unit 55 deer

[bigbuck1002000]

My dad is considering burning 12 points on a third season tag. He is almost seventy years old. I was just wondering what your thoughts were on the unit. Is it worth 12 points? Is the terrain suitable for a guy his age? If not, can you recommend another unit that might be better? Thanks.

 

[Dirtbag]

I put in for this hunt also with 12 NR pts....
Don't know much about it other than it can be good if snow pushes them out of high country.....if not it can be tough as most bucks will stay high in rough country...
Last yr it looks like it took 11 NR pts to draw this year with point creep it will be 12 or more depending on how many people decide to cash in.
My advice is...your dad is not getting younger so if he can still get around ok cash in and take him hunting.

 

[treedagain]

unit 70 4th season would be a good choice. easier country to hunt as well as more rut activity

 

[Thomas11]

I've hunted 55 for elk and I'm 37. Consider myself to be in good shape. That is rough country! We hunted at 10-11k and its steep, tall mountains. Now I don't know much about mule deer and like u say they may be at lower elevations for third season but if they are high it's pretty tough getting up there.

 

[Buckjunkie]

Friends hunted deer in 55 3rd last year. It was tough. They had two tags and four guys. All good at glassing and ended up eating one tag and shooting a mid 160's.

 

[nocal]

3 rd season?........the armies of orange pumpkins will be out.

 

[bigbuck1002000]

Thanks for the replies, they were all helpful

 

[Hunter2016]

My dad hunted 55 two years ago. He was 68 years old. The deer were not low yet so we had to hike in about 4 miles (8 miles round trip) to find any bucks. My dad was done after 6 days of hunting so after that we just kind of road hunted lower. He ended up shooting a decent buck but not what he had hoped for. If we did it over again we would of done 53 3rd season or 70 4th season. There are big deer in all 3 areas but 53 and 70 have higher deer density and less hiking is required.
Just my thoughts.let me know if you have any questions.

 

[CWeeks]

I hunted the muzz two years ago and wished I had my points back, beautiful country though.

 

[bigbuck1002000]

He thinks he will probably sit it out this year and just get point's. thanks. I was looking at unit 53 for him. When looking at maps of the area, it looks like quite a bit of private in the lower country. would it be a hard unit for access during the third season?

 

[Dirtbag]

>He thinks he will probably sit
>it out this year and
>just get point's. thanks.
>I was looking at unit
>53 for him. When
>looking at maps of the
>area, it looks like quite
>a bit of private in
>the lower country. would
>it be a hard unit
>for access during the third
>season?


If snow pushes bucks down to the valley's then yes there is quite a bit of private land but still enough public land to hunt. Private land chip would be a big help.

 

[Muley]

55 is a terrible unit to hunt. I only live 30 miles away and would never hunt there. They should drop the OTC tags and be just draw. They could control the amount of hunters that way. Success rate would go up and herd control would probably stay the same.

It has way too many hunters now and most of them seem to have ATV's. I've scouted it during hunting seasons to see if I wanted to hunt there, and I couldn't believe how crowded it was.

I'll take units with lower herd numbers to have lower hunter numbers any day.

 

[blacktailBC]

55 is a really good unit, with plenty of access, and plenty of deer.

 

[Dirtbag]

>55 is a terrible unit to
>hunt. I only live 30
>miles away and would never
>hunt there. They should drop
>the OTC tags and be
>just draw. They could control
>the amount of hunters that
>way. Success rate would go
>up and herd control would
>probably stay the same.
>
>It has way too many hunters
>now and most of them
>seem to have ATV's. I've
>scouted it during hunting seasons
>to see if I wanted
>to hunt there, and I
>couldn't believe how crowded it
>was.
>
>I'll take units with lower herd
>numbers to have lower hunter
>numbers any day.

I'm assuming you are referring to elk hunting and not deer hunting.....

 

[Muley]

Yes, i'm talking about elk that makes the unit crowded for deer and elk hunters. They don't offer many deer tags, so that's not the problem. It's so many elk tags that create the mobs of orange.

 

[Dirtbag]

I put in this year with 12 NR pts...3rd season...should be in running. Guess I will have to let elk hunters push the bucks to me.....

 

[Muley]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-16-16 AT 06:40PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-16-16 AT 06:39?PM (MST)

>I put in this year with
>12 NR pts...3rd season...should be
>in running. Guess I will
>have to let elk hunters
>push the bucks to me.....
>


You're wasting a lot of points for that hunt. It only took 6 points to get that tag last year.

Edit.........Oops! Sorry, I looked up resident. Force of habit. 10 points for a NR. Not many points lost for you.

 

[treedagain]

I was planning on this one with 12points but felt point creep would get me so i passed.

 

[Dirtbag]

>I was planning on this one
>with 12points but felt point
>creep would get me so
>i passed.

I will be surprised if I don't draw with 12 points.....even with point creep.....

 

[treedagain]

I hope so dirtbag. I just know of more than a few people with over 12 that put in......thats why i changed my app after i had already put in for 55.