Unit 66 deer

tracker12 · May 10, 2018

I am going to be hunting 3rd season this year. I have never been to the unit so looking for any information that could shorten my learning curve. Would love to talk to anyone that has hunted the unit recently. Right now just going over maps of the unit. Thanks pm?s welcome.

BluffGruff · May 10, 2018

Are you resident or nonresident? Definitely need to be there a few days before season opens to scout what stage of transition the deer are in, especially with the years of points at stake.

ddsflyfisher · May 10, 2018

PM sent
Cheers- Dave

3x2 · May 10, 2018

PM Sent

tracker12 · May 10, 2018

NR and do plan to get in the area early

Ottersix · May 10, 2018

Where are you staying? I put in for second season. If I draw Ill be staying at the KOA in Gunny. We could get together for a beef steak some evening and Ill catch you up on how our season went. Just a thought.

tracker12 · May 10, 2018

That sounds great. I'll definitely take you up on that. I have not decided yet where I am going to stay.

brushcreek · May 11, 2018

I'll be elk hunting 66 3rd season. Good luck!

tracker12 · May 11, 2018

Same to you. As it gets close lets touch base. We can exchange information during the season.

jgriffin82 · May 11, 2018

I've hunted 66 elk in all 4 seasons. I'll be back there during 4th this year for a cow. Never hunted deer though. I have personally seen some great bucks though.

Last year, during 3rd season, I saw a few bucks. One that was exceptional. I hunted the unit in 02 for the first time. That was with a 4th season elk tag. I had never seen so many giant deer and haven't since then.

We stay in lake city. I would recommend that over Gunnison. It's a long drive in good weather from Gunny to the south end of the unit. There are a lot of rentals available in Lake city. The local joints have good food too. Restless spirits has some cool, historical photos of the area.

We hunt the southern part of the unit and the area north west of Lake city. I'll shoot you a pm with some specifics tomorrow.

Jim

brushcreek · May 22, 2018

>Same to you. As it
>gets close lets touch base.
> We can exchange information
>during the season.

sounds great.

tracker12 · May 30, 2018

Right now I am planning on just camping somewhere in the unit.

brushcreek · May 30, 2018

>Right now I am planning on
>just camping somewhere in the
>unit.

I have a cousin who lives in Powderhorn, we are planning to stay at his house.

HeHateMe · Jun 3, 2018

Very curious to see how your hunt goes. I have the NR points to draw it next year.

BluffGruff · Jun 4, 2018

>I am going to be hunting
>3rd season this year.

Hope the point creep didn't mess you up.

Ottersix · Jun 4, 2018

Still waiting for a credit card hit here. Patience my ass. Let's step it up a bit.

tracker12 · Jun 6, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-18 AT 08:16PM (MST)[p]

Creep did not get me this year. I'll be in 66 chasing bucks this November!!!

Ottersix · Jun 6, 2018

Nailed it! We'll be vacationing in sunny Colorado this fall. Fresh air,the smell of the sage. Big buck down. Gotta like that.

Spcreek · Jun 8, 2018

I also drew the 66 3rd season buck tag, 11 preference points and the first real hunting trip I've had since getting out of the navy. I'm planning on spending a lot of time scouting before the season. My buddy also has a 64/65 buck tag, is it unrealistic to try to hunt both units out of the same camp?

jgriffin82 · Jun 8, 2018

>I also drew the 66 3rd
>season buck tag, 11 preference
>points and the first real
>hunting trip I've had since
>getting out of the navy.
>I'm planning on spending a
>lot of time scouting before
>the season. My buddy also
>has a 64/65 buck tag,
>is it unrealistic to try
>to hunt both units out
>of the same camp?

Yes, I'd say it's unrealistic to hunt both units from the same camp. Everything is further than it looks. 64/65 you'll probably want to stay in Ridgway or Ouray. 66,you'll probably stay in Powderhorn, Gunnison or lake city, roughly.

Bigjohn84 · Jun 10, 2018

My grandmother taught school in Powderhorn at the one room schoolhouse along time ago. Beautiful country.

FrontRange · Dec 4, 2018

How did the hunt go? I saw the pictures of Ottersix's excellent buck?

