During the 2019 hunting season, 28,310 deer were harvested across the state. Sergio Alcazar, owner of ALC Global Adventures, has lived in and hunted Colorado for 24 years. From applying for tags early in the year, to buying, preparing, and organizing new gear through the summer, to the trip, long or short, to the hunting grounds, to the excitement that makes it almost impossible to sleep the night before opening day, the anticipation of the hunt can be almost as enjoyable as the hunt itself. Despite its reputation for liberal politics and tie-dyed hippies, you'll still find a healthy population of camo-clad deer hunters when fall arrives in the Centennial State. A guy once told me all ya have to do is throw a dart at a map of Co. and hit a unit with giant bucks. For everyone who did not get a tag in 2021, you can breathe a small sigh of relief. Hunt over tens of thousands of private acres in beautiful southwestern Colorado. There are many areas of the state that offer great mule deer hunting, but some of the best spots include the San Juan Mountains, the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, and the White River National Forest. In terms of mule deer hunting, Colorado is generally considered to have some of the best deer hunting in the country. The average success rate on a deer hunt is 95%, with more than 100% opportunity. It will be interesting to see what happens to point creep after this year since they dropped tag numbers in so many units for Mule Deer across the state. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Gary's 6x6 Scored 332. Colorados deer hunting traditions are well-known throughout the state. For many hunters, wrapping their hands around the thick bases of a tall, wide, heavy mule deer rack is a moment dreams are made of. . This hunt is a spot-and-stalk affair; youll drive through the woods in a pickup truck or Polaris Ranger, and youll be rewarded with a mature buck. Since 2013, the deer population has increased from 390,660 to 430,130. Moretti shared his thoughts: "If you can draw a mule deer tag and get private land access, there are some really nice, big bucks in western Kansas. Connect. Colorado has between 400,000 and 450,000 deer, according to estimates. Exploring The Pros And Cons Of Bear Hunting With Dogs Across The United States, The Growing Threat Of Red Panda Hunting: Exploring The Factors Consequences And Conservation Efforts, The Number One Choice For Hunters: The Versatile And Hardworking Labrador Retriever, Understanding The Laws And Regulations Of Turkey Hunting In North Carolina On Sundays, Early Start Essential For Successful Hunting Dog Training. He was pissed off that the buck kicked and ran down hill and ruined the velvet so he did the spray on stuff when he mounted it. Jul 2, 2012. In Moffat, Routt, and Eagle counties, it is estimated that 20 to 25% of hunters target deer. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Trophy Mule Deer In Colorado's Famed Unit 21 - Worldwide Trophy Adventures. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. WESTERN COLORADO DEER Region G Wyoming best units Wyoming deer hunts Wyoming hunting. The deer harvest for muzzleloading bucks has been on the decline since 2015, but it is still the lowest recorded kill count since 2015. Wyomings Elk Area 7, south of Casper, is a large unit with lots of elk and is about half public land. The largest typical mule deer ever killed, which scored 226 4/8 inches, was taken in Dolores County in 1972. "These areas are underrated," said Healy. Theres good news and bad news for hunters who want to pursue mule deer in the west, however. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. The hunt will last until the end of the season in late January, after which it will begin in early October. Beginners usually hunt mule deer after some guidance before going for any . Most of it consists of flat farmland with adjacent sandhill desert country. The sound of a bugling bull elk or the sight of two monster 6x6s fighting for mountain dominance is a memory that will stay with a hunter for a lifetime. Photo Gallery. 2021 found most of the mature bucks and a fair amount of does and small bucks sticking to thick cover provided in this middle transition range. Also regular hunts 10%-60% below pricing, first come first serve until they are gone. Ten years ago it took 5. Its often reported the state is home to more pronghorn than people in a good weather year. This camp is where the big bucks call home for the summer and early fall. Most of the time, they are found in open areas such as plains and mountains, but forests can also be found. It has become more difficult to access land on the Plains simply due to supply and demand. Basically, what we are telling you is buyer beware. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. COLORADO PLAINS DEER The most likely areas to produce a record-book pronghorn are GMUs 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 46, 47, and 48. Five units (4, 13, 22, 85, and 421) were among the top units for both the second and third rifle seasons in terms of overall Bull Elk harvest as well as hunter success for the second and third rifle seasons. . DIY Drop Camps - For the DIY hunter, our drops camps reside in proven hunting areas for elk and mule deer. Hunting out West can be a daunting task without the tools necessary to know when, where and how to apply, draw and hunt. Advertise on HuntScore and reach hunters interested in this hunting unit! Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn are three iconic species among the big-game animals hunters pursue throughout the western United States. If you are looking for an exceptional Mule Deer this is the place to go. If you plan a hunt in one of those units you will have a better than average chance at a really good buck.Bob. Application Fee/Terms: float state; $13/species application fee; $65 hunting license (refundable if unsuccessful); deer permit prices if drawn: $283 or $368 for quality and high-demand. