Originally Posted by
super_hunt54
Eh, OTC units aren't that bad. Hunted several of them for years. Granted you have to deal with some morons in the field. But you have to do that pretty much everywhere nowadays. I tend to hunt as far away from anyone else as I can possibly get. But I'm getting up there in years and 5-10 mile hike in's over rough terrain just aint in the cards for me much anymore. Plus Elk aren't like whitetail in that they tend to migrate and such whereas whitetail will go as thick and deep as they can get when hunting season starts.
Yes, some OTC units aren't too bad. Unfortunately, the one I have to hunt is unit 55 which is just over Cottonwood Pass from me. I've gotten too old to camp anymore, so I have to be able to get up early, and drive to hunting areas every morning.
Unit 55 is pretty crowded in rifle seasons, and it has a a ton of ATV trails which are pretty full during rifle seasons. Actually, every season. I'll be using my muzzleloader for the rifle season.
It will be a challenge, but no more than for some new elk hunter going to that unit. So, maybe I can pass on some info after the hunt for new hunters. Not so much where to hunt that unit, but how I went about finding elk that will hopefully be useful for any unit.
This is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone. I've hunted the same unit for 6 decades, and know it pretty well. I have 25-30 hot spots in it to hunt. The majority of them i'll have complete solitude, and won't see any other hunters. Compare this to going to a unit i've never hunted, and don't even plan to scout it until the hunt starts will be quite different.