Where to Hunt in Colorado

Colorado State Forest

Walden, Colorado

August 2001

East of Walden, Colorado is a mountain range called the Medicine Bow Range. It extends into Wyoming and is known to be great elk country in both Wyoming and Colorado. We’ll concentrate on the Colorado State Forest area of this mountain range. This is Game Unit 6.

Let’s look at the statistics for Unit 6 before we go any further. Overall there were 2103 hunters that hunted this unit in 2004. 241 took bulls, 103 took cows and 10 took calves for a total harvest of 354 elk and a 17% success rate. That’s good. Anything above 10% success rate is good. There is a special hunt for cows only from the last weekend in August until the first weekend in October. There are also a lot of tags for private land only hunts. Now would be a good time to start talking to ranchers in the area. Here’s how the numbers break down by season. First rifle season hunters took 34 bulls and 12 cows for a 21% success rate. Only 215 hunters participated. I’m surprised by those numbers. I thought they would be higher. But 2004 was warm and dry with just one day of rain – the last day of the season. Second rifle season had 578 hunters and 63 of them took bulls, 26 took cows and 4 took calves for a 16% success rate. Second rifle season is 10 days long. Third rifle season had 530 hunters and 70 took bulls, 28 took cows and 3 took calves for a 19% success rate. Interesting to see how the numbers reveal possibly higher concentrations of elk that are easier to find in early November. Fourth rifle season is historically not the best season in any unit but 268 hunters tried and 37 took bulls, 5 took cows and 3 took calves for a 17% success rate. Still pretty good. Only 287 archers took to this unit in 2004. Twelve of them took bulls and 4 took cows for a 6% success rate. Muzzleloaders hunters, all 140 of them had a 6% success rate by taking 4 bulls and 4 cows. If the numbers show you anything it is that the rifle hunters were most successful and later in October and early November. If you play the numbers then you should consider second or third season. Weather may be a big factor during those seasons. It’s possible snow convinced the elk to come down lower. The draw of those hay fields may have been too strong to resist during rifle season.

Take Highway 125 to Walden, Colorado. It’s a small mountain town that is wintering grounds for several different elk herds. This wide open area is known as North Park. You have the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness in the mountains West of Walden. Then the Medicine Bow range to the East. But what makes the Colorado State Forest so special are to things. Gigantic hay fields along the many creeks that flow through the open area of North Park. And the beauty of the Medicine Bow Mountains. You can even find sand dunes up there that are open to the public. Bring your ATV, motorcycle or Jeep and shred the natural sand dunes. In the town of Walden take 5^th Street East. It turns into a long dirt road. Stay on the main road for about 15 miles - all the way back until the road ends at the gate. The closest ranch is the Dodge Ranch and boy do they pick a sweet spot to ranch. There has been lots of logging in the CSF so there are many roads back in there. You just can’t drive them. But you can bring your horses and you will want to. The area is perfect for horses. The parking lot is primitive but it is large enough to turn your horse trailer around. There is a creek that runs nearby and plenty of mountain grass if you want to let the horses out for a drink and to graze. There are a lot of bears in the area so don’t be surprised if you see them from the road on your drive back. There are also antelope and deer you can often see from the road. The area is perfect elk country. Logging has opened up the forest for new plants to grow. There is also plenty of pine and dark timber. Aspen groves are abundant here as well. You’ll find ample amounts of water in the form of creeks, water tanks, seeps and springs. It is open range so don’t be surprised if you see cattle near the base of the range. There are several and I mean many ranches in North Park. Some just grow hay and they produce major amounts to ranches in Colorado and Wyoming. Other ranches raise cattle. And what makes the are perfect for elk from Highway 14 to the South and the Sand Dunes to the north are all the hay fields at the base of the mountain. Elk have access to tundra, miles of forest and hay fields as far as you can see at the bottom. And that is the routine and reason for all the wildlife in the area. They can eat rich hay all night and bed above timberline all day. For them the several miles are no big deal. They make the trek everyday. You will find them scattered all over the mountain in August and September. You’ll find elk up high feeding on tundra grasses at sunset and you’ll glass them in open meadows grazing all the way back up the mountain in the morning. It’s a very good life. Because the area has been heavily logged over the years getting around the mountains is pretty easy. There are many trails to follow by horse or foot. You’ll really want to bring a horse to cover some land. And there is a lot of land to cover. Now that you know the elk routine where do you start?

