2nd rifle cow tag for Colorado units 6, 16, 161, 17, and 171

[cc89]

Hello!

It's my first time posting(on any forum, actually) and I'm looking for some last minute, hail-mary advice... I know it's not good form to log on and just ask for help but, I didn't even realize I could buy a left over tag until yesterday and now I've got an unexpected week to hunt a brand new 5-unit area with a lot of potential ground to cover. I've bought a couple DIY hunting maps and I'm wearing out google earth looking the area over but I'm heading out soon and I was just wondering if anyone had experience with any of these units? Advice on finding cows?

Thanks so much and good luck out there!

 

[MooseCaboose]

It might help to mention what State you are looking at even though you probably mean CO

 

[cc89]

Ha, Never said I wusn't not smart... Guess that would be useful info. You're correct Colorado.

 

[TheChiro22]

Ha, Never said I wusn't not smart... Guess that would be useful info. You're correct Colorado.

I'm in this boat, this year, although I will be hunting 1st rifle GMU 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 on an either-sex tag...How did your hunt go wanted to revive this post, because I have similar questions...thanks.

 

[Eric.MN]

By the looks you may be waiting a while for CC89 to post, they haven’t posted since 16’.
I may also be hunting that area for the first time this fall on a OTC bull tag 3rd season if the WY leftover draw doesn’t pan out. So if anyone reading this has experienced a hunt in that area I’m all ears. I’ve done most of my E-scoucting in 16 & 161.

 

[Colorado]

I hunted these units last year during OTC rifle (second rifle) and managed to get crosshairs on a legal bull but didn't have a clear shot because of the brush. Congrats on getting a tag for first rifle, I applied but didn't get it. Last year there was an early, heavy snow in these units that I'm sure affected the hunt for most folks. By second season, the cows were herded up in private land. I sat and watched about 150 cows and a few young bulls sit next to the fence line of private property beside the road near Rand. I found sign and saw elk in most of these units, but didn't get into large herds within the public lands. My advice (which should be noted, is based on a single year of elk hunting, but was in this unit) would be to locate a number of public/private boarders and get there early. One unit I hunted had BLM butting up against private. I didn't get near the boarder until later in the day due to crossing a lot of deadfall in the snow, but when I did get on the sign, it was still steaming but the tracks had moved into the private land.
As for 3rd rifle, look for the nooks and crannies where a bull would be able to pop into public to feed and be back on private, or ones that are out of the way of most traffic. There are elk spread all over in those units, but the best sign I located was always near the best food sources. This year that may be more difficult to pinpoint as we've had a very wet spring that should lead to a lot of healthy food plots across the range.
I hope this helps! Best of luck this year, I'll be South of you during first season tackling 18/181.