551 3rd Season

smokingfire · Aug 11, 2023

I drew a 551 3rd season tag (I had 10 points) and it will unfortunately be the last time I save up points in Colorado due to how expensive everything is, so I'm hoping to make the most of it. I wanted a rut hunt and I'm overall really excited to see what shows up. I reserved a hotel room to stay in and based on what I've read from past posts it seems like the best method is to drive the roads.

Wondering if anyone here has had a different experience and of course am all ears to any advice or places to check out. I'm not afraid to get off the roads and hike (I actually prefer to), but I really don't have any experience in the unit--let alone during the rut when they've moved down.

TKMulePacker · Aug 11, 2023

Best of Luck to you! Ill be right next door in the unit directly to the west of you 3rd season. I have no direct knowledge of 551 but you should have a great time. I was down there this week scouting, not so much for deer but learning every road I can run my ATV down. Thats a big part of it, learning the BLM roads. which private parcels you can go thru and which you cant. OnX only tells you so much. If youre willing to eat your tag give it the whole week, new bucks show up everyday and it gets better as the week goes on. Was down there last year 3rd elk hunting and most people were gone by wednesday (season ends friday)

DanMan · Aug 12, 2023

I hunted it 3rd season about 8 years ago. Was basically warm and dry that year and I never did locate a mature shooter. That said I enjoyed the area and would like to try it again someday and hope for some winter weather.
Easy to hunt the unit from town so a motel works great. Quite a few elk hunters but very few deer hunters. Yes by middle of week hardly see anyone at all.
Hope you see a big one.

sourkraut · Aug 14, 2023

I hunted it three years ago, good early snow and everything looked perfect. Saw very few deer and only a couple small bucks. Warden said he couldn't understand the lack of deer. No rut activity at all. Scouted a few days before the season to familarize myself with the unit. Elk hunters everywhere, huge camps with dozen trailers in each. Glassed and scoped N, S, E and W country for six days. Tag soup. Friend took a great buck during the fourth season. Good draw for 10 points!

smokingfire · Aug 14, 2023

TKMulePacker said:
Best of Luck to you! Ill be right next door in the unit directly to the west of you 3rd season. I have no direct knowledge of 551 but you should have a great time. I was down there this week scouting, not so much for deer but learning every road I can run my ATV down. Thats a big part of it, learning the BLM roads. which private parcels you can go thru and which you cant. OnX only tells you so much. If youre willing to eat your tag give it the whole week, new bucks show up everyday and it gets better as the week goes on. Was down there last year 3rd elk hunting and most people were gone by wednesday (season ends friday)

Appreciate the feedback! I'm planning to take a trip to learn the roads and access points. I'll also be taking the whole week since theoretically each day that goes by things should only get better. Also best of luck to you next door!! Once you get your monster, spook the rest of them on over

smokingfire · Aug 14, 2023

DanMan said:
I hunted it 3rd season about 8 years ago. Was basically warm and dry that year and I never did locate a mature shooter. That said I enjoyed the area and would like to try it again someday and hope for some winter weather.
Easy to hunt the unit from town so a motel works great. Quite a few elk hunters but very few deer hunters. Yes by middle of week hardly see anyone at all.
Hope you see a big one.

Thanks DanMan! I'm already praying for some winter weather

Sounds like the common theme is running into lots of elk hunters. Best of luck to you this season!

smokingfire · Aug 14, 2023

sourkraut said:
I hunted it three years ago, good early snow and everything looked perfect. Saw very few deer and only a couple small bucks. Warden said he couldn't understand the lack of deer. No rut activity at all. Scouted a few days before the season to familarize myself with the unit. Elk hunters everywhere, huge camps with dozen trailers in each. Glassed and scoped N, S, E and W country for six days. Tag soup. Friend took a great buck during the fourth season. Good draw for 10 points!

Wow what a bummer! Hoping that was an odd year, but definitely mentally preparing myself for the hunt to be tough.

mlchaser · Aug 14, 2023

Had the tag last year- went unfilled. Ditto to all the above. Will send you a PM when I get a chance some evening.

smokingfire · Aug 14, 2023

mlchaser said:
Had the tag last year- went unfilled. Ditto to all the above. Will send you a PM when I get a chance some evening.

That would be great--thank you!

