rate your 2008 hunting season

[SirRocco]

How would you guys rate your 2008 colorado hunting experience, (excellent,good,average,poor). Tell us what you saw and what you shot and if the number of deer or elk seen compared to last year. Also include the unit number and the amount of preference points burned to hunt the unit.

 

[Livetahunt]

Like night and day, bad, real bad Rifle area.

 

[jdbfair]

Unit 55 2nd season. Saw minimal deer, no good bucks, usually see 15-20 daily with several decent bucks. Saw a couple cow elk, very little fresh sign. Didn't see another hunter until 4th day. Last few years several hunters in this area, with most I have talked to being locals. Maybe they new something us out-of-staters didn't.

 

[r270]

awesome elk hunt ....no points needed, over the counter tag . very little pressure from other hunters, saw a ton of elk missed a good 6x6 the first morning , still dont know how that aspen jumped out in front of that arrow!!killed a 5x5 the second day, spent the rest of the season calling and taping got some good bulls on video A+++ season

 

[marley]

I had a great season this year. I hunted archery deer in a unit I can draw as second choice and I took a Pope and Young buck and my friend shot a 28 1/2" 5X5 during the muzzleloader in the same unit. I also did the archery elk in the same unit as an over the counter tag and killed a decent 6 point and my friends 12 year old son killed a 5X5 elk in the same unit during the 4th season. Over all a great year for us.

 

[ICMDEER]

Was likely the poorest hunt I ever went on. Hunted 4 days and never saw a buck. I walked, glassed and covered some pretty good-looking country. Got into the roughest, best country away from roads. And the weather was decent. The weather was cool and there was a couple of inches of snow. Last day, I walked through some of the best-looking country I saw and never even saw a track in the snow. Talked with lots of other hunters and not a single person had seen or shot a big buck. Came home early. Won't do that again. I can't say the area because I hope others go there next year and it means less competition for the licenses in the areas I try to hunt -

 

[Gunnar2323]

Great Question...Hard to answer. My buddy and I hunted the second season and had a tough time finding any deer let alone bucks. I think our final count was roughly 20 does and 4 Bucks in 5 full days of hunting. We hunted on foot and put many miles under our feet. Back on 05 it was the opposite in the exact same area. With that being said, my buddy took his best muley ever, and I was able to take my second best muley ever...all in all, I have to say it was a good hunt. I was with my best friend, and we took some great bucks....It would have been nice to see a few more deer though.

 

[Bambistew]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-21-08 AT 01:43PM (MST)[p]I'd have to rate it a 9.9, only because it took me a point to draw the tag.

I saw a total of 9 elk, a spike, 3 legal bulls and 5 cows. I killed the first nice one that came into range. Colorado sucks for sure. I didn't see a deer in the 3 days I hunted, however I wasn't looking. But to be fair the last time looked hard for one in a left over unit I found this little guy.

 

[MULEYJUNKY]

Hunted hard for hard for 9 nine days 2nd season on public land near meeker, in an area we hunt every year usually 3rd season.
Deer numbers were way down to say the least, normally see at least 50 deer a day, passing on several bucks, this year it was 1-3 a day for the first 6 days and we saw maybe a whopping 8-15 a day for the last couple days, we saw 6 bucks and filling 4 out of 5 tags and 1 bull. 3 forks and a 3x2 and a 4 pt bull, the biggest buck was 22", pretty sad. Normally our smallest buck would be 22" or better. Looks like it's gonna be tough for a few years.

It was almost as tough as California but NOT quite!

 

[Calif_Mike]

I'd say good. We hunted 71 during the 3rd. I had a deer tag and dad had a bull tag. I shot a nice 3x3 opening morning. Saw 3 other bucks the next day. Wasn't suprised we saw so few deer as we were at 10,000 feet and they have usually moved down by the 3rd. We were on elk pretty much every day just couldn't close the deal. Weather was the biggest factor for us.

Calif-Mike

 

[Magnummatt]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-08 AT 10:41PM (MST)[p]Bambistew
Unit 67 for the Elk. Right?

 

[one_dryboot]

It was a great year! saw alot of deer and came home with some great memories and some good bucks!

 

[Tinytim]

It was a joke, it was like hunting Mars. nothing, we took one 4x4 buck. we hunted from Sat to Friday morning, walked about five miles a day, drove from one end of the unit to the other hunting spots that were good. They should have never sold tags this season. But it is all about money, I don't the DOW even cares about there deer herd, it's the mighty DOLLAR the like. We talk with the locals they said 70% of the herd was lost. I talk with the DOW before we got our tags and they said a normal winter kill. I would say the Craig and Maybell lost 80%. It will take years for it to recover, kinda sad really. Sorry guys it's just the way I feel, Government Ba hunbug!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wheatja114]

4 hunters, Sat. thru Thurs.on pulic land, second season,unit 12 meeker area, SAD,SAD,SAD! Saw one 2x2 buck & maybe 25 does, no elk, 1000 dead winter carcasses & 10,000 orange hats! Would NEVER go back & hunt again like that!

 

[sageman]

Im with Tinytim!I hunt in that area & it was BAD!I would say 75% winter kill.I also called Dow & they gave me the same BS.They lied!I will skip a couple of years for certain!......Jim

 

[elkhunter49]

1st season rifle, we both had bull tags. I'm eating
tag soup and my buddy killed a nice 6x6. Numbers
were down from 2 previous trips but a tough, exciting
hunt. I'll be back. Baker

 

[feddoc]

While in Wells, NV on a Sunday afternoon headed for Alamosa, backing up, I ran over something. $1700 in new tires.

Developed gout in Utah; started taking my anti-gout meds....they say to take one pill an hour until poo shows up. It takes 2.5 days for poo to show up. When it does, it is much like a cow urinating on a flat rock. For two days.

First day in Colorado, I am taking care of business with my hind end hung over the trailer frame when I feel something on my jewelry sack. I look down to see a bumble bee. The only thing I had handy for defense was a can of WD-40 and my HK .45. I decided to use the WD 40. The bee left,but came back later with a friend and stung me while I was pitching the tent.

It took me and the wife and boy almost 4 hours to set the tent up; normally takes about 30 - 45 minutes. No propane; haven't picked up the wood stove from a friends house yet. Went back to my sister's house to spend the night.

See a bunch of deer and a few elk. Saw three very nice bucks; too far for wife to shoot.

Coming back the first night after a long walk, wife is driving, I am in the back seat. Feel her hit the brakes and curse; looked up just in time to see a huge bull jump over the road. I told her next time to floor it.

Last day of the season two very nice bulls were killed less than 100 yards from our camp.
All things considered, it was my least favorite trip in 40 years.

Can't wait for next year to make up for this one.

 

[Bambistew]

>LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-08
>AT 10:41?PM (MST)
>
>Bambistew
>Unit 67 for the Elk. Right?

If you want it to be.

 

[hunting1]

They should do a liberal draw in all elk areas, the logging company in southern Colorado are the sloppiest bunch I have ever encountered, but it was pretty country and I did see a few elk.