Mountain Lion Hunting in Colorado GMU 8 - Larimer County

Bounded on N by Wyoming; on E by County Roads 59, 80C (Cherokee Park Road), 179 (Prairie Dirt Road), 74E (Red Feather Lakes Road), 68C (Boy Scout Ranch Road), and 69 (Manhattan Road); on S by County Highway 14; on W by County Road 103 (Laramie River Road).

There are many wilderness areas here that can only be reached by foot or horse., and there is no vehicle access. Hunters must know where they are in this area as there are many public lands locked on all sides by private land. Don't risk access unless you have received permission well in advance of the hunt. Elk habitat is spread across a wide range of land ownership categories.

The largest single land manager is the United States Forest Service (USFS), followed closely by private landowners. The vast majority of USFS land is National Forest or designated wilderness. There are some small areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Among state lands, those managed as State Wildlife Areas or State Land Board holdings account for almost all of the total area.

Many of these state properties provide elk hunting opportunities. Outside of private land, USFS, BLM and State Wildlife lands receive almost all elk hunting pressure. Human occupation is limited, particularly in the western (Laramie River valley) and southwestern portions of the area (upper Poudre, Joe Wright Creek).

HuntScore Tip

Public land and private land percentages can sometime be misleading. A unit may have 80% public land, but a particluar species may only occupy 20% on the entire area. And that 20% species distribution may lie 100% within private lands. Does that sound confusing? Just remember that there are always exceptions to the rule, and land ownership is just one piece of the puzzle.