Colorado 2nd choice deer success
Mule Deer
I'm not looking for units or even areas, but has anyone had reasonable success hunting in a mule deer unit on public land, west of I-25 that goes into second, third or fourth choice? Or even leftover for that matter?
I will state this, when Colorado's mule deer population was doing great 10-20 years ago there were surplus licenses. But there is now evidence that many Game Manages Units have stabilized or have a decreasing populations of Mule deer.
This results in less MD licenses west of I-25 and especially second/third choice as well and leftover license.
Also given the fact that Colorado's bow hunters have increased over 100% since 1995 to nearly 42,000 hunters, there is more competition for this MD license and a lot less chance of any leftovers.
Good luck in your research. Paul
It can be done. My brother and I have shot deer In a non first choice unit, but I spend 200 plus days a year in the mountains working, hiked a few thousand miles here before getting one and know where the deer go now. Coming in blind would be tough, but it can be done. No matter how the hunt goes, mule deer don't live in ugly places.
I usually get too distracted with elk to care about deer but a friend of mine shoots nice deer 160+ in a unit with leftover tags every year, but he knows the unit well
Got this buck on a second choice tag.
Tough to find a second choice tag that has very good odds to draw for archery in Colorado any more. The CPW keeps the archery tags limited significantly versus rifle tags.
Colorado caters to the rifle hunters.
There are many, many more rifle tags available that can be drawn on second choice - even in great units and 3rd season hunts. Heck, there were even leftover tags for bucks in 3rd season in some units last year! My son got a 3rd season tag as a leftover and we saw over 20 bucks opening morning - including several really good ones. He shot a nice one before noon.
yes drew 3rd choice last year
I always draw a second or third choice tag and hunt the rifle season with my bow.
Here is a second choice buck, but those tags are hard to find anymore....
