Anyone else getting anxious?

[DapperDan]

I have a second rifle tag in Colorado and starting to get excited, although, my cardio fitness is lacking this year from being so busy. I think I need to quit marking waypoints on onX or the entire unit will be nothing but pin drops. lol.

I’ve got some “bucky” looking areas marked to hunt. Nothing within 1.5 miles from a road and most with a steep climb starting at the truck.

I’m hoping I find someone deer in the first place I go to. Well first, I just hope I can get to where I want to access in my truck. It’s some nasty stuff from what I’ve seen in some off roaders on forums that used this trail to get to a lake. Once parked it’s going to be 1000’ climb up and out of a small basin in order to loop around another really big basin to a glassing knob. Looks to be at least 4.5 miles from truck to knob. Will plan to be there early and spend a few days glassing. At least if I don’t see anything I can bail before opening day. That being said, I’d rather find deer since I live in the flat state of Texas. Not sure how many hell holes I can climb in, out, and around in 7 days. lol

I’m not seeing much on aspens in the back of this basin. Looks to be mostly open parks and big timber. Elevation range seems to be 11’400 to 10’000 on the north end of the basin. 1.5 miles further east down the drainage it drops to 9000 and connects to another really big drainage. There seems to be lots of aspen, deadfall, and maybe sage on the lower end. Hard to tell on the sage. I know one thing is for sure, there are plenty of outfitter wall tents up this drainage from Google earth.

Is it too much to ask to find and kill a 150” mule deer on opening day in an unknown area during second rifle in a unit full of otc elk hunters? I don’t think it is….. lol


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[RedSmoke]

Definitely getting excited. I was able to get a scouting trip in and that was productive. The terrain was worse than what the maps portrayed so I'll be switching up my approach once the season hits. I found good sign though which was incredibly reassuring.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I drew our multi-season tag here in WA that allows hunting with all 3 weapons. Can't bow hunt anymore due to some injuries but I can muzzleloader and rifle hunt starting in 3 weeks. Looking forward for sure.

 

[DapperDan]

Definitely getting excited. I was able to get a scouting trip in and that was productive. The terrain was worse than what the maps portrayed so I'll be switching up my approach once the season hits. I found good sign though which was incredibly reassuring.

This is my first option and the most physically demanding to get to. The crappy part of this spot is I’m 4-5 hours from the nearest town (which is not very far away) if you take in humping it to my truck and getting down these rough off road trails. My nephew is supposed to be with me but he’s in a band and plays in Milwaukee on the 25th. He seems to think he will be able to meet me on the 26th but he drives a tesla so I have to go to town and meet him. Nothing better than climbing off into this spot only to have a day and short morning to hunt before needing to go get him and burn a day.

This is the area of my first spot I’m going to try up high if the weather isn’t feet of snow.

This was my primary spot before I started looking into the above area. It’s a little easier to get to but not much. Still about 3 miles to hike to and you start the hike going straight vertical. I may end up here. Oddly enough I can get to both from the original entry on my first spot but I would be on the wrong side of the basin to glass.

If I didn’t live 19 hours away and so busy I’d love to go scout. Sure would be nice if my nephew didn’t drive a tsla…. With that being said his only experience hunting involves sitting in a blind shooting deer under a feeder in Texas. And he’s only done that a few times. He’s in a for a rude awakening. He thinks that since he lives in Colorado he will be fine with the hiking/meat hauling and since he sees deer all over the neighborhood where he lives it won’t be too hard to fill his tag. HA!


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[Greenbelt]

I thought I was the only one. October cant come soon enough. This time of year I literally lose interest in all other aspects of life. All I can think about is the mountains, the weather, gear, ONX, and checking my list 400 times so I don't forget anything. I'm sitting here at work right now with my hunting boots on to get my feet ready again lol.

 

[DapperDan]

I thought I was the only one. October cant come soon enough. This time of year I literally lose interest in all other aspects of life. All I can think about is the mountains, the weather, gear, ONX, and checking my list 400 times so I don't forget anything. I'm sitting here at work right now with my hunting boots on to get my feet ready again lol.

I don’t ever stop thinking about it. It’s a rear round obsession. I love Texas but I hate not living in a state that offers what western states do.


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[RedSmoke]

This is my first option and the most physically demanding to get to. The crappy part of this spot is I’m 4-5 hours from the nearest town (which is not very far away) if you take in humping it to my truck and getting down these rough off road trails. My nephew is supposed to be with me but he’s in a band and plays in Milwaukee on the 25th. He seems to think he will be able to meet me on the 26th but he drives a tesla so I have to go to town and meet him. Nothing better than climbing off into this spot only to have a day and short morning to hunt before needing to go get him and burn a day.

This is the area of my first spot I’m going to try up high if the weather isn’t feet of snow.

