Colorado Unit 2 Archery
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: Tracker
24-Mar-21
Looking to draw a Unit 2 mule deer tag. Anyone hunt the unit is Sep and help where the bucks will be. I have hunted the Douglas Mnt area for elk.
From: Treeline
24-Mar-21
Have hunted elk and antelope in that unit in the last few years. It can be tough to turn up a decent buck, especially with the later start for archery now.
From: Highway Star
25-Mar-21
A friend of mine should draw for elk rifle. I have offered to help him scout this summer. Could keep a look out for you. We saw what I thought was a pretty nice buck 11-12 points nice spread 24 in but kind of thin on mass about 6 years ago. I would have shot him archery. Scott
From: Tracker
26-Mar-21
Kind of interested if the North part of the Unit is worth exploring. I spend a little bit of time up there but was looking for elk and didn't't really pay much attention to the deer.
From: wheels
07-Apr-21
How many points do you have? I also put in for unit 2 and I think there will only be 2 NR tags.
From: WYOelker
08-Apr-21
Deer in unit 2 is pretty worthless. Sorry but it is not a deer unit. In 2019 I spent over 70 days in 2. Over the last 20 years I have spent hundreds of days. In all that time I have never once seen a truly smoker buck. In 2019 I saw one buck that might have went 170. Also in 2019 I have trail cameras all over etc. Not one buck over 170. The deer are scattered and you will find very few deer. On my best days I would see maybe 10 deer total. It simply is not a good deer unit. The center of the unit is overran by horses that destroy the range, the west side of the unit is over ran by horses from Somberero ranches. Douglas has a few deer around but not a lot. The north end of the unit is pretty heavy oil and gas development. As much as I love the unit, the only way I would ever have a unit 2 deer tag is if it was given to me and I could not trade it.
From: Treeline
08-Apr-21
If we could get rid of all the horses, the deer would be a lot better off. The FERAL horses have destroyed most of the good deer habitat over the majority of the unit.
Have seen several good bucks and two great bucks over the last several years but your expectations archery in 2 should be that a 160-170” deer is top end.
Expect them to disappear as soon as they rub their velvet. They are still there, they just lock down and go nocturnal. CPW’s new archery season dates do not help at all.
From: OTC_Bowhunter
09-Apr-21
My 2019 buck. Best I could find with a week of scouting before the season started.
From: MathewsMan
09-Apr-21
That is definitely a top end buck there. I would recommend to anyone that unless you have a buddy or reason to select the unit, deer, cow elk, and bears are all using more points there than the numbers and quality it’s worth.
By all means if you have an elk tag a bear license would be a smart idea.
After my dad arrowed his Bull I saw a lot of bears that literally ruined the elk coming to water to use my tag.
From: MathewsMan
09-Apr-21
From: WYOelker
09-Apr-21
I agree that is about the very max of any buck I have seen in the unit. Hell of a buck for that unit.
I agree I would rather hunt bears there than deer.
From: wheels
09-Apr-21
One of the reasons I applied for the unit is to get away from having 10 guys with bugle tubes on every ridge and getting cut off by other deer hunters while attempting a stalk. If that’s the best there is, then that’s my target size. Every unit gets ripped on for not being what it used to be and the guys ripping on them are likely doing it for selfish reasons, either they are outfitters or helping their buddies. Regardless, the tags will go to someone and I’ll take a hunt with solitude and get to see some big elk as a bonus.
From: Treeline
09-Apr-21
You can get solitude up there for sure.
From: Tracker
09-Apr-21
I have hunted Unit 2 three times for elk in the last 6 years with my tag and a couple friends. I did not see a lot ofd deer but did see ones that I would be happy to take. For me its not all about the bones. Only reason I have as many points as I do is because other hunts just got in the way and then when I did draw a good tag I was injured. Point creep got me and the last two years I did not draw my target unit. Time to use these points are now. I love the unit and look forward to seeing big bulls as much as deer. If I draw Ill be happy. I actually put in for the Unit 2 Muzzy tag with 19 NR.
From: Treeline
09-Apr-21
Good luck! Enjoy the solitude! Hard to get these days!
From: bartl17
12-Apr-21
My nephew and I applied for the archery deer tag with 12 and 13 points. I really hope we get it. I am getting older [65] and the western hunts are getting harder each year. Don't want to wait any longer. Neither of us are looking for monster bucks. Anything halfway decent will make me happy, really just looking to hunt a less crowded area.
From: WYOelker
13-Apr-21
I am sorry but not sure I would consider it a lot less crowded. My experience was the unit during archery and elk rut was similarly busy to my old OTC unit. I had issues with guys on several of my hunts and while it is remote, do not expect to be alone at all. It is pretty wide open so you can see people from aways off. But I had ATVs, muzzy hunters, rifle hunters, groups of guys scouting, one hunter with 10 buddies and 5 atvs driving around trying to find the one.
Hell I even had a military helicopter land on a water hole and blow my trail camera down... Also to note in the Eastern side of the unit along the snake there is rifle cow hunt that runs most of the Archery Season as well. It is really frustrating to be sneaking in with archery gear and have a rifle hunter show up 200 yards out and start blasting away from the truck.
You will have a good hunt but realize that you will likely see many of the same things happen there that happen in OTC units.
From: OTC_Bowhunter
02-Jun-21
Well, who drew a tag?
From: wheels
02-Jun-21
Bartl17 and his nephew took the 2 NR tags.
From: Bigskelly
15-Aug-21
I hunted the NE part of the unit (2) for 28 days last year and had no issues running into other hunters. We saw nice bucks during the first two weeks of the season, usually early in the morning. Had plenty of deer on trail cams at the water sources. Saw one monster muley. Most of the deer we spotted were 3 miles south of powder wash along the the east/west stretch of road 67 and 75
From: Firsty
20-Aug-21
I've been there and can't really imagine you would run into to many people while out hunting. Yes you may see some along the roads but put a little distance between you and you'll find your solitude
From: LongbowGuy
31-Aug-21
I was lucky enough or should I say- I’ve put in long enough to draw a unit 2 archery bull elk tag- been scouting for last couple months- headed up tomorrow- sept 1 to set up camp… hope I can find that bull of a lifetime!!
From: Jaquomo
31-Aug-21
Good luck! You'll have a great hunt but keep your expectations realistic. Both my partner and I killed bulls we had never seen or cammed before they appeared, that were the two biggest bulls we had seen. Before they showed up, our expectations were in the honest 330 range since that was the bigger end of what we were seeing-camming all summer.
Enjoy your hunt of a lifetime!
From: Jaquomo
31-Aug-21
Hopefully you read some of the lengthy threads on the CO forum, from a bunch of guys who have hunted it recently. Lots of great info there that will help you.
From: LongbowGuy
31-Aug-21
Thanks - I appreciate the feedback… will keep you posted on what I see as season progresses
