News that’s gonna rock the mule deer world!

[tdhanses]

The rifle tags in some cases, but this is an archery buck, so when we’ve been posting the points required, we’re talking about archery.


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I’ve found it easy to draw archery and muzzleloader tags but that’s just in the areas I hunt.

 

[robby denning]

According to the biologists there is no season during the peak of the rut per last weeks phone conf. But now that you say it, 4th season without looking at dates has to be close or in it, must of meant they are not going to open that up to more tags, these probably take a few pts to draw.

Must be some disconnect there as any hunt open in Western Colorado after 11/1 is influenced by the rut. I saw a mature buck rutting does hard last year on 10/27 during 2nd season.

 

[robby denning]

I’ve found it easy to draw archery and muzzleloader tags but that’s just in the areas I hunt.

Yes, and when I say "providing opportunity", that is what I mean. We can still go hunting in much of the state with some weapon at some time and still have chances at mature bucks. May have to switch weapons to do it, but at least we can hunt and have decent herds. That is why I bring up the AZ strip-- so what if those areas have big deer, you can't hunt them with any weapon without drawing a tag with around 1-3% odds. That's not "opportunity" in my book.

 

[dirtytough]

So, they do take a lot of points to draw. That’s what I figured.

Two of those 300" bucks were killed with rifles. I don't know 100% because I didn't kill them but they were killed with 0-1 point tags from the research I did when they drew and hunted there. Not sure what the units take now point wise. Not sure where this archery buck was killed but again most archery units can be had for 0-2 points.

Sometimes you can get an archery or muzzy tag for 1 point in a unit that takes 20+ for a rifle tag. Unit 44 is a good example. A couple non res drew it with 0 points. 3rd season rifle took 21 points and 4th rifle took 23 points.

To me 0-5 points isn't much. Maybe it is to you though?

 

[tdhanses]

Must be some disconnect there as any hunt open in Western Colorado after 11/1 is influenced by the rut. I saw a mature buck rutting does hard last year on 10/27 during 2nd season.

They said specifically around Thanksgiving so they must be thinking the later part is the peak.

 

[tdhanses]

Yes, and when I say "providing opportunity", that is what I mean. We can still go hunting in much of the state with some weapon at some time and still have chances at mature bucks. May have to switch weapons to do it, but at least we can hunt and have decent herds. That is why I bring up the AZ strip-- so what if those areas have big deer, you can't hunt them with any weapon without drawing a tag with around 1-3% odds. That's not "opportunity" in my book.

Completely agree! When you think about it it’s pretty interesting how a slight change from OTC to easy to draw can help. It just takes a plan and you may not hunt deer every year but at least it’s more then every 10 or 20 years.

 

[hobbes]

In 2018, COs 3rd season was Nov. 3 to 11 and 4th season was 14th to 18th. I suppose if they want to claim the peak is 12 to13 or 19 to 20, the season doesn't hit the peak, but that's a stretch.

 

[dirtytough]

@robby denning do you know if they aged the buck or are going to?

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’m not seeing anything earth shattering in the world of management. Limited draw during the rifle season allows less bucks to be killed from hunting. The more restrictive, usually but not always, makes for better units.
Now, the big bucks and bulls taken in straight up otc units are impressive.
If I understand what y’all are saying, these units were otc for all weapons in the ‘90s. Management strategies seem to change depending on who’s in charge, hunter satisfaction, or the health of the resource. This has been happening for years.

 

[tdhanses]

I’m not seeing anything earth shattering in the world of management. Limited draw during the rifle season allows less bucks to be killed from hunting. The more restrictive, usually but not always, makes for better units.
Now, the big bucks and bulls taken in straight up otc units are impressive.
If I understand what y’all are saying, these units were otc for all weapons in the ‘90s. Management strategies seem to change depending on who’s in charge, hunter satisfaction, or the health of the resource. This has been happening for years.

I believe the point is that in the past 11 years 3 300”+ deer have been taken in CO yet still this happened by offering very very good odds at the tags vs being a OIL tag or otc units with mainly only forkies being a mature buck. It doesn’t impress me to see a monster buck taken in an area that gets pretty much all the mature bucks slaughtered and has unlimited tags, that isn’t impressive conservation practices and more just luck for one animal.

Yes this has been going on for awhile but it also takes awhile to see the positive effects from these changes, that is what is really cool to me. It shows we can manage for quality and decent opportunities plus keep herd health good. I get this doesn’t impress some but to me it’s a conservation win and hard to argue with changing CO’s management plan where some want to increase or make opportunities easier, I think some would prefer going back to all otc.

Now hopefully the unit remains a secret and isn’t blasted all over the web or it will become a OIL unit.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

That is why I bring up the AZ strip-- so what if those areas have big deer, you can't hunt them with any weapon without drawing a tag with around 1-3% odds. That's not "opportunity" in my book.

