prhunter
Well-known member
Thinking about putting in for deer/elk in unit 75 for the 2016 season. Any thoughts?
2016 CO unit 75 hunt
- Thread starter prhunter
- Start date
DRAFTSTUD
Well-known member
I killed my first elk up on Missionary Ridge north of Durango (Unit 75). I can only state the way I hunted it as a Rookie. I booked a Motel room in Durango at the Days Inn, you can get really good rates for a week and some have Kitchenettes. We would leave early and head up North on Hwy. 550 taking a cross over road (252) to Missionary Ridge (250). I hunted it for 3 years, always either killing or seeing good elk.
Sometime after 2000 the Missionary Ridge area burned and I switched to hunting Unit 77. So here are my thoughts on hunting the Ridge. The Ridge runs parallel to the Animas River, which means it has a lot of Private land next to the river. One day the Elk will be on the mountain and the next they will be on the Private lands. There will always be hunt able elk on the mountain so don't let all those pretty elk bother you! LOL Go on up and hunt the areas around Burnt Timber Road and the Valley north of Henderson Lake, I have seen some big bulls up there.
Durango did not have a processor so when you score you might want to head over towards Pagosa Springs, on your left will be a place called "The Buck Stops Here". He does a great job of butchering your elk. John
Sometime after 2000 the Missionary Ridge area burned and I switched to hunting Unit 77. So here are my thoughts on hunting the Ridge. The Ridge runs parallel to the Animas River, which means it has a lot of Private land next to the river. One day the Elk will be on the mountain and the next they will be on the Private lands. There will always be hunt able elk on the mountain so don't let all those pretty elk bother you! LOL Go on up and hunt the areas around Burnt Timber Road and the Valley north of Henderson Lake, I have seen some big bulls up there.
Durango did not have a processor so when you score you might want to head over towards Pagosa Springs, on your left will be a place called "The Buck Stops Here". He does a great job of butchering your elk. John
Honest advice - I would consider hunting around Pagosa Springs rather than unit 75. I hunted 75 for 20+ years and know the unit like the back of my hand. I would draw a either sex tag in the "good ole days" and would fill it every year with a cow or a bull. Most years there were bugling bulls all thru first rifle. The Missionary Ridge fire changed everything. We went back to hunt it last year and it was the worst hunt I have ever been on. The deadfall trees are crisscrossed over each other and then there are hundreds of new growth aspens growing up between the deadfall. No joking, it was like a jungle. I won't ever go back and hunt 75 again, at least not the Missionary Ridge area. Stevens Creek, Shearer Creek, True Creek, Young's Canyon were decimated by the fire and are choked with deadfall and new growth aspens. Pagosa has a solid elk population and is the same kind of terrain as 75. It's not too crowded and as anywhere, you can hunt with no competition if you are willing to hike. Good luck!
