Second season you will have a lot of the OTC elk hunters to contend with. The deer are usually in the oakbrush or the pinyon-juniper country after being chased by bowhunters, muzzleloaders and 1st season elk hunters.
By third season most of the deer are beginning to move down and away from the elk which won't move until later into winter.
Access to public land is easy--there is a lot of it. There are a lot of roads, and more on the way with the gas booom going on. The up-side is that if you get stuck or break down, there's a good chance someone with a 4x4, tools, and chains will come along and rescue you.
It's none of my business, but I really think it's ridiculous for people to use very many points in 21. There are some good bucks, but I've been camping, big game hunting, predator calling, or scouting 21 for several years now, almost weekly, and haven't seen anything I'd wait 10+ years for. Maybe 2 or 3. I like it because it's close to home and the weather is milder than other parts of the state.
As for reasonable expectations... You will have numerous opportunities to harvest a buck and you probably will. The bucks you see will most likely be a four by four with crab claws in front, a big three point, a 3x4 or 2x4. He'll probably score in the 140-160 range if you hold out long enough for a typical four point with normal forks. If you are looking for a 190"+ buck you should probably be prepared to be let down. There are a couple there, but I bet there are some in every unit in Western CO. The unit is managed for numbers of bucks, not neccessarily trophy bucks and that's what it is.
I don't rifle hunt for deer in CO, so there's no ulterior motive for what I'm saying here. I just wouldn't want you to find out by losing your points and be disappointed.