Robby, correct me if I’m wrong because I’m having a hard time finding population data on Arizona’s website, but doesn’t The Strip have significantly less deer and less habitat than in most units in Colorado that are producing these big deer? Would making the Strip an opportunity hunt even be possible with their habitat and population?

I could be wrong as I’m much more versed in elk. But generally I feel like AZ gets judged unfairly. Lots of guys throw a fit that they can’t draw elk tags as often as they can in Colorado, but Colorado has great habitat statewide and like 280k elk whereas Arizona only has around 40k elk and much of the state doesn’t have the habitat to support elk. Arizona just isn’t Colorado and in a lot of ways I don’t see how the comparisons are fair.

 

[EastMT]

It’s my understanding that the strip can’t handle much pressure, I believe it was pretty much eliminated before. Few tags is a necessity there.


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[MTElkChaser]

Well, it's sorta like when a guy wins the lottery. It's very awesome... for him and his family and even fun for his friends. Yes, most impressive buck and congratulations to the hunter. I on the other hand, am pretty jacked about the newsletter informing me when merino long johns arrive in sizes other than small and XXXL.

Yep! I’ve had the email reminder set since early October for more BO Merino. Noting yet!

 

[robby denning]

Robby, correct me if I’m wrong because I’m having a hard time finding population data on Arizona’s website, but doesn’t The Strip have significantly less deer and less habitat than in most units in Colorado that are producing these big deer? Would making the Strip an opportunity hunt even be possible with their habitat and population?

I could be wrong as I’m much more versed in elk. But generally I feel like AZ gets judged unfairly. Lots of guys throw a fit that they can’t draw elk tags as often as they can in Colorado, but Colorado has great habitat statewide and like 280k elk whereas Arizona only has around 40k elk and much of the state doesn’t have the habitat to support elk. Arizona just isn’t Colorado and in a lot of ways I don’t see how the comparisons are fair.

No, you're not wrong. But the Strip was OTC in the not too distant past, and is why I'm mentioning it for comparison. Under OTC, most AZ hunters in the know told me the strip was getting pretty bad for healthy deer herds

 

[robby denning]

It’s my understanding that the strip can’t handle much pressure, I believe it was pretty much eliminated before. Few tags is a necessity there.


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Yip, but remember that Colorado has units they manage like the strip with very few tags (thinking unit 44) too, for many of the same reasons. None of the 300" bucks came from 44. If Colorado managed statewide like they do for 44 (the Good Lord forbid!), we'd see almost the hay-day of mule deer again, IMO

 

[CoHiCntry]

Now hopefully the unit remains a secret and isn’t blasted all over the web or it will become a OIL unit.

Doubt that will happen. I live close to one of the units where one of the 300” bucks came from. I was afraid of the same thing. There might be a few more applications for a year or two, idk? People have a short memory. I bet the vast majority of guys hunting the unit I’m referring to even know there was a 300” buck taken out of the unit. Heck most of them don’t even know what a 300” buck is! They’re looking for a “decent” buck... aka a forkie!

 

[robby denning]

@robby denning do you know if they aged the buck or are going to?

They didn't pull a tooth, so unless the hunter recovers the jawbone, no.

Heartbreaker! I know!

 

[robby denning]

Doubt that will happen. I live close to one of the units where one of the 300” bucks came from. I was afraid of the same thing. There might be a few more applications for a year or two, idk? People have a short memory. I bet the vast majority of guys hunting the unit I’m referring to even know there was a 300” buck taken out of the unit. Heck most of them don’t even know what a 300” buck is! They’re looking for a “decent” buck... aka a forkie!

I hope you are a prophet!
I just hate to see units get ruined by this stuff, but like I told the hunter, unless he burns the rack and hides the ashes, there's a chance his area is ruined.
In case anyone is wondering, I do not know the unit, nor did I ask the hunter, nor will I. For the reason stated just above--I'd hate for it to get ruined.

 

[dirtytough]

They didn't pull a tooth, so unless the hunter recovers the jawbone, no.

Heartbreaker! I know!

Thats to bad because like mentioned it doesn't look real old. The stag thing made sense but since it wasn't a stag maybe the stars aligned to maximize this bucks potential at a younger age.

Care to throw a guess out Robby on what you think it might be age wise?

 

[robby denning]

Thats to bad because like mentioned it doesn't look real old. The stag thing made sense but since it wasn't a stag maybe the stars aligned to maximize this bucks potential at a younger age.

Care to throw a guess out Robby on what you think it might be age wise?

Nope! hahahaha, but remember that September deer usually look a little younger with short hair. Also, the Samson buck taken on the Strip last decade was a 300" deer aged at 4 years old according to Ryan Hatch. Anything is possible.