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Anybody Hunt High Country early Season rifle Mule Deer in CO?

If yes or you know someone who has and shared there experience with you - Can you describe the hunting experience with this type of early high country hunt for mule deer in Colorado?

The Good the Bad and the Ugly.GBU

Thanks


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Originally Posted by badaboom
Anybody Hunt High Country early Season rifle Mule Deer in CO?

If yes or you know someone who has and shared there experience with you - Can you describe the hunting experience with this type of early high country hunt for mule deer in Colorado?

The Good the Bad and the Ugly.GBU

Thanks


Start scouting in late July and try to find the buck you want before the season opens. They are easy to pattern and really predictable as long as they aren't bumped from their basin. I like to get high and glass for miles and keep looking for bachelor groups.

Don't start in June as the deer tend to "follow the green". You will see a fairly distinct line of green on the hill and they will be at that line and below. I am sure that some deer don't make it to the high country until sometimes mid to late July depending on the previous years snow so scouting too early can be a waste of time. The most fun time of this hunt is the scouting IMO and if I had a rifle tag my goal would be to tag out on opening day with the best buck I could find in the unit

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It is a great time hunting. Different than most other hunting.
I suggest reading "Hunting High Country Mule Deer" by Mike Eastman. Get in shape. Plan on going in far enough to leave the daily archers and muzzleloaders behind.
I have gone into the Maroon Bells WA twice for the early hunt.
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Been reading over - Public land Mulies David W. Long


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Originally Posted by michiganroadkill
It is a great time hunting. Different than most other hunting.
I suggest reading "Hunting High Country Mule Deer" by Mike Eastman. Get in shape. Plan on going in far enough to leave the daily archers and muzzleloaders behind.
I have gone into the Maroon Bells WA twice for the early hunt.
Tim


Sometimes you don't have to go very far to find what you want. I see places overlooked all the time because it's close to an access point

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I used to enjoy doing it in the San Juans in Colorado--too old, now. As was said, the deer are in bachelor groups and, IME, it's generally a long ways between groups. The country is beautiful, but late summer thunderstorms occur almost every afternoon. You have to pay attention to the weather because these are always accompanied by lots of lightning. We never encountered other hunters. However, several times over the years, wilderness pack trip groups set up large camps near us, moving deer that we had patterned completely out of the area.


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Originally Posted by huntsonora
Sometimes you don't have to go very far to find what you want. I see places overlooked all the time because it's close to an access point
No doubt you are right, but for us, the thrill was getting back in where we thought no one else would be. I still miss the experience of the times that we hit it right!


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I've been in the Holy Cross Wilderness twice on the early deer season. I went in from Hwy 70 Glenwood Springs.

Your going in start of 2nd week archery season and second time I got tag had outfitter take me in on drop camp. Your tag is for the wilderness, archery deer tag is for whole unit got 3 units Holy Cross plus archery elk.

Well good luck


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What did you see? How did your trips go? units 45,44,444?
Since you went archery pretty much September...

Quote
I went in from Hwy 70 Glenwood Springs.

Holy cross is farther east...from Glenwood Spgs and I-70.
More like Edwards...?

Last edited by badaboom; 04/08/14.

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Originally Posted by roper
I've been in the Holy Cross Wilderness twice on the early deer season. I went in from Hwy 70 Glenwood Springs.

Your going in start of 2nd week archery season and second time I got tag had outfitter take me in on drop camp. Your tag is for the wilderness, archery deer tag is for whole unit got 3 units Holy Cross plus archery elk.

Well good luck


Roper, you need to type more. wink


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Originally Posted by badaboom
What did you see? How did your trips go? units 45,44,444?
Since you went archery pretty much September...

Quote
I went in from Hwy 70 Glenwood Springs.

Holy cross is farther east...from Glenwood Spgs and I-70.
More like Edwards...?


You got lot of questions.

Glenwood Springs Hwy 82 to Basalt and turn off to Ruedi Res that along Fryingpan River. Pass res need a map get you into Holy Cross.

Edward,Eagle,Hwy 24 have access to the Holy Cross.


Last edited by roper; 04/09/14.

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Oh, I hear you. I have never accessed HCW from the Ruedi Res and Fryingpan River side.


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Hey there, Mr Sonora (Drummond Lindsey) ....

