Colorado 2nd season rifle deer

[Lukegarrett2002]

This year I’ve got a Colorado 2nd season rifle deer tag for units 18, 28, 37, 371 and I have literally no experience out there except watching the hush videos on unit 18. What I’m asking is will the deer be closer to there summer habitat or will they be transitioning to there rutting grounds, I just need some general advice about they hunt, and also should I get a OTC rifle elk tag for the same time

 

[jims]

No one else seems to want to chime in so I guess I will.

Generally speaking muley bucks are an entirely different animal once they shed velvet and after the first snows. They generally move from where they spend their leisure time all summer. Obviously some bucks in Colo are resident and live in the same summer and winter ranges year-round. The majority of bucks in Colo move fairly long distances from summer to winter ranges. During the 2nd season they can be scattered pretty much anywhere. Some years there is no snow in the high country to drive them down by the 2nd season. This year there was a pretty good snow that likely moved some bucks off the high alpine ridges about a week ago. A few alpine bucks stay up high until the deepest snows drive them down but for the most part snow drives bucks below treeline where they become tougher to find.

Obviously there must be a reason for the ease of drawing 2nd season deer tags in most units in Colo. The first consideration is the units you drew deer are general OTC for elk. That means there will be mobs of orange running up and down every road. There also has been a 1st elk rifle season plus archery/muzzy seasons to wake up bucks and cause some of them to turn nocternal. Mature bucks that have lived through several Colo elk and deer seasons know what is up once they shed their velvet. They often mysteriously disappear until the rut kicks in.

The 2nd season is a super tough hunt. Bucks can be scattered pretty much anywhere. Be prepared for lots of elk hunters. It may take several hunting seasons to figuring out strategies that work.

 

[Lukegarrett2002]

No one else seems to want to chime in so I guess I will.

Generally speaking muley bucks are an entirely different animal once they shed velvet and after the first snows. They generally move from where they spend their leisure time all summer. Obviously some bucks in Colo are resident and live in the same summer and winter ranges year-round. The majority of bucks in Colo move fairly long distances from summer to winter ranges. During the 2nd season they can be scattered pretty much anywhere. Some years there is no snow in the high country to drive them down by the 2nd season. This year there was a pretty good snow that likely moved some bucks off the high alpine ridges about a week ago. A few alpine bucks stay up high until the deepest snows drive them down but for the most part snow drives bucks below treeline where they become tougher to find.

Obviously there must be a reason for the ease of drawing 2nd season deer tags in most units in Colo. The first consideration is the units you drew deer are general OTC for elk. That means there will be mobs of orange running up and down every road. There also has been a 1st elk rifle season plus archery/muzzy seasons to wake up bucks and cause some of them to turn nocternal. Mature bucks that have lived through several Colo elk and deer seasons know what is up once they shed their velvet. They often mysteriously disappear until the rut kicks in.

The 2nd season is a super tough hunt. Bucks can be scattered pretty much anywhere. Be prepared for lots of elk hunters. It may take several hunting seasons to figuring out strategies that work.

Thanks for the advice, do you think hiking in a long ways will help

 

[jims]

Getting off the beaten path will definitely help. You'll likely find out that a lot of guys drive up and down roads and don't do much hiking. The steeper and deeper you can go the more likely you'll find a whopper.

 

[Lukegarrett2002]

Getting off the beaten path will definitely help. You'll likely find out that a lot of guys drive up and down roads and don't do much hiking. The steeper and deeper you can go the more likely you'll find a whopper.

I don’t have any plans to road hunt at all and I plan on hunting on foot all day

 

[jims]

Sounds like your on the right track.

 

[WannaB]

The 2nd season in CO depends a lot on then weather. If you get a little bit of snow, you will see them start to move from the tops into the oaks, juniper and sage...which is generally the best access via BLM. They pushed the season back a week, so I think that works in your favor. If it's hot, stay higher or on top, if it has cooled off or snowed...look for transition zones.