Unit 10 Mule deer

jaketbs

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So guys I'm looking for any recommendations I can get. Both of my parents drew 2nd season deer tags and I'm heading back to do some scouting in a couple weeks and would like any recommendations I can get on areas to look into.

Thanks for the help.
 
Good luck jake! The good news is it won't be crowded, the bad news is those LE units in the Northwest aren't what they used to be.
 
DW....do you have 1st hand knowledge of this area or just repeating what others are saying?because if you do know the area it would be good to share info. We have "heard" the perceived status. But their has to be some good bucks around just not as many
 
I rifle hunted deer in 201 last fall which is right next door to 10 and an LE unit that I burned 10 points on. I saw half a dozen of the bucks that came out of 201 during the rifle season. I had 2 close buddies archery hunt elk in 10 last fall, they hunted the whole season and didn't see any jaw dropper bucks. If I were in charge I'd close those units for 3 years then reevaluate. Wish I had those 10 points back.
 
Is there a good buck in those units? Sure there is, but that can be said for any unit in colorado and some that take no points to draw.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I have noticed the areas haven't been the same in recent years just in the little time I have spent around the area. But my parents are both extremely excited to try and kill a couple nice deer so I feel it's my job to help as much as I can. DW if either of your friends would like to share where they saw any amount of deer I will take it lol more so than anything I'm just looking for a couple areas to start in. Thanks
 
I see em every Tuesday night jake. I'll get details and let you know exactly what and where they saw it. It'll be a fun hunt jake, like I said, you won't be crowded and you'll be huntin with your family. Bout all a guy can ask for!
 
Thanks man. I'm looking forward to it my mom has only taken one muley in her life and shes super excited so I can't wait. And my fiance wants to go to so it'll be some memories to last for a lifetime I'm sure.
 
I hunted it several years ago just before and one year after the big winter kill in '08. Killed a 191 6/8 slick typical before the winter kill down off the White River just above the private on the east side of the Unit near Angora. In 09', the last year I hunted it, after the big winter kill, I went back and couldn't hardly find a deer much less a buck. Shot a 173 typical on the 6th day of a 7 day hunt - the biggest buck I'd seen by a long shot - and was happy to get it. Hatch Flats near the coal mine was a good spot to glass If you can get on top of the Skull Creek Rim and glass the benches below, you might find a good buck. Stuntz Ridge/Round Top Mountain is another good place to look. Hunting along the Monument Border used to be good as well - a guy from Utah Killed a 241" NT in 06' or '07 in Serviceberry draw. That buck is in the B&C book. The east side of the Unit north of 16 in the pinyons can hold big deer as well. The pinyons north of Kenney Reservoir can hold good deer too.

You need a GPS with up to date software as there is some private to contend with in each of these areas.

Stop by Laura's Corner in Rangely, the local game processor, and say hello to Laura & Deuce - fine people who were as nice as could be to this old redneck from Texas.

You might try Kenton Stevenson from Blue Mountain Outfitters advertising on the left of this page - he knows that Unit as well as anyone.

Looking at the population stats, that Unit has deteriorated trememndously from the good ol' days. It's got the genetics though and if that country has had the rain the rest of western Colorado has had this year it should be a good year for antler growth. Plan on hunting all 9 days and get there a couple of days early to scout if you can. The last 4 days of the hunt will be the best.

Best of luck to your parents - especially your mom.
 
Lawrence,

Thank you for the reply that really helps a lot. We will definitely look into those areas and contact Laura's and Blue Mountain to see what they info they have to share/sell. Thanks again.
 
Met up with my buddies last night and they said they saw 1 old 3pt that was decent. No other deer they saw in the weeks of summer scouting or the month long season was worthy of the # of preference points needed to hunt there. Another buddy of mine archery hunted it 5 yrs ago and killed a 375 bull. He also had a buck tag, arrowhead big 3 point that ran onto private and died. In dealing with the local warden at that time to try and retrieve his deer he asked why so few good bucks in an area that takes so many points? The warden said they had just busted a couple clowns who had been drivein the roads and poaching pretty hard for a couple yrs. That coupled with the 08 winter and too many tags since (IMO) hasn't given the area an opportunity to rebound. Sorry the news isn't better but it is what it is.
 
They are also giving out a bunch of doe tags every year when the herd is clearly struggling. They need to cut that crap out if they want the deer population to come back in 10.



Jake H. BIG BONE HUNTING Page on Facebook.
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>They are also giving out a
>bunch of doe tags every
>year when the herd is
>clearly struggling. They need
>to cut that crap out
>if they want the deer
>population to come back in
>10.

