Just got back in CONUS tonight 15th. My son has been glassing and he said the heat has them spread out. The small resident herds are even scattered. I drive out to meet him in the am so hopefully he can wait to shoot one with me!
Western Colorado 4th Season Report
- Thread starter Slugz
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Colorado T
Active Member
Good luck!! The warm weather definitely had them spread out, but they are there. Like CC said, a storm front is supposed to be moving in to western Colorado today and bring a fair amount of snow. Already clouding up here in Vail.
Alaskabound2016
Active Member
I made a point of eating at the Shooters Grill in rifle on my last trip to Co. It was great! Big time second amendment supporters!
ElkTrout
Veteran member
Good luck! 3rd season was rough! Hopefully you can get it done with a little help from this small weather change! Keep us posted!!
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Got this morning at 6 AM, let the dog out and windy/cold outside. Very cloudy. 7AM...total whiteout and about 1/2 snow on the ground. I live at 6800', so I'm sure the mts are getting it BIG TIME!
Colorado T
Active Member
Good to know it is starting down South. I am here in Vail and it is partly cloudy but really is not that cold yet.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Suns out now, but cold & windy. Typical storm front weather. Looks like we will be getting snow off & on all day.
gypsumreaper
Active Member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 308
- 0
15 minute change this morning, and still coming down here in Redstone, CO
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JimP
Administrator
Well, the snowstorm is finished around Gypsum 30 miles west of Vail. For a while I actually thought that we might get some on the ground but no such luck. As I sit here I can look out my kitchen window and towards the west onto Red Hill at about 7000' elevation and all it has on it is a dusting of snow that will quickly disappear.
Hopefully the southern half of the state got a lot more, we need it.
Hopefully the southern half of the state got a lot more, we need it.
gypsumreaper
Active Member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 308
- 0
Jim I lived in gypsum for 18 years, I can't remember the last time we didn't have snow this late in Gypsum. I heard its really throwing the deer for a loop.
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JimP
Administrator
We have had quite a few years that I remember in the 30 that I have lived here that the first real snow didn't happen until after Thanksgiving. However we always had snow up high on Red Table and Hardsgravel before now. This year it waited until today. But Red Table has had a little up there.
It's just a strange weather year. Yesterday I was outside in a heatwave and today I put a jacket on to cook a steak on the BBQ. You just never know.
It's just a strange weather year. Yesterday I was outside in a heatwave and today I put a jacket on to cook a steak on the BBQ. You just never know.
Heat to cold to blizzard to bluebird sky to blustery. That was the weather in a nut shell. Just got back to the barn. Short of it was my son knocked down a cow 4 hours into the start of the snow storm and I helped a friend of mine get his first bull, real nice average 6x6. Will post the story and pics Sunday.
ElkTrout
Veteran member
Awesome Slugz! Glad you made it out safe! Can't wait to hear all about it!
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sheephunter
Active Member
I was on the southeastern part of Red Table all day Thursday and it was dangerous hunting; we really should have hunkered down and stayed in camp. It dropped about 6" but with the wind some areas had more or less. In 3 days of hunting 2 of us never cut an elk track. The day after the storm we did see lots of deer tracks and saw one nice buck (alas, we had no deer tag). We talked to a few other hunters and everyone was like us, never cut an elk track.
Can't wait to try again next year!!
Can't wait to try again next year!!
JimP
Administrator
The elk in that area have learned to head to the private property down lower and to the golf courses where the feed is a lot better.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
We just finished a 3rd (wife's tag) and 4th season (mine) deer hunt on the same unit. After very tough hunting conditions, I nearly left after day three of the 4th season after hunting the one prime day after the snow to no avail. I didn't want any regrets, so I was the last one off the mountain I was hunting the last day of the season (last night). I worked my tail off and am exhausted this morning. Glassed up hundreds of deer. Most large groups of does were being trailed by two year old fork horns and three points. I saw only one seriously rutting buck, a large fork horn, while still hunting through some PJs. That was on Thursday when it was snowing.
In total, we saw one true trophy buck on private and we sat on the does as the came onto public but he was never interested enough to follow. Other than that we saw two 150-160 class bucks, a guy packing out a very nice five point yesterday (last day), and a bunch of 2-3 year old bucks. Groups of 10 to 15 does would have a fork horn, three point or tiny four point following them. Everyone said "you should have been here last year". Everyone I talked to was struggling this year. Goes to show you weather takes precedence over this year's late season dates. Hunting higher may have helped but my research had all been on the lower country.
In the future, even on years with great dates, I think I will lean to a year with a dark moon. The full moon late in the 3rd season combined with the weather made for little happening on evening hunts since the deer weren't moving until last light.
In total, we saw one true trophy buck on private and we sat on the does as the came onto public but he was never interested enough to follow. Other than that we saw two 150-160 class bucks, a guy packing out a very nice five point yesterday (last day), and a bunch of 2-3 year old bucks. Groups of 10 to 15 does would have a fork horn, three point or tiny four point following them. Everyone said "you should have been here last year". Everyone I talked to was struggling this year. Goes to show you weather takes precedence over this year's late season dates. Hunting higher may have helped but my research had all been on the lower country.
In the future, even on years with great dates, I think I will lean to a year with a dark moon. The full moon late in the 3rd season combined with the weather made for little happening on evening hunts since the deer weren't moving until last light.
Last edited:
MuleyHunter
Active Member
Jim,
Sorry to hear that.... I was expecting something very large from one of you this year (either your wife or you). It was very tough hunting for sure this year as I was expecting something big even during the 2nd season.
Quinton
Sorry to hear that.... I was expecting something very large from one of you this year (either your wife or you). It was very tough hunting for sure this year as I was expecting something big even during the 2nd season.
Quinton