Colorado Mule Deer unit 66

[JPSeveland]

4th season in this area is the best tag in the state my opinion. You should not have a problem with public land here. For you to get on private will cost a ton of money and would pry be cheaper to go with an outfitter. In 07 i guided the 4th season land owner voucher and he paid 25,000 for it not including outfitter prices these people now how much they can get away with here. As long as the weather does not kill of the deer hurd again i think it would be a great hunt for a 190 class buck but plan extra time to scout at least 5 days before the opener.

 

[HiMtnHnter]

4th season in this area is the best tag in the state my opinion. You should not have a problem with public land here. For you to get on private will cost a ton of money and would pry be cheaper to go with an outfitter. In 07 i guided the 4th season land owner voucher and he paid 25,000 for it not including outfitter prices these people now how much they can get away with here. As long as the weather does not kill of the deer hurd again i think it would be a great hunt for a 190 class buck but plan extra time to scout at least 5 days before the opener.

JP, how long has it been since you've hunted/guided there? Just curious.

 

[JPSeveland]

07 was the last year i guided there

 

[HiMtnHnter]

07 was the last year i guided there

I bet it was awesome then. . . The deer herd is a fraction of those pre-2008 numbers, and it never will be that way again. The CPW concedes that deer numbers were too high for the carrying capacity of the severe winter range. Lucky for guys who got to hunt those years the deer flew buy several easy winters, which grew a fantastic trophy herd.

There is still good trophy potential there, but prospective hunters should know that the situation is different.

 

[Ridn9high]

Hunted 66 this past season. Fun hunt

 

[packmule]

I bet it was awesome then. . . The deer herd is a fraction of those pre-2008 numbers, and it never will be that way again. The CPW concedes that deer numbers were too high for the carrying capacity of the severe winter range. Lucky for guys who got to hunt those years the deer flew buy several easy winters, which grew a fantastic trophy herd.

There is still good trophy potential there, but prospective hunters should know that the situation is different.

A lot of deer, a lot dead under the snow around the feed sites from before they started feeding. There still weren't 190 deer all over the place, but there were more than there is now just from quantity of bucks produced. Back then, a lot of what folks were calling 180s were just good 165-170" bucks. But there was definitely a lot of deer. Watching the area rebound has been fun. Genetics to produce those big deer are still there though, they just have to be able to get some age on them. It doesn't take but a 3 or 4yo deer to get it done.

 

[JPSeveland]

I did make a call to an old friend in lake city and said they have alot of snow but with the warmer weather has helped alot. There is till alot of wind swept ridges and lots of feed as of now but if they get a really heavy snow threw march it could change things drasticly.