WYO vs CO mule deer hunts

[Bowhunter1740]

Looking for general guidance for those that have hunted both WYO and CO mule deer on what hunts made you want to go back more. With the season structure’s being so much different I can imagine the experiences being the same. We have backpacked WA and ID deer a fair amount over 18 years. My father is retiring at 59 and still able to hike a decent amount. Again, just general impressions of if one state has made a better lasting memory as I prioritize what years of good health he has left. Thanks for your time!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have hunted both states for 30+ years and I retired and moved to SW Colorado 25 years ago. I like them both. I generally like Colorado better because rifle hunting you have 4 seasons to choose from. I hunt close to home and spend a lot of time scouting.

Wyoming for me is a little different. I have mostly hunted private ranches that I paid a trespass fee on. They are getting harder to find. I also hunted BLM land too. The problem is the areas I like to hunt now require a ton of points. The buck I am holding in my avatar has a 31" spread and came off BLM that now requires 16 point to draw it. I'll never hunt it again as I am 84 now!. The last time I was on a guided elk hunt to the Teton Wilderness, I only saw 4 deer in a week. The wolves have pretty much cleaned them out.

I would do some scouting in either state before you start applying for tags. Message me if you have more questions.

 

[Bowhunter1740]

I have hunted both states for 30+ years and I retired and moved to SW Colorado 25 years ago. I like them both. I generally like Colorado better because rifle hunting you have 4 seasons to choose from. I hunt close to home and spend a lot of time scouting.

Wyoming for me is a little different. I have mostly hunted private ranches that I paid a trespass fee on. They are getting harder to find. I also hunted BLM land too. The problem is the areas I like to hunt now require a ton of points. The buck I am holding in my avatar has a 31" spread and came off BLM that now requires 16 point to draw it. I'll never hunt it again as I am 84 now!. The last time I was on a guided elk hunt to the Teton Wilderness, I only saw 4 deer in a week. The wolves have pretty much cleaned them out.

I would do some scouting in either state before you start applying for tags. Message me if you have more questions.

Thanks for the response! It does seem like CO has more accessible opportunities with so many seasons and units to apply for.

 

[Eagle]

CO due to less pressure. Wyomings best deer areas being general tags for residents causes the pressure to be nuts for the amount of years it takes for a NR to draw a tag. At least in CO, you know how many others you’re competing against.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

For a nonresident coming for one hunt on specific dates, Colorado.

Wyoming is better for residents who can scout and get to hunt both archery and rifle and go hunting several times in a season.

 

[Indian Summer]

CO due to less pressure. Wyomings best deer areas being general tags for residents causes the pressure to be nuts for the amount of years it takes for a NR to draw a tag. At least in CO, you know how many others you’re competing against.

This is so true… and sad. How can you have areas that take 10 points or more to draw where there are over-the-counter licenses? Kind of defeats the purpose. I understand that residents deserve opportunities, but there are areas that are limited quota for them too. If a unit is limited quota, It should be that way for all hunters. For that reason I would never burn points to hunt region G again or any other unit with the same license structure. After the winter of 22-23 it should have become a limited quota for all hunters. Or shut down for 5 years.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

CO pressure in the 0-3 point range is intense because you are coupled with a few hundred other mulie hunters and most of the time OTC elk hunters also.

No offense, but people that think WY, ID, or MT are crowded must be complaining about the units bordering the largest cities. CO gives out more tags than all those states combined, coupled with the short season causes everyone to be out at once. I'm not exaggerating when there are a dozen groups of guys all watching the same cut or drainage when the sun comes up opening morning.

 

[HOT ROD]

This is so true… and sad. How can you have areas that take 10 points or more to draw where there are over-the-counter licenses? Kind of defeats the purpose. I understand that residents deserve opportunities, but there are areas that are limited quota for them too. If a unit is limited quota, It should be that way for all hunters. For that reason I would never burn points to hunt region G again or any other unit with the same license structure. After the winter of 22-23 it should have become a limited quota for all hunters. Or shut down for 5 years.

You new exactly what you where getting into and you chose to draw the tag anyways now your crying about it... If my memory serves me you chose to draw the tag right after the 22-23 winter so again you knew exactly what you where getting into....

 

[Indian Summer]

You new exactly what you where getting into and you chose to draw the tag anyways now your crying about it... If my memory serves me you chose to draw the tag right after the 22-23 winter so again you knew exactly what you where getting into....

