Quick Tips
- Consider staying in a Gunnison motels in late seasons
- Waunita Hot Springs is worth visiting
- Rainbow and brown trout in Tomichi Creek
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 150"-170" | 180"+ |
| Elk | 260"-300" | 300"+ |
| Antelope | 70"-75" | 75"+ |
On The Ground
A few miles east of Gunnison, this unit encompasses part of the Sawatch Range and the Cochetopa Hills along the Continental Divide. Hunters must apply to get prime mule deer tags, while they must apply for some elk tags and can buy others over the counter.
Game managers are working to reduce elk herds and build mule deer numbers. Deer hunting is better north of U.S. Highway 50 and big bull elk hunting is better south of U.S. Highway 50. There is mostly public land with good public access.
Terrain
The Continental Divide bounds this unit on the east and much of the south and features many peaks and ridges more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Timberline is at about 11,500 feet. About 10 miles east of Parlin and just south of Waunita Hot Springs is prominent 11,465-foot Tomichi Dome. The ridgeline of the Sawatch Range run along the Continental Divide on the eastern edge of the unit, while the Cochetopa Hills, along with noticeable mining exploration sites, form the southeastern boundary. Some mountains are steep, while others have moderate inclines. As ridges drop toward the north and the west, they are covered with timber before breaking into the open at low elevations, creating foothills and flattened creek bottoms. The unit is really two different areas separated by U.S. Highway 50. North of the road are steep 13,000-foot mountains, while south of the road there are many open sagebrush hills and cattle ranches although some mountains south of the highway still reach 12,000 feet. Plenty of BLM land is in the southern part, making it easier for most folks to hunt.
Roughly 546 square miles
86.4% public land
Elevations from 7,900-13,375 feet
Vegetation
Short grass pastures and hayfields are along Tomichi Creek between Sargents and the northwestern corner. Willows and sagebrush line the creek. The south slopes of foothills are covered mainly with junipers, pinyons, sagebrush and oak brush. Aspen, ponderosa pine and spruce forests cover slopes and ridges toward the Continental Divide. An array of wildflowers, mosses and lichens along with several types of low shrubbery grow above timberline.
Access
U.S. Highway 50 and State Routes 114 and 76 lead to many dirt roads that provide good access to federal and state land. Four-wheel-drive roads reach Old Monarch, Tomichi and Marshall passes in the Gunnison National Forest and Hancock Pass in the San Isabel National Forest. All are along the Continental Divide.
State Trust Lands that allow hunting:
Tomichi Dome
Black Sage Pass
Quakey Mountain
Daley Gulch
Camping and Lodging
Forest Service campgrounds are open from May through September. Camping is permitted on some state trust lands. Regulations are posted at each area. Gunnison, 11 miles west of Parlin, has motels, restaurants, medical facilities, banks, stores and auto repair shops.
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