Colorado GMU 33 2nd season deer

RCB

WKR
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
366
Location
CO
Folks,

It’s my second year hunting. As a beginner, I’m still looking for any advantage I can get. I’ll be hunting GMU 33 in CO 2nd season. I’m also bringing a good friend on his first hunting trip of any kind. We both have a buck tag and a leftover cow elk tag. I think our plan will be to focus on deer, but to take a cow if we encounter it.

I’ve searched the forum and didn’t find much talk of GMU 33 deer. So I thought I’d ask. The main things I’m trying to determine are what elevation / vegetation / location we should focus our initial affords at. The unit ranges from about 6k’ on the south west side (toward rifle), full of brushy BLM, up to >11k’ on the north east side, where it’s a lot of alpine meadows and fur/spruce on NFS. In between you find what looks to be oak scrub, lots of aspen, and pine.

So far weather has not been very cold, and it looks like there will be very little snow accumulation by next weekend, if any. That suggests to me that the deer will still likely be scattered throughout the unit, up to high elevations, not yet concentrated in wintering zones. Given that, my thought was to start fairly high, near the top of the aspen zone around 9-10k, focus on glassing broken country, with some still hunting dark timber midday. If that’s not working out, probably progressively head down.

The unit offers a lot of deer tags and is also an OTC bull unit, so I’m expecting it to be crowded. Maybe very crowded.

Am I thinking about this the right way? I’d appreciate any advice from folks who have hunted the unit before as to which general areas i could focus my attention (not asking about specific draws, just any general region or elevation). I’ve put a ton of potential camping and glassing spots down on OnX, but having trouble narrowing it down. Any PMs appreciated.
 
Joined
Oct 25, 2015
Messages
11
I think you're on the right track. There will likely be deer strung out from top to bottom but I would start up high.

Find me on Instagram @970outdoors
 
  • Like
Reactions: RCB

lpmitch

FNG
Joined
Sep 26, 2019
Messages
15
I’ll be in the same area in 3rd season. PM me and I’ll share some info that I’ve gathered so far.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RCB

COSA

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
211
Location
Montana
Never hunted 33, but close. I think your on the right track as far as elevation with the lack of snow. Focus on the pine/aspen transition zone. glass the openings at first and last light on the southern exposures.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RCB

Starbux

FNG
Joined
Nov 5, 2019
Messages
31
Folks,

It’s my second year hunting. As a beginner, I’m still looking for any advantage I can get. I’ll be hunting GMU 33 in CO 2nd season. I’m also bringing a good friend on his first hunting trip of any kind. We both have a buck tag and a leftover cow elk tag. I think our plan will be to focus on deer, but to take a cow if we encounter it.

I’ve searched the forum and didn’t find much talk of GMU 33 deer. So I thought I’d ask. The main things I’m trying to determine are what elevation / vegetation / location we should focus our initial affords at. The unit ranges from about 6k’ on the south west side (toward rifle), full of brushy BLM, up to >11k’ on the north east side, where it’s a lot of alpine meadows and fur/spruce on NFS. In between you find what looks to be oak scrub, lots of aspen, and pine.

So far weather has not been very cold, and it looks like there will be very little snow accumulation by next weekend, if any. That suggests to me that the deer will still likely be scattered throughout the unit, up to high elevations, not yet concentrated in wintering zones. Given that, my thought was to start fairly high, near the top of the aspen zone around 9-10k, focus on glassing broken country, with some still hunting dark timber midday. If that’s not working out, probably progressively head down.

The unit offers a lot of deer tags and is also an OTC bull unit, so I’m expecting it to be crowded. Maybe very crowded.

Am I thinking about this the right way? I’d appreciate any advice from folks who have hunted the unit before as to which general areas i could focus my attention (not asking about specific draws, just any general region or elevation). I’ve put a ton of potential camping and glassing spots down on OnX, but having trouble narrowing it down. Any PMs appreciated.

I probably have a lot of the same spots marked on OnX as you did And I’ve never hunted the unit either.I’m headed up Sunday for 2 days of scouting before 4th season starts. Did you end up finding a buck or cow? It was cold early but warm now. I’m hoping for a cold front next week.
 

Starbux

FNG
Joined
Nov 5, 2019
Messages
31
I’ll be in the same area in 3rd season. PM me and I’ll share some info that I’ve gathered so far.

