Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting NW CO Deer Herd Status?

Good morning all. After 20 yrs of banking, I finally decided to put in for a NW Colorado mulie tag (2nd Rifle, 201). There's still a couple of days before draw results are posted but my fingers are crossed, and based on last year's statistics, I should be in unless point creep went haywire. Although I am looking forward to the chance to draw and hunt this unit, I'm unsure of the status of the deer herd, given the hard winter of 16/17 and, I believe, chronic summer droughts. Is anybody locally familiar with the prognosis for this year's hunting conditions in the unit (on public land)? I've read that the herd has been down in recent years, but are things now worse? getting better? average? I'd like get my expectations in line as it's going to be a difficult challenge under the best of circumstances, given that I live in New Jersey which complicates scouting (i.e, I can't!) and this OIAL hunt will also be a true DIY as I won't have any partner. Finally, I'll only have a week to drive out (2,000+ miles each way), hunt, and drive back. My wife and friends think I'm nuts but I enjoy overcoming these obstacles. Since I have never bagged a mule deer, I am not at all worried about score, but do hope I'll be able to find deer and at least give myself a *chance* for a decent buck. ..... And yes, I know I am going to probably die a bit inside over some of the elk I will see (and likely never get to hunt in my lifetime) but at least it will keep things interesting! Thanks to anybody who can help, and good luck to everyone who is also waiting on the CO draw.

edit: I know it's impolite to not introduce yourself on a "first" post. I've actually been on here since about 2009, had some trouble with user ID or password in the past and seem to have created two accts. My other is "smcdonn". I'll have to choose one to delete. Anyhow, long time member, infrequent poster, occasional DIY elk or antelope hunter in addition to my native white-tails. I've had a few good hunts in WY and CO, and some less sucessful ones of course, and if I have a tip that would be helpful, I'm happy to share and I appreciate those who have shared advice with me.

Way way way down from peak. That being sad there’s good deer there, just not many. Friend shot a nice there one last year, I think it was 2nd season also.

Thanks. I was afraid that was the news. Obviously it has no bearing at this point on whether I draw this week and if I go (of course I would) but I suppose it is necessary to know the facts so that I can keep the meaning of hunting in perspective. I have waited 20 years... it doesn't matter what it was like 20 years ago... and I might not be here in 20 more. So no time like the present, and it will be what it will be, and from what I hear, it's fantastic country. And, like you said, still a nice deer or two.

Dare I ask what is the state of the antelope herd up in the NW? I have 20 PP for those and I fear nowhere worth spending them. When I started this endeavor, it was all about going elk hunting up there some day and I put in for deer and pronghorn just 'cause. I still have the old magazine articles that lit the fire/gave me the bug. But it seems more likely that I will have to abandon that plan and focus on a tier or two lower by the time I get enough pts, currently at 18 after "stupidly" using two on a tag in 1999. Then again, how stupid was it? It was a great hunt and I bagged a bull! I could have done that 9 more times rather than bank these pts, but a dream is a dream is a dream....

edit: Draw update 6/5/18 - DM201O2R confirmed. I'll be chasing mulies.

My dad and I have spent time hunting unit 3/301 some the last few years, and last year my dad got a buck, but we noticed that the overall deer numbers seemed lower than prior years. Spots I had always seen deer in were empty, so we had to explore more areasof the unit, but as been said, there are deer, just not the numbers we have been used to.

Is your tag a 2/201 or strictly 201? I hunt 3/301 because I can get those tags but I'm very familiar with NWCO terrain. High point glassing of the sagebrush basins around Diamond peak and Middle Mt (area 201) and the adobe bottoms along Vermillion and Shell creeks (area 2) morning and evening are the areas I'd concentrate on. Lookout mountain and the cedar edge breaks east of Powderwash if area 2 is included are areas I'd include as well. The numbers are down for the region but the quality of deer is still pretty good.

Ultimately the WYG&F along with CPW haven't been able to fully deduce the impact that the migratory "high fence" north of Baggs has had on mule deer populations in this region. Aside from climatic variability, there is evidence to suggest that man induced habitat and migration manipulation as well as the continual transfer of private land hunting rights from outfitter to outfitter and the changing hunting patterns this induces on both public and private land has a far greater impact on wildlife than many biologists are willing to admit.

Regardless, 2nd season is usually pretty quiet, it's the 3rd season that gets out of control in NWCO. Happy hunting!