Where do you find giant summer time mule deer?

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
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Gypsum, Co
Sounds like Notellum drainage to me.
I had a person ask where I shot my coues that is in my avatar. I told him on Redemption Hill. A couple of weeks later he got back to me and told me that he couldn't find it. I told him that it was certainly there and that he just needed to look harder.

I named that hill Redemption Hill because the year before I took a shot at the same buck I believe from the same hill and almost from the same spot, but that year I hit him. I said that it was Redemption Hill because I got the second chance at him..and took it.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
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idaho
some 40 years ago a dude named fred died in his camper from his propane system malfunctioning. ever since we call that site dead fred. won't find it on a map but all my hunting buddies know where it is.
 

ColoradoV

Very Active Member
Oct 4, 2011
797
818
Just read it good article and info. Yea I run into guys on trail or hills that gasp about how I can carry a 85mm Zeiss, along with 15 swaros, my 10z and a light weight chair all summer.. Well there is a reason.

Funny about names of places on a map vs the "real" names we give them.. Living in a small town only our family knows the "wood pile road", "dead Coors basin", or "shortcut basin" among others. Coded names allows you to talk and not give the spots away lol.. It is a true story but I did not know the real names of many places until after high school as there was no real need.

How I find not only big bucks but giants is time and effort.. So far this year have put in over 10 days out looking and have seen/cataloged over 100 bucks so far. Usually on average I find a real solid buck (190") for every 100 I see this year seeing a couple that are pry close to that 190" range but no real giants yet. My giant ratio is getting to be 150-200 to 1.... Just something to think about.

The process of the yearly cataloging of deer w video - year to year is invaluable in this process. Last year I looked over just over 300 bucks (found 2 to hunt) in 18 not as many or 280 but found a unicorn early - in 2017 I was over the 300 mark and did not even find a buck large enough to put a stalk on. 2016 was good over 330 bucks and I got a buck over 200" after finding 3 to hunt.. Also I am lucky to live close to or in some of the best high country deer terrain in the world. To bad it is 6 or so units as sometimes finding the tag once you find the buck is the kicker..
 
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Bonecollector

Veteran member
Mar 9, 2014
5,852
3,656
Ohio
Just read it good article and info. Yea I run into guys on trail or hills that gasp about how I can carry a 85mm Zeiss, along with 15 swaros, my 10z and a light weight chair all summer.. Well there is a reason.

Funny about names of places on a map vs the "real" names we give them.. Living in a small town only our family knows the "wood pile road", "dead Coors basin", or "shortcut basin" among others. Coded names allows you to talk and not give the spots away lol.. It is a true story but I did not know the real names of many places until after high school as there was no real need.

How I find not only big bucks but giants is time and effort.. So far this year have put in over 10 days out looking and have seen/cataloged over 100 bucks so far. Usually on average I find a real solid buck (190") for every 100 I see this year seeing a couple that are pry close to that 190" range but no real giants yet. My giant ratio is getting to be 150-200 to 1.... Just something to think about.

The process of the yearly cataloging of deer w video - year to year is invaluable in this process. Last year I looked over just over 300 bucks (found 2 to hunt) in 18 not as many or 280 but found a unicorn early - in 2017 I was over the 300 mark and did not even find a buck large enough to put a stalk on. 2016 was good over 330 bucks and I got a buck over 200" after finding 3 to hunt.. Also I am lucky to live close to or in some of the best high country deer terrain in the world. To bad it is 6 or so units as sometimes finding the tag once you find the buck is the kicker..
Similar process here with white tails. And I agree on having the right tools. That’s why I now carry the ATX85. 👍