They haven't issued a single doe or either sex license in unit 10 since 2005, when the population estimate was 7,680 (21 doe and 12 either sex). The population is now estimated at 930.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-15 AT 09:49AM (MST)[p]So using those pop estimates in a direct proportion they sold 12 either sex (buck) tags at 7680 they should sell 1.45 buck tags with 930 animals. They sold 25 rifle 2 archery and 1 muzzloader buck tags last year. Way too many any way you slice it. The unit should be closed for a period till they recover IMO.
 
Those 12 either sex licenses were archery. They don't count the rifle buck licenses. They issued a total of 150 licenses in 2005 (1.95% of the population). That percentage of the current population would be 18 licenses total.
 
Sorry guys I haven't been able to post yet but I got back yesterday and went straight to work. Both of my parents were successful in harvesting nice deer. I will try to get on and post some pictures and a lot more details on my lunch break. One thing I can say above all else is this was by far the best hunting trip I have ever been a part of. I made more then a few memories that will last a lifetime.
 
This is a picture with both of my parents and the deer they were able to harvest.

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Below are a couple pictures of the biggest deer we saw. I was able to find him the day before season and we had an opportunity to harvest him opening day but it didn't work out as planned lol and we never saw him again.

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My parents actually paid a trespass fee to hunt an area of the unit and that really paid off in locating animals. Although the quality (excluding the missed opportunity) and especially quantity of the deer we found were not what I was hoping for, the trip was definitely the hunt of a lifetime.
 
We actually saw one really nice deer that was right next to a major county road the day before season. So we went there before daylight on opening morning to try and get into the area where we thought he might be, but there were four trucks already in the same area and we all agreed that we were in no way interested in a shooting match for one deer. My moms deer was actually taken on public property that we had seen a few other hunters around. I saw the majority of deer on public ground near where she harvested hers anyone could get to that area so that was nice to see.
 
I think it's very cool that you were able to have a great hunt. It sounds like you did everything right. Congrats you you and your Mom and Dad!
 
We hunted that big drop tine buck in that same area all season. We almost sealed the deal on him but he slipped away. It is cool that somebody got pictures of him. A few mornings we watched you drive past him within a 75 yards of where he was bedded down on the private. Nice bucks though.
 
Now that I look at the pics I'm sure it is the same deer as I thought. The one we were watching had a big drop tine. Don't know if you guys seen the same buck or not.
 
Congrats on the deer. As you found out 10 is not what it once was, no where even close. Luckily the officer for the area realizes this and has cut the tags back a bunch.

I would say that you found some pretty good bucks given the unit and numbers. There are not many deer in the unit, but there can be a decent age class of bucks when you find them.

How many does and fawns did you see?

How many other hunters were you up against on the public land areas?

How many bulls did you see?

I have not messed around a lot in 10 the last 3 to 4 years because it was not worth the drive, hoping numbers come back up to make the hunting worth the trip from home.
 
Thanks guys it really was an awesome adventure. I made sure with him before I put his name up here but the guide that my parents contacted was Kent with Blue mountain outfitters. I honestly can't say enough good things about him if it wasn?t for him I have to say that this hunt probably would have never been the success that it was. If anyone draws this tag I would highly recommend Kent being one of your first calls.

Marklaroif,
I don't think that we were looking at the same deer. You might be right but the deer I have pictures of had about a 4? cheater on his left side and no drops. Either way I hope you guys had a great hunt.

Elks96,
We saw a fair amount of does and fawns not quite what I was expecting for the area but I hope with some predator control the herd will be able to make a strong comeback.
The public land area that we primarily looked in only had one other deer hunter that we saw and we met two guys with cow elk tags but that was it. Another area that we saw seemingly always had 1-3 trucks parked around it but I'm not sure if the people in them were hunting deer or elk. It sure was nice compared to a general unit though.
We saw a fair amount of bulls and to be completely honest I am not a very good judge on quality bulls but I did see one bull in particular that would?ve been a great animal for someone with a bull tag. If someone were to make me guess I would say he was easily over 350.
 
I can't speak for Unit 10, but having been hunting or helping people hunt elk in 201 for 4 of the past 5 years, I can tell you that I saw a total of 1 buck that I would have been happy to have burned any points on..but not worth 10 points in my opinion. The majority of the deer we saw were small 4x4's and forkhorns. I do not understand the reason for high points on deer in that area.
 

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