Looking for an easy CO doe

[jddubord]

I have a couple of buddies who'd like to get into hunting and I'd like to take them on an easy doe rifle hunt to get their interest perked. I personally have two main hunting spots but unfortunately they're both extremely hard to get to and to say the least, not for the novice hunter. I also want to be clear here that I'm not asking for anyone's honey hole. I simply am looking for some public land that provides fairly easy doe hunting. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[WyoElk]

Where are you located or looking to hunt?

 

[krueger]

GMU 3 north of Craig, the does almost load themselves into your pickup out there but its a fricking pumpkin patch.

 

[robby denning]

Good for you helping those guys. That shouldn't be a hard place to find depending on where you're located

 

[Tanner]

I'd lay off the does but that's just me.

 

[topher89]

I'd lay off the does but that's just me.

Why not?

They are easy to draw tags and a provide a good opportunity for new hunters to get meat on the ground. They also taste just the same as bucks. I am not disagreeing with you but am curious as to your logic... are you also against taking a cow elk?

 

[Bar]

There's nothing wrong with taking a doe. It's called herd control. He's probably a trophy hunter.

As for the hunt. Does are everywhere, and it would be hard for you to pick a spot that doesn't have them. Enjoy the hunt.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

We used to hunt does when we were younger our dad got us the tags when we couldn't get our elk, so that he could keep us interested, he really didn't need to do that cause we all loved it anyway. But it was a way to teach us more about hunting and helped us with control. We would find older does that didn't look like they had fawns, better an old doe in my freezer than an old doe dieing in the winter. We don't hunt does much anymore were more into the antlers for deer, unless we have either sex archery tags then we might shoot a doe towards the end of season but we always get cow tags. I think some people think does are to easy of targets cause there everywhere, but to get some people into hunting I'd get them doe tags if I could. Just try to find them an older doe. I'll be living in Craig by hunting season we were up there last weekend lotta deer

 

[cnelk]

There isnt any Deer leftovers for GMU 3.
You will have to wait until the final Leftover list is published to determine where tags will be available

 

[jddubord]

WyoElk, I live in Littleton, so anything close to Denver or on the northern 1/3 of the state would be ideal. Krueger, I have hunted GMU 3 for elk and saw a ton of does. The challenge there will simply be getting the tag. Good advice though. My difficulty comes from my first hunting experience in CO when I was burned by thinking a doe harvest would be cake. I bought a left over doe license for a unit north of Blackhawk, scouted it, saw plenty of deer, but opening day I seriously saw zero deer and no less than 100 hunters. My goal with my new hunter buddies is not to be surprised like that again. I think scouting is vital but rarely does it trump experience. Thanks again for the help fellas.

 

[LJ Buck]

Go out East.

But I am not a fan of shooting Doe Mule Deer they just have such a hard time.

I would say shoot a Doe WT.

 

[robby denning]

It really depends on the area. Some places have way too many does, low buck:doe ratios, not enough winter range to support a big herd of does. To say it's always bad or good to shoot does is a blanket statement that doesn't hold water. Now if you have personal issues with shooting does, that's another debate. I'm talking biology here.

 

[Bar]

Here's a post made by Timberline on another forum. I agree with what he said completely.

Somewhere along the line a mentality developed in the hunting and wildlife management world that hunters should harvest only, or primarily, the males of the species. For decades, that's the way it was, and a whole generation of hunters and game managers grew up with that thinking. Gradually, though, reasearch began to show that that mentality was actually detrimental to many big game populations. It's as though a farmer killed and butchered only his best animals every year, and then wondered why his remaining animals were getting smaller and weaker and his herd was in decline.

Today, better game managers have realized that real benefits come from a more balanced harvest of animals, although breaking the old and outdated hunting mindset that says we-shoot-only-bucks and bulls is proving to be a major problem.

In many cases, if you really want to help the local wild game populations (and most hunters do), buy whatever doe/cow tags are offered and go to it.

To be honest, it wasn't easy for me to change my own outmoded thinking on this. I grew up with the mentality that bucks and bulls were the only legitimate hunting trophies, and does and cows were but a last resort meat-oriented choice. Very slowly, I've changed the way I see it, based on lots of reading, soul searching and experimenting. The research clearly shows that a more balanced harvest is better for the herds. I do sincerely want to help keep the herds healthy and ongoing. And I've discovered that an old cow or doe is often just as difficult (and as fun!) to hunt and shoot as a younger male of the species. In most cases, there are more of does and cows (largely because so many hunters are still clinging their old thinking) and that makes the hunt more fun and certainly more productive.

I have plenty of Colorado elk hunting friends who have stuck like glue to the old ways and the old bull-or-nothing mentality. They continue to buy only bull tags, and the majority haven't killed an elk in a decade or more. They also continually grumble about what they see as the lack of elk.

I sprinkle Colorado cow tags in with occassional bulls tags and kill an elk every single year. You tell me who's having more fun and who helping to better manage the herds.

In my opinion, if you want to enjoy your hunting more and really help out, considering changing your mindset about buck and does and bulls and cows. Check whatever outdated hunting ego you may have at the door, buy whatever tags are available, and thoroughly enjoy the resource.

Hunters are predators. Within the law, act like it.

 

[topher89]

Great post. I hunt with my father in law and he is against hunting does, maybe I should have him read this.

I would rather fill a doe tag then walk home empty handed. I keep thinking a backpack muzzleloader hunt with a doe tag and a cow tag would be a great time

 

[krueger]

Once the leftovers list comes out, shoot me a PM and I'll help you out with another area if there are tags still available. I know a couple other places that i have hunted where a doe or two would be very doable for a new hunter but i prefer not to broadcast it all over the internet.

 

[robby denning]

you're a good guy Krueger

 

[jddubord]

Thanks krueger, much appreciated, will do.