High Country Muleys??

[hubba20]

Seems like it's been a slow year...? Maybe I haven't spent as much time on here and I've missed everything!? Any good bucks killed in the high country during archery/muzzy seasons? I'm planning on hunting 55 or 54 archery next year and just wanting to know if it's still doing well!?

 

[BOHNTR]

55 & 54 (CO) are still recovering from the 07/08 winter-kill, IMO.......and may never get back to what it once was. The Southwestern units and the Sangres are doing far better, IMO.

 

[hubba20]

Thanks for the reply! Well right now my bro and I have 3 points for deer and we are wanting to do high country Muleys next year. we actually drew 55 this year but turned the tag in because of the elk tag I got. I you think it would be smarter to put in for a different unit?

 

[BleuBijou]

I hunted 55 2nd season and passed on half dozen or so 140-160 class bucks. I saw 2 in the high 160's. Heard from a guy who said he saw a real nice 185 class buck in the lower parts of the unit. Give it a few years. There are still big deer there, just harder to find.

 

[hoshour]

The drought was really hard on antler growth in CO this year so it is hard telling.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Down here in the SW part of the state, I have not seen any real big bucks this year. Just average. Come the end of the month when the rut starts, should get a better idea of this year.

 

[BleuBijou]

If you go to the Division web site they had a mandatory tooth aging program for Gunnison area. You can see last year there were 8,9 and 10 year old deer taken. Just few and far between.

 

[jgriffin82]

My self and two others killed good bucks second season 67. Two other guys in our party had OTC Elk in 54 2nd season. We helped them out after we killed our bucks the first and second days of the season. We didn't see many bucks in 54, but I did see one of the largest bucks I have ever seen on the hoof in 54. We were glassing a clearing near South Baldy mountain near dusk and we thought what we were seeing was a small Bull. Then we thought it was a moose because of its dark color. Finally it stepped away from the timber into the snow and looked straight at us. It was a bit over 1000 yards out and we were able to look at it for about 30 minutes. It would go well over 30" wide. It was a 5x4 that was probably close to 5"-6" outside the ears. We are thinking about getting 2nd season elk and deer there in the future.

 

[hubba20]

Any updates on the high country muleys? Still planning on putting in for 55 and 54 archery deer. Can anyone give me a reason to put in for a different area that's been doing better? Sangres maybe??

 

[mt-mike]

My self and two others killed good bucks second season 67. Two other guys in our party had OTC Elk in 54 2nd season. We helped them out after we killed our bucks the first and second days of the season.......

Did you get these bucks in the high country? How about pictures?

 

[BOHNTR]

Any updates on the high country muleys? Still planning on putting in for 55 and 54 archery deer. Can anyone give me a reason to put in for a different area that's been doing better? Sangres maybe??

Well, I've bowhunted them all over the years. I physically scouted the Gunnison Basin units in 2012 and actually set foot in the units..........not just repeated what some others say or reading regurgitated MRS info. The "reason" I can give you is the same as I wrote earlier......the herd has been very slow to rebound after the 07/08 winter kill. It is a long way from what it was and will probably never get back to that level. Does that mean there are no nice bucks in those units? Absolutely not. However the deer population as a whole has been devastated....remember, this herd lost nearly 70% of their over numbers.

I can tell you when I hiked into a few honey hole drainages above timberline in those units I was astonished. In large basins I would traditionally see 20-40 bucks I found only 3 does. This was common on all of the drainages I checked that historically held a lot of deer prior to the winter kill. The entire backpacking trip I saw one good buck (180") and four medium sized bucks (155-160" class). You could see a decent buck, but there are far better ranges with a higher deer population to increase success for archers, IMO.

 

[goindeep]

I would wait this winter out before deciding on a unit.

 

[Musket Man]

3 does where there used to be 20-40 bucks doesnt sound very good at all. I am thinking about a muzzle loader hunt in the next year or 2 and have been considering 54 or 67 but havent decided yet.

 

[hubba20]

Ya the way its going so far this winter, all the deer may be dead by next year lol.
According to the MRS, the Sangres aren't in their top 10 or whatever it is. Do you think that area is worth it BOHNTR? The Sangres are units 83, 85, 851 right?
I've got 3 NR PP so I can get 55 or 54 without too much trouble. The Sangres and some of the southwestern units like 66 and 67 may be a little tougher though. I REALLYYY want to hunt high country mulies next year in CO, I've been wanting to for too long now. So I'm just looking for the best bang for my buck. As long as I'm seeing some good 170"+ bucks during the hunt with lots of P&Y bucks, that's perfect for me.

 

[jgriffin82]

Did you get these bucks in the high country? How about pictures?

I was saving my points for the 3rd season 67 hunt. After waiting seven years I said to hell with it. I didn't want to wait any longer. We aren't trophy hunters. We like to kill respectable, mature animals, but in the end, size is only second to the experience. After what we saw in 54, we are going to give it a try in a couple of years. I'd rather hunt a decent zone every couple of years than a great zone every 7-8.

I don't take many pics. My buddies always have the cameras. This makes it difficult to get pics when I want them. I'll post the bull pic as soon as I can get it. It was a nice 6x6 on the opener of the 2nd season in 54. We killed our bucks in the sage country in 67. The bull was killed around 10,000'.

 

[Musket Man]

Nice bucks! Is alot of 67 open sage country like in your pic?

 

[mt-mike]

Thanks, jgriffin82. Nothing wrong with those bucks! Interesting that they were low down in the open country like that so early in the fall. Congrats to both of you for taking a pair of real nice bucks!

 

[jgriffin82]

Thanks guys. The western part of the unit is mostly sage country. I don't have experience towards the eastern part of the unit. Looking at maps and Google earth, it seems like it is higher elevation, forested country. Someone else can chime in with first hand experience. The buck that my daughter is holding was with a group of about 25 deer. At least half were does. There was a much larger buck in that group that popped up after the shot. I don't know how to score a buck in inches, but it would have gone 26"-28" wide, very tall and heavy too.

 

[Musket Man]

Thanks for the info! Did you see many deer? From the research I have done 67 seems to have fairly diverse country in it which is alot of why it interests me since it gives some options on where to hunt. Im always kind of in a toss up, I love hunting high country and some of my best hunts have been in it even though it has mostly ended with tag soup, but I have been the most successful and killed my biggest buck in lower more open country. I want to hunt the muzzle loader season but I will probabally need 1 more point to draw it.

 

[In God We Trust]

Nice bucks, nothing wrong with those.