Colorado flat tops situation?

[MallardSX2]

I saw very few deer while I was there tooling around this year. A lot less than when I was there a few years ago pre-bad winter, and I mean a LOT less.

 

[Treeratslayer]

Maybe it was the late 90s, early 2000s, but it was a long time ago and it definitely affected the deer numbers for a looong time.

The winter kill was well documented here on RS, and thousands of deer and elk were wiped out between Colorado and WYo.
I guess they didnt get the memo to migrate.

Good luck on your hunt - you're gonna need it

Oh no doubt it killed a lot. Was a rough winter for sure. I just like to think at least some moved out/others will find their way in


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[Ucsdryder]

Oh no doubt it killed a lot. Was a rough winter for sure. I just like to think at least some moved out/others will find their way in


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Unfortunately it doesn’t really work that way.

It’s too bad that they can’t shut the whole thing down, I see why they don’t. I think @robby denning did a podcast with a biologist and they talked about the need to keep some tags so the tags don’t go away permanently. I didn’t look at the cow/doe tags, but if it’s more than 5 of each, it’s ridiculous.

 

[Treeratslayer]

Unfortunately it doesn’t really work that way.

It’s too bad that they can’t shut the whole thing down, I see why they don’t. I think @robby denning did a podcast with a biologist and they talked about the need to keep some tags so the tags don’t go away permanently. I didn’t look at the cow/doe tags, but if it’s more than 5 of each, it’s ridiculous.

I didn’t look at doe tags closely either, but I do feel I remember it being pretty low if any. It all runs together after so many units though. Shutting it down would cost them fed funding. I worked in a state job for awhile. Lots of stuff like that is don’t use it, lose it.


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[Ucsdryder]

I just looked, most units have 5 doe tags! Good on CPW, and boy oh boy, I sure as heck wouldn’t be buying a tag in a unit that has that few doe tags. There’s your sign!

 

[WeiserBucks]

Hunted it 2nd season a couple years ago and saw a grand total of zero deer in the high country after about a foot of snow prior to the opener.

 

[Treeratslayer]

I just looked, most units have 5 doe tags! Good on CPW, and boy oh boy, I sure as heck wouldn’t be buying a tag in a unit that has that few doe tags. There’s your sign!

Gotta take what you can get as an out of stater. End of the day it’s an expensive camping trip at the least lol


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[Treeratslayer]

Hunted it 2nd season a couple years ago and saw a grand total of zero deer in the high country after about a foot of snow prior to the opener.

You stayed high even with the snow?


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[WeiserBucks]

You stayed high even with the snow?


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Used a drop camp service that year, not much choice.

 

[Treeratslayer]

Used a drop camp service that year, not much choice.

Gotcha, that sucks. We’re trying to stay mobile knowing it’ll be tough and weather could move them on elevation in a heartbeat


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[hunthikecamp]

To the earlier comments of no snow, it's there now...I was up there scouting last weekend and the snow is definitely there in the high country, not sure how deep, I didn't venture up that high but could see it from down low. ( Sat image is from yesterday, 10/22. green X is Sheep Mtn and red X is W Mtn, note, I'm just pointing out map references). I'll be packing my spikes and gaiters for sure, i've got a 2nd rifle deer tag for the flat tops. Pic below is from about 10k on 10/20. Was about 25deg when i woke up.

 

[Treeratslayer]

To the earlier comments of no snow, it's there now...I was up there scouting last weekend and the snow is definitely there in the high country, not sure how deep, I didn't venture up that high but could see it from down low. ( Sat image is from yesterday, 10/22. green X is Sheep Mtn and red X is W Mtn, note, I'm just pointing out map references). I'll be packing my spikes and gaiters for sure, i've got a 2nd rifle deer tag for 25/26. Images below are of the flat tops, one from Stillwater res on 10/20. Was about 25deg at the res when i woke up on Sunday.View attachment 780833 View attachment 780832

Thanks for the update! Glad to see it’s finally snowing. Needed for sure. Keep us updated on how the hunt goes if ya don’t mind!


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[PredatoryProwler]

Hunted 25/26 for first rifle, half a dozen shots opening day and not a single shot after that. Didn't see a single elk taken off the mountain and lots of people pulling out on the 3rd day. Elk density seemed to be low compared to what I've heard.

Was there for bow season for deer - We saw 2 elk being packed out on an atv and had came across a total of 2 does (seperate occasions) just off a road

 

[hunthikecamp]

Thanks for the update! Glad to see it’s finally snowing. Needed for sure. Keep us updated on how the hunt goes if ya don’t mind!


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Realized I never followed up here but went out for second rifle mule deer both weekends (didn't hunt the weekdays due to my PTO situation).

First weekend, 10/26 I started out lower saw a couple does and fawns opening morning but with no snow on the ground it was very clear the bucks were way higher than I was, also based on the fact that all the shooting I heard was way up higher, >10k. Saw one guy up high take some pretty hail mary shots at a nice buck, was pretty clear all were misses... So Sat PM I pulled the plug on the low country and drove up to a higher TH, as soon as i parked the truck a guy was dragging a monster of a 3x4, i'm not good at judging them but it easily drawfed the buck below and any other buck i saw all season. That night I spiked out up high and glassed from around 11,400ish, plenty of does everywhere, from 8500 up to 11k. Had a nice buck walk out about 350 yds below me sunday morning, rushed the shot and hit low, never recovered him but i'm fairly certain he lived to see another day based on the blood (or lack thereof).

Second weekend, 11/2 after all the snow mid week the spot i planned to go to up high was snowed in about a foot, which might make for good giant buck hunting but this was my first muley hunt and 1) i wasn't confident about if the deer would hang around, 2) i figured some smaller bucks might drop low to start hanging with the does in less snow. So i made a last minute plan change friday night to go low (where i started the season and saw does), not even 10 mins after shooting light I glassed up this guy and another buck of similar size with ~15 does. Stalked in to 275 and got it done!

All in all I probably saw 30-35 deer over the course of the 2 weekends, with 5 of those being nice bucks that I'd happily shoot, and 1 of them being a true monster buck (granted he was dead on a side by side, not on the hoof). Not sure what it was like before the die off but I was very happy with my experience in 2nd season. Regarding some of the first season reports, i was out in a different but closeby unit for first and the weather was hot as hell, so i'd bet that made for a pretty shitty first season.

It's getting colder and snowy though so 3rd and 4th are shaping up to be pretty good!