As soon as I saw your name I said this will be a smart a$$ comment. Par for the course. I spoke extensively with the biologist about the hunt. He knows me and he knows how I hunt and where I hunt and thought it was worth a shot. As it turned out it was just positive thinking. I never imagined a deer herd could be so decimated. I wouldn’t burn those points to hunt there this year or the next or the next. But if I was a resident why not carry a deer tag during September right?

 

[wapitibob]

I'll hunt WY Deer every year unless some other hunt gets in the way.

 

[Indian Summer]

I'll hunt WY Deer every year unless some other hunt gets in the way.

Me too. If I could draw a tag every year. But not in an area that takes 10 points for NR and is general for resident hunters.

 

[Hnthrdr]

CO due to less pressure. Wyomings best deer areas being general tags for residents causes the pressure to be nuts for the amount of years it takes for a NR to draw a tag. At least in CO, you know how many others you’re competing against.

Yeah I’m not buying that… most of CO’s units are overlapping with OTC elk, or hundreds if not thousands of other deer hunters haha CO’s population is 10x what Wyoming’s is, maybe in our highest point deer units during 3rd and 4th you are not in much competition but 5 and below tags, makes almost anywhere in Wyoming seem like a desert island

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Yeah I’m not buying that… most of CO’s units are overlapping with OTC elk, or hundreds if not thousands of other deer hunters haha CO’s population is 10x what Wyoming’s is, maybe in our highest point deer units during 3rd and 4th you are in much competition but 5 and below tags, makes almost anywhere in Wyoming seem like a desert island

You are wrong on deer seasons overlapping otc elk seasons. Most of the deer seasons go concurrent with the 4 main rifle hunting seasons. So the season that have otc elk hunters hunting with deer hunters is only 2nd &3rd.

 

[Eagle]

Yeah I’m not buying that… most of CO’s units are overlapping with OTC elk, or hundreds if not thousands of other deer hunters haha CO’s population is 10x what Wyoming’s is, maybe in our highest point deer units during 3rd and 4th you are in much competition but 5 and below tags, makes almost anywhere in Wyoming seem like a desert island

Just speaking to my experience through three Colorado deer hunts and one Wyoming hunt. The pressure experienced in Wyoming was so far above what I’ve experienced in Colorado it’s night and day. I came across more hunters 6+ miles in while hunting Wyoming during one hunt than I have in the three Colorado hunts combined.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Just speaking to my experience through three Colorado deer hunts and one Wyoming hunt. The pressure experienced in Wyoming was so far above what I’ve experienced in Colorado it’s night and day. I came across more hunters 6+ miles in while hunting Wyoming during one hunt than I have in the three Colorado hunts combined.

Fair, my experience of living and hunting in Co vs. Wyoming hunts has been the complete opposite, Wyoming felt totally empty compared to just about any Colorado season I’ve ever hunted in the last 10 years or so

 

[camelcluch]

You are wrong on deer seasons overlapping otc elk seasons. Most of the deer seasons go concurrent with the 4 main rifle hunting seasons. So the season that have otc elk hunters hunting with deer hunters is only 2nd &3rd.

Doesn’t archery deer (west), muzzy deer and high alpine deer overlap an OTC season?

 

[Hnthrdr]

You are wrong on deer seasons overlapping otc elk seasons. Most of the deer seasons go concurrent with the 4 main rifle hunting seasons. So the season that have otc elk hunters hunting with deer hunters is only 2nd &3rd.

Which is 2 of the 3 main deer rifle seasons… yes I know 4th is draw only for both deer and elk and up until recently there were no 1st rifle deer tags, which there are a few now, but the bulk of rifle hunting enjoys a lot of overlap…

 

[Hnthrdr]

Doesn’t archery deer (west), muzzy deer and high alpine deer overlap an OTC season?

Yes those all overlap with otc or basically otc for NR archery elk

 

[camelcluch]

Oh, and bears. They hunt the same season too.

 

[Fetty Wapiti]

Just speaking to my experience through three Colorado deer hunts and one Wyoming hunt. The pressure experienced in Wyoming was so far above what I’ve experienced in Colorado it’s night and day. I came across more hunters 6+ miles in while hunting Wyoming during one hunt than I have in the three Colorado hunts combined.

This is spot on. Way too many people to make it enjoyable. Western wy general deer hunts used to be enjoyable. Now it is a circus . I for one will never hunt g or h again, unless they reduce the people.