CO Advice

[justinspicher]

I'm not sure that if I lived in Montana I'd pay to hunt anywhere else. I just don't see the point in paying to hunt somewhere when I have the same animal at home.

 

[bigsky2]

You've had 11 years to think about this hunt and you still don't know where to hunt?

Like I said, we can hunt elk and deer every year here in Montana. Some years don't allow time in the schedule to get serious about doing a hunt in Colorado. That makes it pretty easy to just want to buy a point every year rather than spending hours doing research when you aren't really planning on hunting yet.

 

[bigsky2]

I'm not sure that if I lived in Montana I'd pay to hunt anywhere else. I just don't see the point in paying to hunt somewhere when I have the same animal at home.

Are you suggesting we just quit applying and waste all that money we have spent on points? Colorado has better trophy quality than Montana and it is fun hunting new areas once in a while.

I appreciate the people that have actually tried to give me useful info on this post.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've hunted the same unit for deer since the 50's. I've never seen a reason to change. Success rate is 60% and tags can be had for 0-1 point. Trophy's can be had if that's your thing.

So you're saying you have no idea what it's like to have 11 points.

Not many guys want to drop 11 points on a 0-1 point unit. But I see it every year in the DOW stats pages........guys dropping 16+ points on these low point units and every time I wonder if it's a mistake in the stats page......or a mistake in their application.

 

[Josh Wright]

Of your list 55 for 3rd rifle would be good. You'd waste some of your points, but there are trophys there.....never mind, you are borderline for this hunt with 11 points. You could draw this one. A possibility.

 

[Bar]

So you're saying you have no idea what it's like to have 11 points.

Not many guys want to drop 11 points on a 0-1 point unit. But I see it every year in the DOW stats pages........guys dropping 16+ points on these low point units and every time I wonder if it's a mistake in the stats page......or a mistake in their application.

I wasn't suggesting that at all. The unit has enough hunters now. I was just pointing out that it doesn't take a lot of points to get a good deer.

The only reason I post on forums is to help out. I don't ask questions, but enjoy answering them if I can. I just draw the line on telling someone whjere to hunt. I consider that part of the hunt and should be done by the hunter. I came to hunt Colorado for 4 decades from another state. I always figured it out on my own. I find it more rewarding doing it all myself.

I know i'm a stubborn old coot set in his ways. You can always ignore me.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

I have 2 points now and that is the max number I planned on acquiring. Gathering that many points then hoping to do well in a unit I never have seen before seems like it could be a huge let down. I want to be able to hunt a unit every few years and get to know it.
Good luck though. Hopefully it is a great hunt no matter what.

 

[bigsky2]

We can also draw 4th season tags in most all the units around Craig. I know these units put out some big bucks in the past....is it still that way?

 

[robby denning]

Just my 2 cents but ur 190 potential in 44 2nd is a far shot. 180 potential in 25,35,36,444 is also a big estimate those units have always suffered and it's a needle in a haystack. That's just my 02 cents on the units I have hunted and guided in. It is possible to take a buck out of any of those units in the 180+ class but 11 points I wouldn't use. I draw a 44 buck every other year as a resident archery just FYI and used to get a 44 2nd every 3 years for 2nd rifle. I think the creep has jumped up a touch but its potential has fallen as well as 36(brother currently guides there) and 444 has a lot of private with hard access to the public. Just trying help you narrow down your units a little bit


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I agree, I'm always surprised when research services list "190+". I believe them, but there are so few hunters that actually get one that size that is seems a stretch to me.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

We can also draw 4th season tags in most all the units around Craig. I know these units put out some big bucks in the past....is it still that way?

Lived in Craig for 2 years, never seen a buck besides private land that made me say wow. Craig is so over hunted with elk guys now and people shooting the first buck they see. But I also grew up in 44 so a big buck to me is different than other places. There were a few good bucks not big out there but they all loved private land


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[robby denning]

Not many guys want to drop 11 points on a 0-1 point unit. But I see it every year in the DOW stats pages........guys dropping 16+ points on these low point units and every time I wonder if it's a mistake in the stats page......or a mistake in their application.

probably both plus guys finally figuring out the point game in Colorado is going nowhere so they go where they know. Like OP said, he's not gaining on anything by building points. I see this in most Western states.

OP, any of the units listed for 3rd season should treat you right especially if you can't scout unless the weather was like it was this year.

2nd season is tougher and you probably need to scout summer if you really want to do your 11 points justice. I'd pick the unit you have the most intel on, a friend to help. That'll level the playing field way better than trying to decide between a 7 point and a 10 point unit.

 

[bigsky2]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[CareyJAF50]

You can draw 74 2nd, 3rd, 4th season on 2nd choice as a non-res. But the majority migrate generally to the unit below (741) which is like 98% private or into NM. I hunted 2nd season for 8 days and it was the toughest hunt I've ever had. Was a solid 65 everyday and never saw a mature buck, or really anything close. Ended up taking a forky for meat so I didn't go home empty handed.

 

[mavmskyb8]

Let me add this, as mentioned above, things change year to year. My best bud smoked 22 points on 44- 4th season. SUCKED! Weather was terrible no snow, and although he did harvest a nice buck, it was way below his expectations. He'd been scouting the area for years! You just never know what the man above will hand you when you smoke those points!

 

[MNTNHUNTER284]

Let me add this, as mentioned above, things change year to year. My best bud smoked 22 points on 44- 4th season. SUCKED! Weather was terrible no snow, and although he did harvest a nice buck, it was way below his expectations. He'd been scouting the area for years! You just never know what the man above will hand you when you smoke those points!

This very thing makes me never want to save that many points for any hunt.

 

[Nomad]

Well, what did you decide?

 

[TwoTikkas]

It's easy to end up with a bunch of points,and no clue where to use them. I started buying p-points in 2006. My intentions were to hunt 66 with a friend that guided the unit for 13 years. Point creep and two blizzards later here I am. Screwed. I now see that dream isn't going to be realized. I'm looking to 22 and 30 to end this ridiculousness. All I want to do was take a mule deer hunt in a good unit / season. Got caught up in the system and wasted a bunch of valuable time. So,a fella can in fact end up with a pile of points and have no idea where to use them.

 

[bigsky2]

Well, what did you decide?

I was thinking really hard about what to do. I contemplated applying for a unit that is a point or so out of our reach hoping the hard winter would keep some people from applying this year. Then right before the Colorado deadline we found out my dad drew an archery elk tag for unit 10 in Arizona after 17 years of applying. That made the decision easy to hold out another year to cash in our Colorado points. I am planning on using a week of my vacation to go with him on his elk hunt. We ended up just buying points for Colorado this year. It will be interesting to hear the reports from Colorado after this coming season to see what the affect of the winter was.

 

[Bhaz490]

PM sent

would love to hear about your experience/knowledge in unit 40 my name is Bruce Hazen and I live in WA state. I’m planning to apply and daw there there potentially this year!! Phone number is 5032989123 or feel free to pm me

 

[sndmn11]

would love to hear about your experience/knowledge in unit 40

I think you missed by a few hundred miles.