I am an archery hunter from Nebraska. Lived on a dairy all my life. Mule deer hunted in the rolling hills in western NE and shot a big 3.5 year old 5x5 mule deer last year and now I'm hooked. Looking to high country hunt mule deer in Colorado I have no points. If high country is not possible with 0 points where else should I look. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Units to look. Maybe other states. Pretty new at the game looking for help.
Colorado Mule Deer "Help Needed"
- Thread starter Bowman5
- Start date
JimP
Administrator
The best thing for you to do is to go to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife page and download last years guide book or wait a few weeks and do the 2018 one.
Then on their page find the hunting statistics page. Look at the guide book to see the units that have a high country rifle hunt and then concentrate on those units by looking at the statistics page and see if they need points or can be drawn with 0. I believe that most will require at least 1 or 2 points for the non resident tag in these units. But I am also sure that there are some that might not require any such as unit 36 which is north of I-70 and the town of Vail.
But these are usually rough hunts if you truly want to hunt above timberline. Very little cover for a stalk and very wary bucks.
Then on their page find the hunting statistics page. Look at the guide book to see the units that have a high country rifle hunt and then concentrate on those units by looking at the statistics page and see if they need points or can be drawn with 0. I believe that most will require at least 1 or 2 points for the non resident tag in these units. But I am also sure that there are some that might not require any such as unit 36 which is north of I-70 and the town of Vail.
But these are usually rough hunts if you truly want to hunt above timberline. Very little cover for a stalk and very wary bucks.
dirtytough
Member
Colorado has plenty of units you can draw for high country archery with zero points. I would look at units that don't have an early high country rifle hunt in them since those early rifle hunts can really put a dent in the top end bucks in those areas. Go and look at the draw statistics on the Colorado parks and wildlife and/or toprut. Figure out the units you have a chance to draw with zero points. Then once you have a list of units you can draw narrow it down to a couple that look like they have the country you want to hunt. Once you get it narrowed down to a handful of units maybe ask about those specific units. Good luck
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
I would not discount units with high Country rifle tags. Those tag numbers are low and they are in place because the unit can produce nice deer.
dirtytough
Member
I agree they can produce nice deer. I know of a couple over 200” killed on early rifle hunts this year. But that’s my point. It’s one more rifle season the top end bucks have to make it through. And yea there are only 20-30 tags in most units. But if those guys spread out they could cover a lot of the good high country year after year. My thoughts are that a few great bucks get killed on each early rifle hunt every year.
With 8-10 great bucks killed in the last 4-5 years before he hunts there that’s a decent amount not available for him to go after. Besides the nice bucks that get killed a year or two before they can really mature by the rifle hunters. So if an early rifle hunt is good in one unit, the bordering unit without an early rifle hunt should hold even better bucks if terrain etc is the same.
Anyway that’s how I look at it if I’m looking at archery hunts. Not super scientific but in my mind it seems to make sense.
With 8-10 great bucks killed in the last 4-5 years before he hunts there that’s a decent amount not available for him to go after. Besides the nice bucks that get killed a year or two before they can really mature by the rifle hunters. So if an early rifle hunt is good in one unit, the bordering unit without an early rifle hunt should hold even better bucks if terrain etc is the same.
Anyway that’s how I look at it if I’m looking at archery hunts. Not super scientific but in my mind it seems to make sense.
Are most areas public or private. I know it depends on the unit. But I am asking in general. Also I am wondering if it is tough to get onto private land. I am a dairy farmer in NE and we are basically all private. Is the public land in colorado good? In NE you have to WORK to find good deer on public land. Finally how do I know where the high country deer will hold. The summer ranges on the maps are huge for mule deer not he CWP maps. Is this basically any unit with a early archery season? I also want to take a second for the information and help you guys give. Its a great culture for a young hunter like myself. Appreciated!
JimP
Administrator
90% of the land on a high country hunt is going to be National Forest and you won't have to deal with any private.
But I need to ask a question, what do you consider a high country hunt? Is it one above timberline or above 10,000', there is a difference.
As for where they will hold it is going to be different in different areas. There are patchworks of trees and bushes that they will hang around above treeline. And there isn't a early archery hunt. They all start the last Saturday in August usually.
But I need to ask a question, what do you consider a high country hunt? Is it one above timberline or above 10,000', there is a difference.
As for where they will hold it is going to be different in different areas. There are patchworks of trees and bushes that they will hang around above treeline. And there isn't a early archery hunt. They all start the last Saturday in August usually.
Slugz
Veteran member
Gotta ask. What hunts are you finding that you can go early season high country ( above timberline) archery mule deer hunting in Colorado with zero points ? Or are you talking about any hunt say above 6000' as being a high country hunt?
dirtytough
Member
Last I looked 18, 75, 77, 70, 53. I’m sure I missed some also. None of those have an early rifle hunt in them that I’m aware of. And of course a guy could draw some of the units archery with zero points that have early rifle hunts as well. And yes I did mean an actual above timberline hunt.
Regards
Regards
Thomas11
Member
There are a ton of early high country archery units that can be drawn w 0 points. I would even look to some of the muzzy tags honestly.
hoshour
Veteran member
If you look closely, there's even an early season rifle hunt in a unit with lots of terrain above timberline that has been available as a second choice.