Would like to start elk hunting this fall. All i have is one point in WY. May put in for GEN there but will probably shoot for OTC CO. My fall work schedule is always up in the air so i dont know if i will be bow or rifle hunting. Just wondering how crowded is the public ground. Ive never hunted public ground anywhere so i have no idea. How are the people to deal with? I would hope to make friends and learn a lot but wonder if it may go the other way. Thanks SB ( i take that back i prairie dog hunted public ground a couple times in WY. Had one rancher tell me to leave, and one retired state police officer tell me to stay)
How crowded is it? (otc CO)
- Thread starter sbrville
- Start date
Sagebrush1
Well-known member
It’ll probably be very crowded, most OTC areas in CO are. It can get frustrating, but that’s just part of it. You can often use the pressure to your advantage too. Also, in my experience 80% of folks want to stay in their truck or OHV, so a little hiking goes a long way.
The vast majority of my interactions with other folks have been very positive - I wouldn’t worry about that.
The vast majority of my interactions with other folks have been very positive - I wouldn’t worry about that.
Slm864
Well-known member
I have been out there hunting an OTC unit before and felt like the only person on the mountain. I was actually concerned at first that I didn’t see a vehicle in many miles on the forest service road where I drove up to hunt. The crowds finally showed up but it was pretty quiet and nice for a few days. You never know what your going to get into on OTC. Don’t let crowds stop you. It’s still a good time and the elk can be found. Just plan a hunt and go for it and look for the spots other guys might not want to go.
Slm864
Well-known member
One other thing, most posts you read on any online forum seems to have everyone complaining about the public land unit they hunt in being too crowded so don’t let that discourage you.
elkhnter
Well-known member
Hunting OTC archery in Colorado didn’t seem that bad until ML season kicked in. Then there were a few more people in the timber. Go high and off the roads and you’ll be fine.
elkduds
Well-known member
The farther you go from the Front Range (Ft. Collins south to Pueblo), the less crowded it is generally. Main trails in wilderness areas concentrate use. Here you can read how many hunters were afield in any season, any unit: https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2018StatewideElkHarvest.pdf.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I often see orange on the tops of almost all of the ridgelines and on most of the bottoms. The rough areas off of the tops of the side ridges are not too bad as very few guys want to climb back up at the end of the day. Most of the hunters seem to respect your space if you were there first, but not all of them. You will rarely be alone.
FlatlandHunter
Active member
I had a ML tag in 2018 and ran into 1 other ML hunter and several archery hunters including some with guides. I had positive interactions with everyone and had no issues with the locals...except the bear that ripped up my tent when I left to start hauling my elk out. Even the numerous women I ran into at the trailhead thought it was awesome a NR was successful and their husbands had not filled a tag yet. If I saw someone in an area I tended to leave a big space and said "hello" to anyone I ran into on the trail.
DouglasR
Well-known member
I took this picture at the trailhead of the area I hunted the day before archery season opened. Once I got a mile deep it really thinned out though.
SFC B
Well-known member
As a fellow Hoosier I will say this (and since you have been this way it should resonate) space out here is ENTIRELY different than in IN. Out here I generally find that if folks get within several hundred yards they will veer off (in 7 years I have only had one tool do something stupid). Except for that one dude and his buddy I have had all positive interactions.
The obvious answer about crowding has been touched as well. Get away from the front range and, if you want more space, be willing to get away from easily accessed areas. For me that means going an extra 2 miles up a nasty jeep trail in Doug and camping at the edge of the wilderness. From there we hunt anywhere from .5 to 2 mi from camp in many directions. I would personally suggest finding areas which prohibit OHVs. No quicker way to ruin what you have going on than some jack-leg just driving around thinking they are gonna "shoot a whopper" from their Ranger. Even where prohibited than can be a PITA.....I had to run some OHV road hunters out of the wilderness this year.
All that being said it is NOTHING compared to the war zone that is the HNF during gun season
The obvious answer about crowding has been touched as well. Get away from the front range and, if you want more space, be willing to get away from easily accessed areas. For me that means going an extra 2 miles up a nasty jeep trail in Doug and camping at the edge of the wilderness. From there we hunt anywhere from .5 to 2 mi from camp in many directions. I would personally suggest finding areas which prohibit OHVs. No quicker way to ruin what you have going on than some jack-leg just driving around thinking they are gonna "shoot a whopper" from their Ranger. Even where prohibited than can be a PITA.....I had to run some OHV road hunters out of the wilderness this year.
All that being said it is NOTHING compared to the war zone that is the HNF during gun season
Husker hunter
Active member
I've hunted an otc unit in north Central co a few times archery and it's busy. We hunt from a spike camp 4 miles in and see 3-5 ppl a day. Hike as far as you can to get away from ppl but you will run into outfitters and ppl with horses or mules. Stay away from main trails and it's not as bad.
Hatchie Dawg
Well-known member
very
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
I'ts bad, it's real bad.
That's what i was expecting
Ok now thats funny
The only way you'll know how crowded it is will be by going and hunting OTC. Then your second year out you'll be able to see how many more hunters there are compared to your first experience. Seems to be getting a little busier each year.
Chad Gus
Well-known member
Plenty of hunters willing to hike to the top of the first ridge but that second one, not so much.