This was my primary spot before I started looking into the above area. It’s a little easier to get to but not much. Still about 3 miles to hike to and you start the hike going straight vertical. I may end up here. Oddly enough I can get to both from the original entry on my first spot but I would be on the wrong side of the basin to glass.

If I didn’t live 19 hours away and so busy I’d love to go scout. Sure would be nice if my nephew didn’t drive a tsla…. With that being said his only experience hunting involves sitting in a blind shooting deer under a feeder in Texas. And he’s only done that a few times. He’s in a for a rude awakening. He thinks that since he lives in Colorado he will be fine with the hiking/meat hauling and since he sees deer all over the neighborhood where he lives it won’t be too hard to fill his tag. HA!


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Sucks losing time like that to pick him up in town. But you'll be grateful to have him for the pack out for sure. I'll be solo and while scouting the area I kept thinking to myself how much the pack out is gonna be miserable. It's not the miles and elevation, but all the rocky hillsides and thornbush filled washes that make things extra fun.

 

[wytx]

Saw some nice mule deer groups out looking for elk last weekend, private land though.
Just doe/fawns and young bucks but quite a few 1.5-2.5 yr old bucks around. Bodes well for coming years.
We know the mature bucks will show up last week in Oct so really looking forward to that week, we have the whole place to ourselves.

Hoping to see some nice public land bucks this year, good luck folks.
Our area has some scattered public sections so hopefully those folks hitting them find mature bucks too.

 

[DapperDan]

Saw some nice mule deer groups out looking for elk last weekend, private land though.
Just doe/fawns and young bucks but quite a few 1.5-2.5 yr old bucks around. Bodes well for coming years.
We know the mature bucks will show up last week in Oct so really looking forward to that week, we have the whole place to ourselves.

Hoping to see some nice public land bucks this year, good luck folks.
Our area has some scattered public sections so hopefully those folks hitting them find mature bucks too.

Sure can’t shoot them from the couch. I’m going for 8” of snow in the high country on the second day of season followed by temps in the 30’s all week. Curious if I need snow chains or not. One of my parking spots at the end of a trail head is at 10,200 elevation


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[Pafarm]

Very excited. Been doing the same as you have so many pins it’s unreal. You’ll get one just hunt hard.

 

[DapperDan]

Very excited. Been doing the same as you have so many pins it’s unreal. You’ll get one just hunt hard.

Well I did legs tonight at the gym. Squats, pendulum squats, and weighted lunges with 10 pound kettle bells. That last one SUCKED. And I probably didn’t go 100 feet.

I’m gonna get my ass kicked this year, physically. Plan is to hit the stair master at the gym and the maxi climber at home as much as I can. Maybe shed about 5 pounds while I’m at it.

For anyone that lives on flat ground wanting to build cardio and leg endurance I highly recommend a maxi climber. They are cheap and they are BRUTAL. 15 mins and I’m absolutely gassed. My wife destroys me on that thing….


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[Pafarm]

Well I did legs tonight at the gym. Squats, pendulum squats, and weighted lunges with 10 pound kettle bells. That last one SUCKED. And I probably didn’t go 100 feet.

I’m gonna get my ass kicked this year, physically. Plan is to hit the stair master at the gym and the maxi climber at home as much as I can. Maybe shed about 5 pounds while I’m at it.

For anyone that lives on flat ground wanting to build cardio and leg endurance I highly recommend a maxi climber. They are cheap and they are BRUTAL. 15 mins and I’m absolutely gassed. My wife destroys me on that thing….


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I have been rucking some but honestly not as much as I should. I do go to the gym and lift every morning before work but that doesn’t help much for cardio. I got my starting spot figured out finally. I been milling over and overthinking it past few months. Settled on this one spot because of ridge system. Only thing I don’t like is the amount of timber cover but also has some open ground. Hoping a few good deer live there. Only 29 more days left for me!

 

[bigunit]

Not me I'm depressed. Hunted archery sept 1-4 and numbers are way down. They were getting bad last year and are less than half this year. Saw a wide 150" and thought id give it a go but he gave me the slip. I guess its cwd. Saw a weak and sick looking small 4x4. I think i could have walked up to it and pushed it over but I let it be.

 

[DapperDan]

Not me I'm depressed. Hunted archery sept 1-4 and numbers are way down. They were getting bad last year and are less than half this year. Saw a wide 150" and thought id give it a go but he gave me the slip. I guess its cwd. Saw a weak and sick looking small 4x4. I think i could have walked up to it and pushed it over but I let it be.

This in Colorado?


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[SlimTim_MN]

+1 on being excited! Have a rifle tag on CO as well. Now that we are inside the 60 day halo of going, I have become a fairly worthless human and can't focus on anything but excitement and anticipation