Colorado Leftover Deer Tags

[InterpolNY]

Hi. I am building up points for Colorado mule deer and was wondering if anyone might be able to point me in the right direction for a good area where my family and I can get leftover mule deer tags. This will be my wife's first time deer hunting. Usually we concentrate on elk but know that you can hunt seperate seasons for deer or elk we thought we would invest some time and try to get her a buck. I have only hunted deer in Colorado 3 or 4 times even though we have been here for over almost 20 years. Thanks for any help.

 

[txhunter58]

The drawing results will come out the end of May, then they will hold a drawing for those that put on their application that they wanted to be in the left over tag drawing. Only after that is held can you get left overs on a first come first serve basis. I don't think you can apply for them online though.

I would go to this link: http://wildlife.state.co.us/huntrecap/ and check last years results on left over tags. It may not correlate totally to this year because they change every year and since deer seasons are later this year than usual, there will probably be more people putting in for the late seasons.

As far as areas, the units around Meeker are usually have the most deer and best harvest results. You can check this out at the above link too. One of the deer links tell you how many tags were available and how many second choice people applied, how many left overs available after the drawing. You can also look under harvest statistics and see what the success rate was. Good luck.

txhunter58

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

 

[cohntr6]

There are always plenty of tags in 7,8,9,19,191,20,38 just to name a few. You can look at last years stats or the March/April issue of Colorado outdoors or even in the regs there is a asterick* by the hunt code that had leftovers the year before. Do you want to hunt close to home? Jeff

 

[walltenthunter]

All Game Management Units in Colorado have big deer these days. Leftover GMU as they are called will vary year to year, yet in majority are on the west slope. My suggestion is to decide which kind of terrain you prefer and hunt that kind of area, yet get away from roads and other hunters. The big bucks always move away from pressure and roads represent pressure.
Some of the GMU with lower #s of deer have some of the largest bucks, and conversely some of the factory areas like Piceance Creek have traditionally had alot of deer yet not so many wall hangers. All Colorado GMU these years have good #s of mature bucks, and limiting tags statewide for all GMU is alot of the reason. Get a BLM state map and forest service maps, then talk to one of the DOW Wildlife Officers about a GMU you believe you have interest in. Get away from other hunters, roads, and ATV noise. Bucks like innocuous places close to water, cover, and where they are not pushed every day. Ask yourself where you would be if you were a mature buck. Most of all enjoy yourself, learn from what you see and don't see. They are there.