How high do Colorado mule deer get?
Mule Deer
I'm in the planning stages of an alpine CO mule deer hunt and was looking at some topos and it got me thinking.
When I noticed that some of the saddles I was considering glassing from were about 13K feet, I was wondering if I was starting to push it a bit.
Many of the bowls I'm looking at have what appears to be good hunting from 12,300 to 12,700. Some upwards of 13K feet and it got me wondering.
I've never hunted higher than 12,000 ft so I realized it was new territory for me.
So, how high do CO mule deer get?
Elevation examples of deer sightings and/or kills would be helpful and appreciated.
Thanx,
Ike
With the legalization of pot they're getting pretty high these days Ike. ;)
Ike you need go no further than the 420 Elk Huntin thread to see just how high the CO mule deer get!
high as a kite man... "dude, where's your scrape dude?"
Okay you had to see this coming, haha. In all honesty I am of no real help. I know they get up to about 12k for sure because I have seen them there during my limited time in the state, but I'm sure you were already aware of that. I would think they wouldn't venture too far from treeline, but what the heck do I know.
I saw them at 13K' when hunting bighorn sheep.
I wouldnt be afraid to glass that high stuff one bit. I have a couple buddies who have killed deer over 13k.
I shot a 7x9 NT mulie at 13,000' when I was sheep hunting. He was with a band of bachelor bucks. I'd see them just as high as the Rams when they are still in velvet. They drop into the timber when they shed/rub out, or at least they did where I hunted.
+ Kurt. When they are in velvet they can be as high as wherever they have bedding cover for security. As soon as they shed velvet they totally change up.
What dates are you planning this alpine adventure? The earlier in the season, the better.
I know ya want an alpine hunt, Ike but most of the good deer are MUCH lower
Franzen, in light of the recent thread, I put it on a tee on purpose.
Lou, around Sept 7-12. Too late?
Will, I have the freedom to mix it up, but if you wanna PM me in depth details of where the deer are at, I'm all ears man :)
A few years ago we were on a summer trip to Colorado and when we went to Pikes Peak they were right there almost at the summit which I believe is 11K+.
LOL. +3K' and you would have it WW. Unless you were not actually on Pikes Peak.
Ahhh, so you just wanted some yoga pants in your thread also.
I'll defer to the "real" high altitude muley hunters for your question on dates, but IMO they've pretty much all shed velvet by then and are down in the timber.
If it were me, I'd plan to hunt them for the first week of the season, and wish it started two weeks earlier than that.
Another thing to consider is the Muzzleloader hunters. They open the 10th yes?
Yeah, ML is the Sept 12-20 this year. I'm planning on being in Wyoming for those dates, but probably coming back to CO after that.
OOOPS! You're right Frazen. Pike's is in the "fourteener" club.
I used to live at 7500'in Wyoming and hunted the mountains all the time, but had moved away and hadn't been out there for about 12 years when we went to Pike's. I got off that train just below the summit, took about 10 steps and had to bend over to get my breath!
If you want to hunt high, hunt as early as possible. How high? In my experience as high as you can get...early season. When velvet sheds things change, bucks start to move down.
And sometimes you might find the mule deer at the end of the rainbow or in the clouds.
Also remember there is a Early Rifle buck deer season above tree line in some GMUs which may start the first saturday in Sept and then some on the same day as the ML season.
If I were going to hunt above timberline, I would be there at the beginning of September, not after the muzzleloading. When you factor in shedding, and 3 weeks of hunters including muzzy hunters, chances are they are at or below timberline by then (but not always!)
Don't forget that today's strains are much stronger. They're gonna be a lot higher than they were 20 years ago.
Scoot, in 2016 the elk and deer season starts on Aug 27 so you will have 6 days before Sept 2.
THis deer season always starts on the last saturday in Aug. This year, 2015, on Aug 29.
Scoot, you can hunt NV and UT much earlier than that, but you have to get drawn.
