What hunt would you burn your points on in Colorado?

[MountainHigh]

Well it is that time of year again and wanting to pick all of your brains while this is all fresh in your minds, I will be sitting on 17 points as a resident after the 2017 draw going into 2018 application process. I have been dreaming of a great mule deer hunt for well 17 years. My goal would be to kill a 180" or better buck. I will be to busy this year to apply but I am planning for 2018.

There are so many options out there, I would really love to archery hunt but having that many points tends to create a lot of pressure to be successful so may burn points on a rifle hunt then start over for archery after that. Honestly I have dreamed of killing a giant typical buck since I was a kid and due to such a busy hunt schedule helping friends and family over the years I have found myself with so many points. I wanted to ask others on here with the vast base of knowledge what you would all do if you were in my shoes? I am 36 yrs old and fully capable of getting it done in any terrain. My work schedule gives me quite a bit of free time in September but super busy the rest of the summer before that. I also have time in November as well. This sets me up for either an early or late hunt opportunity.

With that being said I have heard good things about late rifle 21 and 44, but have not been to either unit. Helped my dad kill a great buck in unit 2 a couple of years ago but numbers were down and I was not super impressed with the unit at that time, but still could be a good choice now. Also heard 61 can be great but hard to hunt, I will be there helping my dad elk muzzy hunt this year so I will be getting a feel for what it has to offer. I know there are some great early rifle opportunities up high in the wilderness areas as well (74, 36 and 43). Typically I am extremely busy all summer working in the agriculture industry which eats up most of what would be the good scouting time of the year. Any other areas I should be considering or learning in preparation for what I hope to be a hunt of a lifetime for me!

Thanks for any input and help and good luck to all of you in this year's draw and your hunting adventures!

 

[JimP]

With that many points and with you being a resident you should know what unit you would like to hunt.

I had 17 deer points back in 2012 and knew what unit I wanted to hunt and what season I wanted from the time that I had 12 or 13 points. I was then able to learn the unit and see what was in it before I burned my points on a unit that I didn't know anything about.

I did the same thing with my 17 elk points. I scouted out the unit that I wanted to hunt for 3 or 4 years before I actually put in for the tag.

Scouting time can be anytime that you have enough time to drive out to the unit. In the winter you can hit the units you are looking at and see what it has to offer if you are looking for a 190" buck. Take a look at them when they are down low and accessible, then all you need to do is figure out where they will be at during the season you plan on hunting. And if you plan on hunting a late season they will be close to the same location that you see them at in December and January.

 

[MountainHigh]

JimP, Thanks for the advice. I am now a resident but grew up dreaming of hunting Colorado and started putting in for points when I graduated high school. Only being here a few years now I have not been able to learn as much of these units as I have wanted and that is another reason for not burning points yet.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

No substitute for scouting. I had 15 points for antelope (here in Colorado) and scouted a potential unit after talking to the local warden, in March. Saw what I wanted to see and used them on a great hunt.

Narrow your choices and start scouting.

 

[JimP]

44 is a good unit but you are going to have to know it to find a 190 buck, that and a lot of luck.

When I had my 44 late season buck tag some other people went into a area where a 195-210" buck was held up at. They either poached him or ran him out of the country. I settled for a heavy horned buck that goes around 175.

You also have to hope for weather of one kind or another. I was lucky and got 6" of snow at 7,000' and over a foot higher up which pushed them down a little bit lower.

21 is the same except that their late season is 3rd season and 9 days long which gives you more time to find them where 44 fourth season you only have 5 days.

I would still narrow it down to a couple of units and then start looking in them. You don't have to do boots on the ground but a drive through them this next hunting seasons should tell you a lot. If you want a 44 late then I would spend either the weekend before or the weekend after it starts. I'd do the same with 21. Then you should be better prepared for next year.

 

[MountainHigh]

JimP, That is what I was kinda thinking of trying to do this fall, thanks for the insight I really appreciate it.

 

[SouthForkguy]

Good luck. I'm hoping to draw 44 this year also

 

[fackelberry]

So in Colorado if you started buing points as a resident and move out of state, they will let you keep buying points as a non-resident i assume because they are the same price for residents as non-residents? Just have to pay higher tag fee and use more points presumably to draw the same season tag as a resident? Here in Wyoming if you bought points for moose and sheep as a resident, you better use them before you move out of state or they take them away when you become a non-resident. Same applys moving into the state if you had non-resident points for anything.

 

[MountainHigh]

Correct a preference point is a preference point in Colorado whether you are a resident or non resident.

 

[mallardsx2]

17 Points as a resident. I wish I had that opportunity. Thats a problem I would love to have.

 

[minn elk chaser]

I had 44 tag 4th season in 2016 so may be able to help you if that is what you do.

 

[MountainHigh]

minn elk chaser, I sent you a PM, thanks for the offer.

 

[bigmoose]

Elk chaser.... How was your hunt ? I know the first two seasons were hot and pretty much dry. Any weather on your hunt ?

 

[minn elk chaser]

It was very warm and dry during the 4th season in 2016. We had a couple of inches of snow on the 4th day of the hunt but it was above 9000 ft and didn't help for the hunt. We saw bucks each day and on the last evening of season I was able to take a great buck. Hard hunt but sometimes things work out.

 

[IndianRiverDTC]

I'm new to the Eastman's forum and relatively new to Colorado- I've been in the state 5 years. Last season I used my points to draw 44 during 2nd rifle for a buck. I previously hunted 2nd choice and leftover tags for deer in earlier seasons so I can't speak to the rut and prime late season experience; I can only say that the publicly available draw data and harvest success percentages that the CPW puts out will help you narrow things down immensely. I concur with all of the above regarding the importance of getting to know a unit with boots on the ground- consider picking up an OTC elk tag during 2nd or 3rd rifle this season and hit the hills. 44 and a few of the other great units are OTC for elk and would give you a peak at what to expect.

 

[MountainHigh]

IndianRiverDTC, I appreciate your input thanks a bunch and good luck with your hunting this year.

 

[IndianRiverDTC]

I hope you find a monster wherever you end up, MountainHigh! I plan on trying to get back into 44 myself on an OTC elk tag and maybe a muzzleloader tag the next couple of years to get to know it better while building points for deer... I'd be the first to acknowledge I've only scratched the surface after a few scouting trips and single hunt in the unit.

 

[gypsumreaper]

44 is a tough unit to hunt, very tough, I've spent 18 years in that unit, and I will say finding a 180" buck is harder than you think, even 4th season tags in there are not even close to a guarantee.

 

[CoHiCntry]

44 is a tough unit to hunt, very tough, I've spent 18 years in that unit, and I will say finding a 180" buck is harder than you think, even 4th season tags in there are not even close to a guarantee.

I appreciate posts like this keeping it real! Nothing in the mountains usually comes easy "the mountain's got it's own way's"...

 

[MountainHigh]

Gypsumreaper, That is for sure we had a heck of a time getting my dad a nice buck in the NW corner of the state, finally got it done on day 8, good thing we had a 9 day season!