Colorado - Units 2, 10, 11, 6, 161 Antelope

LIK2HNT

LIK2HNT

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Hello everyone, looking for some help from others hunting any species in any of these units. Planning on using my 25 NR points in one of these units next year. I would appreciate any info on antelope herd numbers people are seeing in any of these areas. I know antelope were hit pretty hard from the '22/'23 winter. Biologist said 161 & 6 were not hit hard like the NW corner. Units 2, 10, & 11 still seem to talk a bunch of points so I am wondering how hard those units were really hit, or are applicants applying understanding there are lower numbers, yet still good trophy potential?
Thanks
Bill
 
I hunted unit 6 many years ago before it took so many points to draw. While I haven’t had eyes on the area since the 22/23 winter, I can say I had a fun hunt when I was there. There was plenty of BLM so hunters were fairly spread out which was nice. I never saw anything really big though. CPW’s population estimates (if you trust them) for the North Park herd did drop from 1900 to 1300 after winter of 22/23.
Hopefully someone can chime in for you on the NW corner.
 
The high point antelope units in CO take a lot of points because they take a lot of points. People build them, then want to use them, so they pick units that take a lot of points, which causes them to take more points. It’s a snowball rolling down the hill. I’d take a 5 point WY tag over a 25-30 point CO tag any day of the year.
 
Had a couple friends whom didn't take my advice and hunted 3 and that area for goats within the last 2 years. All of those friends saw maybe 3 bucks. None were successful, all cried about how terrible the hunting was in the NW corner. Don't waste your time.
 
I agree with Yotebuster17 100%... I've lived in NW Colorado since 2006. I've seen a few nice bucks in that time. I have NEVER seen one that I thought was anywhere near worth the points it takes to draw a tag here, and that is back when a unit 11 tag only took 10 points or less. They do not get big here. I've hunted 11 a lot, have spent a lot of time in 10, have spent a lot of time in 2 and 201. I spent several days in Unit 201 last week. Saw hundreds of antelope right square in the antelope rut... the numbers were definitely getting better but the biggest one might have hit low 70's.... You would be so much better off heading to the other side of the state and paying a trespass fee if the trophy size matters to you for your points.

Todd
 
That SE corner is over looked IMO simply because the lack of access. Couple of those units down there have better than average access though.
 
My son and I both have a boat-load of Colo res antelope pts. We've been waiting for some of the NW units to recover.....which doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen.

SE Colo is where Eastmans has gotten at least one whopper on film! If you can find a good private ranch with decent antelope numbers it could be a great spot to burn pts. I would do a pile of research on outfitters or ranches in the SE corner and you may find something worthy of your pts.
 
To bad I can not split my points with my daughter. Antelope hunts are fun and we enjoy them DIY. Might just keep researching unit 6 and 161. Would also then get a Wyoming tags (both my daughter and I) so I can do 2 hunts in the same trip.
Thanks everyone.
Keep ideas coming.
Bill
 
Colo doesn’t seem to be on many nonres radar for antelope. There actually aren’t that many Colo bucks in the B&C books but the years it takes to draw tags are currently pretty nonres friendly.
 
jims said:
Colo doesn’t seem to be on many nonres radar for antelope. There actually aren’t that many Colo bucks in the B&C books but the years it takes to draw tags are currently pretty nonres friendly.
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I think it’s been a recent change, but up until a year or two ago there was no NR resident cap on CO antelope so they could draw all the tags in a unit if I’m not mistaken. My brother had a unit 10 tag in 2022. It wasn’t all that great, I woulda rather hunted almost any unit in WY or MT.
 
I was up in Brown's Park for the first time back in June. Only saw a handful of antelope off the highway, but my goodness, what a place! I can see why people wait so long to hunt there. P.S. - I turned in a Unit 11 tag a couple years ago because of the sorry state of the antelope herd. They already had issues with drought, then the big snow. Not that long ago they issued 50 or so buck tags for 11; last year I think it was down to 10 tags. I hope they've rebounded somewhat, but it doesn't sound encouraging.
 
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I would be suprised if a B/C buck existed existed on public or private land West of 1-25 and North of I-70. Almost every Wyoming unit has better quality bucks than anywhere in CO. P&Y bucks do exist though.
 