I might put in for a 4th season buck tag next year

ddsflyfisher · Dec 10, 2018

What are your goals? I dropped a ton of points for this tag knowing what kind of hunt it would be- something with lots of deer where I could take my family along the whole time. I helped on two 4th season hunts here in the last three years with my dad and brother, learning more each time. I loved the hunt. Saw well over a hundred deer a day with bucks chasing does. Most bucks are in the 160-170 range, a couple 180 range, nothing in the 200+ range- I looked over many bucks, so many I lost count- lots of cool pics of racks. This buck is the best buck we located in all our time 4th season hunting. Most of the hunting is driving 4wd roads (be prepared) through rutted, rocky, sage brush country, glassing over lots of animals (good glass a must!), picking the bucks apart, and then finally knowing what you want you take it. Most of the bucks have some crab claws, narrow racks, or missing eyeguards, so I was looking for something with none of that. This type of hunting is unlike most any other deer or elk hunt I have done.

If you pull the tag next year, I can send you some maps pointing to where we found the most concentrations of does and the routes we used to keep checking on them for moving bucks.

Cheers- Dave

littlebighorn · Dec 10, 2018

Pretty hard to complain about that result!
Awesome buck Dave.
I bet those boys will be talking about their experience for decades to come.

ddsflyfisher · Dec 10, 2018

Hey thanks! The hunt was really all about the boys. There are units with better genetics and bigger potential, but I really wanted a Jurassic park experience for them. My brother told me his son would hum the Jurassic park theme song every time he glassed up another buck.

I tell you, they learned a lot about patience, glassing bucks, and driving on really rough terrain. I had to tell them over and over again, that on our regular deer hunts (like this past October), we would have gone after several of the bucks we passed- I just wanted it to last as long as possible and have that time with the boys. They did so many funny things... said so many things... it goes by to fast... I hope they remember it well.

Dave

Ynothunt41 · Dec 31, 2018

ddsflyfisher...congrats on a great buck. Making memories is what it's all about especially for us NR that's so hard for us to get a tag. I send you a PM.

cmbbulldog · Jan 1, 2019

Great buck, congrats. Sounds like fun.

hawkbill · Jan 12, 2019

Tracker12 how did your hunt go. Any pictures tell us about your hunt. I am sending you a PM

hawkbill · Jan 13, 2019

How did you do, tell us about your hunt. I also sent you a PM

BDSco8766 · Jul 15, 2019

Hey Dave, great deer last year!

I drew 4th season 66 this year and was hoping to chat a bit. I sent you a PM. Again, congrats on the deer!

cheanderson · Jul 25, 2019

I have a 2nd season deer tag this year. I would love to chat with anyone else who has this tag or a later tag.

yeff2 · Aug 17, 2019

Between the reservoir and 149 is better as the later seasons come on. Atv or UTV is a great help to access all the roads without killing a newer vehicle. By late 3rd season, those bucks get a little calmer and will let you drive by them when you see them as long as you don't stop. Fun hunt over there I did it with my brother 5 years ago. The unit seems to have a bad genetic with large 3 point bucks in there. I spend a lot of time there every summer and I see the BLM and closed a few more roads in there. I would find high points and pull out the binos and a tripod and comb the sage. I went in there last year at Thanksgiving and saw several nice bucks, they weren't giants but with the water, we've had this year and being they should have made it through winter should be bigger this year.

Squatch · Oct 12, 2019

Hey Dave great Deer

I'll have the points to draw 66 NR next year. Is there an outfitter that you would recommend ? I may look at going that direction ... I'm contemplating going over for a scouting mission third season this year - but wanted to get some guys thoughts on going outfitted 3D season or if it would not be with it and to just go solo... any input appreciated

hunthard8 · Oct 29, 2019

My father drew that tag for this year and we are having a hard time finding many mature deer right now.. Any input on areas we need to check out to find some mature bucks? Thanks!

Comules · Oct 29, 2019

>My father drew that tag for
>this year and we are
>having a hard time finding
>many mature deer right now..
>Any input on areas we
>need to check out to
>find some mature bucks? Thanks!
>

Snow! Lots of it and it's coming