CO early Rifle 201 Elk tag

llamapacker

llamapacker

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I've mentioned on other threads that I finally drew this Co 201 rifle elk tag. "Only" 32 points as a NR, and I was fairly lucky to draw.

I've spent a week there already in June, and will spend more time in July and August. I've hunted the unit off and on for late season antlerless animals with my boys, but this will be my first time hunting in October. (I've always been hunting somewhere else for elk in October, it seems.) I'm not having any problems locating bulls now, and understand much of the road system pretty well.

My question is how much do bulls move during the rut, and will they be in the same areas in October during the hunt as they are today. I know I will find bulls come October, but don't want to leave any stone unturned on what is clearly a once in a lifetime tag.

If anybody is willing to share information on this premium tag it would be appreciated. Don't hesitate to reach out by PM if preferred.

Thanks,

Bill
 
Bulls move and move and move some more during the rut. But from what I've seen, they don't move extremely far. If you see elk in a location now though, I wouldnt say it's extremely likely that he will be there come October, but you might find him not too far away.
 
I think scouting more than a few days is a waste. In a different unit, but a LE utah unit a distinct bull I had on one camera and 4 days later he was on another camera 30 miles away. Blew my mind. This was in 2011 so cameras were legal then. Although the bull my son shot last year was in the same 7 mile vicinity from Mid september to mid October.

I picked up the muzzleloader deer tag in 201 3ish years ago off the returned tag list. I only had one day to hunt (last day) and I never found a big buck, but we saw several bulls 350 plus in our one day. It was awesome. Archery hunters were awesome to share info. If you can be there during archery and get to know a few folks might help. Hard tag like that and people are great about helping out.

Have a great hunt and post a story when it is over.
 
This... )))-----> Archery hunters were awesome to share info. If you can be there during archery and get to know a few folks might help.
 
Congrats on the tag. I had 29 pts last year and decided to go to unit 61 for a muzzleloader hunt. With the point creep I was always 2 to 3 points away from drawing the NW units like 201 and 2. Figured I would be too old by the time I got around to drawing the NW corner.
I don't regret burning up my points one bit. I had a great hunt and got my biggest bull ever. It was the hunt of a lifetime with plenty of big bulls running around.
Good luck on your hunt. It should be an experience of a lifetime.
 
A bull might not move at all, or he could move 30+ miles and in your case be in a different state. Honestly I think those elk in that 3 corners region move around quite a lot. Bulls you are seeing now could be up in Wyoming, or over in Utah. Or down in units 1, 2 or 10. But vice-versa bulls in those units will also move into 201.

I know of a bull in the bookcliffs unit that was seen on camera a week before the archery season, and was killed on the youth elk hunt in a general season unit over 30 miles away as the crow flys.
 
Fantastic tag. Not sure on the dates in October, but assuming it’s the first 20 or so rut could still be rocking. Bulls should be bugling and still trying to breed cows on their 2nd cycle
 
The any elk rifle hunt is Oct 1-11. Yes, I expect some bugling but certainly not the peak of the rut. As with all hunts, weather will have an impact, but this unit is pretty accessible. Thanks for all the posts and pointers so far. Please continue to reach out either on this thread or by PM if you want to share more details.
Thanks,
Bill
 
You’re probably going to have one of the best hunts for elk money or time could buy. I’m super limited in my experience, but I can say it will be a kick in the ass chasing bulls!
 
I saw a legit 390 class bull on that unit during a cow muzzleloader hunt. There was no issue finding big bulls and the were bugling like crazy. I have been able to go on that cow hunt a few times and we have seen at least one 370 class bull each time. The biggest was just crazy lucky in a thick area. He was 110 yard away and even my son, the tag owner was shocked at how big he was.
 
Always amazes me about peoples' experiences in those areas.

The CPW could issue double the number of tags for those top tier units like 2 and 201 and it would affect quality 1 bit. The elk are mostly dying from winter and old age in those units.
 
