Seeking info on some Colorado GMU's

[jaeger63]

Hello,
I'm a Colorado resident with 3 points for mule deer. I'm in the early stages of planning a 2016 2nd season rifle hunt. Since I don't hunt mulies very often I'm pretty much starting from scratch with my research. Having looked at the 2015 MRS for Colorado mule deer I thought that would be as good a place as any to start. Obviously I'll look at the 2016 MSR for CO when it becomes available for more up to date info. As of now I'd like to inquire about GMU's 67,551,55, and 40. If anyone would be willing to share any info or experience with these units I'd certainly be willing to share some info about my GMU 61 elk hunt if someone has there sights set on that. Thanks very much

 

[hoshour]

Man, you can sure tell it's coming into application season. All kinds of guys are showing up with almost no posts looking for advice on units.

You've got to become part of the family first and that takes a few dozen posts at least. It's not the Mafia, but...

Thanks for offering to share some info on elk. That's a start. You're on the track using the MRS. You've got time to help some other guys first before the CO deadline comes up

 

[cmbbulldog]

What are you looking for? expectation wise?

 

[jaeger63]

hoshour,
Not sure how to take your post. It certainly does not make me feel very welcome to this site. It's true I am new to this site but I'm certainly not new to hunting. I mostly bow hunt for whitetail and elk and frequent another hunting forum more related to archery. I have a lot of down time while deployed overseas for work and my favorite way to pass the time is by doing hunting research. I thought a different website would be fun for a change. I'm not asking for national security intelligence here. I simply stated that I would be willing to share some info if someone else would be willing to do the same. Simple as that. I do know how coveted a good hunting area is which is why I'm
certainly not expecting specifics such as grid coordinates or particular drainages but instead just some general info about what to expect in the area. I'll find the rest out myself by applying boot leather to the ground.

cmbbulldog,
Thanks for a post more worthy of a response. My expectations are the same for any hunt I go on. To first and foremost enjoy the great outdoors while I still have the health to do so. Every few years I like to lay down my bow and pick up my rifle to just change it up a little. I'd like to find an area that has good glassing terrain. An area with a well balanced herd and good genetics where a man may have a decent chance at a good buck if he's willing to work for it. I hesitate to confine myself with an inch of antler criteria. I would like to first spend a few days in an area and see what it could possibly offer in terms of trophy potential and then make that kind of decision. My best mulie buck so far is a 170 class that I took several years ago and I've not hunted them again since. I would hope to surpass that but certainly not a criteria for me to enjoy my hunt. Thanks again

 

[Slugz]

Jaeger,

Disregard the negativity. Its Xmas and people are cranky. Welcome to the site. Ton of info here with a lot of good people spread out over the country for info.

So just my 2 sense here so take it for what its worth. With 3 points I believe you are in the middle ground for picking GMUs to hunt. The typical better units are in the 6-8 range for points. That being said I don't save points and hunt mulies every 2-3 years 4th season almost exclusively. Plenty of good hunts, with a little snow and usually light pressure. I'm in it for the experience vice horn size. If your looking for horn size I'd hold your points and do some leftover tag hunts in preparation. I personally don't like the 2/3 season deer hunts due to multiple reasons and feel the high country early tags or 4th season tags offer a better opportunity.

My family and I focus yearly on elk archery then leftover hunt and late season hunt covering a good bit of ground in Colorado so i got a pretty good feel for what I see all over the state elk, deer and bear. We hunt deer every other year. I don't have any experience in the GMUs you mentioned. Id be happy to discuss further so PM me if you like.

All the best and Happy Holidays!!

 

[jaeger63]

slugz,
Thanks much for a very informative post. I may just elect to try and get a left over cow tag instead and just hold off on mulies a while longer. Happy Holidays to you as well!

 

[sodaksooner]

Don't know what it takes to draw 55, but we saw a decent buck or two while elk hunting, no monsters but one was north of 170". Wish they had early above timberline rifle in that unit....
I have heard that is a good deer unit overall, but just building NR points right now, so not really deeply into deer in CO yet.

 

[cmbbulldog]

I have an idea for you. Send me a PM and we can chat sometime.

