Unit 66 Deer Second Season

cmbbulldog

Very Active Member
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2,617
I was able to secure a 66 tag recently and was hoping to gain as much intel as possible for the hunt. I have talked with a couple guys on the site thru PM's already that have been helpful, would like to chat with anyone that has hunted recently if at all possible. Feel free to PM. Would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Chad
 
I really want to know how you do.

Have enough to PPs to draw2nd season, a couple of years away from 3rd season. Wondering what I should do?
 
6564220141023174206.jpg


Not a big buck, but he would hang out everyday in our yard and he was a fat one. Look at his gut! It's more impressive than his rack!


I've hunted first and second season elk in 66 quite a bit in the last 15 years. We've never seen a lot of deer, but the bucks we've seen were HUGE! We typically hunt the south end of the unit.

Most of the deer I have seen were all on or around Cannibal and Calf Creek Plateau's, which is just a few miles north of Slum. It's a fairly easy hike in from the trail head at Slum pass. Probably 5 miles. Pretty high elevation though. 11-12k+ if I remember correctly. There are a couple trail heads north of town that go to the same area. They are much steeper and considerably shorter. There is also a lot of good deer country north of Lake City, to the west of 149. The east as well.

There's a small country store as your heading north out of town on the left. We set up the spotter in the parking lot one evening a couple years back and watched what was easily a 30"+ buck feed in and out of the aspens for and hour. It was quite incredible

Good luck. Share some pics when you get back. I'll be just north of you in 54 during second season with a buck and bull tag.

Jim
 
Head over to Indian Creek nice area to see bucks hanging out. They get pretty tame with all the elk hunters driving around in there. Also I would say work the lake city cutoff road on the west end. Powderhorn another nice area. Ninemile another area from the east side. Nice country, take a a tripod and set up your binos. The whole area south of Blue Mesa is nice to glass, glass, glass. I was with my brother when he hunted in back in 2014 3rd season deer. Fun unit. If you have a side by side or atv you can cover tons of roads without tearing up a truck. Good luck! I'll be in 54 2nd season for deer.
 
I've been seeing bucks on the valley floor lately. Maybe start low and keep moving up until you get into them.
 
Just getting back ML hunt. By far the worst place and time to hunt that I have been. Went 1 for 2. Took 9 points, wish I never did that.
 
There are some big bucks in 66 but it is WWWAAAYYY overrated in my opinion. That said, one of those bucks was tagged on the archery opener.
 
Back all ready and unsuccessful? Hmm. Sounds like you didn't spend that much time hunting in a unit that costs you lots of years/points. Weather changes could have gotten them moving later in the week. Did you scout the area?

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
>Just getting back ML hunt. By
>far the worst place and
>time to hunt that I
>have been. Went 1 for
>2. Took 9 points, wish
>I never did that.

Was this your first time in the unit? I've hunted elk there about 10 times and I've always seen good bucks. I've never been there this early though. Only first and second season.
 
Was up there last year, had a very fun hunt. Was well worth the 9 years of points it took to get a tag. Wish I could hunt the unit again, but will never save the points to do so.
 
I live very far from this area so I didn't scout as much as I would have liked. 9 yrs waiting to ML hunt an area with super low deer densities was a huge mistake on my part. I should have waited for a rifle tag or hunted another area numerous times. Nice area, nice people, low deer densities during ML. Later seasons would no doubt be much better with deer pushed North onto BLM by snow. I've hunted many years and a half dozen states, Trust me this place is way overrated. All of Western SD, ND, Eastern Montana, and all of Wyoming are much better, cheaper and easier to get.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-16 AT 11:06AM (MST)[p]I think you're expectations weren't in line. You went there without having been before hoping the 9 preference points would score you a big buck.

Not too credible of statement to say the unit is overrated and ultra low deer densities with your limited knowledge and limited number of days in the unit either. Your post on 9/6 said you were heading out this weekend which would be 9/9 - 9/10. You'd already drawn your conclusions of the unit by the evening of 9/13.

Not trying to be a downer, just stating my observations.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-16 AT 12:30PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-16 AT 12:29?PM (MST)

Just curious, how good the 1 of 2 bucks was?

Edited to remove previous question as I see there are two seperate hunters posting on this same thread! I wonder how the original poster did or is doing?
 
I agree my expectations were much different. I trusted Eastman's Magazine.
Again this was my mistake for doing ML. I know this is a great unit with great deer but not with a muzzleloader. I've only been fortunate to hunt much better areas. I can factually say densities are low early due to the vast area in this unit. The 3rd deer season must be awesome and the number of sheds laying around in this area was pretty impressive.
We hunted very hard. I chose not to shoot the smaller deer.
 
130in 4x4 that just shed it's velvet. Biggest we saw was a 170+ incher in the sage. Saw him right at dark and wasn't able to locate his daytime bedding area.
 
Stock - would you mind sharing the location of the buck in the sage? PM would be fine. Sorry you didnt have a good muzzy hunt.

As far as my hunt plans, I have received some good intel from a few good folks on this site. I think I have a gameplan, just waiting to see what the weather is doing before I make plans on what elevation to hunt. I will for sure post results after the hunt.

Keep the info coming, can never have enough, especially recent sightings!
 
>There are some big bucks in
>66 but it is WWWAAAYYY
>overrated in my opinion.
>That said, one of those
>bucks was tagged on the
>archery opener.


Someone should've ran that one back up the mountain.
 
Thanks to everyone who helped out. It was a pretty tough hunt, harder than I expected. I was putting in 7-10 miles a day and not turning up too many good bucks. As others have mentioned, hot weather made it more difficult.... but had fun and made some new friends on the hunt. Good times overall.

This buck had actually been shot in the jaw and wouldn't have made it thru winter. Not sure if he was even able to eat or drink.

6114920161025170146.jpg
 
Thanks to everyone who helped out. It was a pretty tough hunt, harder than I expected. I was putting in 7-10 miles a day and not turning up too many good bucks. As others have mentioned, hot weather made it more difficult.... but had fun and made some new friends on the hunt. Good times overall.

This buck had actually been shot in the jaw and wouldn't have made it thru winter. Not sure if he was even able to eat or drink.

6114920161025170146.jpg
That's a sweet buck and you did the right thing by stopping him from suffering. I'm looking to hit 66 this year with muzzy. you have any pointers on the unit.
 
I hunted mid to lower country for the second season hunt. If I did the muzzy tag, I would go to timberline.
 
Yes, we're planning to go High. Backpack in. Hunting for 2 weeks. Were from WI so running and gunning to cover as much ground as possible. And glass AM and PM.
 

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