I had a muzzy cow tag up there a few years ago. Seen very few cows the entire hunt. They were all down in the fields. However there were bulls in every single drainage seeing dozens each day. Had one slob of a bull in the aspens and it sounded like a T-Rex crashing and screaming through the timber. He appeared to be the boss of that finger but I'm pretty certain there was a bigger one further up the drainage. Impressive area for sure. Enjoy the ride!!
 
llamapacker said:
The any elk rifle hunt is Oct 1-11. Yes, I expect some bugling but certainly not the peak of the rut. As with all hunts, weather will have an impact, but this unit is pretty accessible. Thanks for all the posts and pointers so far. Please continue to reach out either on this thread or by PM if you want to share more details.
Thanks,
Bill
Click to expand...
Actually from my experience of the past decade the peak of the rut in the NW corner and a lot of units in Colorado is October 1st. You honestly are going to have the time of your life. Bulls will be extremely vocal and call-able. Take your time, not get hung up on “what’s he score” and take a bull that gets you excited. If you need any help/places to start feel free to reach out to me.
 
I was lucky enough to join a family member on a 201 hunt in 2022. It is honestly the craziest thing you will ever see as a DIY elk hunter. Bulls are not at all hard to find but they move around that unit like a herd of cattle. We spent more time trying to get in front of a herd that had 10-12 bulls and probably 60 cows. 5 of those bulls were definite shooters. The elk seemed to feed along until they got tire/full and laid down in the old burn. They'd only get up if they were bumped or when they decided to feed again. My cousin ended up closing the deal on an older bull he found bedded by himself on day 4 of the hunt. We had spotted that bull with the big herd on day 2 but that herd was 2 miles away that morning.
 
I have a few videos and lots of onX pins if you want to reach out.

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Best of luck, Bill! I know nothing about that unit, but it sounds like you’re gonna have a great hunt!

Hawkeye
 
We've taken quite a few cows out of 201. We've been hunting it since 2018. Hunting elk in 201 is an awesome experience. I managed to get a muzzy cow tag off the re-issue list last week. The bulls can move a ways in the unit. You'll not have a problem finding bulls or elk. There are not a ton of "next level" bulls in the unit, but as mentioned above, there are always a few. If I find a giant muzzy cow hunting, I'll be sure to let you know.

Todd
 
Hey Llama Packer, My Dad drew a resident ML tag with 27 PP. We were scouting this past weekend. I can report back after the ML Hunt and let you know how it goes.
 
I have some terrible news. I just received an updated map from the wildlife manager for 201 and the Vermillion hunting lease is not going to be available to the public this year!!!!! This severely cripples the unit. All the areas in green are NOT available for 2024!!!

This is the 2019 map.

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This is the 2024 map along with the extreme kick to the nuts. I couldn’t imagine having a bull tag with this news…

IMG_1444.jpeg



Todd
 
He didn’t mention we in the email we could use the land for access. That is the crippling factor as if we can’t use the two tracks on top of Cold Springs to access some great hunting areas. There aren’t a ton of elk on the vermillion properties but again, if the access is closed it hems up some awesome hunting areas..

Todd
 
I did get an email confirmation that we can use the “main road” on top of cold springs for access. I know which one that is but it’s just a two track itself. I can’t believe they can’t get this squared away before hunting season…

Todd
 
I hear ya. Minus the bureaucracy and politics, it’s my understanding (which could absolutely be wrong) the leases expire every 5 years anyway. The lease is going to be renewed, I just can’t believe they can’t get it squared away before we need it for this year.

For the record, I’ve met the Vermillion land owners a few times over the years. They seem like some really amazing and great people. The problem with the CPW is NOT the boots on the ground…

Todd
 
I wanted to provide an update and thank everyone for their help and suggestions. This was a great hunt, with hard rutting bulls seemingly everywhere. I never did see what I would consider a next level bull, and heard repeatedly that top end bulls this year were in the 350-360" range. Kind of disappointing if true, but you never know if you just didn't find the big boy.

