Co question

[untouchable]

So I have hunted Colorado late season a few times. I will not be able to for the next few years because of work. So I’m trying to decide whether to do archery or muzzleloader. I only have one point so which is enough to draw both for the unit we hunt. My question is which hunt do you guys like better?

 

[Jimss]

There are lots of negatives/positives for each. You can potentially shoot longer shots with muzzy than bow. The bow season is longer and it's possible to catch bucks prior to shedding velvet. Depending upon the unit this could make it easier to find bucks during archery season. Right around the time muzzy starts is generally when bucks loose their velvet and/or the first snow of the season. Sometimes after this happens bucks tend to disappear into hidey holes until the rut. If you are hunting an OTC elk unit there may be a lot more hunters in the field to spook bucks once the elk rut kicks in later in Sept. It can be super hot during early archery. If there's a full moon plus hot weather the bucks may not be out much during daylight hours. Lots of considerations!

 

[ColoradoV]

Also need to think about season structure or how the Colorado Bowhunters Ass pushed a extreme "elk only agenda" during the past 5 year and succeeded in getting the mule deer archery season pushed back a entire week starting in 2020. Or basically the CBA only cares about elk hunting and told deer hunters to pound sand in the last 5 year study....

If you did not follow the entire debacle - archers lost a entire week of hunting or more for the next 5 years.... Archery deer now has the worst start dates in the past 40 years... Another fact is that some years archery guys will have a total of 4 days before muzzy hunts and high country rifle hunters start flinging shots of 600, 700, or 1000 yds across basins. Not safe at all for the archers...

Needless to say both the CPW and the espically the CBA threw mule deer archery hunters under the bus in favor of archery elk hunters and with the season dates I am looking at muzzy as honestly after the rifle and muzzy hunts start the archery season is pretty much over anyway.

 

[Ian Ketterman]

Also need to think about season structure or how the Colorado Bowhunters Ass pushed a extreme "elk only agenda" during the past 5 year and succeeded in getting the mule deer archery season pushed back a entire week starting in 2020. Or basically the CBA only cares about elk hunting and told deer hunters to pound sand in the last 5 year study....

If you did not follow the entire debacle - archers lost a entire week of hunting or more for the next 5 years.... Archery deer now has the worst start dates in the past 40 years... Another fact is that some years archery guys will have a total of 4 days before muzzy hunts and high country rifle hunters start flinging shots of 600, 700, or 1000 yds across basins. Not safe at all for the archers...

Needless to say both the CPW and the espically the CBA threw mule deer archery hunters under the bus in favor of archery elk hunters and with the season dates I am looking at muzzy as honestly after the rifle and muzzy hunts start the archery season is pretty much over anyway.

All about the money man. Unfortunate.