Unit Strategy

[arwaterfowler]

So...I've been thinking of changing my draw strategy in Colorado. I've been applying for elk and mule deer in different units. This year I am considering applying for archery tags for both in the same unit. Sometimes I think it would be better (and easier) to stay in one unit from a scouting and familiarity perspective. It may eventually help cut down on one summertime scouting trip and give me an opportunity to do more scouting for units in other states. Anybody else do this? Thoughts?


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[packmule]

My opinion is to stick to one species per hunt/season. Less stressful and you can make the most of both tags.

 

[JEandAsGuide]

When I head west I usually try to grab some leftover tags along with whatever I draw just to make the trip a little more worth while. I wouldn't burn points on 2 different species and try to hunt them together but I think hunting mule deer and elk in the same unit would help. Just not the same year. I will probably do this in CO in the future. Probably something like an OTC elk hunt one year, then burn my elk points on a muzzy or 1st season tag in the same unit, and then burn my mule deer points in the same unit another year. Some people may not like this but I don't really have the time or vacation hours to making scouting trips out west, although I would love to. When I take vacation to go, I want to hunt and hunting multiple species in the same unit is how I plan to scout for the other species.

 

[NDHunter]

As long as it is a decent unit for both, it wouldn't be a bad idea. If you go into a marginal unit for deer though with the intent on scouting it for elk, you might have a really crappy deer hunt and feel like you wasted your time deer hunting.

 

[arwaterfowler]

I here ya. If I do this, I am planning on drawing different years and it would be a unit that is better for deer quality than elk quality.


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[packmule]

As long as it is a decent unit for both, it wouldn't be a bad idea. If you go into a marginal unit for deer though with the intent on scouting it for elk, you might have a really crappy deer hunt and feel like you wasted your time deer hunting.

That could be the case in a unit with exceptional deer hunting also. See a lot of folks comment about not seeing many deer during their elk hunts and vice versa.

 

[JPSeveland]

How many points do you have for elk and deer? I feel that area 66 and 67 you could be very succesful in these units if you wanted to hunt deer and elk at the same time 66 takes 4 years for archery elk and 5 years for archery deer 67 takes 1 for deer and 3 elk

 

[hoshour]

The way I read his post is that he is not necessarily hunting both deer and elk at the same time but doing two separate hunts in the same unit. He's just wanting to stick to the same unit so he cuts down on scouting time and gets to know the unit better.

If that's the case and the unit is good for both species, that's not a bad idea. However, the best parts of the unit for deer are unlikely to be the best parts of the unit for elk, so the time spent scouting may not be cut in half.

 

[arwaterfowler]

How many points do you have for elk and deer? I feel that area 66 and 67 you could be very succesful in these units if you wanted to hunt deer and elk at the same time 66 takes 4 years for archery elk and 5 years for archery deer 67 takes 1 for deer and 3 elk

I'm at 5 points for both. 66 and 67 are two of the 5 units I am considering. Thanks for the suggestion.


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[packmule]

In those 2 I'd hunt deer first and look for pockets of lower elevation elk. That time of year you can find deer in the high country, but finding something special can be like pulling that needle out of a haystack.