CO Units 54 & 67
Mule Deer
Hey guys, I am thinking of hunting one of these units and would like to ask someone who has hunted them some questions. Not looking for spots to hunt. I am wondering about access, terrain, pressure and stuff. Please PM me if you are willing to take some questions.
I can help you out on 54. I hunted elk there last year. I did see some nice bucks in there but it still not what it was like before 07/08.
I would talk to the biologist about how well, or not, the area has recovered from the 07/08 winter. That was a monster.....
I've been avoiding one spot about 3 miles in until I'm sure it's worth hitting. Don't want to burn ten points only to find the deer are all dinks back there.
I have talked to some of the biologists in the area over the last year.
I don't think 54 will be all dinks. The fawns of Spring 08 should now be mature 6 yr. olds. The difference now vs. 2007 is there just isn't the "quantity" of mature deer yet like was the case behind every tree in pre-2008. "Quality" will be there just have to search a little harder to find them.
If you wait for mature bucks quantities to get back to pre-2008 levels... the next big monster winter may come through and decimate herds again and you are right back to waiting even longer to hunt that spot 3 miles in that you covet.
The monster un-pressured bucks will be in east and south facing slopes of high basins 10,500 elev. and higher!
I have been talking to people and biologists over the past few weeks. I have been also considering units 66, 65, or 55. Has anyone hunted these in the past couple seasons. Any thoughts on the quality of the hunt in regards to pressure, quality of animals. Would you go back to that unit or not?
I talked to one biologist that thought 66 was over rated considering it took 4 points compared to the 2 points for 55 or the 1 point for 65 or 67.
As others have said, good deer in those units, but not the numbers or size that there was before the big die off. I don't know that there were ever big deer behind every tree, but seems the biggest bucks in a good bachelor group used to be 180+, and now you really have to search a lot of territory to find a 180.
What has surprised me is the large percentage of 3x3 and 3x4 bucks - some quite sizable. My guess is with the die off and continued hunting they got passed over while younger 4x4s were harvested. May be a while yet before it's totally back.
I have talked to a lot of biologists. It will never "be back".
It is pretty clear when you read the Big Game Management Plan (DAU), that there is no intention to get it back to what it was.