The NW corner shares an invisible border with two counties that have produced hundreds more B&C bucks than most states have total, but they never cross that invisible border...:ROFLMAO:

Also... Those giant bulls on the White Mountain Apache Reservation never leave.... there's only rag horns on the public land side of the fence...:rolleyes:

Problem is most don't know what an 80+" antelope looks like and most shoot the first decent buck they see. Sure, there are not the numbers of good bucks as the WY side, but they are there...
 
I shot this buck in 16 on the first day of my hunt two years ago. He’s a great representation of the species and I am happy with my first and only speed goat. I have no doubt I could have held out and found a bigger buck but a variety of circumstances led me to pull the trigger on him.

I’m in north park (this unit) a lot and it doesn’t seem hard to find antelope. There are definitely bucks in the same class as mine. I’ve seen much better ones over the years and the hard winter we experienced certainly impacted numbers but I don’t feel it decimated them. Is it worth the points it takes to draw? Probably not but that seems par for the course anymore. I guess it’s the new normal for all of the species and it’s something we have to live with (as much as we hate it).

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elkmanchad said:
I shot this buck in 16 on the first day of my hunt two years ago. He’s a great representation of the species and I am happy with my first and only speed goat. I have no doubt I could have held out and found a bigger buck but a variety of circumstances led me to pull the trigger on him.

I’m in north park (this unit) a lot and it doesn’t seem hard to find antelope. There are definitely bucks in the same class as mine. I’ve seen much better ones over the years and the hard winter we experienced certainly impacted numbers but I don’t feel it decimated them. Is it worth the points it takes to draw? Probably not but that seems par for the course anymore. I guess it’s the new normal for all of the species and it’s something we have to live with (as much as we hate it).

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Who did your mount?
 
Ty’s Taxidermy in the Loveland area. Unfortunately I don’t feel the lighting of these pics do him justice. He did a great job. Hopefully you agree and that’s why you’re asking.
 
We noticed an area not from from town this summer with about 2 dozen does and not 1 fawn this year. Only 1 buck too. Go over the ridge into another drainage and does had twins. Still quite spotty.
 
tailchasers said:
That SE corner is over looked IMO simply because the lack of access. Couple of those units down there have better than average access though.
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Just got back from hunting lopes in 135. Numbers are way down there from what they were 7 years ago when I last hunted it. Biologist said it was due to low fawn crops caused by several years of drought. I have hunted antelope several times and never failed to have a buck down by someone in camp in a couple days. We never fired a shot. The few we did see were very spooky and we’re running wide open a mile or so away. Son did have one opportunity that he muffed. IMHO CPW should have never even had a season in that unit and let the numbers rebound. They best part of the hunt was spending time with my son and my buddy in the Outdoors!
 
sneakem said:
The NW corner shares an invisible border with two counties that have produced hundreds more B&C bucks than most states have total, but they never cross that invisible border...:ROFLMAO:

Also... Those giant bulls on the White Mountain Apache Reservation never leave.... there's only rag horns on the public land side of the fence...:rolleyes:

Problem is most don't know what an 80+" antelope looks like and most shoot the first decent buck they see. Sure, there are not the numbers of good bucks as the WY side, but they are there...
Click to expand...
tailchasers said:
We noticed an area not from from town this summer with about 2 dozen does and not 1 fawn this year. Only 1 buck too. Go over the ridge into another drainage and does had twins. Still quite spotty.
Click to expand...
 
elkmanchad said:
Check out this stud! This guy was right off the road I was on tonight in the Walden area

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There are some great genetics in the Walden area, just certain spots it seems, most on Private lands. But holy moly they are tough to locate !
I spent 2 solid weeks in 6 & 16 in ‘05- found 1 really big one for my wife, she dropped him 1 shot at 250 yds.. Netted 84 B/C. Thats it- just 1buck. Its tough there to say the least. She got that buck 10/1. So beware- its a battle to locate any better than say mid 70’s at the most anywhere in that huge area- bad winters have seriously lowered the numbers in there too.

Jerry Gold- in Windsor, Colorado 😁🍀
 

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