After a fair bit of scouting this summer, I was in the unit from September 24 until I harvested, with a day off for a resupply run to town before the season opened. I lost track of the number of bulls we spotted, but clearly well over 100 mature bulls and many days we would see 20+ solid 6 point bulls a day. The vast majority were in the 300-320" range, with a few freaks and quite a few broken bulls. One good bull had a broken main mean, but if he matched his remaining side would have gone in the 370 class. A few other broken bulls were in the upper 350's.

I knew when I pulled the trigger I was looking at a ~350 bull, but he was unbroken, clean, fairly symetrical and a bull I hadn't seen before. He is also a good looking bull and my shot was at 55 yards. His green score is 348 gross, so my estimate was pretty close. Not a monster by any means, but a very fun hunt. I took the advice to just enjoy the hunt seriously, and we had a great hunt.

I hunted with my wife, who was with me when I shot, and helped me quarter and pack out the meat. Can't complain about having help from your spouse! It was still an all day effort, but we returned to camp just after dark and got in all done in one day. With the warm temperatures this was really important, but we were exhausted.

I don't know that I would have done really anything different on this hunt. Of course I would like to have found the 375+ bull, and since the season still isn't over maybe one will show up. You never know, but this bull could have gotten broken the next day with all the fighting going on, and the next best bull was considerably smaller.

Thanks again for all the help.

Bill

IMG_1491 resized 3.jpg
 
^^ Thats hat I was thinking. He saw more bulls on one hunt than I have seen in 8 hunts in Colorado combined. I long for the day when I can look at a 260" bull and say "I'll pass", knowing that there are so many more bulls that I will have opportunity at. lol
 
Congrats on a great bull! Most people will never even see a true 350 class bull let alone shoot one. Thanks for sharing a pic and your results with us!
 
llamapacker said:
I wanted to provide an update and thank everyone for their help and suggestions. This was a great hunt, with hard rutting bulls seemingly everywhere. I never did see what I would consider a next level bull, and heard repeatedly that top end bulls this year were in the 350-360" range. Kind of disappointing if true, but you never know if you just didn't find the big boy.

After a fair bit of scouting this summer, I was in the unit from September 24 until I harvested, with a day off for a resupply run to town before the season opened. I lost track of the number of bulls we spotted, but clearly well over 100 mature bulls and many days we would see 20+ solid 6 point bulls a day. The vast majority were in the 300-320" range, with a few freaks and quite a few broken bulls. One good bull had a broken main mean, but if he matched his remaining side would have gone in the 370 class. A few other broken bulls were in the upper 350's.

I knew when I pulled the trigger I was looking at a ~350 bull, but he was unbroken, clean, fairly symetrical and a bull I hadn't seen before. He is also a good looking bull and my shot was at 55 yards. His green score is 348 gross, so my estimate was pretty close. Not a monster by any means, but a very fun hunt. I took the advice to just enjoy the hunt seriously, and we had a great hunt.

I hunted with my wife, who was with me when I shot, and helped me quarter and pack out the meat. Can't complain about having help from your spouse! It was still an all day effort, but we returned to camp just after dark and got in all done in one day. With the warm temperatures this was really important, but we were exhausted.

I don't know that I would have done really anything different on this hunt. Of course I would like to have found the 375+ bull, and since the season still isn't over maybe one will show up. You never know, but this bull could have gotten broken the next day with all the fighting going on, and the next best bull was considerably smaller.

Thanks again for all the help.

Bill

View attachment 160400
Click to expand...
That’s a great bull. I haven’t personally hunted it but know a few who have and from what I know, 350-360 as a top end is doing VERY good in that unit. I would argue that very few bulls over that have come out of there in recent history. You did fantastic and did the tag justice.
 
I appreciate all the comments. I thought I would include a picture of my wife packing out the antlers - pretty awkward, but she got the job done!

This hunt IS special, and there really isn't a question of "if" you will shoot a bull, but "what" you will shoot. It is really strange to walk within 50 yards of bulls in the open, and they still don't really spook. They may move off another few yards, maybe even out to 100 yards before they settle down again. Wearing full hunter orange, I had bulls see me, walk up to within 15 or 20 yards, before they decided to give me some "distance", and move off another 50 yards. Try that in almost any other unit! The rut really makes these elk behave strangely, but also with so many bulls, only a select few are shot, so they become accustomed to people not being a danger.

