CO Early Rifle?

[lve2143]

I'd like to know what you guys have to say about the
Colorado early high country rifle hunts. My freind is
trying to talk me into putting in for one in the next
couple of years. Looks to me you'd need to be in darned
good shape or you'd be wishing in the wind. Any of you
feller's that have done this, I'd like to hear about your
overall experience. Sounds to me like it would be darned
tough......... and darned fun.
Larry

 

[txhunter58]

Waited for 8 years to go on mine. One of my best hunting memories ever. Can NOT beat hunting timberline mulies. Some georgeous country, and when you are successful, you know you earned it.

Darned good shape???? Better get that good as a start. You will be hiking in many miles into usually very steep country and hunting at 10-12,000 ft. We backpacked our camp in 4 miles and packed out my buck over 5 miles. And I know others who go in further than that.

One really good bonus: Mule deer taste better, in my opinion, when they have been eating high country plants. They taste too much like sage down in the lower country.

You will not be sorry if you decide to go, just do LOTS of research and try and go scout the area prior to your hunt.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[lve2143]

TX,
I also live in TX. I've hunted Elk with a
Muzz in the alpine as you are describing. I also
Love it. To me, it's Pure as hell. It's tough on a
fellow that lives at 23inches above sea level to get
ready for all of that. Run your ars off all summer, and
still suck wind like you aint gonna make it. Did you hunt
82? Just guessing from the points you said you used. I know
some others require close to that. Thanks for the info.
I'd like to PM and ask you some other things.
Larry

 

[dslaughter]

Larry,
I sent you a PM too.

 

[camuleycrazy]

I hunted the early rifle a couple of years ago and your'e right tough but fun. Some people have trouble with altitude sickness and you better be in the best shape of your life to enjoy it. That said there is nothing like being on top of a mountain in the Colo. high country glassing up big bucks above timberline in early Sept. Although it is usually nice weather most years it seems to snow during the hunt at least one day so be prepared.

 

[huntharder]

We hunted the Holy Cross area this year. Great hunt and beautiful country. We didn't see many deer and no monsters, but my buddy ended up tagging a 22" 4x4 his last day (I did have an opportunity at a 20" four point the first day but passed).

You can't be in good enough shape. We were hunting 11k to 12k and packed camp in about 3 miles. I thought my pack was light, but I was proved wrong early in the trip. Run, lift, hike with a fully loaded pack, etc. prior to the trip to prepare.

We did not get an opportunity to scout prior to the hunt, but would strongly encourage you to do this to focus efforts on areas where you know the deer are. I would also suggest getting Cameron Hanes book "Backcountry Bowhunting" for tips on gear and packing list.

Even though I didn't get an opportunity at one of those big high country brutes, I would do it again in a heart beat.

 

[BUCKSPY]

hartharder's post is almost the norm for this type of hunt here in Colorado. Colorado does not have the same type of alpine deer habitat as Western Wyoming. Much of the elevation is much higher than Wyoming as quite a bit of the high country is rock and alpine scrub spruce.(Krummholz)

txhunter killed a really nice buck on his hunt but I would say his experience would not even be close to the norm of what most experience.

In any given unit with alpine habitat, a small percentage of the deer in that unit actually summer up there. Bucks are often found in groups in very isolated pockets that make up a very small portion of the actual alpine habitat. I spent 16 days backpacking in September during my bighorn sheep hunt in 2000 in the same mountain range that txhunter killed his mulie and I saw a grand total of 3 mule deer bucks. I covered a hell of alot of ground with my legs and glasses.

If you are going into a hunt like that blind, you had better do your research years in advance unless you have someone scouting the area for you who can narrow down the search. Its relatively easy to figure out how many points a tag takes to draw with the preference point system in Colorado so you can somehwat plan your draw year. I would go the summer before you might draw, strap on a pack and see if you can find more than a handful of dinks. If the bucks are there one year, you can almost bet on them being back the next. They like familiar haunts.

 

[jims]

I have to agree with Buckspy on this one. I've hunted the Grey's/Wyo Ranges in Wyo as well as several of the high alpine units in Colo and there is a big difference in deer numbers between the 2 areas. I've seen as many as 20 bucks in a day in Wyo while may only see a handful of deer in some of the high alpine areas of Colo in an entire season. For some reason many of Colos high alpine areas just don't hold many deer. It definitely takes time and lots of boot leather to figure out where the small pockets of bucks are found.

In Colo these hunts are classified as "quality" hunts. There aren't a whole lot of early rifle tags so you likely won't see many rifle deer hunters. On the other-hand if the deer hunt is in an unlimited elk unit you likely won't be alone. Some areas also have a lot of hikers, bird hunters, etc.

One word of warning about the early high country hunts. The bucks often scrape their velvet about that time of year. They often move down in the trees and sometimes can be a little tougher to find when this happens. The same can be true if there is an early fall snowstorm.

That is a great time of year to be in the hills so if you do draw one of these tags enjoy yourself and the country!

 

[PleaseDear]

I have hunted the early rifle in the Hunter-FryingPan-47 and over in the Holy Cross-44 Wilderness over the last 7 years.

The years I haven't drawn a HCB tag I bowhunted in one or the other and one year I did the Maroon Bells/Snowmass-43 Wilderness bow elk/deer.

It is beautiful country and you can go from 70 for highs to 6-8 inches of snow the next morning.

Some of Wyo. Region H has a few areas that are somewhat similar but I haven't seen anything similar in the region G area.

Buckspy and jims have put many more boot leather miles in over there than I have and would consider their remarks very seriously.

Robb

 

[HunterHarry]

As stated above, those fluke snowstorms can really hurt you if not prepared.
Most importantly, know exactly what you are getting yourself into.
HH

 

[huntharder]

Jims is right about the number deer hunters. We saw only one other guy hunting deer, but did see quite a few after elk with muzzleloader and bow. We saw way more hikers, as the season opened the Tuesday after Labor Day, but they mainly stayed on the main trails.

 

[blacktailBC]

That is some good information. I have hunted the EHC hunts a couple of times. I would have to disagree about the deer numbers though. Both times we have seen 10-12 bucks a day. You have to pick the right units though. Both times we saw bachelor groups of 3-12 bucks almost every day. It seems to snow almost every time, and the bucks can be down in the trees rubbing off velvet. I have also found them to be pretty darn spooky this time of year. I don't know if the archery hunters were messing with them or what. The tough thing about CO. is that everything is so much higher than Wyoming. Region G you are hunting at 10.5-11000 ft max. In colorado you can be at 13.