Craig CO opinions

[Jamen]

I went on my first elk hunt last fall in ND for a once in a lifetime tag. i have been on here chatting with a few people in the past. I have the addiction now. I sit in my last year of college listening to everyone's stories and seeing pictures and i need to do it again. A friend of mine went in the Craig area a few years ago and he had gotten his elk. He said there were a good number of elk and a decent amount of public land to hunt. i was just wondering if any of you have been there and what your views are. Me and an old classmate want to start doing elk hunts in an area and get familiar with it as the years go on. Or if you have any other states or places with either OTC tags or just better draw results im all ears. We do want to start putting in for some of those nice units in AZ or NM since they take over 10 years to get and only harder to get from the sounds of it and im not getting any younger even though i am only 23 14 years form now who knows what will happen. So i just wanted to hear opinions for two guys starting out on places that you may think we could have success (not meaning harvesting an animal right away but down the road) and get to know over the years.

Thanks and best of luck to all the hunters this fall and winter be safe and have fun!
Jamen

 

[SFC B]

I just got back from a RFW goat hunt at a ranch outside Craig. I can tell you a few things. First, I saw plenty of animals of various species in the areas I hunted and traveled. The town has good amenities for a small town and is VERY outdoorsman friendly. I tagged out on my Lope opening day and saw plenty of animals to choose from. I generally hunt in 25/26 near Yampa and all over that part of the state there is plenty of public land with opportunity.

 

[Jorgy]

If you are starting out and want an area you can go back to year after year in Colorado, I couldn't point you in a better direction than Craig. Within a 30 minute drive you can hunt any season from archery to December cow. you also have good deer herds and plenty of pronghorn. Lots of public land, and lots of places to camp no matter if your packing in, car camping or pulling a 5th wheel. Also great fishing when your not hunting.

 

[sagebrush]

I hate to break it to you, but you will NEVER draw a premium elk tag in AZ unless you move there. Only up to 10% of the tags can be issued to non-residents in any particular hunt. 25% of the tags are allocated to the bonus pass where tags are issued, as they are in the CO draw, in order of preference points. The premium units usually have all of the available non-resident tags drawn in the bonus pass, so there are no non-resident tags available in the 75% 1-2 pass. There are more non-resident max point holders than there are resident max point holders. So you are about 20 points behind the curve.

That being said, there are tags that can be drawn by non-residents where you can have a great hunt, with a chance to kill a better bull than in an OTC unit in CO and a rare chance at a real trophy. These units are not the glamour units of 9, 10, 15, and 1.

NM has no point system. Everyone has an equal chance to draw but non-residents are limited to only 5% of the tags in the non-guided draw.

I applaud your planning at a young age to have a chance at some great hunts. I wish I was that smart at your age. Good luck!

 

[LCH]

I hunted muleys out of Craig once.. As others have said, very hunter friendly. The Elk Run Inn is not a bad place to stay.

 

[mixedbag]

Build points in wy. for elk/deer and lopes.I would also build points in Co. while hunting in otc areas.Research and pick a few otc units to hunt.Once you find what you want,hunt it every year you don't draw a le unit

 

[JohnCushman]

Me and my buddy Andy hunted 3/301 a couple of years ago. There is a really nice campground in Maybell with good rates and bathroom/shower and electric. It was close to public land too. The general store was within short walking distance and the attached restaurant was awesome. We didn't get an elk, but it was an awesome experience. The area was very hunter friendly.

 

[Jorgy]

Me and my buddy Andy hunted 3/301 a couple of years ago. There is a really nice campground in Maybell with good rates and bathroom/shower and electric. It was close to public land too. The general store was within short walking distance and the attached restaurant was awesome. We didn't get an elk, but it was an awesome experience. The area was very hunter friendly.

you can add the tagline of "Colorado's Sexiest Dude to take his rifle for a hike 2012"

 

[SFC B]

Me and my buddy Andy hunted 3/301 a couple of years ago. There is a really nice campground in Maybell with good rates and bathroom/shower and electric. It was close to public land too. The general store was within short walking distance and the attached restaurant was awesome. We didn't get an elk, but it was an awesome experience. The area was very hunter friendly.

JC, I hunted the ranch (RFW) straight out 19 from Maybell and camped on the public land right at the fenceline/cattleguard. That is a nice little park they have there!!

 

[skeet20]

Craig

I have taken several elk and 1 deer from that area. This is a good area with lots of public ground and the town has most of what you need. I think it gets better the later in the year you hunt there. If you get to know the area well you will probably kill a lot of critters there over your life time as you have a lot of years ahead of you

 

[tarheel]

Used to hunt the Routt NF North out of Hayden, West of Hahn's Peak and West of Cowdry. Sometimes had heavy pressure and got to where there were too many pickups driving around the roads with elevated car seats in the bed; you know the kind I mean if you hunted CO long enough. You'd have thought we were in South Texas. That type of hunting might have changed by now, as this was a number of years ago.

 

[Big Slick]

JC, I hunted the ranch (RFW) straight out 19 from Maybell and camped on the public land right at the fenceline/cattleguard. That is a nice little park they have there!!

The park in Maybell is nice, always nice to have a place for a hot shower. The fence line/cattle guard spot is nice, but it can get muddy quick if you get some weather. I camped there the first year that I hunted those units. The park in Maybell does not take reservations and is first come first served. Have a good time, Andy.

 

[Jamen]

I appreciate all the input guys, means alot. I'll be doing my research this fall and hopefully get a plan for next fall.

Thanks again
Jamen