Quick Tips
- Trout fishing in high country lake and streams
- Backpack and horseback hunters can enjoy wilderness
- Glass at dawn and dusk
- Lots of tourist hikers in wilderness in early seasons
- Ambush elk and deer as they leave private property
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 160"-180" | 180"+ |
| Elk | 270"-300" | 300"+ |
On The Ground
East of Paonia and including part of the West Elk Wilderness, this unit has a healthy elk herd but is best known for its good mule deer. Few Colorado buck tags are harder to obtain. Hunters must apply for many years to accumulate enough preference points to get a tag for November seasons.
The November rifle seasons typically produce some big muleys, but mid-November deer tags are hard to get. Late October hunting can be excellent if snow falls in high country. Backcountry hunters can hunt elk and deer at the same time. There is private, low elevation land that holds big bucks and elk herds through all of the season but access is obviously limited here.
Terrain
The eastern half of this unit is almost entirely in the Gunnison National Forest and includes part of the West Elk Wilderness. Mountains are steep. Peaks and ridges in the wilderness range from 10,500 feet to 12,719 feet above sea level. Small creeks and lakes are found throughout the West Elk Wilderness. The western half is characterized by rolling hills and ridges covered by thick scrub oak and sagebrush above farmland to the west.
Roughly 396 square miles
77.4% public land
Elevations from 5,340-12,719 feet
Vegetation
High ridges and slopes are treeless with grasses, forbs, wildflowers and low alpine scrub. North slopes are timbered, mostly with firs and spruces, while middle elevations have Douglas firs, aspens, grass meadows and sagebrush, and low elevations have pinyon/juniper, sagebrush and oak brush. There is a lot of water, particularly at high elevations, in the form of springs, small lakes and perennial streams.
Access
The west end of the unit is largely private and is reached from Highway 133 on access roads that pass through private land. Hunters wanting to hunt the lowcountry need GPS units with landowner memory cards. The southeast is primarily wilderness, where hunters must hike or ride horses. There are a half a dozen good access points into the West Elk Wilderness. Hunters can day hunt on the outskirts of the wilderness, or they can get away from the crowds and pack into the wilderness. The West Elk Wilderness has a good trail system that is maintained by the Forest Service. If you are not in good shape, you need to bring your own horses or hire one of the local outfitters who offer horseback hunts. This area is also popular among hikers. Trails can be busy, especially over Labor Day weekend.
Well-maintained roads in the west
Vehicle access to most public tracts of land
Snow and rain can impede travel at high elevations
Lots of remote areas to hunt
Camping and Lodging
Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford have motels and places to buy gas, groceries and other supplies. Paonia is the most popular of the three options. Crawford State Park has refurbished modern campground amenities. Camping is allowed on federal land.
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
Moon Phases
March 2025
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5