 

[netagnetym]

I think points are more about quality of hunt and overall population numbers. It always comes down to learning the unit and finding the sweet spots no matter how many points it requires.
Quality of the hunt to me means being able to just hunt without competing with alot of other hunters.

good luck

 

[troybackman]

Don't waste your points on 2nd season. I did last fall in 67. Had a terrible hunt.

 

[JPSeveland]

I think the guys have covered some really good points so far. 67 is a great tag but would lean more toward 3rd rifle in this area my brother has a great friend down in area 55 that hunts/guides on the ranch and they shoot some great buck in that area and was currently looking into it there and had the oppurtunity to talk to him about the area. His exsperiance was 2nd season was by far the ruffest and hardest season to hunt there but it is doable. He preffered the 3rd and 4th season for more success and high numbers of sighting. Out of the areas you are looking into id lean more towards area 67 and would wait to draw 3rd rifle. The other thing you can do if you want to really learn the areas during the time of year and season you are wanting to hunt is scout during the season and maybe pick up a leftover tag for like a cow tag. I found this method to be very productive for me when i moved to wyoming two years ago from colorado.

 

[packmule]

Troy, If you don't mind me asking, what part of the unit did you hunt?

 

[Ridn9high]

67 is a good unit and 2nd season can be great if the weather is right. Hunted across the road from 67 this year during 2nd season and had a great hunt.

 

[hoshour]

hoshour,
Not sure how to take your post. It certainly does not make me feel very welcome to this site.

I meant it as advice, not a slam. Seldom do requests get much feedback when the poster has only a couple posts. You have gotten much more than most, probably partly because you offered to help on elk, which is the right spirit.

I guess I could have worded it better. Once you start reading my other posts, you'll see that I consistently try to be nice and helpful. Please accept my apology.

I like to see new people on here and am glad you're here. There are a lot of good people here. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

 

[troybackman]

Packmule. We hunted almost everywhere. Bead park, long park, soldier park, huntsman's mesa area. Pretty much everything north and west of sawtooth over to powderhorn. We prolly seen 15 -20 does a day but the bucks were not moving in daylight. We did see a good bachelor group after dark. I will be curious to see harvest reports.

 

[Hunteastwest]

I've been to unit 55 many times and I have been highly disappointed in the buck sightings in my last 3 trips there. I am beginning to do research for other units for both deer and elk.

The unit is decent, but point creep is getting bad and the tags aren't worth the points that are required to draw in my opinion.

I will be doing similar research for CO deer in the next few years as I have 9 deer points. I'm looking to draw a good muzzle loader or rifle tag with 10 to 12 points.

3 to 4 points should get you a decent tag, just be wary of public access and hunting pressure in the unit you pick.

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[packmule]

I had some folks hunting 55, 551 & 54 last year 2nd & 3rd and none of them were overly impressed with the units and will be returning to their normal units they hunt. They are units that you have to really know the deer and where to find the small pockets that hold older ones.

 

[packmule]

Packmule. We hunted almost everywhere. Bead park, long park, soldier park, huntsman's mesa area. Pretty much everything north and west of sawtooth over to powderhorn. We prolly seen 15 -20 does a day but the bucks were not moving in daylight. We did see a good bachelor group after dark. I will be curious to see harvest reports.

I was told there was a lot of cattle in a couple of those areas during 2nd. Folks in the normal group I hunt with filled all but 1 tag and the 1 tag holder that ate the tag was elk hunting in the areas you were in.

 

[hoshour]

With 3 points you have a 50/50 chance of drawing Unit 40 for muzzeloader. Second season only takes 1 point to draw and 3rd season takes 5.

You might take a look at units 11, 12, 35, 36, 411, 52, 521 and 62 for 3rd season.

 

[troybackman]

Packmule. We did notice quite a few cattle. Thought this was normal since it was the first time we been there. We must not know what we are doing then. It wasn't from lack of effort though, we trained for months and hunted hard. That's hunting though. It's too bad it kinda put a bad taste in my mouth for Colorado muleys. I still got 4 days in south dakota next week to try to stick one though