Alpine Mule Deer - Archery vs Muzzleloader

[RM_Bowhunter]

Hey Everybody. Based on an understanding of general animal behavior I'm thinking I know the answer to this one, but would appreciate some feedback from the group. I have a significant amount of experience chasing mule deer in the plains and breaks country. I know if you bump them enough times, they will completely alter their habits. I'm sure the same holds true with high country deer as well.

I have enough points to draw a good unit in CO, and am on the fence if I'm going to apply for the archery or muzzleloader tag. My questions are below:

Does the archery season being open a week prior to the muzzleloader season change the habits of those deer in the high country enough that I would need to alter my strategy? Like.... would I need to better understand their secondary bedding areas as opposed to where they would be on opening morning of archery? Assuming I draw the unit, I will make a couple of weekend trips prior to the season so I have an inventory of sorts. I would plan to be on the mountain two days prior to the season starting, regardless of which season I draw. I'm looking to better understand the strategy I should go into this with. If there's any YouTube videos or articles I can read, please send the links!

Thanks!

 

[EZduzIT]

Based on my experience by the opening of muzzleloader the bucks will have changed their patterns. Especially if the deer unit you can draw will have otc elk hunters or a significant amount of tags. By muzzleloader last year all the deer we had seen and the three we harvested were all in dark timber and not coming out. Obviously if it’s a harder to come by unit you may have a better chance of a pattern sticking if you find that right nook.

 

[RM_Bowhunter]

Based on my experience by the opening of muzzleloader the bucks will have changed their patterns. Especially if the deer unit you can draw will have otc elk hunters or a significant amount of tags. By muzzleloader last year all the deer we had seen and the three we harvested were all in dark timber and not coming out. Obviously if it’s a harder to come by unit you may have a better chance of a pattern sticking if you find that right nook.

That's what I was afraid of. I guess if I can find a few good ones before season opens and watch where they go when the recreationalists bump them, I might have a good chance of turning them back up with muzzleloader in hand. Or just draw the archery tag and hunt the first week.... decisions, decisions.

 

[EZduzIT]

That's what I was afraid of. I guess if I can find a few good ones before season opens and watch where they go when the recreationalists bump them, I might have a good chance of turning them back up with muzzleloader in hand. Or just draw the archery tag and hunt the first week.... decisions, decisions.

Either way, it seems like you know your stuff so with the hard work I’m sure you can be successful! Recreation is a huge factor to the movement.

 

[ColoradoV]

I would imagine you are talking Co..

This year again after the “elk only” factions forced a change moving the 30+ year traditional archery opening season date for archery about a week later so you will be starting archery on Labor Day..

It will be very crowded. Crowded w elk hunters, crowded w deer hunters and even more crowded w recreational users. No doubt the busiest week of the year to hunt archery. If I were hunting elk I would not even go out but as a high country deer hunter this is the only time it is reasonable to hunt so you have no other option.

Then as Muzzy starts on the 9th you will be dealing w the muzzy guys scouting basically as soon as archery starts. Crowded and competitive!!

The way the “elk only” cba choose to screw over deer hunter is sad but again they don’t even care about the deer season only elk. Thanks again cba!! Sad what it has turned into. Good luck..

 

[RM_Bowhunter]

I would imagine you are talking Co..

This year again after the “elk only” factions forced a change moving the 30+ year traditional archery opening season date for archery about a week later so you will be starting archery on Labor Day..

It will be very crowded. Crowded w elk hunters, crowded w deer hunters and even more crowded w recreational users. No doubt the busiest week of the year to hunt archery. If I were hunting elk I would not even go out but as a high country deer hunter this is the only time it is reasonable to hunt so you have no other option.

Then as Muzzy starts on the 9th you will be dealing w the muzzy guys scouting basically as soon as archery starts. Crowded and competitive!!

The way the “elk only” cba choose to screw over deer hunter is sad but again they don’t even care about the deer season only elk. Thanks again cba!! Sad what it has turned into. Good luck..

Am I safe to assume that CBA = Colorado Bowhunter's Association?

I think there are a lot of factors that have made it sexy to be an "elk hunter", and with that, so much has been commercialized, monetized, and driven in the name of elk hunting. Even though seasons were pushed back, I'm guessing the CBA has done a lot in the name of Colorado bowhunting? Disclaimer... I'm very ignorant to what their mission is and do not want to speak poorly about an organization I know little about.

I figure I'll take the same strategy as I do in western Kansas and try to get away from people. I'll learn the unit and the animals in the unit.

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[bz_711]

I would imagine you are talking Co..

This year again after the “elk only” factions forced a change moving the 30+ year traditional archery opening season date for archery about a week later so you will be starting archery on Labor Day..

It will be very crowded. Crowded w elk hunters, crowded w deer hunters and even more crowded w recreational users. No doubt the busiest week of the year to hunt archery. If I were hunting elk I would not even go out but as a high country deer hunter this is the only time it is reasonable to hunt so you have no other option.

Then as Muzzy starts on the 9th you will be dealing w the muzzy guys scouting basically as soon as archery starts. Crowded and competitive!!

The way the “elk only” cba choose to screw over deer hunter is sad but again they don’t even care about the deer season only elk. Thanks again cba!! Sad what it has turned into. Good luck..

Did the CBA even discuss keeping archery deer early and only moving elk to later in Sept? Seems like a win/win could have been to put archery deer early (say Aug 20-Sept 17) and push elk later like many wanted to the Sept 2-30. This would spread out pressure, give velvet deer hunters the woods without elk hunters, and give late Sept bugling bull chasers the woods without deer hunters. Probably even increase economic spend as many guys would devote $ to early deer and more $ to late elk...but now may only choose one, or less days on both.

Common sense is not very common anymore.

 

[ColoradoV]

The cpw offered status quo but they (cba) would not take it. The old and outdated CBA choose to move the date to sept 2 (screwing even elk guys who want to hunt a weekend opener). It also pushed ALL seasons back….

Yea a very very unfair and narrow minded decision only taking into account the aging elk hunters of the cba.

But that’s what they are about.

Thanks again CBA!!!

 

[dirtytough]

The cpw offered status quo but they (cba) would not take it. The old and outdated CBA choose to move the date to sept 2 (screwing even elk guys who want to hunt a weekend opener). It also pushed ALL seasons back….

Yea a very very unfair and narrow minded decision only taking into account the aging elk hunters of the cba.

But that’s what they are about.

Thanks again CBA!!!

The deer hunters got screwed, archery deer and elk hunters lost part of the season. And now the old archaic CBA that is adamant about otc archery elk is losing otc slowly and surely. CBA is killing it.

 

[RM_Bowhunter]

Did the CBA even discuss keeping archery deer early and only moving elk to later in Sept? Seems like a win/win could have been to put archery deer early (say Aug 20-Sept 17) and push elk later like many wanted to the Sept 2-30. This would spread out pressure, give velvet deer hunters the woods without elk hunters, and give late Sept bugling bull chasers the woods without deer hunters. Probably even increase economic spend as many guys would devote $ to early deer and more $ to late elk...but now may only choose one, or less days on both.

Common sense is not very common anymore.

This suggestion makes entirely too much sense! However, anytime there is politics and bureaucracy involved, rarely ever prevails.

 

[warrior]

Spend time behind the glass. Yes the recreation has it's affects. Adapt. I have seen bucks above timberline in the same routine well into LATE September. Have fun !