Hermosa Creek Colorado Unit 74

beginnerhunter · Feb 13, 2017

So I'm e-scouting some areas in Colorado to try to draw for mule deer with 0 points and probably purchase an OTC elk as well. We're hoping to do a backpack wilderness hunt for 2nd rifle and I'm checking out Hermosa Wilderness in unit 74. Interestingly, while the Hermosa Wilderness is about 37,000 acres, they are still finalizing the details of the 70,000 acre "special management area" adjacent to the Wilderness area. Don't know yet what the rules will be.

Looking over the map the Wilderness area is mostly 9500 feet and has a lot of timber. The south facing slopes look more bare but would we be able to glass them effectively? There isn't much above 10,000 feet in the Hermosa wilderness, however, there is quite a bit in the Weminuche wilderness area in the Northeast part of unit 74.

I'd love to get some opinions on this if anyone has any ideas or think I'm on the right/wrong track. I'm new to this stuff so I apologize if I seem needy. Hopefully one day I will have enough knowledge to share here. PM me if you are concerned about putting it on the internet but general opinions shouldn't be a big deal. Thanks!

squirrel · Feb 15, 2017

tough crowd eh beginner? I'll throw you a couple bones... The high country of the 'nuche tends to be empty by the time you will be there. Even without snow it is just too rough and the critters know it, vacating the high basins early. This just means you need to look lower, not abandon all together.

Hermosa is a huge and pretty creek much better for what you are trying to accomplish. T/H tend to be super busy both with recreational and hunting users. Last time I was there it was ATV paradise, and I've never gone back, but if you are willing to suffer there is a ton of country to have fun in, of course the more you are suffering the better it will tend to be. Good luck.

beginnerhunter · Feb 15, 2017

squirrel said:
tough crowd eh beginner? I'll throw you a couple bones... The high country of the 'nuche tends to be empty by the time you will be there. Even without snow it is just too rough and the critters know it, vacating the high basins early. This just means you need to look lower, not abandon all together.

Hermosa is a huge and pretty creek much better for what you are trying to accomplish. T/H tend to be super busy both with recreational and hunting users. Last time I was there it was ATV paradise, and I've never gone back, but if you are willing to suffer there is a ton of country to have fun in, of course the more you are suffering the better it will tend to be. Good luck.

Haha, thanks. Yeah I'm just trying to find some wilderness areas so we won't be disadvantaged by not having an ATV. Has to be a unit with a good chance of drawing with 0 points. There's a lot of info on 74 but surprisingly little on Hermosa wilderness. That either means it sucks to hunt or people aren't sharing.

Thanks for the bones.

Dwight M · Feb 21, 2017

74 has heavy timber and cover. Hard to do a lot of flashing, but there r some elk to be had the trick is just finding them!

vanish · Feb 22, 2017

beginnerhunter said:
Has to be a unit with a good chance of drawing with 0 points.

If you're going 2nd seasons anyway, why target a draw unit? Why not hunt OTC and save your point?

beginnerhunter · Feb 22, 2017

vanish said:
If you're going 2nd seasons anyway, why target a draw unit? Why not hunt OTC and save your point?

Colorado is draw only for mule deer. I suppose I could get a leftover license but that would be leaving a lot to chance. If I don't draw I could just get a mule deer point and hunt elk OTC in one of the OTC elk units.

beginnerhunter · Feb 22, 2017

Dwight M said:
74 has heavy timber and cover. Hard to do a lot of flashing, but there r some elk to be had the trick is just finding them!

I've read elsewhere to leave the spotting scope at home. Too thick.

Looking at the popular unit 74 spots on Google earth, they really don't look much more open than the wilderness area so we'll see.

Oak · Feb 22, 2017

beginnerhunter said:
There's a lot of info on 74 but surprisingly little on Hermosa wilderness. That either means it sucks to hunt or people aren't sharing.

The reason that you are not finding a lot about the Hermosa Creek Wilderness is that both it and the adjacent Hermosa Creek Special Management Area were created in 2014 with passage of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act.

beginnerhunter · Mar 13, 2017

Oak said:
The reason that you are not finding a lot about the Hermosa Creek Wilderness is that both it and the adjacent Hermosa Creek Special Management Area were created in 2014 with passage of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act.

It's strange though because most of the information I am finding is mostly related to the areas around the Purgatory ski resort, very little on the western side (even before it became wilderness). Perhaps there just aren't any deer there or it's hard to hunt due to cover. It also may be too high for 2nd season.

JColony · Mar 14, 2017

I've been eyeing this area for the OTC elk hunts as well. Looks real nice, but I'm finding info hard to find as well.

vanish · Mar 15, 2017

My aplogies about 2nd season And OTC, I for some reason assumed elk, not deer.

Hermosa Creek Colorado Unit 74

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