CO Deer 3rd Season help

Trevor · Jun 6, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-18 AT 02:56PM (MST)[p]I will be hunting CO 3rd season on a left over tag. I have never hunted 3rd season and I know the unit isn't great, since there are left over tags. My request is during 3rd season, do very many bucks stay up high (11k-12k), or are they headed down low/lower looking for the does and winter range? I understand weather can have an impact, but based on the last several years, I am going to guess it will be warm and dry.

I appreciate your help.

Trevor

tracker12 · Jun 6, 2018

Well one thing you can count on is not knowing what the weather is going to do. I would plan my hunt on where the deer traditionally are in early November and adjust for there. Being able to adapt will be key to success.

coloradoman · Jun 6, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-18 AT 03:15PM (MST)[p]Well a lot more info is needed.
Like what unit and where?

Trevor · Jun 6, 2018

>LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-18
>AT 03:15?PM (MST)
>
>Well a lot more info is
>needed.
>Like what unit and where?

Unit 38, not sure where exactly, but somewhere along the high country, hiking in a few miles is where I would traditionally like to hunt, but I am not sure where the bucks will be in early November.

Thanks

Trevor

elkin · Jun 6, 2018

Not a great tag. Good bucks will be on private land. All you can do is hunt hard every minute of every day and hope for the best. Start high and work your way down.

Katoom · Jun 6, 2018

Don't know personally but based on the comments you got about private land, maybe you focus on migratory pathways headed down to those areas. Info is on the DOW interactive mapper about winter concentration areas and migration routes (very generalized). Sounds like your best bet is to catch one trying to move from public to private land. I am sure there are always many moving early and out of your reach unless you have permission, but that there's likely a bunch of deer bringing up the rear, especially if you get lucky with the weather.

I found this on another forum from a few yrs back if it helps.

"I know a little about 38....worked there for 2 years and killed a couple average bucks. A 172 and a 165 with the ol recurve. Saw a couple big ones. though. I don't think it is as good as it used to be but I would study your maps and any public land east of Highway 72 that runs from Nederland to Blackhawk would be a great place to start. Good luck finding private that will allow you on, they are a bunch of friggin tree huggin hippies that think deer should be pets. Oh, buddy of mine smoked a 215" in there too with his recurve....for what its worth Study the maps you will find some.............."

nripepi · Jun 6, 2018

A 215 with a recurve and I mistakenly thought Randy Ulmer was the man!

BluffGruff · Jun 6, 2018

>Not a great tag. Good bucks
>will be on private land.
>All you can do is
>hunt hard every minute of
>every day and hope for
>the best. Start high and
>work your way down.

I would actually recommend the opposite - start at winter range and work up until you find does, and then wait for bucks to check the does.

WiscoKid · Jun 6, 2018

I like the idea of starting low and moving up

DW · Jun 7, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-18 AT 11:22AM (MST)[p]
They probably won't be at or above timberline. Theyll likely be somewhere between that summer range and their winter range cruisin for does. I made the mistake of camping at timberline my second season out here a long time ago, woke up to a blizzard and had to leave some gear behind to make it out. I went back in the spring to get my gear. The small critters appreciated me leaving them a winter home that year! It was a bordering unit to yours.

#livelikezac

Trevor · Jun 7, 2018

Thanks for the advice.

dbeatty65 · Nov 21, 2021

I saw this posting as well, but

Katoom said:
Don't know personally but based on the comments you got about private land, maybe you focus on migratory pathways headed down to those areas. Info is on the DOW interactive mapper about winter concentration areas and migration routes (very generalized). Sounds like your best bet is to catch one trying to move from public to private land. I am sure there are always many moving early and out of your reach unless you have permission, but that there's likely a bunch of deer bringing up the rear, especially if you get lucky with the weather.

I found this on another forum from a few yrs back if it helps.

"I know a little about 38....worked there for 2 years and killed a couple average bucks. A 172 and a 165 with the ol recurve. Saw a couple big ones. though. I don't think it is as good as it used to be but I would study your maps and any public land east of Highway 72 that runs from Nederland to Blackhawk would be a great place to start. Good luck finding private that will allow you on, they are a bunch of friggin tree huggin hippies that think deer should be pets. Oh, buddy of mine smoked a 215" in there too with his recurve....for what its worth Study the maps you will find some.............."

I saw this posting as well but hell if I can find where he any access on public land in that area outside of Rollinsville which had NO deer last couple times I hiked and drove it.