Region D ?? Again

southslope82 · Jul 22, 2009

I went up and scouted/Explored region D over the weekend mostly units 78-79 and neighboring units and just around Saratoga and centenial, and riverside areas. I mostly just learned roads and studied maps and didn't really get out and walked but, I was not impressed with what I saw very few deer and really small bucks. I called and asked the biologist out of the Laramie office where else I might look or focus my time. He says that the deer would migrate into these areas later in the year but the locals around the towns were saying that they are there just up high. I believe both answers to be correct but wanted to here what you guys thought? Was I in the right places? Were else might I try? Any info would help? I am about 7-8 hours away from saratoga So It takes me quite a bit of time and $$$ to go so thought you guys might help me narrow down my search.
Thanks

Rem308 · Jul 22, 2009

I talked to a CO from another area about arroundthe area you were at.He told me that there is alot of deer in the area ,but not many good bucks.
I will send you a PM on where he sugjested to hunt.

southslope82 · Jul 22, 2009

Thanks Rem308, I did forget to mention that I saw some pretty nice bucks right in town at Saratoga their airport had some deer shaded up next to the hangers. Pretty cool

jwoods · Jul 23, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Jul-23-09 AT 07:58AM (MST)[p]I'm off subject a bit, but did you see much for antelope while you were out there? We're heading out to Riverside/Saratoga to do some scouting this weekend.

JGHaeberle · Jul 23, 2009

Drove through the snowies last Monday, over to Saratoga. Antelope were bunched-up on the few areas of green grass. Didn't see any real decent bucks. Didn't see any mulies.

southslope82 · Jul 23, 2009

Yeah I saw plenty of Goats Most everything I seen was just off the highway and I am assuming was private ground but I don't know. I came into saratoga from I-80 and seen some dandys off the interstate and even down towards saratoga but I really wasn't looking for the goats or really in their neck of the woods. Let me know if ya see any muley bucks while your out and about would Ya??

Wyo · Jul 23, 2009

I have hunted 76 and 78 before and I would say there are indeed good bucks in the areas, at least 76 anyways. They are extremely hard to find because the terrain is so dam thick with trees. I used to make it a point every year during the rut to go look at bucks in 76, and believe me I've seen some real good ones. However where you can find them during the hunting season is still a mystery to me. My favorite areas to hunt were around centenial and woods landing, and I also like to hunt on the platte river on forest service land. I basically tried to hunt anywhere that was half way open so I could do as much glassing as possible.

Triple_BB · Jul 23, 2009

Apparently you didn't pay attention to what happened in that country winter before last. They had a huge winter kill south of I-80 in that area. I hunted two days east of Saratoga last fall and only saw two small bucks. I packed up and headed home instead of wasting more vacation time. Worst I'd ever seen it. A friend said last year he talked to someone who talked to someone who had hunted the Overland Ranch and they were having problems even finding any quality animals. Gonna take more than one season to get some age class back.

Rem308 · Jul 23, 2009

I talked with a biologist and he said that i was the toughest winter kill a couple years ago that they ever had.Up to 70 % of that years fawns were killed ,so that years bucks will be missing for hunting this year.He says it will take 5 plus years of easy winters to get the herd built back up.They have stopped or really lowered the number of doe licenses in that area.
Same for NW Colorado.

jwoods · Jul 24, 2009

>Yeah I saw plenty of Goats
>Most everything I seen was
>just off the highway and
>I am assuming was private
>ground but I don't know.
> I came into
>saratoga from I-80 and
>seen some dandys off the
>interstate and even down towards
>saratoga but I really wasn't
>looking for the goats or
>really in their neck of
>the woods.
> Let me know if
>ya see any muley bucks
>while your out and about
>would Ya??

Will do!