3rd season unit 82 in colorado

[muleyhunter413]

I am lookin at the possibility of purchasing a landowner tag for this unit. Does anyone have any advice or knowledge of what caliber of deer to expect and do the deer migrate off the unit or just to lower elevation within the unit? Any info is much appreciated.

 

[ElkScout]

I hunted the unit for elk from about 2000 to 2005. Pretty much all rifle seasons, including late. During those seasons, I mostly saw bucks higher, but the caliber of deer I saw was mostly 150-170-ish. I never saw a monster (180+) but then again, wasn't hunting for them.

I hunted the northern half of the unit - north of Crestone. From what I could tell, the bucks stayed on the unit. They moved down to the sage areas and private land during the rut and you could find decent bucks down low at that time. The quality wasn't huge, but decent. The latter few days of 3rd season will probably be your best chance of seeing the bigger ones. And things could have changed a bit the past 8 years

I never saw tons of bucks back then... about average really. 3rd season may bring them out of hiding for the rut. If the price wasn't bad - it could still be a fun hunt with the right expectations. Try to make sure you get private land access with that tag just in case.

ElkScout
Colorado Springs, CO

 

[txhunter58]

I killed a mid 180s 8x7 29" buck about 10 years ago in 82 on an early timberline hunt. Much of the unit has blocked access due to private land so depending on where you got a landowner tag, you might be good, especially if you get some snow up high. So, I would say if the private itself is a fair sized parcel and looks like good hunting on the private, you might have a good hunt. If not, and you are basically just buying a public land tag and it would be a crapshoot.

It is about a 90% draw with only 1 point, so unless the private itself looks like a great deer hunting place, I wouldn't pay much

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)