Unit 29 Access

sb2017 · Sep 25, 2020

I'm from Los Angeles... first time hunter. Bought a tag off the leftover list... won't have time to scout and won't be able to make it there until mid season. Would anyone be willing to tell me where the biggest buck in the unit hangs out? Best place to drive to for a shot? I have tickets to Hamilton that Friday so it'd be nice if I could get it done in one day.

Now that I have your attention... none of that is true except for buying a tag off the leftover list. I struck out in the draw and by the time I got through the "line" on the website, this was one of the only buck tags left on there. I figured 40 bucks was worth at least having the option to get out so I bought it without even knowing where 29 was...

Looks like really cool country, but confusing access. The entire Western half is in National Forest, but looking at the online hunting atlas, my Trails Illustrated map, and a MyTopo map, it's still all diced up with private land?

Not looking for anyone to tell me where they have and haven't seen deer, just trying to make contact with anyone who has hunted this unit before and can help clear up some gray area on where my options even are. Can you hunt around Eldora ski hill? It also looks like a lot of the marked trails throughout the area start on private land. I'm assuming they have no problem allowing hikers to access the trail through their land, but is it different for hunters? Just trying to get an idea of places in the unit that I even have the option of planning a hunt around, and where is a lost cause.

HIcountryman · Sep 25, 2020

I wouldn't walk on any private land with firearm without written permission. The northern end, towards east, of 29 is good deer habitat . Stay aware of unit boundary and private land. Get OnX or similar. Don't know about Eldora area. West of peak to peak hiway at (sugarloaf trail area) is big, lots of timber with scattered aspens.

HIcountryman · Sep 25, 2020

Contact cdow regarding shooting closures in some areas of NF (close to neighborhoods). Tough hunt.

sb2017 · Sep 26, 2020

HIcountryman said:
I wouldn't walk on any private land with firearm without written permission. The northern end, towards east, of 29 is good deer habitat . Stay aware of unit boundary and private land. Get OnX or similar. Don't know about Eldora area. West of peak to peak hiway at (sugarloaf trail area) is big, lots of timber with scattered aspens.

I appreciate the input! Definitely expecting a tough hunt given the access conditions. Agreed on not accessing through private without written permission, I was mostly just curious if the trailheads were showing up as private or "non-public" because they were restricted access areas but still open to through traffic for the trails.

CaseyMarks · Aug 4, 2023

sb2017 said:
I appreciate the input! Definitely expecting a tough hunt given the access conditions. Agreed on not accessing through private without written permission, I was mostly just curious if the trailheads were showing up as private or "non-public" because they were restricted access areas but still open to through traffic for the trails.

Hey found this thread after weeding through all the other threads that say turn you’re tag back in. Me and a couple buddies drew this unit as a second season rifle as our second choice because I was determined to finally make it out west for the first time and get our feet wet anyway we could and we realized right away it wasn’t going to be easy access and wasn’t going to be a backpack backcountry hunt like we wanted but all things aside we are positive we can hopefully turn up something. What was you’re experience if you made that hunt ?

txhunter58 · Aug 6, 2023

“all the other threads that say turn you’re tag back in”

You and some guys are going to work hard to come west and hunt. If it was me, I wouldn’t want that first experience to be in a unit where most people say turn it back in. Those kind of places are generally ok if you live in the area and know it well. But going in blind, it may not be the great excursion you had hoped.

You might consider going to an OTC elk hunt somewhere else that has great access and some elk.

270Whatelse · Aug 6, 2023

Haters gonna hate.

Fishslap · Aug 6, 2023

txhunter58 said:
“all the other threads that say turn you’re tag back in”

You and some guys are going to work hard to come west and hunt. If it was me, I wouldn’t want that first experience to be in a unit where most people say turn it back in. Those kind of places are generally ok if you live in the area and know it well. But going in blind, it may not be the great excursion you had hoped.

You might consider going to an OTC elk hunt somewhere else that has great access and some elk.

I live in the area and know it well and it’s not generally ok. Pretty tough unit during 2nd rifle. I hunt deer elsewhere. The only thing I do in 29 is hunt ptarmigan.

sb2017 · Aug 7, 2023

CaseyMarks said:
Hey found this thread after weeding through all the other threads that say turn you’re tag back in. Me and a couple buddies drew this unit as a second season rifle as our second choice because I was determined to finally make it out west for the first time and get our feet wet anyway we could and we realized right away it wasn’t going to be easy access and wasn’t going to be a backpack backcountry hunt like we wanted but all things aside we are positive we can hopefully turn up something. What was you’re experience if you made that hunt ?

Unfortunately this was the year that closed all of the National Forest land in 29 because of the fire that wiped out all of those homes in Superior. I spent a weekend scouting the unit in the summer and it certainly didn't make me very excited to hunt it. I didn't think about how the close proximity to Boulder would affect it, but you can plan on about 30 cars being parked at every trail/access point. In second season I would imagine you could find deer up high in the wilderness but I never ventured that far in 29.

Props to you if you go out there and pull a nice buck out of the unit, but I'd be lying if I said my recommendation is anything other than turning it in.

Fishslap · Aug 7, 2023

sb2017 said:
Unfortunately this was the year that closed all of the National Forest land in 29 because of the fire that wiped out all of those homes in Superior. I spent a weekend scouting the unit in the summer and it certainly didn't make me very excited to hunt it. I didn't think about how the close proximity to Boulder would affect it, but you can plan on about 30 cars being parked at every trail/access point. In second season I would imagine you could find deer up high in the wilderness but I never ventured that far in 29.

Props to you if you go out there and pull a nice buck out of the unit, but I'd be lying if I said my recommendation is anything other than turning it in.

