colorado mule deer-rifle-unit 15

Roundball

Member
May 15, 2015
99
4
Ohio unfortunatly
Hi! I drew a 15 -4th season deer tag in Co. ; anyone got any advice? I might stay in Kremmling if it isn't too far. I might hunt in so. part of unit near Co. river,should I take tire chains? I think I want to hotel it. I'm looking for a 175" type buck. Thanks, Dave -ohio-roundball
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
70
Gypsum, Co
You might need a dusk mask and then again you might need a snowmobile. You just never know in that area of the state and if you commute from Kremmling and plan to hunt around the Colorado River you will be using the Through Rd and while it is graveled it can get nasty.

Other than that I can't help you much other than to say to start high and then head down depending on what you are seeing.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
70
Gypsum, Co
You are going to be limited with places to stay in Yampa, I'm not sure about Kremmling.

What I would do is to look at the Colorado Hunting Atlas and see if I could figure out where I wanted to hunt. It will have the migration routes along with the wintering areas on the map. Then perhaps call the area biologist and see what they have to say about it. And then make a decision.

I have no idea of meat processors but I am sure that there are some in both areas.
 

sheephunter

Active Member
Jan 29, 2012
245
10
Colorado
As far as a meat processor, for the time of year you're going to be here, I would consider putting a deer in bags (either skinned and in 1 big bag, or quartered and put in a couple bags) and just make a dash for home and have your hometown processor take care of it. I did that once before I moved here and it worked well.
 

Firearrow

Active Member
Mar 1, 2011
225
0
CA
I have made it out out the Rubies during archery season in Aug with deer quartered in the trees. We were 6 miles in backpacking and the meat was perfect when I got home. Just make sure you get it gets gutted and skinned, then once back to camp make sure it gets glazed over. Then put it in a 120qt cooler with 1 gallon water bottles frozen to keep it cool with out water damage from ice, and you will be good. Make sure and post pictures of your deer.
 
Last edited:

taskswap

Very Active Member
Jul 9, 2018
523
379
Colorado
There was a wildfire in unit 27 last year, right next to 15. That whole area is a sea of orange to begin with, and the fire pushed a lot of unit 27 hunters into 181 since a lot of tags are dual 27/181. This year, I expect a lot of "regulars" and "locals" who hunt there will also go into 15 since it's right there.

By the time 4th rolls around the deer are pretty shell shocked, that said there's a very high concentration of them. Be careful with maps. Not all the forest service roads are perfectly accurate where they start and end, and unit 15 also has some private land plots to avoid. In particular don't park on the private land especially on FS212 which is a common route in. (Parking along the sides of that road is limited but there are pullouts at spots.)

You should absolutely take tire chains, I would say that advice applies anywhere in Colorado. When dry a lot of forest service roads are like highways, and people will rip up and down them so fast they washboard the roads. But get a little water on them and that fine clay mud turns slicker than **** ******* * *****. Add a couple inches of snow, and chains start to look like cheap insurance. I hunted 27/181 last year and used my chains twice. There was a 9" or so snowfall in 3rd season.

15 and 27 are my wife's favorites. Y'all will laugh, but when we hunt there together we stay in Steamboat. Nothing says "glam-hunting" like a soak in Raspberry Hot Springs after a long day :)

There are a ton of deer in that area. Just be sure of your target. If ever there was an area ripe for a hunter-safety accident I'd say that's the one.
 

COLOelkman

Member
Mar 12, 2011
93
19
Lakewood, CO
There's a meat processor right on Highway 9 as you enter Kremmling from the south. Don't remember the name and don't know anything about them other than I've seen their building which is on the N side of the road just after you cross the river coming into town.
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
You are going to be limited with places to stay in Yampa, I'm not sure about Kremmling.
Stay out of the Antlers Lol.

Many years ago I had a buddy accidentally bump one of the local "cowboys" and spilled a little of his beer once and the guy overreacted a bit...

He found out just because you wear a duster, that doesn't make you tough. Besides....and I quote "Coors Light is a girls beer anyhow"...lol
 

Chief23

New Member
Dec 12, 2012
6
0
Ohio
He lives an hour or so from me. Ill get ahold of him an let him post his hunt on here. We both done a ton of research, i had a unit 40 3rd season deer tag an Dave the unit 15 4th season. MY hunt was not good to say the least. The weather was terrible which Im sure added to lack of movement. The few hunters I talked to were also seeing nill to nothing.
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,679
2,570
www.eastmans.com
He lives an hour or so from me. Ill get ahold of him an let him post his hunt on here. We both done a ton of research, i had a unit 40 3rd season deer tag an Dave the unit 15 4th season. MY hunt was not good to say the least. The weather was terrible which Im sure added to lack of movement. The few hunters I talked to were also seeing nill to nothing.
Thanks for doing that @Chief23 !
 

Roundball

Member
May 15, 2015
99
4
Ohio unfortunatly
Had bad hunt,some elk hunters; tried to hunt near private ranches;access hard to get to some areas;ran into state trust leased land; tried to hunt high; probably should have stayed high;wish I would have tried N.E. side or east boundary, couldn't get on private near Mccoy. Ran into guy who bought vouchers and he did well.Some tough country. I was on foot. No. central seemed barren of deer & elk. Ran into a outfitter who was hunting elk and he said it has been a tough year.Not sure it was worth 10 pts. Tried glassing ,just seemed like I was in wrong places.Probably didn't scout enough; seemed like a tough hunt for a non-resident. saw deer in hay fields down low; full- moon may have hurt some; I think state had hunt a wk. or more too soon. Not much snow unless you were really high. I felt I needed 3-5 more days or a good horse!
The only dead animals I saw were 2 pictures from private land.
 

Roundball

Member
May 15, 2015
99
4
Ohio unfortunatly
Bonecollector: Nice country but it kicked my but. We tried to get on private with no luck as we seen deer in hayfields.We tried multiple times to hunt 6000-8500' with no success,an outfitter so. e. of yampa said it had been a tough year;I saw no dead deer or elk at hotels etc. Only 2 nice deer I saw were from a private ranch east of McCoy up at nearly 10,000'- on a guys smart phone & he had been there before.My 1st time there which hurt me; I tried but access was a little tough.I think rut was just starting and some deer were still very high. Some elk hunters to contend with. In my opinion,not worth the points. I also think hunt was a week too early, and we had a full moon most of week. No.central unit with a burn seemed void of deer & elk. Felt like I needed 3-4 more days for sure. Without weather or good access seemed like a tough hunt for a 1st time non-resident. Guy who had success had landowner vouchers-$2500.each!