Colorado Unit 86 Elk

[Gclyde28]

What a terrible elk unit

Well come on, we need a little more detail than that. Bummer that you didnt have a good hunt.

[txhoghunter73]

We hunted all over 86. We got to the Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp 2 days before the hunt started. The first day we didn’t get out till late afternoon because of the snow and bad weather that morning. We hiked down the rainbow trail around 1 mile without seeing any sign. Then we decided to go high up to Ballman Reservoir and glass low country. We saw a few mule deer in the low country private lands and decided to move around a little bend in the road. When we got up there we immediately spotted a herd of 8 cows and 1 small legal bull about 600 yards into private land. We glassed them till dark without seeing any other elk move from public or to private or from private to public. The next morning we woke up at 4:30 am in a freezing cold tent(ice on the inside of the tent and a ton of frozen water bottles) checked the temp and it was 13 degrees. We bundled up and hiked in over 5 miles from the rainbow trail and into BLM land. We didn’t see one single bit of sign besides a pine tree way down low that had been destroyed by a elk. After that hike in and hike out we were whooped so we spent about a hour taking a nap. Over 10 miles is a lot for a central Texas boy at around 9000 feet. That afternoon we went back to the glassing spot where we saw the elk in private land. They were still there but about 300 yards further into private land and there was about 5 more than the was the day before. We ran into a guy coming off the mountain and he said he had been up high all day hiking and hadn’t seen any sign. No sign down low, no sign half way, and no sign up high. Hmmm only place we’re seeing elk is in the private land.

Opening morning...woke up at 3 am to 50 or so mph winds on the side of mountain. Tent caved in and broke 2 of the tent poles. We decided to ride up high and see what we could glass up on a different drainage to the south. Absolutely nothing. So we went back and fixed the tent pretty early. After that we decided to ride over to Taylor creek. We talked to some folks at the trailhead. The said they had been there 2 days, covered over 20 miles on the fourwheeler and on foot without seeing any sign. I hiked 4 miles in there and didn’t see anything.

Day 2... woke up to a cold 19 degrees. we went down low and walked the fence line between public and private looking for any kind of sign. All we could find was old mule deer sign. After a few miles of that we decided to ride up the duckett trail. We went a long ways up that trail all the way up to Ranch Alta. We glassed a ton of the country without seeing a dang thing. No elk sign in the snow either. That afternoon we went back to duckett and hiked the fence line around public. Glassed up a ton of mule deer but no elk and no elk sign. We decided that night we were gonna pack camp and haul butt in the morning to my grandpas cabin in 691.

Day 3... spent all day moving camp and cooking steaks and drinking beer at the cabin in 691

Day 4... we went to Hayden pass and road about 10 miles on the Polaris and hiked another 3 or so. Saw nothing but old elk sign and a ton of fresh mule deer sign. Talked to some deer hunters in there and they said they hadn’t seen any elk all week. Just decent mule deer bucks.

Day 5.... hunted BLM land in 691... walked 4 miles. Saw old elk tracks and a tone of mule deer and bear tracks. No luck there either. Skipped the afternoon hunt and drove all the way home. Got to Fredericksburg at 2:30 am... then got up this morning at 8 and unloaded my grandpas stuff then came home.

We saw no huntable elk. We didn’t see any sign that led us to believe that there was any elk currently in 86 or 691. We worked our butts off. Every single person we talked to experienced the same luck. All the animals seemed to be in private land.

[texaswoods8]

I wonder if the Decker fire had anything to do with animal movement? I mean I know it's a big unit but just curious.

[Jspradley]

But did you die?!

[MLank]

I think you described most late season elk hunts.

Also, i will add that I appreciate the write up and Mule Deer info. Eventually headed up to burn my deer points.

[Jspradley]

I think you described most late season elk hunts.

...and my Dumb *** is about to do it with a bow... lol

[MLank]

...and my Dumb *** is about to do it with a bow... lol

Yikes.

[txhoghunter73]

But did you die?!

Almost lol

[txhoghunter73]

I think you described most late season elk hunts.

Also, i will add that I appreciate the write up and Mule Deer info. Eventually headed up to burn my deer points.

If you go to 86 let me know. I have a area for you to try.

[wytex]

A major snow storm is supposed to dump about 1-2 feet of snow down there next 2 days or so. Be prepared for limited access by road.
That area is also in a major drought, with the wildfires and drought no doubt the numbers are down and what is there will head to the irrigated private lands if they can.