Gunnison 4th season

[cabinfever]

Just curious how the hunters did in the Gunnison basin on the new 4th season. I know Zim shot a respectable buck. I'd just like to know if it was a slaughter of the big ones or if plenty of them made it through.Was it worth all the points? PM me if you want.

Mike

 

[Prism]

I'm also curious to hear about the fourth season over there. Sure has been quiet. Maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

 

[cabinfever]

I personally think these late season hunts are over rated. I have never hunted the 4th season, but have hunted the 2nd and 3rd season and the 2nd has been the best to me so far. I still can't help but think at least a few giants hit the ground in the basin.

Mike

 

[camo_deerslayer]

Gunnison got hit HARD last year (and the year before). This years bucks seemed to be the size of Zims or smaller. The taxidermist wasn't getting anything in that I would say was worth 10+ points.

I have been watching them in the rut the last two weeks. Still some decent bucks. Gunnison is now the 3 Point buck capital of the world! I see more mature bucks with only three points than anywhere I've ever been.

 

[WARBIRDUM]

Sounds like some of the upper class bucks have been killed and now the bad gene bucks are all thats left.Big 3 points are not worth cashing 10 points or more for.

 

[Bambistew]

The deer/buck turn out was the worst I've seen up there. We spent 6 days in a particular 'trophy' unit hunting elk and didn't see any monster deer, lots of 150 class but nothing bigger. I think the winter took its toll last year.

 

[gnatboy911]

i've spent quite a bit of time in the hills the past month or so, and certainly havn't seen the quality that i had see 3 or 4 years ago. its really too bad, i think they have just been giving out too many buck tags over the past few years and the bucks around here have just gone down hill. same as some of you other guys, i been seein a lot of mediocre, "cruiser" class bucks.

 

[Zim]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-06 AT 06:34PM (MST)[p]>Gunnison got hit HARD last year
>(and the year before).
>This years bucks seemed to
>be the size of Zims
>or smaller. The taxidermist
>wasn't getting anything in that
>I would say was worth
>10+ points.
>
>I have been watching them in
>the rut the last two
>weeks. Still some decent
>bucks. Gunnison is now
>the 3 Point buck capital
>of the world! I
>see more mature bucks with
>only three points than anywhere
>I've ever been.

This year's hunt is the only thing I can comment on because it was the first time I was ever in Gunnison. However, based on my 6 days of observation I agree about the 3 point title. There were an amazing amount of these critters. I am far from what I'd call a very experienced mule deer hunter, so I don't know how common these 3 points are in other areas. On my hunt though, I'd have to say 50% of the bucks I saw were mature. Of these, 45% of them were big 3 points, 45% were big crab clawed either front or back, and only 10% had deep forks.

10 points was definitely too many to burn for this quality hunt. From now on I'll never apply for more than a 3/4 point unit.

I saw only 3 other bucks taken in my unit 4th season and none scored higher than mine, which was no giant.

 

[HighWidenHandsome]

It's not just that unit, it's in all trophy buck units! There's
too many trophy hunters for the number of trophy bucks! Yes...
there's plenty of deer and plenty of bucks, but only very few special bucks and they are being killed off! Deer hunters are getting good at what they do and the cream of the crop is being
eliminated plus the best of the lesser bucks are being taken as well.

 

[Prism]

I agree. I think the efficiency of hunters has changed dramatically over the past 10 years-especially the last 5.

There aren't as many big deer making it through the hunts as there use to be. There's been a lot of big deer hit the dirt the last few years in most of the better "trophy" areas.

I don't think all is lost, but I think it's going to be tougher to find the truely big bucks than it's been the last few years.

 

[bobcatbess]

IT'S HAPPENING IN SEVERAL STATES ALSO!!!

ADD THE HUNTING PRESSURE UP IN UTAH & COLORADO & ITS A MIRACLE ANYTHING LIVES!!!

I GUESS PRIVATE PROPERTY SAVES A FEW!!!

IT WON'T BE LONG & THE Nomad BUCK WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE WALL!!!

THE ONLY bobcat WONDERING WHY WE DON'T HAVE YEAR AROUND HUNTING,I REMEMBER NOW,THERES A FEW MONTHS THEY DON'T HAVE HORNS ON THEIR HEADS!!!

 

[Legolas]

LE hunters spend more hours on the field. Most guys won't or don't take time off for general seasons but they'll make time for a special opportunity hunt. Add to that the ability to get just about anywhere on the mountain quickly and with minimal risk and there you go.

It wasn't all that many years ago that the very idea of a late season hunt was laughable because access challenges made it impractical.

I once lived in the mouth of one of the canyons north of Gunnison. Brave dummies would often come knocking on my door this time of year after leaving their rigs stuck or high centered and walking off the mountain. The folks who bought that house tell me it doesn't happen at all anymore even though folks run up the canyon year round.

 

[westernhunter1]

yeah, i live in Gunnison and have to agree with the three point capital of the world. i have seen some great 200 class bucks in this basin, but not as many as last year or the year before.

 

[AZtrophyhunter]

I wasn't in the Gunnison area but we picked up about 10 mule deer sheds, 9 of them were 3 points all the same size. I killed the biggest deer we saw, a 26in 3x4.

 

[AZtrophyhunter]

Check that, I was in Montrose which is just west of Gunnison. Units 64&65, tough asssss hunt for public land!

 

[cabinfever]

westernhunter1, I sent you a PM

 

[Zilla34]

I did not draw a buck in unit 55. It usually takes a preference point to draw from my experience. I can tell you that by the end of the first rifle season, the bucks had all moved down the valley. Two years in a row elk hunting up high, we did not see a single track or trace of deer. On the other hand when we made the 30 mile trip down into Gunnison, we saw deer walking around the town like chickens. Lots of nice basket racks and nothing bigger.