Units 44, 66, 67, 201
This might be true to some degree but 21 pts? Can’t most of those units be drawn w a point or 2?
Profile says he is a resident
Thanks for the suggestions. I decided to go with unit 1 after talking with a friend who hunted it 3 years ago. Should be similar to 201 being they are so close together and both such small units.
I’m a resident. Dad is now a non resident.
Haha as true as that may be, I don’t pay people outrageous amounts of money to trespass their land. Never had a problem finding the animals myself. I agree that eastern plains would be a good place to find a toad and that most all of that land is private. If I ever do that it will be after I burn all these points and I’ll hunt walk-in properties, etc. and hope to get lucky.
Thanks for the suggestions. Dad and I are hoping to hunt together and we decided to stay close to the Utah border
Wouldn’t be my first choice by a long shot but 21 is about your best option with the staying close to the Utah border factor.
Sucks to hear about the poaching deal. I’ll make sure to bring extra fuel and plan for nasty country.
Have you hunted Unit 1? Glad to finally hear some words of encouragement. I don’t know the lay of the land in that area at all. I live along the front range and I usually hunt big mountains close to home. Thing is, I’m not looking for a B&C record, but I’ve always heard great things about every one of the Northwest Colorado units. It takes 17 points to draw Unit 1 3rd season and if it takes that many points there are herd numbers and big animals. Everyone gonna have an opinion…
Herd numbers not so much. Could you possibly stumble up something special? Yes there’s a possibility of that in any Colorado. Unit 1 is very interesting unit to say the least. I’ve grown up in and spent majority of my life in NW Colorado and have only messed with it twice in helping friends who had cow tags. Both times were absolute azz kickers. There’s really not much information on 1 or those whom have knowledge of it. It’s basically the forgotten unit of the NW corner and it definitely doesn’t play like 2,10 or 201. None of the NW corner units have really been that great for muleys in quite some time with the struggling herd numbers. I think a lot of people blindly apply for the NW corner thinking the mule deer hunting will follow suit of the quality of the elk hunting and quickly find out it’s on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. However it appears your friend had a positive experience there 3 years ago. I would just struggle with blindly throwing 21 years of applying at a unit I know nothing about and have never stepped foot in. But that’s just me. I hope things work out for you and your dad and you check back in with how it went.
LOL, there is literally 1 main road, and its only about 10 miles long.
You obviously haven't been in the unit. I hope they do well too, but I know better.
Unit 1 is not like any if the other units, the access is hindered in multiple ways.
Such pain in the ass access = big bucks! Let’s party and take 3 240” bucks!
And where you can get access the ground is brutal, thick and steep and since it is very dry there is minimal feed etc. It is hard to explain what unit 1 is like to someone that has not been there... When I worked for Moffat County Weed and Pest we had access to several of the private land holdings. We would see good numbers of elk and great bulls but never more than a handful of deer. We picked up a lot of good elk sheds in that unit over the years, but never found anything great for deer. There was one year we saw a 190 buck with extras in unit 1. He ended up swimming the river and in 201 as there were not any doe on the Unit 1 side and there was a pretty good group of doe on the 201 side... Time will tell, unit 1 is going to test any hunter deer or elk... Access is hard the land is hard. The elk will shelter in the monument, and nearly everything that is not straight up and down steep and rocky is private...
I'd take unit 1 over any unit with OTC elk hunters, and a ton of tags. I would rather go hunt it and see 1 buck, but not see 1 human. If any unit could kick out a monster 240+ it could potentially be unit 1. The genetics are there, the age class is there, they know going into that they are going to have to work their tails off. You can have 44, 55, 66, 67 and all the 140" bucks left in those units. Give me the solitude of unit 1. I'm jealous. @JakeH Doesn't like it because he wouldn't be able to drive to his dead buck and throw it in whole.
I've heard the same about elk.
Where were the elk sheds? Public or private? When I was in college sheds were laying all over in the monument, I'm sure some Utards pick them all up before May 1st in the monument every year now.
It would get mighty hot walking around unit 1 wearing those sweet muffs. Makes a gut wonder how many times you plan on shooting to wear muffs?
As many times as necessary.
Did you draw unit 1??
There was one resident with 21 points that drew out.
Be interesting to see how it goes. I dumped my 23 pts on unit 10 and hoping for a good antler growth year!
Good luck with your hunt. I'm interested in how it pans out for you.
I didn’t realize No-where Community College had a cheer squad!
That’s what beer goggles are for!!! 😂🤣
A 2’s a 10 on the road
You definitely went the better route. I think it will be a good year personally
Wow, he did it! He spent 21 on a 9 point tag. Hope we hear how it goes, should be an adventure!
Try again.
You won’t hear about it, but 1 of the top 5 bucks will come from 22.
