2nd Season deer? What gives?

[Wiszard]

I understand it's been warm but no pics of any bucks hitting the ground yet? I have a 22 3rd season deer tag and looking at the weather, it'll start cooling down around the 5th or 6th. I'm wondering if I should think about hunting the tail end of the season if my schedule allows it. Thoughts?

Steve

Cancer doesn't discriminate...don't take your good health for granted because it can be gone in a heartbeat. Please go back and read the last line. This time really understand what it says.

 

[mntman]

Its funny, you are worried about hunting later and this is the first year I have not hunted 2nd season. I am worried that I am hunting too late I hunt them when they are in a pattern (send season) now with dates so late there will be no pattern and worried I won't find a big buck

Cooler weather will help get them moving but it will still only be pre-rut for us 3rd season hunters.

Good luck, hope you have a pic to share

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[tailchasers]

The later it gets the more rutting activity you will see. We hunted 22 2nd season last year and everyday we witnessed more and more rutting behavior from the bucks as the season went on. Weather was pretty decent too. We have a 3rd season tag this year as well and expect to see much of the same as the season progresses expecting more intense rutting behavior. It was fun last year looking over a fair number of deer and expect this year to be even better.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."

 

[robinsg61le]

Funny... I was just about to start a post on 22. I am sitting here now, back from my morning hunt. It's 72 degrees in camp... yikes! No rutting activity that we have seen. Very few mature deer seem to be showing themselves. Other hunters who have been here before are reporting extremely low numbers comparatively... Hopefully that will be good news for those of you with the 3rd season tag!

This is my first trip to CO as I am a NE Oregon hunter. This style of hunting is very challenging for me Any help would be appreciated.

What approach do you take to glassing?

What portion of the hill and what type of terrain do you typically find mature bucks in?

 

[mntman]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-26-16 AT 04:01PM (MST)[p]>Funny... I was just about to
>start a post on 22.
>I am sitting here now,
>back from my morning hunt.
>It's 72 degrees in camp...
>yikes! No rutting activity that
>we have seen. Very few
>mature deer seem to be
>showing themselves. Other hunters who
>have been here before are
>reporting extremely low numbers comparatively...
>Hopefully that will be good
>news for those of you
>with the 3rd season tag!
>
>
>This is my first trip to
>CO as I am a
>NE Oregon hunter. This style
>of hunting is very challenging
>for me Any help
>would be appreciated.
>
>What approach do you take to
>glassing?
>
>What portion of the hill and
>what type of terrain do
>you typically find mature bucks
>in?


They already are prepared for cold weather so when its that warm and sunny they are looking for cool areas. If there are a lot of hunters they are going to be where they are least likely to be disturbed and cool.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[elks96]

One of the hottest and driest seasons I can remember. 10 day forecast is bad. We hunted our butts off from 8,000 to 11,000 feet only saw deer first and last hour of light and they were entering dark timber and leaving dark timber.

It is just too hot. We went out last night and some lower fields that typically house 40 to 60 deer were empty. We hunted a mid range area where we usually see 20 to 30 deer. We bumped one. They are holed up in thick dark cool places and not moving because it is way to hot.

 

[Founder]

Yes, the heat makes later October hunts really tough in many places. Those bucks are now wearing coats rated for -30 degrees. In my experience, when it's warm and dry, you've got about 30 minutes in the morning and far less time in the evening when they are most likely to be moving while light enough to see. You just have to know right where one lives or get extremely lucky and stumble into the right spot.
If you're hunting with a group, maybe some deer drives through heavy, dark timber are in order...???

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com
on Facebook!

 

[robinsg61le]

Thanks for the advice MM members. I finally found a couple mature bucks... Just as the advice has stated:

1) First 30 minutes of shooting light
2) In the low temperature inversions of lower gulches.

Deer do not seem to be migrating or rutting yet. The 2 mature bucks I saw (probly 4-year olds) were together. I did see a small forked-horn starting to sniff a bit, but based on his behavior I don't believe she was in full-estrus.

The bucks I passed on were about 25", and a little below my minimum, but encouraging nevertheless. 3rd season should be fantastic if the weather changes.

 

[Squirrel]

This is a fantastic year so far! Orange everywhere, hunters doing what they are best at (driving around and dropping $) Hardly a rack in sight on pickups or atv's. Food is great, deer are fat. What is not to love??? Says the guy with a 4th tag in his wallet...

Very harsh fire conditions though, don't forget your spark arrestor.

 

[elks96]

>This is a fantastic year so
>far! Orange everywhere, hunters
>doing what they are best
>at (driving around and dropping
>$) Hardly a rack
>in sight on pickups or
>atv's. Food is great,
>deer are fat. What
>is not to love??? Says
>the guy with a 4th
>tag in his wallet...
>
>Very harsh fire conditions though, don't
>forget your spark arrestor.

Truth is every year you have a tag is great! I sure hope you get so,e weather for fourth! Good luck on the tag! Next year my wife should have a 4th tag!

Yes we have had a sea of orange!

 

[Mechuck]

Hey wiz

just got back from 22 2nd season man was it tough had to move camp Friday night to get into a better area that held more deer. Had a great time but the deer were very scarce!!! They are there but staying in the thick stuff durning day light like others said be out were you want to hunt a little before day light. Saw more movingment in the early morning compared to the late evening. Stay mobile if you aren't seeing anything. We moved to the north west part of the unit a saw more animals .

 

[Wiszard]

Thanks Mechuck- I appreciate the info. My email is [email protected]. Please send any pics you have from the hunt. Were you guys successful filling any tags?

Cancer doesn't discriminate...don't take your good health for granted because it can be gone in a heartbeat. Please go back and read the last line. This time really understand what it says.

 

[muleymaddness]

I think it's a combination of factors that make it more difficult. Obviously the weather this year didn't help anything. But I would be willing to bet that more times than not, you don't get the weather you're wanting in any season. But factor in above average temps, dry, pre-rut, and generally more tags issued and the odds are against you.

For me this year - factor in all of the above plus unfamiliarity with the unit. I make no excuses, though the warm weather didn't help. What surprised me most was the magnitude of all the roads in the blm ground. "Getting away" from the roads really wasn't much of an option. I found one area with closed roads, hiked in, but it was way too low for late October. Hunters and 4wheelers everywhere and this unit was supposedly managed for quality with lower tag numbers. Everywhere I went we're 4wheeers, suburban, jeeps, or a wall tent camp. Went to the national forest and it was overrun with elk hunters.

For a 2nd season hunt, unless you bank on getting lucky due to weather, or a buck thinking it's time to rut - you better have a specific buck or two that you prescouted that you're after or it could be tough.

Just my $.02 - I still had fun though and I appreciate every tag I get.

 

[elks96]

my wife and I just spent all season in the unit of my house. It was hard! We saw exactly 2 dead 4 point bucks and caught a glimpse of one decent 4x4 on the hoof at very last light! Never turned him up again!

Still looking at the 10 day and we are supposed to have temps 10 to 15 degrees above average!

 

[tagsoup]

Tough season with the warm weather. If you didn't have a good one scouted out before season you were going to need some serious luck to kill a good buck.


"Go hunt for meat at Walmart."