Unit 61 Colorado Elk

[buckhorn10]

Should finally draw 61 this year. Just wondering how you all have done in the past couple years. I am hoping to draw muzzy for that unit I Have heard that the numbers of bigger bulls aint what they used to be

 

[Bowwalker]

I haven't personally hunted there the last couple years but I have spent some time just playing with elk in September and its nowhere close to what it used to be. My dad drew archery there in 2011 and then lottery drew muzzle in 2017. He did harvest two bulls around 320 both those years but we seen a significant drop off from 2011 to 2017 and to me even more of a drop off from 2017 to now. I personally know two guys that archery hunted it last year and they both killed bulls around 280 but walked away not overly pleased with the unit. I know 61 has had two bad drought years and also the fire a couple years ago. I also think the early rifle hunt that was added years ago has put a major dent in the amount of larger bulls. I'm getting close to drawing an archery tag with 14 points and I'm starting to have second thoughts if I want to keep trying for 61. I'm hoping some more guys that have hunted it the last couple years will chime in as well because I'm seriously on the fence about the unit!

 

[Phaseolus]

There’s a lot of bulls but the bigger bulls aren’t in easy to get to places. Maybe not as many big ones as ten years ago but where else are you going to draw with those points? I saw a 375 bull harvested in 61 this year.

 

[Rhino Hunter]

There’s a lot of bulls but the bigger bulls aren’t in easy to get to places. Maybe not as many big ones as ten years ago but where else are you going to draw with those points? I saw a 375 bull harvested in 61 this year.

Feel free to share pics of it...

 

[LuketheDog]

Helped my buddy down there 2 years ago, he tagged out the first day, saw several ____ bulls...

 

[GrantK]

I've spent a lot of time in 61, I'd argue the opposite of what most above are saying (maybe because I have no intentions of drawing it?) the biggest bull I've seen out of 61 was last year, and the last couple of years there's been a big one or two out of there every year, 61 has never been a unit that reliably produces big bulls (350+) but from what I've seen there are more big bulls than there have been in a long time, finding those bulls, on the other hand, isn't all that easy, there is probably 2-3 bulls that size in the unit, and it isn't small or easy to glass.
That said, it's hard to have a bad time with the elk numbers, will you get sick of seeing and calling in 280" bulls? probably, but as long as you are willing to walk away from a lot of bulls that size there are some bigger ones.

 

[Phaseolus]

Feel free to share pics of it...

Not my bull to share

 

[Rhino Hunter]

Not my bull to share

Understood.

 

[Gmoney1980]

I hunt across the street and man they now the unit boundaries.

 

[Elk247]

Second season in 2019. Not huge but did see one maybe two bigger in four days of hunting.

 

[Sivart]

Love this unit. Won’t live long enough to ever pull the tag

 

[vanish]

So how did it go @buckhorn10 ?

 

[Phaseolus]

He Vanish, Vanish.