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Last year it took 13 points for a nonresident. The adventure is big. Utah has six limited-entry units where trophy quality can be amazing, and a bonus-points system is used, rather than preference points, meaning half the tags in each unit are given to the top points holders and half are awarded in a random draw. As you're planning a Colorado mule deer hunt, there are a few other things you ought to consider. Elk Venison and Root Vegetable Stew Recipe, Predator Hunting with .17 Caliber Rifle: Pros and Cons, Best Coyote Cartridge: .223 Remington vs .22-250 Remington, Six Great Lever-Gun Hunts for North America, Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics. ", Application Fee/Terms: non-float state; $142 hunting license (nonrefundable if you want earn a point; refundable if you don't want a point) + $22 application fee; $240 for deer permit if drawn. Plan Your Hunt. He said, without question, the late-January archery rut hunts are the ticket to trophy muleys. 4. All trophy deer hunts are fully guided and include meals and lodging. I also chatted with several other experts to collect useful details that should help you plan your next hunt. The state offers a variety of different areas to hunt, and the deer population is healthy. Mule deer are a struggling North American big-game species. The archery season dates encompass the bulk of November, which allows hunters to see the best the area has to offer for mature bucks. It's a preference point system now, whereas tags were formerly available over the counter [general]. The fat on a mule deer cannot be removed after it has come off the ground following a long winter. "Many units in the state have special hunts for youth under the age of 18 [must have hunter's safety card]," said Jordan. Christensen urged trophy deer hunters to keep an eye on Utah because the average age class is steadily climbing. Utah's deer management strategy changed significantly 3 years ago. 2022 Colorado Deer Non-Resident Hunting Fees. Some large bucks also have been taken in GMU 45 in recent years. By Josh Dahlke. "The Plateau Thousand Lakes unit [25B] is the most difficult general-unit tag to draw," he said. You can easily spot them around in any season. The difference today is that with technology, rut rifle hunts, and better equipment than ever before, there are far less mature bucks on the landscape to luck into. Deer Hunting in Colorado GMU 7 . Our Loco Mountain Ranch hunts are CO High Altitude Hunting at its best, with the ranch starting at 9,000 feet and going up to 11,300 feet. In western areas, mule deer hunting has always been fun. Phone: (435) 865-1020, database of Colorado for mule deer opportunities, Annual Small Game Hunting License (required to apply), Youth Annual Small Game Hunt License (under age 18, required to apply), Habitat Stamp (required for adults to apply). The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) was founded in 1988 as the first official nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of Odocoileus hemionus black-tailed deer and mule deer. Most hunts that take 10 points or less tend to hover aroundthe same amount of points to draw for a number of years without increasing. 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 - Hunter . At Silver Spur Outfitters, we have many years of experience and have been in business since 1993. Those late season hunts were fairly hot and dry, and although more mature bucks hit the ground than would have under normal season dates, it was not the widespread slaughter of adult bucks that could have taken place during a normal November. Our mule deer hunts typically achieve a 98% or higher success rate. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. bucks in 2019. VDOMDHTMLtml>. | Thread . Best Units for Hunting Western Mule Deer. Kali Parmley of Gun Dog Magazine talks to George Thompson from Benelli USA about the new features from the Benelli line in 2023. The best opportunity to harvest a quality buck in New Mexico is in the northern Game Management Units (GMUs), according to Tristanna Bickford, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.GMUs 2B, 2C, 4, and 5A are quality hunting areas with large numbers of deer, many sporting antlers that will make the Boone & Crockett (B&C) book. In 2020, Colorado allowed muzzleloader deer hunts in 85 Game Management Units across the state, and many of those units permitted hunting in adjoining units, giving hunters even more room to roam. The final balance and all completed paperwork are required 30 days prior to the scheduled hunt start date. Moretti is right. To get more hunters hunting bears, the cost of non-resident bear licenses was also reduced from $350 to $103.60 and resident licenses reduced to $40.45. Hunting, habitat loss, and disease are all to blame for this decline. Did prior hard winters finally catch up with fewer bucks making it to maturity? Publisher, Kevin Steele is with Brett Marquardt from Streamlight Inc. discussing the new Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0, the latest edition in the Pro Tac series. Trouble is, drawing a tag in these coveted areas ranges from extremely difficult to almost impossible. Archery -over the counter either sex Elk Tags Muzzleloader - draw 2-3 pts. The trophies are big. Where we hunt in unit 62, it currently takes a nonresident one or two preference points to draw a mule deer license for the second rifle season. HMH scouts the tough, rugged country of the San Juan National Forest to help you create the best elk hunting trip. First, remember that Colorado offers over-the-counter (OTC) elk licenses for many units during the archery, second rifle and third rifle seasons. We offer deer hunts throughout the hunting seasons starting with the archery and muzzleloader seasons followed by the regular rifle seasons (deer licenses are not available first rifle, only available second and third rifle). Being small in size, they are easy to hunt. High Mountain Hunts, LLC is an equal opportunity provider operating under a special use permit with the San Juan National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest. Montana. All Rights Reserved. As bohntr said the Sangre de Christo mtns offer one of those great hunts with not a lot of competition due to the terrain. Deer hunting in Colorado starts with archery in September and ends with muzzleloading in October. In 2010, Utah had the second highest number of typical mule deer taken in the United States. Archery is the most effective hunting method, while rifle hunting is more effective in the latter half of the season. Colorado Mule Deer Hunting License fee structure is as follows: DEER. "Since 2012, nobody has drawn a mule deer tag in the Arizona Strip [units 13A and 13B] with less than 15 points," explained Eric Pawlak, manager of Cabela's T.A.G.S. Colorado Parks and Wildlife reports some herds have up to 24,000 mule deer! 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