Colorado deer number comparison 07 to 09 post hunt numbers

lostinOregon

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There has been a lot of talk about some Colorado deer units not being what they used to be. So I went and looked at the numbers from 07, 08 and 09 post hunt and compared a few. I was expecting to find a big reduction in the numbers from 07 to 08, but I didn't expect to find is a continued downward trend in most units in 09. The most drastic number jump is in unit 44 as I am suspicious that when most units drop in numbers between 07 and 08 it increases then tanks in 09 by over 50%. The total population numbers trend from 538K in 07 to 466K in 08 and 460K in 09. I wasn't expecting to find the continued downward trend after a mild winter. Do you guys think it is the carry over from the bad winter of 08 or something bigger than that. Here are a few of the numbers for comparison. I picked a few of the more popular units for comparison. Some are combined unit counts.

Unit # 09 08 07
21/30 12,090 12,390 11,670

66/67 4,460 4,410 5,330

10 3,970 4,160 5,650

41/42/421 20,750 20,030 27,250

43/47/471 6,410 5,770 9,600

61/62 21,910 24,660 30,900

53 5,260 5,770 6,600

54 4,040 4,180 7,410

55/551 3,980 4,810 7,970

70/71/711 27,310 27,160 29,680

68/681/682 3,940 4,170 3,960

63 5,460 7,150 8,550

64/65 8,430 9,260 10,660

44 1,950 5,770 3,660

So with these numbers what are your predictions for the 10 muley hunt with the late dates?

Rich
 
#1 I think the numbers are not as acurate as they think they are.

#2 There was probably some bias after the big winter, trying to be optimistic and then having it even out a little more the next year.

#3 Hunters are getting more competitive and agressive (including me). I predict there will me more big bucks killed the lesser known units, results like last year in the popular ones, and if we have alot of early snow there wont be any good bucks next year.
 
Different GMU's - different reasons..Some biologist and others are still scratching their heads trying to figure it out in some areas. I know I am. Not familar will all of these units.

I believe from living and working in an around the following units:

43,44,421,471 was a more severe winter kill 07/08 than most thought. I agree with you.

41,42 I really haven't seen a difference in the last few years, snow wasn't as bad in the lower northern migratory areas of these units. Oil gas may have moved some of the animals from historical areas along the north west areas of these units.

21,30 no difference except the weather has been too mild during October, November with snow cover during hunting seasons to see the good success. Do think the chatter has ruined our regular opportunity to enjoy the local fun more than a few times in our life and certainly our kids just have to grow up hearing dad and granddad telling about the good times.

3,301,11 don't see a change. Certainly more deer than there was 10 or 15 years ago.

10 is a head scratcher even from talking to some DOW locals I consider friends. If it was just the big bucks I'd say it was the poachers coming from the neighboring west state that have had a little more success than normal sneaking in for more than their normal robbery on our wildlife in this unit. Pronghorn are really being hit hard in 10 too. Kind of like unit 2 a few years back. The goats still aren't plentiful in that unit. That may be blue tongue, but deer??? I would stay away from this place. They cut the deer and antelope tags more than the usual low numbers. Winter kill just doesn't make sense in this unit to me. There's area in the sw along the State line that hasn't been that bad. That's why the sheep herders winter down there. Don't know?
 
thats Some very interesting info Rich thanks for sharing.Hopefully the Deer herds will rebound by the time i have enough points to draw another tag.
 
wylecoyote,

I love your post about poachers coming from the neigboring west state coming over to poach the deer in Unit 10. I promise you there as many poachers living in rangley, dinosaur, maybel, and meeker. By the way I don't live in Utah. When I lived in Dinosaur there was a poaching SOB and everyone knew he was doing it, including the game and fish (I don't know if he ever got caught as I moved away 10 years ago)
The quality of Unit 10 deer, or lack of is no secret. They issue to many permits in the rut, in country thats too open, with to many roads. The big bucks are easy to see. You can't take the top 20-50 bucks out of the unit each year and expect to maintain quality. Poachers just polish off what the game and fish have started. You can get away with Late November rifle hunts for some other units in Colorado if you have that super heavy oakbrush, and cedars, Lots of private, or steep roadless country. (I believe that these seasons are adversely affecting more GMU's than just unit 10).
 
#2 There was probably some bias after the big winter, trying to be optimistic and then having it even out a little more the next year

I think that is as close to the truth as you will get.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
For Unit 41: The overwintering ares were not hit hard by that winter. We just never get more than 10" on the ground. I think the addition of a 4th season, addition of doe tags where there were few before (what the heck was DOW doing with all the doe tags?) and lots of oil field people trying out their new AR's. I also am pretty sure there are more coyotes than in years past.
 
feduptwo,
thought this might help you recall. These are from press releases off the DOW website back in 1999 & 2002 or 2003.

"RANGELY-Two Utah men have been sentenced in Moffat County District Court following the illegal killing of a trophy bull elk in 1997 in Luxen Draw on the Three Springs Ranch northeast of Rangely.

"State wildlife officers say there is a growing poaching problem on the Western Slope. This year, officers equipped with surveillance cameras will descend on the region around the clock in marked and unmarked vehicles to track any illegal hunting activity. With the help of interstate law-enforcement pacts, officers will survey the Colorado-Utah border, conducting cross-border patrols via land and air from the Colorado-Wyoming border south to the Four Corners region.

Wildlife investigators calculate that over the past year alone, more than 62 animals from the state?s premier deer, elk and antelope herds have been taken illegally in San Miguel and Moffat counties. Because many cases go unreported, they believe the number of poaching cases in the region has been much higher. Most of the 62 animals they know about were taken after hunting seasons had ended and were shot and left to rot, with only trophy parts such as heads and antlers removed."

The DOW has only issued 5 deer tags for the 4th season for a couple decades. This past year it was 20 for the 3rd but they cut it back to 15 for 2010.

One of my DOW friends was the district officer for the Dinosar area during some of this period.
 
Thanks, Rich. Interesting stuff. I was really surprised to see such a jump in 55/551. I was there in January and looked over the winter range for several days. The locals did not act like there was that kind of increase and I sure never saw deer numbers approacing what is listed. But at least they stayed conservative with license numbers.

Good food for thought............
 
I'm not saying poaching isn't part of the problem. I just take exception at the fact that you point your finger at those from Utah or those from any other state for that matter. For example:
Gary R. Jordan, 58, President of the Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School, has pled guilty in Fourth Judicial District Court to unlawfully hunting elk without a proper and valid license, and the illegal take of a Samson bull elk.
When doing a google search on "Colorado poaching" I found Coloardo poachers from Maryland, California, Kanas, Iowa, Wisconson, Colorado but none from Utah I maintain that every western state has the same poaching problem and the same percentage of thier population that choose to be poachers.
I'm still say that the quality problem of unit 10 is the over-harvest of trophy animals during the 3rd and 4th season. This year they've cut it down to 5 tags (not including landowner tags) but a couple of years ago they were killing substanially more than that. Thats when the quality was affected. When I lived in Dinosaur in 2000. There was lots of nice deer. 170-180" deer were common. 190" deer, although not as common were seen with some frequency. We had poachers back then but they didn't have 4th season tags.
Colorado has some great deer hunting I believe it would be even better if their rifle seasons were earlier in the year and their late season opportunity was limited to muzzloaders and archery seasons. At least give those big rutting bucks a chance to pass on their genes.
 

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