It is also worth mentioning that virtually every hunter in the unit was 60+ years old, and several I saw appeared to be well into their 70's. I saw several hunters with both children and grandchildren helping them on the hunt. This shouldn't really be a surprise as the unit takes ~30 points even for residents, so there aren't any "kids" hunting.

This unit did have large trophy bulls in the not too distant past. I saw one of my first true 400" bulls in this unit, but that was probably 15+ years ago. Whether it is feed, natural cycles, or possibly over harvest of the big boys, it just didn't seem to have many really huge bulls this year. We had a really good time, and enjoyed watching so many bulls, both while scouting and hunting. It is worth mentioning again that a few bulls that would have scored much higher if they weren't broken were seen, so they should be available again next year. Setting reasonable expectations made this hunt a lot more fun, and I'm not disappointed in the bull I shot.

Good luck to those who draw this tag in the future.

Bill

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ktg said:
I had a deer tag there about 18 years ago. We camped on Cold Springs Mountain. It was hard to get any sleep because the elk were right next to our camper bugling at night.
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yotebuster17 said:
That’s a great bull. I haven’t personally hunted it but know a few who have and from what I know, 350-360 as a top end is doing VERY good in that unit. I would argue that very few bulls over that have come out of there in recent history. You did fantastic and did the tag justice.
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Hatchet Jack said:
Congrats on the tag. I had 29 pts last year and decided to go to unit 61 for a muzzleloader hunt. With the point creep I was always 2 to 3 points away from drawing the NW units like 201 and 2. Figured I would be too old by the time I got around to drawing the NW corner.
I don't regret burning up my points one bit. I had a great hunt and got my biggest bull ever. It was the hunt of a lifetime with plenty of big bulls running around.
Good luck on your hunt. It should be an experience of a lifetime.
Click to expand...
Hatchet 🪓 Jack - Im sitting on Resident 19 points elk- dont know if thats even close to any of those best NW units that seem to be the very best Colorado has to offer ! It seems based on your experiences that those units are pretty great units , as well as the experiences of others. It looks like most units need a lot more points- like 25 plus. Looks rather bleak indeed. For me anyway.
I’m 77 now & only do rifle too- no muzzy or archery. Any thoughts on these NW units or any others too would be very appreciated & helpful !
Ive never busted a whopper anywhere . Just some decent 5’s & a few 6’s in other states. I’m sure lots of guys are in my boots too. I even lived in Az for 15 years- got 2 super trophy elk tags-
got the best guides I could find, then the hunts both went to hell from early heat spells that put the elk out of touch & hiding during the day, only bugling at night- if at all. Hunts got zero shots- period.
Best Wishes,
Jerry Gold In Windsor, Colorado 🍀😁
 
Jerry said:
Hatchet 🪓 Jack - Im sitting on Resident 19 points elk- dont know if thats even close to any of those best NW units that seem to be the very best Colorado has to offer ! It seems based on your experiences that those units are pretty great units , as well as the experiences of others. It looks like most units need a lot more points- like 25 plus. Looks rather bleak indeed. For me anyway.
I’m 77 now & only do rifle too- no muzzy or archery. Any thoughts on these NW units or any others too would be very appreciated & helpful !
Ive never busted a whopper anywhere . Just some decent 5’s & a few 6’s in other states. I’m sure lots of guys are in my boots too. I even lived in Az for 15 years- got 2 super trophy elk tags-
got the best guides I could find, then the hunts both went to hell from early heat spells that put the elk out of touch & hiding during the day, only bugling at night- if at all. Hunts got zero shots- period.
Best Wishes,
Jerry Gold In Windsor, Colorado 🍀😁
Click to expand...
You've got a few years till you can get into the polls for unit 10. Think it was...22? 23 points last I saw.
 
LP
Congrats on a very fine Bull! Thanks for the great hunt report and photos! Currently having 32 points I can dream a little. :LOL:
 

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