Colorado Unit 22 4th season. We're taking a widower and her 16 yr old son on the hunt his father never took!

PikesPeakElkHunter

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Divide, Colorado
Ok, I am looking for any advice or assistance for mule deer hunting unit 22 this fall during the 4th season. We have a good friend and local neighbor who used her 16 resident preference points to draw a 4th season buck tag in unit 22. Her youngest son is now 16 and she decided this year to attempt this draw. She's been patiently waiting. Her husband was an active hunter and she went with him often. She missed the year she was having their son and settled for a preference point. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to hunt with her husband again. So she has been racking up preference points to hunt the unit with her 16 yr old son. This will be her hunt of a lifetime with her son. We're looking at this hunt as a way to remember her husband and create a very special memory with her son.

Let me mention I am not asking for honey holes, GPS waypoints, etc. We tried to convince her to just hunt the unit where we live, unit 511. Where I have hunted for 32 years and know every nook & cranny and hunt from the first day of archery elk until the last day of January using a private land cow tag. I apply for a 4th season buck tag every year. When I do draw the tag I have taken a monster buck every time. Hey, in 32 years you can learn a lot about an area and what deer and elk do with hunting pressure & weather.

I am hoping to find someone who knows unit 22 the same way I know unit 511. Just for some honest, straight forward advice. I e-scout, like everyone else. I am very comfortable with everything available online since I actually program much of what you see. But, NOTHING replaces the accumulated knowledge of being on the ground. Understanding seasonal hunting pressure and those key areas between private & public lands.

I applied for and drew an archery deer tag for unit 22. Mainly so I have something to do while scouting locations for November. Based on current info it's completely different hunting unit 22 in November. Hurt my brain to do that instead of 4th season unit 511. But, this lady is extremely kind, has never remarried, has raised two great boys alone and we want to try to make this hunt happen. I am interested in November hunting only. My tag I didn't actually expect to draw.

I have been reviewing all DOW maps, wildlife biology info, BLM maps, ONX maps, Google Earth, multiple hunting forums, etc. Now I hope to find a few hunters who understand what we're trying to do and why. I live at 9200 feet so dropping down in elevation isn't a problem. lol I understand that unit 22 is said to basically be a migration unit. I have heard the same thing said about where I live. Yet, I see 4 bull elk on this 1st day of summer in their velvet feeding in the public land meadow below my home as I write this. I have already spotted 3 bachelor herds of mulie bucks with 5-6 in each group just over the last 7 days. Nothing beats real knowledge and real people.

If you feel you might be able to offer any advice on how we might make her hunt successful (it will already be spectacular for her to hunt with her son in a place she had meant to hunt along with her husband) we would greatly appreciate it. This will be a once in a lifetime hunt for all of us. Hoping to make a great memory!
 
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I can’t help any on the Unit, but I wanted to thank you for helping them. Hopefully some others will chime in and lend a hand.
 
Applauding your intentions. Hoping it is an epic success (and maybe a deer gets taken too!)
 
Applauding your intentions. Hoping it is an epic success (and maybe a deer gets taken too!)
Yes, we're going for the memories. A deer, or even seeing a deer that she may decide not to take, will just be the bonus. Her son just realized today that he did draw a 4th season cow tag for unit 22. It was his second choice so he only had looked at his first choice. I don't think I've seen a 16 year old more excited. My own son wasn't this crazy. lol
 
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