CO Archery future hunt advice..

[CODAK]

I'm in the never ending debate of which area I want to put in for an archery deer tag within the next few years. I'm planning ahead because one year just isn't enough for me. It's time to start in advance and was wondering what everyone's top choice would be to draw if they were in peak condition (I can go anywhere, I've stayed in the backcountry 10+ days on several hunts) whether to do a highcountry hunt (top pick) or to do a NW CO hunt. I'll have the points abd some ideal places just wanted to see what people's thoughts are! Please, no answers like any area will have big bucks. I know that first hand, just want to try somewhere new.

 

[JimP]

I don't know if I would waist very many points on any of the higher point draw areas. When I was building points for a late season rifle hunt I always archery hunted a unit where I could draw a tag as a left over and always found decent bucks with some exceptional, now getting close enough to throw a stick at them was another thing.

If I wanted to get back into archery and if I was from out of state I would be looking at a unit like 36 and hunt it up high, but then I don't know if you would want to do this since you can draw it with 0 points.

 

[CODAK]

Thanks for the info. That's what I've been doing the last few years, just settling for 2nd choice hunts to build some points while I was in school. I'm a resident so I will eventually start the archery hunts in those 0,1,2 pt areas once I burn these. My initial thought was to try the early rifle hunt, but have leaned towards archery again. The goal is a solid velvet muley with the stick and string, and the enjoyment of scouting all summer

 

[JimP]

I think that you have just as good of a chance in a no point unit as you do in the heavy point areas.

I live in 44 and archery hunted it quite a bit but those nice big velvet mule deer eluded me. I could find them when I was scouting but they would disappear as soon as people started showing up during the archery season. I actually saw most of the big deer when I was cutting firewood in September while the archery hunters were just down the road wondering just where the bucks were.

One nice thing about drawing and hunting 36 is that you also have 3 other units that you can hunt and if you hunt in the wilderness area you can learn a lot about it for a early rifle hunt in it. You can also do the same thing in 45 and 444. Archery hunt them as you gain points while you learn the high country and then draw that early rifle hunt in the wilderness.

 

[MountainHigh]

JimP makes some great points. I am totally on the fence with this issue as well. I have never been in units 74, 43, 36 or 55 yet but have heard good things from all of these if you get in the right area. There is something special about an above timberline hunt! Saying that though, I would also not overlook some of the lower elevation units. I have seen some really big bucks in the NW corner as well as you have experienced.