Utah 13A/17A or CO 21/49

[rhendrix]

Torn about what to do right now...I had originally intended to put in for a mule deer tag in CO, but after looking at Utah's hunting statistics, it looks like Utah is a better choice for an archery mule deer hunt. Utah just flat out has more mule deer killed with a bow and arrow every year and less people hunt during archery season. How should I differentiate between the two? First choice in UT would be 14A and second choice would be 17A, first choice in CO would be GMU 21 second choice would be GMU 49.

 

[Aron Snyder]

How many points do you have in Colorado?

 

[rhendrix]

Zero, just trying to draw a preference point and get a tag for 49. I could put in for 49 first choice and 77 second choice, but I'd rather try and get a PP.

 

[rhendrix]

I put 13A (La Sal) in the subject line, should be 14A (San Juan Abajo). Can't fix it though...

 

[sneek-ee]

How big do you want to kill?
We hunt the Abajo's every year...

 

[dirtytough]

I am pretty sure you won't draw 49 or 77 second choice. There are fewer and fewer second choice archery hunts available in Colorado every year it seems like. Unit 18 and the units that accompany that hunt choice, and unit 43, 47, 471 are the only 2 hunt choices I think you can draw second choice that would be a high country archery hunt.

I might of missed an area so double check.

 

[rhendrix]

How big do you want to kill?
We hunt the Abajo's every year...

I'd be happy with just shooting a legal buck. I'm not after trophy potential mule deer, I just want a large piece of public land without a lot of pressure from other hunters. I know the age structure in the San Juan is gonna be low right now because of the past couple of years.

 

[rhendrix]

I am pretty sure you won't draw 49 or 77 second choice. There are fewer and fewer second choice archery hunts available in Colorado every year it seems like. Unit 18 and the units that accompany that hunt choice, and unit 43, 47, 471 are the only 2 hunt choices I think you can draw second choice that would be a high country archery hunt.

I might of missed an area so double check.

That's what I was afraid of, if I have to I'll put in for 49 first choice and 77 second.

 

[sneek-ee]

shoot me a pm if you want some info on abajo's.. you'll have the opportunity to kill a good deer.

 

[rhendrix]

PM sent.

 

[realunlucky]

Can you draw Utah with 0 points I was thinking all that down there took one bonus

 

[c5mrr270]

Don't know anything about 14a but I can tell you there are a lot of hunters in 17a on opening weekend, I think they gave out 1200 archery tags last year. After that the number of hunters does drop considerably. One plus about getting an archery tag in Utah is that after the general archery season is over you can hunt the extended archery area clear until November 30th for bucks giving you the chance to chase them during the rut. Any other questions let me know.

 

[rhendrix]

I've only got two weeks...was gonna go the the first two weeks of opener and hunt high. Hoping that they'll still be in bachelor groups above timberline...will just have to find security cover and water.

 

[c5mrr270]

There's not really much if anything above timberline in 17a but there are some nice high country basins that will hold bachelor herds at the begging of archery season.

 

[rhendrix]

Thanks, the southern portion of 17A seems like prime mule deer country.

 

[c5mrr270]

Theres a lot more roads and four wheeler trials on the southern portion plus the southern portion can be rifle hunted. The northern portion has a lot of hiking trials but they are hiking only, most don't even allow horses. The northern portion is also an archery only area due to proximity to ski resorts and cabins.

 

[rhendrix]

Sweet, thanks for the info, I just naturally assumed since the northern portion was strictly bowhunting all of the Wasatch front was bowhunting only. This is why I love this place!

 

[c5mrr270]

No problem. If you end up with this tag let me know and I will give you some ideas of places to look.

 

[bbrown]

I hunted CO 49 for elk last year and in the dozen or so times I scouted it up to the beginning of archery I saw 1 scrawny doe and she was way down low by the private. I actually picked up a archery deer tag last year so I could continue to scout and hunt but I ended up turning it in because of the lack of deer I was seeing and had other hunts planned. A good buddy who has a cabin in 49 goes elsewhere for deer.
PM me if you want and I can let you know where I was so you can avoid it but I covered a good portion of the public in the unit.

 

[a3dhunter]

I'd be happy with just shooting a legal buck. I'm not after trophy potential mule deer, I just want a large piece of public land without a lot of pressure from other hunters. I know the age structure in the San Juan is gonna be low right now because of the past couple of years.

When I hunted the San Juan/abajo mountains in Utah in 2008 with my wife she had multiple stalks every day. We did not end up with a buck but it wasn't from lack of chances. We hunted the first week of the season out there in August.
Saw more big deer there than anywhere I've hunted.
We were holding out for 160" or better and saw plenty that were bigger.