Hey CO guys and anybody who can help

[mnbearbaiter]

I'm looking strongly at two different early rifle mule deer hunts which I have enough points to draw already. One is in the Mt Zirkel Wilderness and the other is in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness. I've researched biologist and game wardens in both regions and its like splitting hairs!!! From a hunter standpoint what could anybody recommend? They are both high altitude(above timberline) style hunts targeting solo bucks or bachelor groups and very demanding physically. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Recurve62]

We have hunted Mt. Zirkel for rifle elk a few times, west of The Divide. We actually saw quite a few deer in 2014, but I wouldn't have my heart set on a monster.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Not needing a giant. 2.5-3.5yr old 4x4 would be fine. Its an early sept hunt and usually by rifle elk season the deer have done a migration down and usually can be found lower than the elk your chasing. Its a generality I've seen as both true and false in my experience.

 

[jimss]

Early high country rifle hunts in Colo are a lot tougher than you may think. Generally speaking timberline bucks in Colo tend to shed velvet immediately before the early high country hunts open and dramatically change habits once this happens. Bucks can often be patterned all summer in a particular bowl or bowls while in velvet. Once the velvet is shed they generally head into the trees where they are tougher to find until they show up on the winter ranges for the rut. That's one reason the 2nd rifle seasons are often a lot easier tags to draw. Most of Colo's high alpine has lots of remote country with relatively few bucks. You'll have to spend a lot of time and boot leather to find the pockets of bucks..which may head into the trees once they shed velvet. With that said, there are some great bucks harvested on these early hunts....just be prepared for a super tough hunt. Also, keep in mind that OTC elk season, deer season, grouse season, etc are at the same time so you may not be alone.

 

[Blacktailbc]

One other thing to consider, is the weather. You would think September in the high country would be awesome weather, with great glassing, etc. It can be, but it is usually rainy/snowy and you can get fogged out for days. Just be prepared to get wet.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Oct is actually considered a poor time to hunt mule deer by many in the know. Deer in Sept are usually somewhat pattern able and are up high or around timberline. In my experience deer have been lower than elk come the general Oct rifle seasons. Oct isnt hardly even pre rut for elk and those 2nd rifle season deer tags are easy to come by mainly cuz in general Oct deer hunting at least early-mid Oct is always poor...even for whitetails. Now once you hit Halloween and that week of things change but by then deer may be down on the flat already. Those later 4th rifle tags are harder to get cuz of animals being easier to hunt everybody wants to take easy way out and its generally the rut. I've hunted deer during 2nd rifle before and it was fun. Usually see plenty of deer while chasing elk during ml season which leads me to believe the deer will be up there in those bowls and drainages just have to work for them. All I and a close group of friends do is backpack or bivy hunt, and this alpine style deer hunt is one I'd like to try.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Only OTC season going on is archery elk. Muzzleloader elk, deer, bear, season overlaps but is a draw.

 

[HighDesertSage]

I'm looking strongly at two different early rifle mule deer hunts which I have enough points to draw already. One is in the Mt Zirkel Wilderness and the other is in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness. I've researched biologist and game wardens in both regions and its like splitting hairs!!! From a hunter standpoint what could anybody recommend? They are both high altitude(above timberline) style hunts targeting solo bucks or bachelor groups and very demanding physically. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The success rates on those hunts aren't very good. I would strongly consider a 3rd rifle hunt if you really want to make sure your tag gets punched. Bucks can head into the timber after the velvet comes off and they get some pressure. But if you are set on doing it, I think you will have a great time and see some awesome country. Hunter-Fryingpan is in Pitkin County, and Mt. Zirkel is in Routt county. I would do a quick search and see which county produces more B&C records and go with that one. My guess is Pitkin probably has bigger bucks and Routt has a higher density of deer. Seriously though, 3rd rifle muley in CO is ridiculously fun. Good luck either way!

 

[mnbearbaiter]

We've found with CO that success rates are relative. By that we mean you have to consider the source. We kill elk diy backpack hunting every year we hunt 2nd rifle which has considerable low success rates due to number of hunters afield. Well...a lot of those hunters have days they sleep in, hunt easy access areas where they have tons of company, and much of it is ATV accessible. We hunt corners of wildernesses that give us distance from outfitters and such and get there by foot. After a kill its a lot of work but its all worth it. With only 20 tags and 50 tags respectively for those hunts I'm sure success is low but so is hunter competition. I'm aware of everything that can go along with a hunt like this I just started thread for input on which of the two GMU's may be better?

 

[HighDesertSage]

We've found with CO that success rates are relative. By that we mean you have to consider the source. We kill elk diy backpack hunting every year we hunt 2nd rifle which has considerable low success rates due to number of hunters afield. Well...a lot of those hunters have days they sleep in, hunt easy access areas where they have tons of company, and much of it is ATV accessible. We hunt corners of wildernesses that give us distance from outfitters and such and get there by foot. After a kill its a lot of work but its all worth it. With only 20 tags and 50 tags respectively for those hunts I'm sure success is low but so is hunter competition. I'm aware of everything that can go along with a hunt like this I just started thread for input on which of the two GMU's may be better?

I'm sure you'll have a great hunt. Hunt the one your most familiar with, or like I said above, do a search on B&C record book entries by county and go with that one.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

I've hunted neither of the GMU's mentioned. I hunt sw CO that's why I started thread. I'm leaning towards the H/F but wanted to ask here first.

 

[Cheaha]

I am not sure if this will help, but, I hunted elk for five days on the east side of Mt. Zirkel Wilderness last October, mostly between 8,000 and 10,000 feet. I did not see a single mule deer. That is not to say they were not there, of course. I did see a few deer tracks, but many more elk and moose tracks.