Decline in numbers and quality of bucks during Colorado timberline archery and early rifle?

[3forks]

Curious to what everyone saw this year in Colorado for numbers and size of bucks during the early season high country hunts.

I had an archery elk tag for a unit that has an early rifle season hunt, and also is popular with archery guys for deer.

I spent a lot of time above timberline in the summer scouting and didn’t see the bucks I usually do. During the season, I talked with a lot of rifle and archery deer hunters who were disappointed with their hunts across this relatively smaller unit.

I have a small sample size and just anecdotal evidence, but there’s been some discussion about the quality of these hunts in Colorado in general.

We all know that big bucks are out there in every unit, some years are better than others, and that for the dozens of guys that say they had a tough hunt, there will be the same amount that will say their hunt was great.

However, curious about what others saw across the state.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Cause they aren’t sittin in the open as much and hiding more

 

[sndmn11]

I saw a few the last ten days that would get shot at in any unit in Colorado, and this was a 2nd choice / leftover deer unit.

 

[ColoradoV]

I cover many alpine units - give or take 10 every year - as well as spend about 25 days scouting and have for quite a while.. My numbers are cataloged each year by unit and basin handwritten in a notebook. Notes are taken on any deer I feel with potential or that is over 180.. Shooters for me are usually over the golden mark..

My take is yes there is less bucks high and low or less bucks overall. This year I cataloged over 350 bucks in my notebook. Only about 28 or less than 10% were worthy of note. About 8 years ago I was seeing 20-25%. Shooters I found 3 this year or less than 1%. Again even 5 years ago this number would run in the 3-5% area.. Of the 3 this year one was killed with a rifle, one with a muzzy, and I was winded by the last living 1%er on the last day of archery so I ate my tag this year but one is alive.

This year I also noticed that the high country is noticeably getting more crowded with the archery season moving back it is so close to muzzy and started on Labor Day this year..... Or crowding is becoming a real issue. Unlike elk where the hunters spread out over a month - all the high country Mule Deer hunters hunt the first week and with this pressure as well as the later dates for hunting the deer are moving out of the high country pretty darn quick.

Or I guess from my take yes there are less bucks, it is not getting easier, and there is more pressure than there has ever been in the high country..

 

[flagman]

Or I guess from my take yes there are less bucks, it is not getting easier, and there is more pressure than there has ever been in the high country..

TRUTH!

 

[OneShot]

And these later rifle seasons aren’t going to help either.

 

[ColoradoV]

Yea after seeing the well extreme number of bucks taken so far in the 2nd I am becoming a advocate for private land…. Not big bucks mind you but huge numbers…

Fair to say by 4th not many on public land will survive.

I always say you can’t kill what’s not there and most folks are going to be looking 120-150” in the face and not 180”-190” as they just will not be there..

 

[Elkrunner]

I had an early season wilderness deer rifle tag this past September. I started the hunt at 12,000’ and spent 3 days glassing and checking basins. After seeing very few deer I moved down below 10,000’ and immediately began seeing deer all over. I saw 6 bucks on day 4, and 8 bucks on day 5 which is when I harvested at 9600’. My take away is a lot of these early season units don’t have high numbers of deer in the high alpine above timberline. The high elevations were very dry and cured by the time the season started in September. The vegetation was much more lush below 10,000’. It’s also worth noting I only saw one other hunter during the 5 day hunt.

 

[Josey Wales]

I saw about 1/3 of the number of deer (bucks and does) above timberline during the muzzy season this year compared to what I have seen the past 4 years in the area I frequent.