What about that Wyoming shed antler? Isn't that just like TOTALLY awesome? Gee whiz, a 320 (+/-) mule deer shed? How do they go about determining the inside spread credit for something like that, or do they just credit a standard 20 inches? Even still, that's e hell of a shed antlered buck, eh???? Gosh and all these years in someone's barn?!!! Makes one wonder about all those bucks in Paonia's barns.

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Aside from the Wyoming shed antler I was asking Drew about .....

Nothing like picking up those Unit 70 tags. Although, I have a hard-on for the Unit 62 tags. Thing is -- going remote. So, don't forget about Unit 40, either.

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I have hunted two early hunts, both in the Rawah wilderness. The hunt was limited to the wilderness area or above 10,000ft.

I started scouting for both hunts in late July and right through early August. The deer were there but many high basins that looked like ideal habitat were just empty. so just going in cold w/o scouting is going to be a crap shoot. A lot of great country that just does not hold deer. Because it was pretty warm the deer would be out for just a short while and then usually bed. Ditto on the evening. On bright days they were usually not out until it was pretty late. Most of the areas required me to stay overnite due to the distance walking in. If I did walk in there would be a long walk out in the dark.

Thunderstorms are almost a given every afternoon with hail, lightning, and heavy winds and downpours. Choose your camping spot carefully.
Your spotting scope and binoc's are your friends. I usually glassed from a high ridge where sometimes I could move just a little and glass 3 different basins without going into them and spooking deer.. The deer are usually not spooked and often in small bachelor groups of bucks. It is a beautiful time to be in the high country. I never saw another person on any of my hunts.
Once I located a buck I often stashed some supplies/freeze dried food etc. So I could stay a while during the hunt without a really heavy pack in.

I took two nice deer that unfortunately burned up in the high park fire with my house two years ago. Not monsters but mature high country bucks.
Sept is a great time to be in the high country.

I have 4 preference points so with any luck I will be up there this year.

Have fun!

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Originally Posted by Maverick940
Hey there, Mr Sonora (Drummond Lindsey) ....

What about that Wyoming shed antler? Isn't that just like TOTALLY awesome? Gee whiz, a 320 (+/-) mule deer shed? How do they go about determining the inside spread credit for something like that, or do they just credit a standard 20 inches? Even still, that's e hell of a shed antlered buck, eh???? Gosh and all these years in someone's barn?!!! Makes one wonder about all those bucks in Paonia's barns.


Its a hell of a deer for sure. I remember 20 years ago when big sheds and dead heads were all over houses and barns all over the west and slowly they get bought or stolen so its nice to see a giant from the old days show up from time to time

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Originally Posted by huntsonora
Originally Posted by Maverick940
Hey there, Mr Sonora (Drummond Lindsey) ....

What about that Wyoming shed antler? Isn't that just like TOTALLY awesome? Gee whiz, a 320 (+/-) mule deer shed? How do they go about determining the inside spread credit for something like that, or do they just credit a standard 20 inches? Even still, that's e hell of a shed antlered buck, eh???? Gosh and all these years in someone's barn?!!! Makes one wonder about all those bucks in Paonia's barns.


Its a hell of a deer for sure. I remember 20 years ago when big sheds and dead heads were all over houses and barns all over the west and slowly they get bought or stolen so its nice to see a giant from the old days show up from time to time



Yeah, like Kirt Darner. Hell, back in the early-to-mid seventies I was humping Kelso and Dominguez up-and-down-and-crosswise and then ten years later, Kirt was trying to tell everyone that he was, "the man". Yeah, uh huh ......




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I've killed a couple nice bucks in the 1st rifle deer season at around 10k, so not real high. They usually aren't bothering the does much at that time, so find the feed. If you find a bunch of does, the bucks are probably near as they'll be feeding on the same.

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The only thing I'd add is pay attention to the season dates. Some units are early in September and the bucks haven't lost their velvet and will be spending more time in the open. The units that have later seasons the bucks have lost or are losing their velvet and spend a lot less time in the open. They are still up high in the same spots but they start spending more time in the timber at treeline and less time out and about once that velvet has shed. Just some generalizations from my limited experience, ymmv.

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Originally Posted by PitkinCO
The only thing I'd add is pay attention to the season dates. Some units are early in September and the bucks haven't lost their velvet and will be spending more time in the open. The units that have later seasons the bucks have lost or are losing their velvet and spend a lot less time in the open. They are still up high in the same spots but they start spending more time in the timber at treeline and less time out and about once that velvet has shed. Just some generalizations from my limited experience, ymmv.


Its spot on advice

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