CO and Gohunt-I'm lost

[Jacob Chapman]

Trying to figure out how I can bowhunt Colorado for mules this year, I have a few more days before I have to choose a unit. Looking for the classic muley hunt-hiking up to high mountain basins and letting my optics do the legwork.

I called the hunt planner # for Colorado yesterday, dude told me there aren't any units I can guarantee to draw with no points-Gohunt website telling me otherwise.

Anybody familiar with either site able to point me in the right direction?

 

[dotman]

That might be true, you may be able to draw a unit with 0pts but it might be a 10% chance. I use the CO stats and look at the last few years to get a trend and determine if odds are staying flat or reducing. With 1pt you have much much better odds at a tag. I doubt there are any mule deer hunts that you have a 100% chance or guarantee of drawing with 0pts.

I don’t use gohunt so I’m not sure about what they are saying.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

There are units that you could draw last year 100% with 0 points. Quite a few tags out there. If you want to check, best way is to go to the Colorado hunting statistics page.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife -
Deer Hunting Statistics

Scroll down to the "Drawn Out At" report for 2017 and look at all hunt codes that end in "O1A" which means first archery season. If it went to second choice or later then you were guaranteed last year with 0 points. Plenty of options out there it seemed from just a quick look.

 

[dotman]

There are units that you could draw last year 100% with 0 points. Quite a few tags out there. If you want to check, best way is to go to the Colorado hunting statistics page.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife -
Deer Hunting Statistics

Scroll down to the "Drawn Out At" report for 2017 and look at all hunt codes that end in "O1A" which means first archery season. If it went to second choice or later then you were guaranteed last year with 0 points. Plenty of options out there it seemed from just a quick look.

Are they high mountain areas?

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Are they high mountain areas?

Many of them are, yes.

 

[Jacob Chapman]

There are units that you could draw last year 100% with 0 points. Quite a few tags out there. If you want to check, best way is to go to the Colorado hunting statistics page.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife -
Deer Hunting Statistics

Scroll down to the "Drawn Out At" report for 2017 and look at all hunt codes that end in "O1A" which means first archery season. If it went to second choice or later then you were guaranteed last year with 0 points. Plenty of options out there it seemed from just a quick look.

I appreciate your help.

For an example, the unit my buddy and I were looking at says "Leftover" on that drawn out at report for the specific unit and "01A" meaning that there were even leftover tags/if we applied it would be a reasonable assumption that we would draw, unless tons of other people apply this year?

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I appreciate your help.

For an example, the unit my buddy and I were looking at says "Leftover" on that drawn out at report for the specific unit and "01A" meaning that there were even leftover tags/if we applied it would be a reasonable assumption that we would draw, unless tons of other people apply this year?

It's a reasonable assumption, but best to check the previous couple years. There's some variation year to year so verifying that it was leftover the two years before can give you even better of an indication.

 

[Jacob Chapman]

It's a reasonable assumption, but best to check the previous couple years. There's some variation year to year so verifying that it was leftover the two years before can give you even better of an indication.

Sounds good, I'll take a look!

 

[jmharrington]

Give me a call to discuss.
Mark Harrington
325-276-1414
[email protected]
fulltimehunts.com

 

[Jacob Chapman]

Give me a call to discuss.
Mark Harrington
325-276-1414
[email protected]
fulltimehunts.com

I sent you a PM

 

[Jacob Chapman]

There are units that you could draw last year 100% with 0 points. Quite a few tags out there. If you want to check, best way is to go to the Colorado hunting statistics page.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife -
Deer Hunting Statistics

Scroll down to the "Drawn Out At" report for 2017 and look at all hunt codes that end in "O1A" which means first archery season. If it went to second choice or later then you were guaranteed last year with 0 points. Plenty of options out there it seemed from just a quick look.

Any idea what the code for early rifle is by chance?

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

E1r

 

[Jacob Chapman]

E1r

E1R=Early first season rifle, looks like its saying antlerless only however? Maybe I'm putting in the wrong code. I wish Gohunt would publish the dang codes, trying to decipher between 3 different sites is getting old!!!

 

[wannakillabigbull]

E1R=Early first season rifle, looks like its saying antlerless only however? Maybe I'm putting in the wrong code. I wish Gohunt would publish the dang codes, trying to decipher between 3 different sites is getting old!!!

