Unit 54 Colorado Mule Deer

[maxracks]

We drew a 3 season rifle tag. Has anyone hunted this unit lately? Hunted the unit in 2005. Any info you have would be greatly appreciated. I will share any info I have after our hunt to anyone looking.
Thanks!

 

[bohntr]

It’s NOTHING like it was before the big winter kill of 07/08.....since then it has been slow to recover, IMO.

 

[maxracks]

I’m hoping someone has hunted it and can give us some direction. I called the biologist for the area. He was about as much help as a stick. Not looking for someone to pin point a deer. Maybe some general areas where to start looking.

When we where there in 05 we were talking with a couple elk hunters .The one says he saw 2 monster bucks in a drainage 2 days in a row. Wouldn’t tell us where because he was going to get a tag next year. He said he had 2 points. We told him we had 14 to draw the unit. I don’t think he believed us. Never did tell us where. We killed a 201 and 183 incher.

 

[Bulldawg]

I’m hoping someone has hunted it and can give us some direction. I called the biologist for the area. He was about as much help as a stick. Not looking for someone to pin point a deer. Maybe some general areas where to start looking.

When we where there in 05 we were talking with a couple elk hunters .The one says he saw 2 monster bucks in a drainage 2 days in a row. Wouldn’t tell us where because he was going to get a tag next year. He said he had 2 points. We told him we had 14 to draw the unit. I don’t think he believed us. Never did tell us where. We killed a 201 and 183 incher.

Sounds like you’ve got it pretty well figured out. If you’ve killed big deer there before you can probably go back and find something in there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Josh Wright]

Don't over think it. Go where you had success before. There are plenty of big bucks in that unit.

 

[chasewild]

Boots, binocs, food, insulation, maps, water, and go.

Good luck.

 

[ndbuck09]

Do you know that when people go to google and type in Colorado Unit 54, this thread will pop up and they'll now see that you killed these big deer in there and this will influence them in going to this unit. This sort of thing influences more people than I think any of us realize. I've seen it with sheep units in Idaho.

 

[KHNC]

Do you know that when people go to google and type in Colorado Unit 54, this thread will pop up and they'll now see that you killed these big deer in there and this will influence them in going to this unit. This sort of thing influences more people than I think any of us realize. I've seen it with sheep units in Idaho.

This is true. I know, because i just did it. I was looking for a good unit to use my points on for next year. Just added 54 to my list.

 

[Elktaco]

Your right, before this thread nobody even thought about 54 or any of the Gunny basin units?? Then why does it take so many points?

 

[maxracks]

I doubt this post will change anything in this unit. It took 12 points to draw this unit. Might decrease the odds. But, could decrease odds in other units.
My understanding is CDW is increasing tags to kill off mature bucks because of CWD.

 

[Newtosavage]

If I burned a dozen points on a tag, I'd be up there scouting at least a week, long before season started and then another week before the opener. But that's just me I guess. I enjoy the process of finding my own critters.

 

[maxracks]

I’d love to do that. But ,when you are a 22 hour drive away, it’s pretty difficult to drive over and scout a couple times. I’m 68 years old on a limited budget. I have plenty of trophies mounted. There is something about harvesting a big Mule Deer!
I was just looking for a bit of an edge.

 

[maxracks]

Been chatting with a couple people on other forums. From what I’m understanding, this unit has never fully recovered from the winter die offs. Colorado Div of Wildlife increasing the licenses certainly won’t help. I’m betting there were a lot of surprised hunters that drew a tag. Sounds like the tags were doubled.

 

[Bulldawg]

I’d love to do that. But ,when you are a 22 hour drive away, it’s pretty difficult to drive over and scout a couple times. I’m 68 years old on a limited budget. I have plenty of trophies mounted. There is something about harvesting a big Mule Deer!
I was just looking for a bit of an edge.

Good things it’s 2019 and a plane can get you there in 3 hours. And with this fancy internet thing you can shop for really good deals less than what it cost to buy a pair of hunting britches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[maxracks]

This hunt turned into a bust. Way to many deer hunters. Nobody seeing any mature bucks. Talked to a lot of disappointed deer hunters. To top it off, the forest service closed off a lot of access roads.
Seems as there may have been some die off 2 years ago. And I’m thinking maybe a die off last winter. Talked with a guide who was out with a hunter. Said he also had hunters the 2nd season and it was terrible!
Oh well! I guess that’s why it’s called hunting.

 

[akennedy52]

This hunt turned into a bust. Way to many deer hunters. Nobody seeing any mature bucks. Talked to a lot of disappointed deer hunters. To top it off, the forest service closed off a lot of access roads.
Seems as there may have been some die off 2 years ago. And I’m thinking maybe a die off last winter. Talked with a guide who was out with a hunter. Said he also had hunters the 2nd season and it was terrible!
Oh well! I guess that’s why it’s called hunting.

Thanks for the follow-up on your hunt. Sounds like a frustrating hunt. I am trying to draw this tag this year with 12 points. I want to spend my CO deer points. Planning to backpack in about 5 miles. Should be interesting.

 

[maxracks]

Good luck! I’m afraid you are going to need it! What I found interesting is we didn’t even see any city deer. 13 or 14 years ago we saw several hundred around town!

 

[bat-cave]

Not trying to play games and keep people out of GMU 54, but as was mentioned the winter kills on GMU 54 and surrounding units has been big! Just two years ago there was another huge winter kill in the area. I hunt a neighboring unit and used to run across plenty of big bucks (No Buck tag in pocket of course) and that hasn't happened for 4+ years in my experience. I'm speaking about Archery season (FWIW). I also happen to own property in a neighboring GMU and we do not see the Deer numbers that we used to see even on my cameras around the property ... sadly!

 

[akennedy52]

Not trying to play games and keep people out of GMU 54, but as was mentioned the winter kills on GMU 54 and surrounding units has been big! Just two years ago there was another huge winter kill in the area. I hunt a neighboring unit and used to run across plenty of big bucks (No Buck tag in pocket of course) and that hasn't happened for 4+ years in my experience. I'm speaking about Archery season (FWIW). I also happen to own property in a neighboring GMU and we do not see the Deer numbers that we used to see even on my cameras around the property ... sadly!

That’s sad. The winter kill in an Idaho Unit I like to hunt has also been terrible.

 

[Thomas11]

From what I’ve read from CPW is winterkill hasn’t been significant the last few yrs in gunnison basin. I just saw their YouTube ungulate report for the basin in their website and they were clear that winter die off was not much below average in 17 or 18. Now I’m not discounting numbers are lower but I’m not sure the reason