Advice Needed: Tired Of Striking Out

Buck197

WKR
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
383
Have you possibly posted here looking for a hunting buddy in Colorado? If you can buddy up with someone that's had some success and knows a unit it ought to help loads. It's really difficult to beat intimate knowledge of an area. Its completely doable without, but better with, especially coming from an 8 yr hiatus on the harvest, last being Maine which would be a whitetail to now hunting Muleys, id presume, although there's whitetail in CO too.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
41
CAB looks like your in Fort Collins as am I I lost a couple hunting buddies to relocation in the last year shoot me a message if you’re interested in hitting the archery range sometime.
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2018
Messages
331
I used to walk and walk and not fill tags. I recommend you "Scout" in areas that hold deer - by that i mean observe deer behavior when you see them: driving or hiking in areas you cannot hunt, etc. Learn their behaviors and preferred habitat and try to find that in your hunting area. if you don't know how to choose an area - choose one with a lot of variability in elevation, vegetation, etc. This way, you will know they are there somewhere, you just have to find them! Nothing worse than walking around in a forest with no bushes, browse (mule deer's preferred feed), seeing elk and no deer. I did this for years before it sunk in that THE DEER DON'T LIVE THERE. they prefer rocky stuff with bushes (oak brush, mahogany, ...willows near creekbed) ...
Deer also move around alot seasonally. Higher elevations seeking new buds in summer, aspen/ forests in late summer/early fall, down to the winter range sagebrush in late novemberish. keep mental notes or start a notebook ( a calender with a big block for notes is good) on where you see deer at varying times of the year.

Sounds like you really want to learn so read all the books you can. I recommend Public land mulies by David Long, Mule Deer Country by Valerius Geist. (this is my fav to recommend. Not a hunting book but an overview of their history, evolution, behaviors. Great read). Robby Denning's book is a great read and covers a lot of hunting scenarios. Mike Eastman's, Dwight Schuh, Cam Hanes' books and others get into more specific types of hunting.... Jim Zumbo's Mule Deer Hunting (i think that's title...) covers various terrain/hunt scenarios.
I don't really do podcasts... but study all you can from whoemever floats your boat in terms of a learning style or entertainment value or whatever. Study, try to find a successful hunt buddy but also realize they may be willing to teach you tactics for success but not be willing to take you by the hand and show you how to do it. be respectful and DON'T EVEN ASK ABOUT SPECIFIC AREAS. this will not help you in the long run...

Have fun and always take time to appreciate nature's beauty even if you are not killing deer. there is always a beautiful bird or tree or rock formation here in CO. pick up others' trash if you can. be nice to hikers and nonhunters too. May success be yours in the near future! good luck
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2018
Messages
331
PS. CAB love your jimi avatar! i am nowhere near ft collins but have a nephew going to CSU next year so hopefully i can get over there a little more in the future. the deer herd around there got crushed as a result of the game department trying to squash the chronic wasting disease (that they allegedly started by a study that got out of control...) about 10 years ago. i use a taxidermist in Laporte (Chris D. at All Season's Taxidermy) and he says they just don't see many big bucks around there anymore. He hunts hard and has animals brought into him from the area so i trust his viewpoint. Not sure where you should hunt... but you can still learn!
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2018
Messages
331
i have no experience or love for trail cams, not sure they would help given your other considerations. the prob with scouting the hell out of one area is that there may be nothing there... or nothing during your season. make sure you know what type of terrain deer live in, then seek multiple spots kinda like that.
 
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