72/73 4th season deer

gburk · Oct 19, 2020

I picked up a fourth season 72/73 tag for my son off the leftover list with no forethought at all. It popped up and I took it, figuring it couldn’t be too bad drawing out at four Nr points.
Looking at the units seems like lots of unhuntable land, lots of private, state, and the Ute reservation to the south. Some BLM in 72 and forest service in 73. Is this the kind of unit where there are big well fed deer but finding them on public is going to be a problem? Did I make a mistake? It was either this one or 44 ? ?

thanks for any information! Pms welcome

AZGuy · Oct 19, 2020

I’ve hunted it in 3rd. I’d take that tag in 4th. Look at the ponderosa belt off HWY 184.

gburk · Oct 20, 2020

Thanks Chuck for the encouragement! We’ll hunt it!

Bocephus · Oct 20, 2020

I'm curious how you are getting the reissue tags are you just refreshing every 5 seconds then being fast to input your info, using an app? I only ask because I've had no luck, maybe just too slow? Congrats on the tag, kill a big one!

gburk · Oct 20, 2020

Yes pretty much, sometimes codes are gone immediately as if there’s a secret backdoor in use.

This is the only tag I have been able to get so far but the experience has proven to be significantly more fun than buying points.

gburk · Nov 24, 2020

Follow up - this hunt was very very tough. The deer were all on winter range, and 99% on private. Don't know if third season pressure moved them off BLM- there was sign there but no animals, with one exception that we saw, all season. Deer were not only feeding on private, they were bedding there too.

Only saw one other deer hunter which made me think that most tagholders were able to secure some private access? I bumped into landowner at a coffee shop and we got to hunt there some, but his property didn't attract much traffic.

Summer and transitional ranges (eg north of 184) were almost totally empty; we saw only one apparently celibate buck who was missing the party on winter range. Presumably this wasn't always the case for prior fourth seasons with earlier dates.

I wouldn't take this tag again. The impact of human activities on these deer was depressing, to be honest. We saw them lounging in front yards, impeding traffic on the roads, playing grabass with the family dog, you name it.. these deer love people and their food during the winter, and they saw no use for public land for bedding or cover.