Colorado muley info verification

[brocksw]

I seem to keep the attitude that hunting quality areas more frequently, is better for quality animals, than waiting 10 years to hunt areas that are hard to draw and far away. With that being said, living in North Dakota, I keep my mule deer hunting local and run over to MT for elk and the occasional mule deer.

However, Colorado attracts me in a number of ways. I can get an elk tag every year and from what I understand I can get a good high country archery mule deer tag every other year on average, maybe more depending in the unit.

Just so I understand, since reading regs can get a little monotonous I figured I'd get a little verification from the Rokslide community.

My interest lies primarily in early season mule deer hunts in CO. If I am correct, there are some good quality high country archery mule deer tags for NRs in CO, and it is somewhat reasonable to expect to draw every year or every other year for some of these units. These seasons run from late August to mid September.

There are also "early rifle" tags which are also high country hunts, which from the looks of it take place in the first week of September. I haven't looked at tag numbers, but since this is not for all units, and seem to be a desirable weapon and time of year, I would expect this to be a fairly difficult draw, requiring a fair amount of points. Is this correct? Are these max points type draw odds? Am I able to buy points or apply for an early season rifle unit and also an archery tag?

Most of the rifle hunts in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seasons are week long seasons for rifle and a majority of the well known units are very difficult to draw. However, it seems that at about 4 points I could expect to draw some good units.

Does this all sound correct? Anything that would be important to know?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[kennyt]

That all seems accurate to me

 

[vanish]

The high country rifle hunts are not "max point" type draw odds. They can be good (even great) hunts but the deer have started shedding their velvet and moving into the timber, making them far less visible than just a few days prior. The earlier this hunt occurs, the better it will be.

While you can apply for both rifle and archery hunts in the same year, your preference points are only applied on your first choice. That means realistically that you're only going to draw your first choice, unless you specifically apply for a less desirable hunt for your second choice (which will not take PPs).

You can "buy a point" by applying for the preference point code as your first choice - something I would not recommend if you don't need to worry about scheduling conflicts - put in for a real tag instead. The deadline has passed this year.

 

[MTNRCHR]

I think as a non res. your looking at about a 10 yr wait + or - for an early season rifle tag.

 

[brocksw]

Thanks for the responses and PMs... Sounds like my best bet for hunting a quality area fairly consistently is to forget rifle tags and apply for a 0-1 point archery unit every year.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[sndmn11]

The early buck rifle tags have some sort of restriction on them like "above 10,000'", "above timberline", "_________wilderness only" etc. depending on the unit.

 

[MNTNHUNTER284]

I believe some early season rifle tags went to second draw this year.... Don't remember the unit but I believe it was one of the wilderness tags. My memory could suck too so dont quote me on that.... I look at so damn many deer units and statistics its one big mess in my memory now!

 

[flinginairos]

I have been looking into these hunts as well. What about the early muzzleloader season? Seems like pretty high draw odds the last time I looked?

 

[upslope 50]

I have a MZ tag, it opens after the high country rifle and during archery. Deer are still in summer range for the most part but right in the middle of shedding velvet and can be in timber or tip top, depending on if archery hunters or elk hunters have hit it. You should put in for tag and build points, hunt elk OTC and find deer before you apply and use the points. You could find a honey hole the first year you elk hunt and have a great chance at archery deer tag the next year. Don't do it if your not willing to be addicted to the highcountry.