22 isn't what it once was, even 5 years ago. There is a reason the points it took to draw 4th season nose dived from 20+ down to 16. And even if a giant is killed its unlikely some random dude with little to no experience in the unit will be the lucky one taking said top 5 buck. They are 3 years into a slaughter on mature deer that's been taking place on 22 and surrounding units, CDOW isn't doing 22 any favors. There are better units to burn the points on.
Tell you a true story Kids ! I hunted 22 1972,73,74- when I was kid, so to speak. ‘72 was amazing , the number of deer & quality too !!
Yes, Jake I’m not lost on any fact you are describing, however I’m lost on the fact that you are stating “Butts” knows best.?
Long time between 1974 & the early 2000’s- I’d hope it got some better anyway ! Good for you
I guess that what I was trying to say was that perhaps there is hope that some 10 to 20 years from now it could come back like that it did from from when it fell off over the decades. I remember being a little kid when we had a bad winter. Want to say it was 96- but it was much similar to 07/08 and it took out a huge chunk of the deer herd. Within a 10 year span or so things rebounded significantly. It seems like as of recent 2015 to 2018 were pretty solid for big bucks and the last 3 to 4 years have absolutely tanked. However I feel with extremely poor management across the state in conjunction of the progression of technology into hunting i I think we will see a abrupt end to quality mule hunting in Colorado for the foreseeable future unless we see some major restructuring of management and tag cuts. I think the only way we could truly fix it with the state things are in are for we as hunters to refrain from harvesting young deer and eating tags if they don’t find that older mature age class buck. Which is something I would venture to say 80 percent or more of tag holders each year refuse to do.
21 points on the line I am putting in for unit 10 personally. As I suggested above to the guy.
This. I don't see the state cutting tags to a level that will make a meaningful difference. It's on us to conserve trophy quality mule deer hunting. And a major problem is that most guys out there that must put a tag on something will take a 3-1/2 year old 4x4 with good genetics over the 6-1/2 year old heavy horned 3x4. To each their own, but we're just deteriorating genetics to the point that the deer that do reach maturity will lack what is required to produce a 190-200"+ set of antlers.
That’s why it should be your top tip!
Yeah not even close. Maybe a decent unit 5-7 years ago, but not any more. Can you show me the top buck from 22 last year?
I think this can be said for most of the West. I started traveling to CO to elk and mule deer hunt in 1980 and it was crazy the amount of deer I would see. I still think the elk heard has a lot to do with the decline. I hunted a ranch N of Craig over 10 years from 1990-2000 and every year we saw more elk and less deer.
Oh, that's what you were trying to say? Because to me it kinda sounded like you were discounting Jerry or dogging him. I hope people don't get all pissy when I ask about how I should spend my 19 NR points next year.
Nope wasn’t dogging. Just saying that in the past some units have recovered from rock bottom. As far as your 19 points go… should of probably burnt them 15 years ago but I’ll gladly lend my thoughts and opinions when the time comes.
Some day I with have to burn mine. I may need some help. Buddy is set on 44 fourth but I might be willing to look else were.
There’s always a couple big boys that live to fight another day. Unless the stars and the weather align just right, 44 can be an absolute brutally tough, grinder of a hunt.
That is why we put in there this year. We figured with the tough conditions the last few years, if the weather was good this year it could be great. Twenty six points just wasn't quite enough.
I remember years ago my cousin from Colorado would come down to hunt deer with me in NM. He would get excited when we would see mediocre bucks. He would tell me "In Colorado, if you don't shoot that deer the guy right behind you will." Then CO went to all draw for deer and intensely managed their herds. I was fortunate enough to draw a Unit 44 third season tag with three points!!! We got big snows right before the opener and the hunt was close to magical. I shot a 194" four point, and he shot a 200-incher. I saw dozens upon dozens of 160-170ish type bucks. Looks like I will never draw 44 again, and I have heard the quality of that unit has dropped significantly.
I agree with you Jake and i have hunted the unit no way i would burn 21 points on the tag. And if you remember right i just told you the other day it was one of my least favorite units i have hunted in Colorado. Very few deer and there is just not a ton of area to hunt. The potential is definitely there but speaking from experience in the unit NO WAY it worth 21 points. Best of luck if he decides to keep the tag but. If you want advice hold out for unit 10.
Kicked up some super nice bucks rooster hunting out there in December, but it’s a crap shoot if the walk in allows deer hunting or just small game
Nope. Been 4 months.
Shows he last logged in on June 5th
He’s too busy trying to figure out how to turn his tag back in
Yes indeed- mule deer have been clobbered by Winters & the CPW for years. I wrote a piece about ‘72-‘73 Disaster not long ago . I was
Probably by mistake. Last post was early April.
Yes, I drew unit 1
Nah I been too busy living a life outside of this forum. I drew my Unit 1 tag and I will fill it
Been 6 months now. I had not been receiving notifications for this thread. I drew my tag and will put in a solid hunt
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