Start in the dark timber. Elk value their safety and dark timber provides the best resource. I do have photos of the area but I have to dig them up. It was before I had a digital camera so I’ll have to scan the old photos in. Like with any area that has the best food source in the valley at the bottom of the mountain range you’ll want to intercept the elk about halfway up the mountain. I can say for sure there are NO elk around the parking lot. The area is heavily hunted during rifle season and the elk won’t go near the parking lot. I’d say you’d have to walk at least a mile in any direction before you start seeing any elk sign. You might find walking the many logging roads easy and helpful. The elk have to cross the roads at some point and you should see game trails where they do cross. For the most park elk are spread out and wander. Another thing the elk will do is use private property to move from the hay fields to the safety of the trees. The ranchers know this and you might ask them for permission to park and hunt on their property. You should expect to pay a fee for this kind of access. I’ve heard some ranchers offer hunting during late rifle seasons when the elk have come down to winter. Water is everywhere in the area so you’ll want to follow creeks up the mountain. Elk are never too far from water. That is one thing you can bet on. I always like hunting the aspens because they offer such great habitat. But find a remote aspen grove. One thing you’ll want to do is to hunt the spaces in between active trails and roads. There are many fingers or small valleys that lead up the mountain. Find the ones that are the least obvious and easy to access. I wish I could give you exact locations to look for elk but there area is huge and the elk are very spread out. Just like the Troublesome Basin area the elk in this area are also very spread out. But the one major difference are the hay fields at the base of the mountain. The elk can’t resist and you can’t hunt the ranches without permission. But you can catch the elk as they work their way back up the mountain to bed. I’m sure there are some elk that just stay on private land and bed near the creek. But the herd is large and the elk will travel to the top of the mountain to enjoy the cooler air and fewer bugs. No one bothers them on top the mountain and in the dark timber in between.

Weather

Weather is generally warm in September. Nights can dip into the 20s or colder. Days are normally warm and dry. It’s been said you should pack your bathing suit and parka when you visit Colorado. It’s true. We do expect at least one snowstorm during the month of September. It can be a trace of snow mixed with rain or a full foot of fresh powder. Either way you want to take full advantage of that weather pattern when it arrives. Hunt before, during and after the storm. If it snows you can track elk much easier. It’s a gift and you should take full advantage of it. I’d say the foul weather almost always happens after the 8^th of September. Maybe the most detailed weather station on the Internet is Weather Underground. Check it out. The closest town in this area is Walden, Colorado. Use that town to find the local weather report. Subtract 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet in elevation you will gain to get a temperature estimate. Depending on where you plan to hunt in the CSF. October is cold and can be snowy but has been generally dry. November is one of Colorado’s snowiest months.

Web Cams

The closest Web Cam I could find to this area is here:

http://www.dickgilbert.com/coloradocams.htm

National Forest Ranger Stations

Boulder Ranger District is located in the city of Boulder on the north side. Stop by when they are open as they are a VERY GOOD resource for information about the Roosevelt National Forest, access, where the elk are and current fire conditions.

Maps!

Best place to get the most up to date map with private property boundaries is the Boulder Map Gallery. Get a BLM map and then go get an elk. The Boulder Map Gallery will have any map you are looking for. They also have aerial photographs. Online maps include Terra Server and CODOW.

Hiking and Camping

The absolute best link I’ve found for hiking in Northern Colorado is from Resource Analysis. It’s the most complete data you’ll find on hiking or camping in Northern Colorado. The author of the site also sells books if you’d rather read than surf the web.

Quick Stats:

Area Size:	CSF is 71,000 acres
Elk Population:	Unknown at this time
Bull to Cow Ratio:	Unknown at this time
Typical Bull:	Young 4x4s and 5x5s
Elevation Range:	9,000 – 11,000
Prime Season:	2^nd and 3rd Rifle Seasons
Difficulty:	Easy to Moderate
Uses:	Hiking, Camping, Horseback riding, Hunting
Trailhead:	The parking lot North of Dodge Ranch (recommended)
Restrictions:	No vehicles
Suitable for Horses:	YES (it’s perfect for horses and llamas)
Miles you may hike:	10-20
Weather:	Click here
Local Web Cams:	Click here
Maps:	Click here
Hiking/Camping Info:	Click here