Colorado Plains

Paul_S

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66
I may have done a dumb thing, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I couldn't draw my preferred unit on a 2nd choice and was at a loss as to what to do, so I blew a few points on Unit 144 (Dec 1-14). There's a fair amount of public land (Comanche Grasslands) and avg. success is good (almost 80%).
Anyone have any experience there? Are there whitetail & mulies? What's the trophy potential? Will they be in the rut?
Thanks for any help.
 
No I have not hunted 144, yet I have hunted a number of eastern Colorado units, and here is my advise:

(1) Look for CRP fields, the tall reddish grass fields our federal govt. pays farmers money for not planting crops. Not every CRp field has deer, yet deer love CRP fields, and the deer will be in the remote places there.

(2) Yes there are both whitetails and mulies, yet chances are you will see muleys. Both will inhabit draws, canyons, ditches, patches of brush (it does not take alot of cover to hide a buck), sections without roads. Ask yourself where you would live if you were a good hatrack. It would not be close to a road.

(3) Ask farmers where they see deer, and whom to door knock to. It helps by far to get permission ahead of the hunt yet I think you will find ranchers/farmers helpful... if you present a good image.

(4) Essentially any place you might find a pheasant in SE Colorado, you might find deer. The muleys like the more bluff type terrain, and the whitetails the riparian wooded draws. Both though can be in the same places.

(5) Abandoned farms are good bets, because their is usually alot of cover, plus old trees to provide cover. In these parts trees can be sparce, so any tree in the middle of nowhere is a good bet.

(6) The rut will be over yet the bucks may well be still around the ladies. Not every time, yet enough for you to closely inspect any situation you see a doe.

(7) My advise, look for sections or areas with minimal or no roads, and draws. There will be deer there.

(8) Stop every so often where the county roads intersect draws or fields and look for deer tracks along side the road. Look for the splayed prints hatracks have.

Enjoy Eastern Colorado, alot of history and some really decent folks. You should get your buck I would think if you hunt hard enough. Next time get out there 3-4 months ahead of time, and you will find the permission (on private lands) much easier to procure. Obviously on the National Grasslands you can hunt without permission, yet know where you are.
 

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