Buy a point this year and you'll have some options for CO in 2016, although, you're going to have time restraints as P@tF noted.
My take on not having much time once the season opens is, you can get there plenty early and scout - perhaps giving you an edge on opening day.
Oregon is an easier hunt.
As high as there is food!
I mean they get high as long as there is food!
Kinda surprised and disappointed that this thread has not generated any pictures of dead animals above the tree line :(
here is one shot at treeline but then ran down into the brush below. will this one do?
While hunting mule deer bucks above tree line may seem like the cool thing to do, the lack of cover may be the determinging factor not to do so.
seeing bucks may be the easy part but getting close, well that is another story, without cover.
That'll work Paul. Thanx.
Not to disrespect your other photos, too. Those are good ones. But an average hunting thread should have a live:dead animal picture ratio of no more than 1:1 - although, I did start this one, so it makes sense why most of the animals on it would still be living.
the key just may be to find areas of "buck brush" ie, willow brush.. This not only supplies the deer with food but with cover. This same cover with help mask an approaching hunter.
and with the aid of some cover, you might just get in the face of a buck.
just a few live pic to wet the appetite
tree line in Colorado is around 10,500 to 11,000. and I would expect, below that is where most of the md bucks are killed.
The challange is stated, "how can I get to within 50 yards of that buck".
Cover is the key.
Paul... I'm thinkin' adoption papers....
I'm both quiet and housebroken.... pretty sure Coach would go for some kind trade.... chocolate and red wine seem to have a good deal of leverage....
Wow those are some great photos Paul!
What is interesting about the last picture, it took me 3 hr to circle around and to get above the deer. What looks like low trees and shrubs from a distance, turns out to be 20 ft pine trees, 6 ft high shrubs and all thick enough to hid a herd of elephants.
Sat above the thicket for two hours and never did see them. Then moved slowly down the hill and again, never saw them again.
There are actually three bucks in the pic, the two to the right and just to the left 100yards, in the next clearing , a buck bedded down that one can just see a small circle of tan.
Always an issue with hidden deer when staking another buck. Especially does.
I am not one of them, but the guys that I know that are true high country md killers, get in close and within bow range, get the wind correct, and just wait for a shot opportunity.
time to let the arrow go!
PS,, take with the camera 80 yards away. No shot
Some great pictures!
When I was hunting sheep, I saw a bonafide world class monster at around 12,000 feet.
I was elk hunting but there were some nice bucks in those willows at timberline. CO unit.
Threads like these give me cabin fever BAD!! C'MON SEPTEMBER!!
Midwest, that is classic early season md country.
not sure who this guy is, but not my photo.
That's TD....what a weird looking MD!!! lol
Are these early season high country hunts draw only or usually OTC ?
Buskill- all deer tags in co are draw only. However Some are really easy to draw! Just gotta do your homework
Great pix Paul, thanx for sharing...
Never thought seriously about hunting CO but these high country deer pics are really cool. Even an hunt with no kill looks like it would be great fun. Lung destroyer I'm sure !
Buddy stuck one last year at 13,400.
This buck was arrowed right at 13,500'.......elevation has no limit for mule deer.
I shot this buck during the last week of the season in Colorado at 12,020 feet. I hunted a very nice typical buck the first couple of weeks, but had countless things go against me. I stalked that buck at 13,100 feet more than once. It is an absolute blast! I can't wait to go chase them again!
I hunted this basin and drainage in 2004 and the deer were mostly all above timberline and routinely went over the top. Elevation at the top is approx. 13,600. It was an awesome hunt. Would love to have more vacation time to go back.
paul@thefort, some of those pictures wouldn't happen to be Gunnison county would it? A few look awfully familiar
14,439 feet . Mt. Elbert.
If I had a buck tag that allowed me to hunt early, I'd be there 4-5 days before the season opened and I'd be hunting as high as I could get that still contained bedding cover.
Maybe I'm a moron, been called that before, but I ain't no Helli Karris....
God that'll never get old!
