CO 3rd Rifle Thread

[lak2004]

I was out for the last 3 days in the 11k elevation range hunting elk. Didn't see anything except for 2 elk crossing the highway at 11k, but fresh tracks and sign still up high. Even a few deer tracks still at that elevation. Haven't heard a single gunshot either, which is odd for 3rd rifle. Seems as if the animals are pocketed up and locked down hard. Of course, the deer in town are still out and about doing their thing, but no sign of rutting.

About what I've heard from everyone around here. I've been hearing shots down low, but there are about 10 million people running around the low country.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

GF shot her first buck on Sunday morning. She made a 450 yard shot off her pack and was able to hump the hind, front, head, and backstrap in one trip.



I got this weird 4x"1" on Monday morning. This packout kicked my ass. Really hard to be picky with how many tags they gave out this year.

 

[hunthikecamp]

I was out in NW CO for opening weekend and was able to connect on this guy Sunday night!



I started out lower ~8700 but with the weather and lack of snow saw very few deer, 2 bucks and a handful of does, still on opposite sides of the basin and not really interested in each other. Decided to go high up to ~10k and the bucks up there were still bachelored up, not really interested in does either. By Sunday I was starting to see some signs, maybe a hot doe came into the area but one buck was trailing her and sniffing/chasing. This guy was solo, but it looked like he was marking some fence posts or something, he was a bit preoccupied and gave me the chance to hustle closer for a shot.

The weather was definitely an interesting factor this year, I've seen nastier weather in some 1st rifle hunts. Check those earlier season spots! lol.

Also an interesting dynamic, which makes sense given the rut progression, but opening weekend was fairly slow. Not many hunters and almost no shooting but pulling out on Monday AM and it was noticeably busier. Things are heating up! Good luck out there!

 

[BigLou]

Zero signs of rut in south central CO. Seeing bachelor groups of bucks. Saw 40 does in a hay field at first light, not a single buck…

 

[307_timberstalker]

Zero signs of rut in south central CO. Seeing bachelor groups of bucks. Saw 40 does in a hay field at first light, not a single buck…

Hunting south also. 0 rut action at all. Little forked don’t even care. Killed 1 nice buck the second day and we haven’t seen a branch buck since. Tons of does tho. Killed him at 10,500’ since everyone asks

 

[Poser]

Just went for a post dinner walk around the neighborhood: bucks still in bachelor groups and still uninterested in does.

 

[justinspicher]

On my way home I saw about 200 does and one buck. He was nice, but on private property.

 

[lak2004]

On my way home I saw about 200 does and one buck. He was nice, but on private property.

Sounds about right!

 

[Plainsman79]

This is more of a rut report than a 3rd rifle. Location Southern Wyoming. Central to Utah state line (not all that far from the Colorado state line).
The past 2 days, I’ve seen 23 bucks. All but 2 have been in with does rutting hard. Of the 2 not rutting, 1 was a stag.

Fawns are born at the same time every year to ensure species survival. The rut happens the same time every year. Mule deer gestation period never changes.

Have the buck numbers truly been decimated the past 5 years in Colorado and buck/doe ratios that low? Or does hunting pressure keep the deer tucked into the cover?

This is the first year in a long time I haven’t had a 3rd rifle tag. Stick with it fellas. Does are being bred daily right now.

 

[lak2004]

This is more of a rut report than a 3rd rifle. Location Southern Wyoming. Central to Utah state line (not all that far from the Colorado state line).
The past 2 days, I’ve seen 23 bucks. All but 2 have been in with does rutting hard. Of the 2 not rutting, 1 was a stag.

Fawns are born at the same time every year to ensure species survival. The rut happens the same time every year. Mule deer gestation period never changes.

Have the buck numbers truly been decimated the past 5 years in Colorado and buck/doe ratios that low? Or does hunting pressure keep the deer tucked into the cover?

This is the first year in a long time I haven’t had a 3rd rifle tag. Stick with it fellas. Does are being bred daily right now.

I mostly agree but there is definitely some variation in doe estrus. We see fawns born down here in SW CO late every year. It could be anecdotal though as I mostly am paying attention to the resident deer around town and in my neighborhood. A fawn with its spots in August sticks out.

But I definitely agree the deer are around and getting bred, probably a lot of night movement. I came out of a spot the other night just after legal shooting light and there were 2 decent bucks and about 15 does 100 yards from my rig.

 

[willfrye027]

Question about checking does right now. I found a group of 10 does today with 2 130-140 bucks that were rutting hard. How often would you check that group of does with hopes something bigger shows up? Everyday? Every other?

Anybody’s guess. Last time I hunted Colorado there was a doe group of about 20. Two big bucks would come through during the first hour of light, check the does, and if nothing was in heat saunter off into the quakies. One of the bucks did that two days in a row before we killed him, the other buck did that only once and disappeared to who knows where.

Depending on where you’re at..if the doe group is in a fairly hard to get to spot, or surrounded by really good cover, maybe higher elevation…essentially nearby to a place a buck could easily survive second season, then I would key in on them a little more than a group in the open sage down by the road.

Then again a monster could show up there overnight and some dude will blast him from the road. Never know!