Worst terrain possible

[fmnjr]

Of GMUs 75, 751, 77, 771, and 78, how do they rank in terms of being the most difficult to access? In other words, which GMU has the most unforgiving yet accessible terrain?

edit: COLORADO, GMU 771

 

[Wild Bill]

I believe you're talking about Colorado, but you never mentioned that so....

 

[SAJ-99]

751 because you listed it twice?

 

[DFS]

“Nobody cares, work harder.” Cam Hanes

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

751 because you listed it twice?

You beat me to it.

 

[fmnjr]

Thanks for pointing out the typo guys. And that I didn't say Colorado. Tough crowd here.

 

[DFS]

Thanks for pointing out the typo guys. And that I didn't say Colorado. Tough crowd here.

Just giving you some bumps. I know nothing about the areas.

 

[WildWill]

I've hunted 75 and 751 it's rugged country. But if your idea is to use terrain to get away from crowds keep in mind there be guys with horses. Nothing like hiking into a distant basin to get away only to find a pole corral full of horses and a wall tent.

 

[fmnjr]

I've hunted 75 and 751 it's rugged country. But if your idea is to use terrain to get away from crowds keep in mind there be guys with horses. Nothing like hiking into a distant basin to get away only to find a pole corral full of horses and a wall tent.

That would not be good for sure. Long time ago, by accident really, I got up the drainage from where horses were also going. Saw a lot of nice MD that day. Guess it could go either way, depending.

 

[Arcola]

All of those units have rugged areas and easy access areas. However, being OTC, you won’t be alone. You’ll never out-hike a horse and there’s plenty people willing to hike as far as you are. I’ve hunted 13 miles into one of those units and saw several other hunters every day. Beautiful area though.

 

[nrpate05]

In CO, I always liked to try to find areas between where people could day hunt and where the outfitters were. Distance depends on the unit and the terrain. I remember one year we camped 3 miles in and could glass almost back to the truck. We glassed a small herd of elk with a good bull in it about a half mile from the truck but on top of this little butte that we hiked almost right under on the way in. Not a chance we would have seen anything while hiking.

I guess I'm saying distance from the trailhead only goes so far. It pays to get creative especially in CO OTC units. If you have to cross a creek, make a brutal steep climb, navigate deadfall, etc. those can be great spots and they don't have to be far from a trailhead. It is usually much easier and more likely for a hunter to cover several miles on trail than to crank through terrible terrain.

 

[Wild Bill]

I guess I'm saying distance from the trailhead only goes so far. It pays to get creative especially in CO OTC units. If you have to cross a creek, make a brutal steep climb, navigate deadfall, etc. those can be great spots and they don't have to be far from a trailhead. It is usually much easier and more likely for a hunter to cover several miles on trail than to crank through terrible terrain.

 

[std7mag]

Several years ago during deer rifle season, came to a parking area where people head some distance into the woods. There's a couple of hiking trails in, and a mix of open woods and some thick growth.
As I pull into the parking area, there stands a beautiful 10 point.

Sometimes you don't have to go far to find what you're looking for.