I’m headed up for 4th Next week. Did the snow melt this week with the 60 degree weather and are the roads bad? Thx.
 

lpmitch

FNG
Joined
Sep 26, 2019
Messages
15
We were camped at about 9200 and the snow pretty much melted except for the north facing slopes. Some of the roads were pretty bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Rufenit

FNG
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
13
Folks,

It’s my second year hunting. As a beginner, I’m still looking for any advantage I can get. I’ll be hunting GMU 33 in CO 2nd season. I’m also bringing a good friend on his first hunting trip of any kind. We both have a buck tag and a leftover cow elk tag. I think our plan will be to focus on deer, but to take a cow if we encounter it.

I’ve searched the forum and didn’t find much talk of GMU 33 deer. So I thought I’d ask. The main things I’m trying to determine are what elevation / vegetation / location we should focus our initial affords at. The unit ranges from about 6k’ on the south west side (toward rifle), full of brushy BLM, up to >11k’ on the north east side, where it’s a lot of alpine meadows and fur/spruce on NFS. In between you find what looks to be oak scrub, lots of aspen, and pine.

So far weather has not been very cold, and it looks like there will be very little snow accumulation by next weekend, if any. That suggests to me that the deer will still likely be scattered throughout the unit, up to high elevations, not yet concentrated in wintering zones. Given that, my thought was to start fairly high, near the top of the aspen zone around 9-10k, focus on glassing broken country, with some still hunting dark timber midday. If that’s not working out, probably progressively head down.

The unit offers a lot of deer tags and is also an OTC bull unit, so I’m expecting it to be crowded. Maybe very crowded.

Am I thinking about this the right way? I’d appreciate any advice from folks who have hunted the unit before as to which general areas i could focus my attention (not asking about specific draws, just any general region or elevation). I’ve put a ton of potential camping and glassing spots down on OnX, but having trouble narrowing it down. Any PMs appreciated.
Folks,

It’s my second year hunting. As a beginner, I’m still looking for any advantage I can get. I’ll be hunting GMU 33 in CO 2nd season. I’m also bringing a good friend on his first hunting trip of any kind. We both have a buck tag and a leftover cow elk tag. I think our plan will be to focus on deer, but to take a cow if we encounter it.

I’ve searched the forum and didn’t find much talk of GMU 33 deer. So I thought I’d ask. The main things I’m trying to determine are what elevation / vegetation / location we should focus our initial affords at. The unit ranges from about 6k’ on the south west side (toward rifle), full of brushy BLM, up to >11k’ on the north east side, where it’s a lot of alpine meadows and fur/spruce on NFS. In between you find what looks to be oak scrub, lots of aspen, and pine.

So far weather has not been very cold, and it looks like there will be very little snow accumulation by next weekend, if any. That suggests to me that the deer will still likely be scattered throughout the unit, up to high elevations, not yet concentrated in wintering zones. Given that, my thought was to start fairly high, near the top of the aspen zone around 9-10k, focus on glassing broken country, with some still hunting dark timber midday. If that’s not working out, probably progressively head down.

The unit offers a lot of deer tags and is also an OTC bull unit, so I’m expecting it to be crowded. Maybe very crowded.

Am I thinking about this the right way? I’d appreciate any advice from folks who have hunted the unit before as to which general areas i could focus my attention (not asking about specific draws, just any general region or elevation). I’ve put a ton of potential camping and glassing spots down on OnX, but having trouble narrowing it down. Any PMs appreciated.
[Your post caught my eye, I have been researching as much as I can on Colorado mule deer. It looks like you were in the same boat last season as I am this coming year. I was wondering how your hunts went in unit 33.
 
OP
R

RCB

WKR
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
366
Location
CO
A few folks have asked how the hunt went. In a word, poorly. Here's a follow-up post I did about the lessons learned. I'm a second year hunter, still learning a lot of basic lessons, so you might not find them useful if you're more experienced.
 

louisianahunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 23, 2021
Messages
107
I’ll be in the same area in 3rd season. PM me and I’ll share some info that I’ve gathered so far.
I'm a few years behind yall but this seems to be the only thread discussing unit 33. I also looked at OP's update and it was helpful but depressing as I'm thinking about unit 33 this year and this is also my second year hunting. Just curious if you had any updates from your 3rd season hunt as that's when I'm thinking. At the least how were road conditions and snow etc? Also just curious if yall think the poor hunting was related to 2019 being a terrible year for CO mule deer in general or if it has more to do with the unit. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 

Starbux

FNG
Joined
Nov 5, 2019
Messages
31
The weather turned unseasonably hot and the frost came out of the roads And turned them into a soupy mess. There were tons of people in all the areas you could day hike into from the roads.
 
Top