Unit 3 4th season deer

[forkhunter]

Looking for some general thoughts if anyone is willing to part with them. Dad and I have the points to draw. The units he originally was holding out for aren't going to pan out. He turns 70 this year and I don't want him to miss out on a good hunt before he can't get out and hit it pretty hard. He is in good shape and can do good day hunts, but the backpack style hunts aren't going to fit the need for us. We are not trophy hunters, but would like a good experience and the chance that we might run into something nice. With as many points as we have, I feel like we should be able to get a hunt with few hunters and a good number of deer, even if not the biggest deer in the state. Am I looking in the right direction? I will look up biologist info this week, but would also be grateful for any information from someone familiar with the country.
Thank you. Shane

 

[Hunt_the_West]

There are quite a few deer in units 3/301 but remember there will be a pile of elk hunters during 4th season in that country. There are resident deer in the sage but you are really relying on getting some weather in the mountains to get a push of new deer and bucks in. A 160 type buck is doable with the chance for something better. Most of the unit has easy access with roads and isn't challenging physically. It can be a fun hunt but I'm not sure it's worth a dozen NR points. For the same amount of points I'd prefer 11/211. That's just my opinion though and others may disagree.

 

[elks96]

3 and 301 are easy hunts to just see and get deer. A 160 buck in my opinon is a really good buck. Most guys shoot a small 4x4 in the 20" range. It is rare that you see many reallt good buck in 3. Sheer deer numbers can be great but wide open sage with lots of outfitters and lots of deer tags means a larger buck is harder to find. Like another poster I would maybe look at 11/211. The are little more tricky but offer much better cover and as result more bucks get older and larger. In the last 5 year I have seen some really big bucks in 11/211. They are harder to find, but they are around. 11/211 is harder to access and there are areas where you can hike and get away all day. Places to take an ATV really high and gas for hours, low flats that are easy walking and mountains that make you wish you had horses etc.

In 3 the hardest to climb areas take only a 1/2 to cover and there are roads virtually everywhere and it is wide open. As mentioned in 3/301 lots of elk hunters. It really depends on what type of land you are looking for... 11/211 you will see fewer deer, but a higher chance of good one.

 

[forkhunter]

Thanks for the replies. Are there less elk hunters in 11? That seems to be a consensus about 3.

 

[tailchasers]

There will be plenty of company in 11/211. Maybe just a smidgen less than 3/301. Check out tag allocation numbers on the CPW big game statistics that should help understand more.

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

 

[heywouldya]

I've hunted 3/301 several times during the third season, including this year. The bucks should be rutting well during the 4th season, but as already stated, they probably wont be very large. With that being said, its an easy hunt with very high success rate, in my opinion.
If you chose to hunt that area, I would highly recommend an OnX map of the area. Distinguishing between the private and public ground can be very challenging, and the guides and landowners are not very forgiving.
You can PM me if you'd like some more specific's on the area.

heywouldya

 

[forkhunter]

Thanks all for your replies. I am widening the search a bit and haven't yet made a decision. It is hard to make a decision when you live a long ways away and know you will never build up this many points again. 3 years ago, we used our max points on a deer hunt in WY that turned out to be a pretty big disappointment. I am hoping to not repeat that again in CO. Hunting is hunting and the time in the field is great, but if that was the only goal, I would just hunt here in Oregon...... ;-)

 

[bowhuntinnut]

Unit 3 would be a great hunt for what you are describing! Lots of deer, a chance at a big one, plenty of public land! The only thing you will have to get your mind right with is the amount of hunters you will see, there will be a lot of them. BUT, use them to your advantage, there will only be a very small percentage of them that will have buck tags. So there will be a lot of guys that will tell you where they have seen the good bucks! It will be a really fun hunt! 140-160? class deer are very doable with a chance at much bigger if you have the willpower to look at tons of bucks! I would rather have a 3 tag than a 11/211 if i was taking a 70 year old man, it will be much easier on him! Good luck!

 

[dirtygrass]

How many points do you have?

 

[forkhunter]

>How many points do you have?
>


13

 

[dirtygrass]

I can help you with a pretty cool hunt, my dad did it and he is 78. its not that many points, pm me if interested.

 

[Flatfoot]

Shane,
I was also looking into this hunt . I wanted to see how accessible the unit was when there was snow on the ground ( like there should be in November) so I went out the first week of January. Unit was very accessible not much snow to mention west of 13 towards Baggs. Fortification Rock area seemed to hold alot of animals in the 140-160 range( evenly distributed on private and on public)
maybe the bigger bucks were still on the east side of 13 and in transit as there was not enough snow
to speak of. As mentioned before there is alot of private in that unit ( be careful) .Good luck to you and your father.

 

[forkhunter]

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice from those who offered. We decided to put in for another state and gain 1 more point in CO. We probably won't draw in Utah, so that should leave me the time to go look at these units in the summer. Thanks again. Shane

 

[Pucci]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-07-18 AT 08:06PM (MST)[p]>3 and 301 are easy hunts
>to just see and get
>deer. A 160 buck in
>my opinon is a really
>good buck. Most guys shoot
>a small 4x4 in the
>20" range. It is rare
>that you see many reallt
>good buck in 3. Sheer
>deer numbers can be great
>but wide open sage with
>lots of outfitters and lots
>of deer tags means a
>larger buck is harder to
>find. Like another poster I
>would maybe look at 11/211.
>The are little more tricky
>but offer much better cover
>and as result more bucks
>get older and larger. In
>the last 5 year I
>have seen some really big
>bucks in 11/211. They are
>harder to find, but they
>are around. 11/211 is harder
>to access and there are
>areas where you can hike
>and get away all day.
>Places to take an ATV
>really high and gas for
>hours, low flats that are
>easy walking and mountains that
>make you wish you had
>horses etc.
>
>In 3 the hardest to climb
>areas take only a 1/2
>to cover and there are
>roads virtually everywhere and it
>is wide open. As mentioned
>in 3/301 lots of elk
>hunters. It really depends on
>what type of land you
>are looking for... 11/211 you
>will see fewer deer, but
>a higher chance of good
>one.

I hunted their last year and received information from Elk 96 and he is spot on about unit 3.
Went home empty handed

 

[Muley]

> Shane,
>I was also looking into this
>hunt . I wanted to
>see how accessible the unit
>was when there was snow
>on the ground (
>like there should be in
>November) so I went out
>the first week of January.
>Unit was very accessible not
>much snow to mention west
>of 13 towards Baggs. Fortification
>Rock area seemed to hold
>alot of animals in the
>140-160 range( evenly distributed
>on private and on public)
>
>maybe the bigger bucks were still
>on the east side of
>13 and in transit as
>there was not enough snow
>
>to speak of. As mentioned before
>there is alot of private
>in that unit ( be
>careful) .Good luck to you
>and your father.

I wouldn't judge snow levels by this year. We're in a draught.