There are only antlered options for early rifle tags, at least for 2017. Not sure where you're seeing antlerless tags. goHUNT definitely has some features they can clean up.

If you're interested in just looking up what units offer those early rifle hunts you could also use TopRut.

Colorado Mule Deer Hunting, Draw Odds Results and Harvest Data - Toprut.com

 

[Jacob Chapman]

There are only antlered options for early rifle tags, at least for 2017. Not sure where you're seeing antlerless tags. goHUNT definitely has some features they can clean up.

If you're interested in just looking up what units offer those early rifle hunts you could also use TopRut.

Colorado Mule Deer Hunting, Draw Odds Results and Harvest Data - Toprut.com

Yeah I'm finding that out lol! $150 well spent so far

Looking at 2nd rifle, looks like I can get any-sex tags, course most of those hunt codes are for private land only....They make it so damn difficult it's almost as if CO doesn't want people to hunt there.

 

[Jacob Chapman]

I got it figured out, was looking at the wrong place. Honestly the draw odds deal on CO's website is a clusterf$ck.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I got it figured out, was looking at the wrong place. Honestly the draw odds deal on CO's website is a clusterf$ck.

It’s wayyyy better than plenty of other western states. New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona are so much worse it’s not even funny. Colorado’s draw statistics has a learning curve but the information is there and the draw system is simple. Good luck on your deer hunt and let us know if you need any more help.

 

[Jacob Chapman]

It’s wayyyy better than plenty of other western states. New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona are so much worse it’s not even funny. Colorado’s draw statistics has a learning curve but the information is there and the draw system is simple. Good luck on your deer hunt and let us know if you need any more help.

I got the website figured out, looks like I'm going rifle hunting.

My grandpa gave me a '61 Rem 700 7mm Mag, I put a nice scope on it but never did have the opportunity to shoot anything with it.

Looks like there is 1 unit where I can draw an early season rifle tag, and quite a few for 2nd rifle (Oct 20-28th).
Never having hunted muleys before, if you had to choose which one would you decide?

All units would be high mountain stuff. I'm leaning towards early rifle as the bucks should still be up high, however I'm worried that since it's the only unit in the state it will be covered up with people.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I'm leaning towards early rifle as the bucks should still be up high, however I'm worried that since it's the only unit in the state it will be covered up with people.

When I'm looking at a new unit, I look at the potential amount of people that could be in it. I add up all of the tags that occur during that time frame. For example, last year I hunted a new unit during 3rd rifle for male mule deer. I found out how many tags there were for that hunt code. Then, I found out how many doe tags there were. I also found out how many cow elk tags were allowed. I added up all of those numbers and realized that it would be crowded. It was also in an area that was OTC for bull elk. I knew going in that it would be crowded based off of those numbers.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Never having hunted muleys before, if you had to choose which one would you decide?

That's a tough question to answer; they're two totally different hunts. I think it more depends on what kind of weather you want to hunt in/time of the year you want to spend in the mountains. And perhaps what gear you currently.

The early rifle hunts that you're looking at are designated wilderness only hunts and are going to require you to put a lot of hiking in at high altitude during middle September. It's an awesome time to be in the mountains and those high altitude hunts can be a lot of fun regardless of whether you kill one. The weather can generally be unpredictable though and you probably should have a nice backpacking tent with a rainfly. I would make sure I had some good lightweight gear and was in great shape before going on that hunt. Obviously you don't NEED all that stuff but they would certainly make the hunt more doable.

The second rifle hunt is mid to late October and will be significantly colder. Like I said it's just a different time to be in the mountains. You'll definitely need to be prepared for much colder weather and that may be a gear investment if you don't have some stuff already. A warm sleeping bag, probably gaiters would be a good thing to have, as well as some sort of wind breaking layer. It's a prerut hunt that sometimes will get a little rut action. I've hunted second rifle the past couple seasons on leftover/reissue tags and I think overall it's a bit of a frustrating hunt as you're hoping for the rut to kick and not sure whether to take a smaller buck or wait for bigger bucks to show themselves.

If it were me I would find the hunt that had the highest success rate while still being in an area that sounded interesting to hunt, then go for it. I think others might make the decision differently. Either way you get to hunt deer in Colorado in the fall, how could you go wrong?