Hookedonelk
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- Dec 10, 2019
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Doing a archery hunt East of Meeker Colorado in sept 2020 near the papoosa River. Anybody have any insight on hunting pressure or any information you are willing to share?
Unit 24 Colorado 2020
- Thread starter Hookedonelk
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Bigjay73
Well-known member
It really doesn't matter how far from Denver you are, how far off the trail you get, or how steep the terrain is, you'll find other hunters in any unit in Colorado. Have several spots picked out before you come. Have low expectations on your first hunt in Colorado , just come to have fun and learn the area, filling a tag would just be glorious icing on the cake on your first trip.
elkduds
Well-known member
Public or private?
Hookedonelk
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Public land and we did a muzzleloader hunt in 2018 in unit 54 got 1 bull between the two of us.
Hookedonelk
New member
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- Dec 10, 2019
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Public
Don't know the area but there are plenty of elk there. Thing is, most people know that there are plenty of elk. From what I understand OTC archery is just as crazy as OTC rifle in CO these days. I'm not saying don't go for it, rather I would encourage you to try your hand. People still kill elk there! All I can suggest is having multiple backup plans. Why not stick with gmu 54?
elkduds
Well-known member
In Sept. in CO I like to have access to timberline. There are certainly elk @ lower elevations, and the basin there has a nice mix of aspen, pine and meadows, also water. Never been in there.
Pelican
Well-known member
Hunted first rifle season right near there just a couple months ago, camped by Ripple Creek Pass. First rifle is a draw but we picked up leftover tags, they may not even have sold all of them so it's not really "limited draw". Saw lots of other hunters in the area that season. I did lots of e-scouting but there were often other hunters in the spots I wanted to check out. We didn't see much for rubs or wallows from the rut until getting well away from the road. Found lots of rubs in a few areas a couple miles in, not up on the higher ground of the area but on ridges down the valleys a ways... Which is where we ended up finding the elk we did see.
Just recently I ran into a guy back here in WI that used to hunt 24/12 a lot, actually did some guiding there many years ago and still knows people that live in that area. He said they have killed many nice bulls in those areas but the area has become so popular, it's a lot harder to find elk than it used to be. He said he used to archery hunt there when he rarely saw anyone else in the woods, now there are people out there all the time. He told me that the people he knows out there believe many elk don't bother moving back to the high ground from the lower, private land anymore. This is probably the same anywhere you go to pressured areas though, just an interesting side note I guess.
I would hunt there again now that we figured out how to get around the area a little bit.
I think Bigjay73 is right about having fun and learning the area.
Just recently I ran into a guy back here in WI that used to hunt 24/12 a lot, actually did some guiding there many years ago and still knows people that live in that area. He said they have killed many nice bulls in those areas but the area has become so popular, it's a lot harder to find elk than it used to be. He said he used to archery hunt there when he rarely saw anyone else in the woods, now there are people out there all the time. He told me that the people he knows out there believe many elk don't bother moving back to the high ground from the lower, private land anymore. This is probably the same anywhere you go to pressured areas though, just an interesting side note I guess.
I would hunt there again now that we figured out how to get around the area a little bit.
I think Bigjay73 is right about having fun and learning the area.
HighDesertSage
Well-known member
You killed elk in 54....
