I drew Colorado unit 76 deer
Mule Deer
been 7 years waiting to Colorado muley hunt ... one animal I've yet to take is a good muley buck
can anyone say if 76 has good deer numbers or? I haven't been in that area (used to hunt 78 for elk) in years, since the burns really. I chose the unit because I hiked the continental divide trail from wolf creek once, love the scenery, the high mountains, how tough it is and the wilderness area.
Fairly low deer numbers you will glass lots of basins void of deer, but should see plenty of elk. Awesome country though
The time to ask that question was before you applied
I drew that elk tag last year and I never saw a decent buck. As a matter of fact I saw very few deer at all. I talked to an outfitter and he said it was not a good unit to burn my deer points on. Not trying to rain on your parade but I think you will have your work cut out for you...... it is some of the prettiest country I've ever elk hunted tho.
Starfire - I wanted to hunt muley's, I've been in that country some, it'll be a fantastic anyway low deer numbers or not
thanks for being real though ya'll, I appreciate the information, I do
I spent 14 days in 76 in I think 2016. I didn't see any good buck or a lot where I was at. I sitting on 22 or 23 points and still don't know where to burt them.
ya'll making this sounds like a fun challenging hunt :)
drive 1100 miles to a country I've not been in 7 years, no pre-scouting, going from 600 feet elevation to 10,000-11,000 feet, 3 knee surgeries and 53 years old, archery hunting mule deer that I've never seemed to be really successful at and in a unit that has low deer numbers :)
fantastic !! :) worst case, I hear bugling, get some fantastic photo's, eat some great rehydrated meals and bask in God's country for 8-10 days
worst ways to spent the first 10 days in September :)
I like your thinking Stealthy
Brad, Depends on where in 76 you are at. The traffic in 76 as increased tremendously over the years in this area. A lot of hikers and campers, and lots of CDT hikers. Now, the deeper you go in, away from the trails, the better you'll be. Don't expect to find the big bucks in the basins where the divide trail goes through, or next to the divide trail. It ain't going to happen. The CDT hikers that come into the shop don't have much to say about the mule deer in 76, but they talk a lot about the elk and moose.
There are still some good solid deer in 76. Just not a ton of them and you will have to work for it. Definitely take a fly rod, spectacular cutthroat fishing…
Stealthycat I sent you a private reply, or check out my Instagram backcountry_archer
I would probably hunt lower elevation, like right down by the river
appreciate the information everyone, really do
I've not hunted Colorado I guess since 2014 maybe? been too long, going to make the best trip of it and filling a tag will be icing
Hello fellow bowhunters, I am not normally on public forums for personal reasons, but decided to make an exception because I drew a once in a lifetime tag unexpectedly in Colorado. After finally drawing my 3rd bull elk tag in AZ in the past 40 years, I decided to not turn that tag in and hunt for moose after the elk hunt. That hunt is over and I am preparing to depart for Unit 76. There was a really well written article posted back in 2018 by JRABQ which has given me hope that I will at least be able to find some moose. A close friend of mine who has been on many moose hunts will be joining me, but neither of us has been in the unit. I am hoping to get it done with a bow, even though rifle season starts on the 1st of October. Anyway, the reason I am posting here is because if anyone has been there and hunted it or has any intel on the Moose in 76, I would be greatly appreciative of any help you might be able to provide. Hopefully some deer or elk hunters may have spotted something I might want to try to find. Who knows? Open to any assistance! Thanks and happy hunting!
I am planning on applying for 76 or 67 this year. I have the points for either. Would love to hear how your hunt went. PM me if you’d like. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Once again a bunch of guys take the time to give a guy advice and he doesn't have the decency to report on how the hunt went.
Better units in CO for deer IMO
JSW - my apologies, I thought I had replied and no, I'm not like that but nice pot shot
A friend and I drove in from the Creede side - good gawd roughest toughest road I ever drove with a stock 4Runner. I'd not recommend that entryway.
We camped not far from Pole creek /Rio Grande and there were lots of campers and fisherman. We got there 2 days before season started, i wanted to acclimate. Gorgeous scenery/area no doubt about it .
First day I went high and across and back to camp. I got close to a couple of nice bulls and saw several people glassing from the road. Met one guy who was scouting away from road and he said a few bucks in the area but nothing big. Next day I went to another area and did the same. A few does low, nothing more. Fishing was tough, caught a few of the beautiful trout
up high at Stony Pass was a sheep outfitter, the domestic kind, he must have had 2-3,000 sheep up there. uggh. This was all Labor day week and there were convoy's of ATV's on the roads blaring mariachi music and driving up towards Bear town and that area.
I hunted for 3 days in there, and there was one group of bucks that had maybe a 150 4x4 in it, but other than that I saw no really thumper bucks. My buddy got to feeling sickly like altitude sickness maybe and so I decided to pull camp, drive out the way to Silverton and wrap all the way back around by Alamosa/Pagosa Springs and camp low and hunt the south side of unit.
I saw a few deer there too, small bucks, nothing shootable. Trout fishing was better :)
Oh looking back I probably should have packed away from the roads, but this was more than a hunt for me with my friend and we had a great time.
one bowsiter really gave me some good information and I'm very thankful for all the input - and if I can share with anyone PM me and I'll give all the info I have
Hunting!...Every bit as frustrating as golf. Beautiful country for sure!
Thanks for checking in.
I agree about road. I was there in 2015. Luckily research stated Timber Hill was terrible. Confirmed with those that passed through there. Plastic vehicle parts litter the rocky “road” and stories of running boards ripped off are common.
Will always remember hiking back to camp at 12k in the dark. Steam coming off my body as I boiled water for supper. Looked at the sky and thought “if anyone questions the existence of God, they need to climb to this place and see what I see. “One of the prettiest places I have been.
If you were after mule deer I'd definitely put in for unit 78 right next to 76, there's more above timberline habitat. It's normally a 2-3 point unit for archery so you should draw
If you were after mule deer I'd definitely put in for unit 78 right next to 76, there's more above timberline habitat. It's normally a 2-3 point unit for archery so you should draw
Hahaha... 78 for mule deer!! Not very good advice. Our mule deer have been on a terrible decline, and now even CPW are concerned. Add to the fact the high number of bowhunters chasing everything, even with the draw.
Thanks for the recap, Brad! Sorry you didn’t get a buck.
Oh I enjoyed my time there - I'm not a tag or be disappointed guy anymore
What’s going on in 78 to cause the decline? I took a good buck there in 2018 , hunted it again in 2020 and never saw decent buck. Last year I didn’t get drawn but my buddy that lives in Pagosa took the largest buck of his life but was the only deer he saw. Hopefully I can draw this year but have definitely seen less deer .
When I hunted elk in there in 2007 there were so many massive bucks it was unreal. I was not even looking for them. They winter was the die off. I could have drawn a bow tag ad had a combo hunt. I really wish I would have.
