Originally Posted by
broncocliff
I think I'm confusing myself more then anything. I have been looking at those stat pages and have gone back a few years also. Seems like I find a good area on the recap but then look at the success of the area and it is like 8%. I have camped in a lot of those areas and like them just not sure on the elk population. Then I look at the stats and they are low for that area.
the 8% success rate has to do with elk populations, but in my opinion, it has more to do with road hunters. If we are talking about gmu 7, it get hit hard by guys from denver/fort collins. I would put some serious money that says only 10% of those hunters get more than 100 yards from a road. I haven't been hunting in the area since the beetle kill came though, but I took 2 bulls and 3 cows in 8 years hunting the area. Bulls small, but I'm a meat hunter for sure. I've seen a few really nice bulls over the years, and the 2nd biggest muley I've ever seen with a gun in my hand.
I used to camp in 1 of 2 "camping" spots on forest service where alot of camps were. There were whole groups that after opening morning I would never see them leave camp. They were there when I left in the morning, and when I came home at dark. If I came back mid day, they were there. Funny thing, they never saw elk and swore there were no elk around.