I hunt ptarmigan, collect currants, and sometimes ice fish in the wilderness area and I’ve seen exactly one buck in there between the start of muzzleloader season and early November. They”ll be below tree line and “mostly” out of the wilderness boundary by second season.
CaseyMarks, I’m going to publicly put this on here as an exercise; PM me and I’ll give you the specifics spots I’d hunt if 29 were my only option. Then, you can report back confirming the general consensus or show us your buck and we’ll all be happy for you.

krash2501 · Aug 8, 2023

I hunted 29 with success. if you need any help DM me and I can give you a few pointers.

HntHrdr · Aug 8, 2023

Casey, I have had success there, I also live 15 min from the unit and one of my best friends lives in the unit. Access can be tricky. There are lots of hikers, lots of hippies, lots of homes. Some of the best area is now a “no shooting” zone, I think it’s labled on on-X m. it’s a tough hunt but can be done. I will say if you are traveling a long ways to hunt. This unit would not be high on my list best habitat tends to be urban interface. Large percentage of the folks that live there are very solidly in the anti hunting/ anti gun camp they name and feed the deer ect. Wish you luck man, let us know how it goes

MrDoe · Aug 11, 2023

sb2017 said:
Unfortunately this was the year that closed all of the National Forest land in 29 because of the fire that wiped out all of those homes in Superior. I spent a weekend scouting the unit in the summer and it certainly didn't make me very excited to hunt it. I didn't think about how the close proximity to Boulder would affect it, but you can plan on about 30 cars being parked at every trail/access point. In second season I would imagine you could find deer up high in the wilderness but I never ventured that far in 29.

Props to you if you go out there and pull a nice buck out of the unit, but I'd be lying if I said my recommendation is anything other than turning it in.

Have fun in the IPWA in 2nd season

bet you don't see a single deer. I live in the unit and trail run it a lot and rarely see bucks on public in the summer let alone 2nd season. But props for actually going, seems like a ton of guys turn in even the good tags (thanks to whoever turned in my archery deer tag this year).

HntHrdr · Aug 11, 2023

MrDoe said:
Have fun in the IPWA in 2nd season bet you don't see a single deer. I live in the unit and trail run it a lot and rarely see bucks on public in the summer let alone 2nd season. But props for actually going, seems like a ton of guys turn in even the good tags (thanks to whoever turned in my archery deer tag this year).

I was actually surprised how few 29 tags were available left over day… the urge to go seems to be driving folks to suck up every tag even if it means hunting in the people’s republic of boulder? But when you are out of state I guess they don’t know. I worried that all hunting will be shut down in that unit soon with a bunch of out of staters with on-X getting stepping in it, I believe there was a petition for it last year. What does IPWA stand for?

Grouse Legs · Aug 11, 2023

Ipwa = indian peaks wilderness area or idiots pricks wankers and assholes

HntHrdr · Aug 11, 2023

I like your later interpretation, that is the busiest wilderness in the country if I’m not mistaken

Chucho · Sep 9, 2023

Most of these post are correct about difficulty. But what hunt isn’t. Unit 29 has a lot of bucks, mostly eating gardens in Boulder. Get GPS software and stay close to private. Access to an area may be a 10 foot easement between private. Most productive areas are at 8k-9k ft elevation.

“No shooting” signs are up for recreational shooting. We’re hunting not shooting. Forest service and Boulder sheriff confirm that.

Have had success in archery season thru late season. Not many booners up there but they’re around. Filled two private land tags first weekend of archery. Doe and buck. First spotted on the edge of public.

HntHrdr · Dec 14, 2023

Hey Casey how did that hunt turn out?

Kharn · Aug 8, 2024

HntHrdr said:
Casey, I have had success there, I also live 15 min from the unit and one of my best friends lives in the unit. Access can be tricky. There are lots of hikers, lots of hippies, lots of homes. Some of the best area is now a “no shooting” zone, I think it’s labled on on-X m. it’s a tough hunt but can be done. I will say if you are traveling a long ways to hunt. This unit would not be high on my list best habitat tends to be urban interface. Large percentage of the folks that live there are very solidly in the anti hunting/ anti gun camp they name and feed the deer ect. Wish you luck man, let us know how it goes

Any recs a year later? Me and a friend decided to go hunting this year and picked up some OTC tags in 38/29. Were somewhat local so its not too bad to scout ahead of the season, but wouldn't mind a point in the right direction.

HntHrdr · Aug 8, 2024

Kharn said:
Any recs a year later? Me and a friend decided to go hunting this year and picked up some OTC tags in 38/29. Were somewhat local so its not too bad to scout ahead of the season, but wouldn't mind a point in the right direction.

We talking deer or elk tags? Deer is only draw, elk is otc in 38, draw in 29. So no otc tags to be had unless you are trying to elk hunt in 38, better already have a tag. Deer hunting in 38 without private is a fools errand. Elk hunting is about the same. 29 is super crowded and once again very tough without private access, it’s as crowded as ever. Fully expect a **** show and to get yelled at by a blue haired cat lady. My Rec is make sure you know where you stand, and where the animal is before you pull the trigger seen some shenanigans up there, and the locals universally hate hunters, including most county employees. Also depending on the weather there could be a bunch of non hunters out recreating

Liam1124 · 2024-11-06T12:19:54-0700

krash2501 said:
I hunted 29 with success. if you need any help DM me and I can give you a few pointers.

Hi, I seen your post and thought I would reach out and ask for any help hunting 29. We are from Florence Co and my 13 yr old son purchased a leftover mule buck tag. He has hunted beside me since he was 5 and this will be his first big game harvest. Hunting the weekends of 2nd season for Elk he tracked through many just not a legal bull. He didn't want to stop there and without scouting or knowing the area he is determined to keep the adventure going this year.
Thanks Will