of 52 rather than the west side to catch more migration or if the lack of snow was the main issue. I also wonder if the lack of hunters in our area should have been a tell-tale sign???

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Sounds like you had a good learning experience out there, I would consider the fact that you saw elk a good sign that you were doing it right.

 

[Engineguy852]

Thanks for the breakdown