Unit 29 Colorado

[Challis_Willson]

What’s up guys. I’m totally new to all this forum stuff but figured I’d just ask.. I drew a unit 29 Colorado 4th season and was wondering if anyone had any tips for that area. If not no worries I know I’m a “NEWBIE”

 

[fishslap]

Good luck. What made you choose that unit? I can see it from my house and wouldn’t hunt there unless I had no other choice.

 

[Challis_Willson]

Good luck. What made you choose that unit? I can see it from my house and wouldn’t hunt there unless I had no other choice.

I drew it on a left over draw. But just wondering what to expect out of it

 

[street]

Good luck. What made you choose that unit? I can see it from my house and wouldn’t hunt there unless I had no other choice.

I was thinking, I don't know even remotely know where that unit is lol

 

[Foldem]

Where are you from?

I trail run the unit a lot because it's the closest mountains to my house (along with the rest of Denver/Boulder metro area) but hunt elsewhere. Expect lots of Boulder, CO recreational hikers, runners, and such. Most deer will likely be off public and on private, Boulder County Open space, or small parcels of BLM interspersed with houses by 4th season... or in the thick trees that makeup most of the unit. You never know what you might turn up if you find some does in a huntable place though. There's a reason there's leftover 4th season tags. It's not going to be impossible to be successful but it's not going to be a remote backcountry experience either. Not much of the wilderness is below treeline and you'd be hard pressed to find a deer up there anyway. Also not a ton of real glassable public at the elevation the deer will be at. Be careful and don't shoot unless you have a good backstop. Maybe bring a bow and knock on doors for yard bucks?

Good pizza and beer at Crosscut in Nederland! James peak brewery and smokehouse is good too.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Tagged along on a friend's 29 4th rifle hunt last year. We sat on a group of about 14 does for 4 days straight and no bucks ever showed up. We had eyes on them from across a valley every day from sunup to sundown. We didn't dare move to another location, just kinda went chips all in hoping some bucks would show up and it never happened. Saw a lot of other hunters in our general vicinity and never heard a rifle crack the entire hunt, no booms in the far distances either. Anyhow, not to be discouraging, just our observations from the exact tag you have. We still had fun.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I filled a doe tag in 29 last year 3rd rifle. Glassed up a small herd the night before opener and put them to bed. Got out there the next morning and got her.



Lots of private mixed in with public. The road I had planned to drive in was gated and locked with no trespassing signs on either side. OnX confirmed that the road itself was public, so I just had an extra mile added to my hike in.

Lots of pressure, but two miles in and I was by myself.

 

[SonnyDay]

Hey @Challis_Willson how'd it turn out? This unit is my back yard and my son and I are headed in for 4th rifle this year...

 

[dusky]

Hunting Gross Res. area this year I couldn't believe how many hunters and recreationalists were out there. They more than once blew my opportunities. I blew my own as well, but you know, live and learn. I was glad to see a ranger there checking tags since I saw some guys harvesting on un-huntable land. Gotta use the maps like OnX. Animals are there, but the pressure is wicked high so were very nocturnal and skittish. I'm exploring new country this year.

 

[def90]

A ton of USFS land and deer in 29 if you know how to use OnX or read a map. Boulder City and County land is not huntable, not sure what the Denver Water Board land around the reservoir is but I would assume non huntable as well.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Hunting Gross Res. area this year I couldn't believe how many hunters and recreationalists were out there. They more than once blew my opportunities. I blew my own as well, but you know, live and learn. I was glad to see a ranger there checking tags since I saw some guys harvesting on un-huntable land.

That area gets hit hard every year due to easy access. Twice now I have seen CPW put the Muley decoys on the West side of the Res to "entice" hunters to shoot from the road. What season did you hunt? I had a second season tag there that was refunded due to the fires that closed everything for awhile. I'm also curious where you saw people on "unhuntable" land. Denver Water, Open Space, Someone's Backyard?

This unit is my back yard and my son and I are headed in for 4th rifle this year...

How did your hunt go?

 

[dusky]

That area gets hit hard every year due to easy access. Twice now I have seen CPW put the Muley decoys on the West side of the Res to "entice" hunters to shoot from the road. What season did you hunt? I had a second season tag there that was refunded due to the fires that closed everything for awhile. I'm also curious where you saw people on "unhuntable" land. Denver Water, Open Space, Someone's Backyard?



How did your hunt go?

I hunted 4th season. The ranger found two deer carcasses in the Denver Water/Denver County area. He said he's actually planning to push to change regs to open up some of that land in order to spread out the hunting pressure a bit. Of course, who knows how much of that land would even be around once the water level is raised.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Considering Denver Water has a No Firearms policy there already I doubt that will ever happen. They also have no incentive to do that and don't make money from public users as is. The only reason they let people recreate on and around the Reservoir is because the Federal Government required them to create a rec program when they authorized their Hydroelectric Power Plant Project.

 

[gbflyer]

I have a buddy who lives behind the gate above the Eldorado Canyon SP. I think that’s in 29. Anyway they have a lot of deer but there’s no easy access. And the folks up there are real grumpy.

 

[fishslap]

Hunting Gross Res. area this year I couldn't believe how many hunters and recreationalists were out there. They more than once blew my opportunities. I blew my own as well, but you know, live and learn. I was glad to see a ranger there checking tags since I saw some guys harvesting on un-huntable land. Gotta use the maps like OnX. Animals are there, but the pressure is wicked high so were very nocturnal and skittish. I'm exploring new country this year.

Now it will be even busier next year.

 

[def90]

Now it will be even busier next year.

It's a draw unit, it can never be any busier than it already is.

Honestly though, a fair number of deer though I don't see any monsters and the biggest ones I see may be the ones that live in downtown Boulder

 

[fishslap]

It's a draw unit, it can never be any busier than it already is.

Honestly though, a fair number of deer though I don't see any monsters and the biggest ones I see may be the ones that live in downtown Boulder

I was referring to the specific area of gross reservoir, not the whole unit. Doesn’t matter, I don’t hunt that spot anyway. I did once after finding a hunting forum post about wineger ridge.

 

[def90]

yeah, I don't think that area is a secret to anyone though. It's always gong to draw all of the lazy people that think driving up to Peak to Peak is too much work.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Now it will be even busier next year.

Because of this thread? Lol. That place is a zoo, which is why the CPW Game Wardens choose that area to put up their decoy traps every year. If more people hunt there, good. That means less people in the better spots of that unit.

 

[Str8shooter]

"Lots of USFS"....not so much..2/3rds of this unit is unhuntable developed city limits, county or city open space or private lands and this GMU is already one of the smaller units in CO... Most of the USFS that is huntable is Indian Peaks Wilderness. 150,000+ visitors per year make the Indian Peaks Wilderness one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. The Deer and Elk herds spend most of their time on the City and County Open Space Properties particularly once the shooting or cold weather starts. 29 is one of the closest units to Denver and Boulder and the animals and anyone who's hunted it can tell...