1st solo archery hunt

[Iawalleyeguy]

I'm planning my first solo Western hunt. I'll be after mule deer in the high country of Colorado. I've been on a few backcountry pack hunts. This will be my first solo mission. I'd like to stay as long as possible but also want to be realistic thinking 5 days 4 nights. Oh and I've never hunted mule deer before so my expectations are also realistic. I'm not looking for your area as I want to find my own. Looking for any "solo" advice people are willing to share. I know what I'm in for as far as terrain and physically. Looking for tips/tricks kinda stuff!

 

[willfrye027]

My advice is don’t backpack in, unless you are pretty experienced with that and also have time to scout.

Nothing worse than showing up to the trailhead, humping way in there, and then finding out your google earth scouting did not pan out, there’s a million other guys in there, etc. Now you’ve wasted 2 days of hunting and could have been stalking deer in the “front” country.

Absolutely bucks live in the high country but for your first hunt you are probably better off being mobile and learning more about mule deer than spending a ton of limited time backpacking. You will probably see more bucks from front country accessible stuff. Plus unless you are super fit and experienced it will be a two-trip pack out to get a deer out of the high country which is again, not fun and can mean meat spoilage.

 

[Iawalleyeguy]

Good advise. Im more after the adventure than the success. Would you say front country deer behavior is the same as high country deer behavior?

 

[willfrye027]

Good advise. Im more after the adventure than the success. Would you say front country deer behavior is the same as high country deer behavior?

Big picture..yes. They feed in the morning and then bed down. They may be eating different stuff though.

This fall I archery hunted in Idaho. Not “high” country exactly. But we stalked bucks from the top of the unit at 10,000 feet down to the foothills. Biggest buck we hunted was probably high 170s and he was in the foothill country.

I totally get the adventure aspect, that definitely counts for something.