Togwotee · Aug 16, 2023

I spent the entire 3rd season in 66 last year and stayed in Gunnison. made friends with some guys staying at the same place and they were hunting 551. they said there were A LOT of road hunters . but they got off the roads the middle of the season and took a couple nice bucks. one was by far the best buck I or anyone I talked to had seen dead or alive around the Gunnison basin. mid 170's .

mlchaser · Aug 17, 2023

Good to hear that some nice were pulled outta there - congrats to those guys.
PM sent

JamieC · Oct 27, 2023

smokingfire said:
I drew a 551 3rd season tag (I had 10 points) and it will unfortunately be the last time I save up points in Colorado due to how expensive everything is, so I'm hoping to make the most of it. I wanted a rut hunt and I'm overall really excited to see what shows up. I reserved a hotel room to stay in and based on what I've read from past posts it seems like the best method is to drive the roads.

Wondering if anyone here has had a different experience and of course am all ears to any advice or places to check out. I'm not afraid to get off the roads and hike (I actually prefer to), but I really don't have any experience in the unit--let alone during the rut when they've moved down.

Seeing how your 3rd season hunt went, we have a 4th season late tag. How was your hunt? any suggestions?

Ridn9high · Oct 27, 2023

JamieC said:
Seeing how your 3rd season hunt went, we have a 4th season late tag. How was your hunt? any suggestions?

Maybe someone can pull out a crystal ball and read the future of how his hunt goes

kickerbuck · Oct 27, 2023

Ridn9high said:
Maybe someone can pull out a crystal ball and read the future of how his hunt goes

?

JakeSwensen · Oct 28, 2023

JamieC said:
Seeing how your 3rd season hunt went, we have a 4th season late tag. How was your hunt? any suggestions?

Second season opens today I believe, October 28th and ends November 5th.

TKMulePacker · Oct 28, 2023

JamieC said:
Seeing how your 3rd season hunt went, we have a 4th season late tag. How was your hunt? any suggestions?

You must be the brother of the dude from Cali wondering how 2nd season unit 21 went last week

D_Hoyt · Oct 28, 2023

Just pray for snow. Most of the people will leave and the deer will come out of the wood work.

OldMan2 · Oct 28, 2023

TKMulePacker said:
You must be the brother of the dude from Cali wondering how 2nd season unit 21 went last week

Twin.

JamieC · Oct 28, 2023

Ridn9high said:
Maybe someone can pull out a crystal ball and read the future of how his hunt goes

I am such an idiot, LOL that is what I get for late night typing

JamieC · Oct 28, 2023

TKMulePacker said:
You must be the brother of the dude from Cali wondering how 2nd season unit 21 went last week

No I'm just the idiot Chick

who doesnt know the schedule trying to help my 70 year old dad find some details for his hunt

wweaver79 · Oct 28, 2023

JamieC said:
No I'm just the idiot Chick who doesnt know the schedule trying to help my 70 year old dad find some details for his hunt

You should have led with that statement ! , we have all started somewhere. 551 3rd/4th the deer will be transitioning down into the sage for the most part or in patches of sage and tree/brush pockets and access with the snow will be your issue. Chains on all four tires will likely be needed to get around depending on what happens over the next few weeks, but the snow is coming now every few days it looks like. Skip camping and stay in Gunnison.

Trophchse · Nov 20, 2023

Any luck?

smokingfire · Nov 20, 2023

Trophchse said:
Any luck?

Yes, I ended up shooting a small 4x5 on the on the second to last day of the hunt.

smokingfire · Nov 20, 2023

JamieC said:
Seeing how your 3rd season hunt went, we have a 4th season late tag. How was your hunt? any suggestions?

Sent you a DM.

smokingfire · Mar 4, 2024

Figured I'd do my due diligence and give a report back on the hunt in case it can help someone else down the road.

First want to thank mlchaser for his help and intel.

I ended up shooting a 4x5 the second to last day of the hunt. The rutting activity was almost nonexistent until Wednesday (the hunt started on Saturday). But when it turned on we were seeing bucks with does almost every time we saw does. It was also really hot the whole time (up to 60 degrees in the day a couple times) which didn’t really help much and there was no snow. I think if we would have had weather it would have been more eventful.

I'm bummed I didn't end up with something bigger after spending 8 points--I was hoping to come back with a 170 type buck at a minimum. But, I'm happy I came home with the one I did instead of nothing. It was still a fun hunt and I was with my dad and brothers which at the end of the day is more valuable to me then killing a big one.

We covered a ton of country and hunted dark to dark each day. It’s a really cool unit but I don’t know if I would spend a bunch of points on the third season tag unless the dates were later. I’d be happy to talk with anyone more in detail if you end up with a tag in your pocket