Hunting

Welcome to Western Colorado

Montrose has a long, storied history that is unique to the outdoors and hunting community, and for good reason. The Gunnison Basin east of Montrose is the home of the famed 459″ Plute Bull, killed in 1899, that was the world record elk for more than a century, thus engraving that area into hunting lore.

Montrose attracted local hunting legends like Wayne Carlton, the father of modern-day elk hunting, Tim Strickland, a past Olympic gold medal archery coach, and Phil Phillips, a well-known hunting guide and TV personality of Bucks, Bulls, and Bears. Gordon Composites, producer of 90% of the archery bow limbs for the entire hunting industry, also headquartered in Montrose. All these folks call the Western Slope home because of what it offers.

(Montrose hunting legend Wayne Carlton)

Unit 61, located west of Montrose on the Uncompahgre Plateau, is touted as one of the premier hunting units in the entire state and is known by experienced hunters for having dozens of bulls in every drainage and for giving up notable trophies every year. Its sister unit, 62, encompasses 880,842 acres of prime wildlife habitat and can be hunted with licenses purchased over-the-counter (OTC). These areas are tremendously rich and support high numbers of elk and deer, making Montrose one of the most popular places in Colorado to hunt and recreate.

The word Uncompahgre derives from the native Ute language and translates as “rocks that make the water red.” The Plateau has multiple access points and an endless inventory of camping locations. With elevations that rise from river valleys to over 10,000 feet at its highest point, the Plateau features diverse hunting habitats featuring deep aspen benches and areas of dark timber higher up as well as thick oak brush, pinyon, and juniper trees at lower elevations. Because of this diversity, hunters often inquire about the best areas to hunt, but the truth is you’ll find wildlife high and low in units 61 and 62 year-round. This is one unique part of these units – every inch is rich in resources for wildlife, front to back.

Some Western Slope hunting units are now draw-only, requiring that hunters apply for licenses in early April. Unit 61 is a limited license unit and 62 is OTC, so be sure you have the correct tag for the area you are hunting. For these two units it’s kinda hard to miss as Divide Road, a prominent access route on the Plateau, splits the entire thing from north to south. The east side is unit 62, the west side is 61.

Obtaining enough preference points to get a tag in some draw-only areas can take years, but for new draw areas you can get a tag on one, if not zero, points. Take advantage of these areas by putting in for them year after year. Drawing a license for a particular unit means you have to focus on one place, but by doing so, you’ll learn the area, hunt it more efficiently, generally encounter fewer people, and have better chances for success. Hunting success comes from knowing your area and learning it. Nothing can replace having your boots on the ground firsthand.
As the southwest corner of Colorado transitions into being mainly a limited area, better hunting experiences and opportunities will likely result.

For those who don’t succeed in getting a license in the draw or who didn’t apply, remember that other areas of the Western Slope, such as Unit 65 and Grand Mesa still offer OTC tags that you can purchase locally up to the day before a particular season begins. They provide ample opportunity to chase elk, deer, bear, and Merriam turkey without depending on the “luck of the draw.”

Prime hunting opportunities, combined with multiple ways to access it, from DIY hunts to a hearty list of outfitters to help guide your chase, make the Montrose area ideal for every adventure. Before making plans, local experts recommend that you know what you want in your hunting experience and plan accordingly. Do you want to go solo or pack-in by horse with a wall tent for the trip? Montrose has the resources to fulfill almost all of them, from drop camps to fully outfitted lodges. Hotels, restaurants, taxidermists, meat processors, and a local Colorado Division of Wildlife office are all here to help out and answer your questions. The Colorado Outfitters association has a complete list of guides and outfitters to sort through.

Montrose is genuinely unique in its location, and visitors benefit from its surroundings. Exceptional hunting in Unit 61, fly fishing in the Black Canyon, and an abundance of recreational options is second to none. There are few places where you can go from desert to timberline within an hour and experience world-class hunting and fishing in any direction.There’s a reason it’s one of the most popular places in the state in all those categories. Take advantage of what the area offers – buy a tag, put your boots in the dirt, and go hunting.

A quick guide to big game, small game, upland, and waterfowl hunting in Southwestern Colorado.

Colorado is a perennial destination for hunters because it boasts 23 million acres of public land. That accounts for more than 34% of the all land in the state. The conservation-oriented Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife creates a multitude of hunting opportunities for in-state and out-of-state hunters. Colorado is home to abundant populations of large and small game. Hunters of all ages and experience levels have been enjoying southwestern Colorado’s wilderness for generations. What we lack in pronghorn and big buildings, we make up for in huge elk herds and big mountains. The Western Slope has vast public acreage, incredible access, and vital resources for big game, small game, upland, and waterfowl species.

BIG GAME

GAME BIRDS

turkey | pheasant | grouse ptarmigan | quail | dove

SMALL GAME

WATERFOWL

goose | duck

Professional Guides & Outfitters

In Montrose and the surrounding region, there are lots of knowledgeable hunting guides who are eager to help you plan your hunt from license to harvest! March is the ideal time to start planning a big game hunt since the license draw occurs in early April. See professional guides & outfitters here.