Hopefully I don't freeze

[Muley_Stalker]

Would you have yelled at him if he answered in a way that made it search engine friendly to find?

How would a search have answered what unit he was going to hunt? Caps are yelling. I simply asked a question that would have helped me answer better about the weather.

What's the motive with your post?

 

[kansasdad]

How would a search have answered what unit he was going to hunt? Caps are yelling. I simply asked a question that would have helped me answer better about the weather.

What's the motive with your post?

He answered the question you asked in post #6 of what unit he was hunting, but did it in such a way that someone doing a forum or Google search for that unit wouldn't find it. Perhaps in the fashion that some are used to listing a phone number to avoid bots finding it......800-fivefive5-six one 2 9

Many folks are taken to task for being too free with sharing which unit they are posting info on. OP was being careful. I read your response in post #16 as being a bit crabby. Please accept my apologies if I read your response's tone wrong.

Nothing more than that from my end.

 

[TexanSam]

Do you always answer a question with a math problem? Are you a school teacher?

btw..It's 22 degrees right now. Have fun in 3rd season.

I almost spelled out the number in a different language and told y'all to translate it lol

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I almost spelled out the number in a different language and told y'all to translate it lol

I would have laughed.

You weren't asking about anything but the weather. I never give any info on where to find game and usually will say something to someone who gives info on the forum. However, knowing the weather won't help anybody. All of Colorado will be cold. Some places more than others.

 

[TexanSam]

We had our first frost of the year in Northeast Texas and so naturally I went to sit in my deer stand here at home (chasing whitetails obviously). Waking up to 32 degrees at first made me think "good Lord what am I getting myself into this season, I'm cold as it is now!". Luckily though, after a thermos of coffee and watching the sun rise and the woods wake up from my tree stand, it reassured me that being uncomfortable can be well worth it sometimes.

 

[Focus]

We had our first frost of the year in Northeast Texas and so naturally I went to sit in my deer stand here at home (chasing whitetails obviously). Waking up to 32 degrees at first made me think "good Lord what am I getting myself into this season, I'm cold as it is now!". Luckily though, after a thermos of coffee and watching the sun rise and the woods wake up from my tree stand, it reassured me that being uncomfortable can be well worth it sometimes.

Pack in an extra base layer (top and bottom and socks) or just wear something you’ll change out of, and into your hunting clothes, when you get where you’re going on the mountain.

When I turned my truck off yesterday morning it was 13 degrees. I had a mile long hike to my post-up spot, half that was on closed forest road and half up a ridgeline. I was sweating by the time I got to my post. I changed out of my base layer top but didn’t have an extra base layer to change into (my mistake). Made do with a puffy coat, sweat shirt and Sitka jacket over it all but could’ve used that extra base layer. I also changed gloves (my hike-in gloves were damp) and socks.

Point is, take more clothes than you think you’ll need. You won’t notice the extra weight and you will appreciate dry warm clothes.

The hot-liquid thermos is a great idea too, and yesterday I was wishing I’d brought my stove, a Mountain House and a packet of hot chocolate mix (I was on a day hunt and left all that at home).

 

[Focus]

Almost forgot, if you plan to sit for any length of time to glass or whatever, take a pad to sit on. Mine’s a Hunter’s Specialties (if I remember right...its out in the garage and I’m too lazy to go and verify) and it really does a nice job with insulating me from the 13 degree ground.

 

[TexanSam]

I did an inventory of my hunting gear today, and went ahead and raided some swiss army surplus products found on amazon. As far a gear goes, I should be good now. (and thankfully came in under budget.)

My next order of business is packing food and all my essentials. In case I tag out early, or need a change of pace one day I'm going to bring a small trout fishing rod. I am contemplating bringing a shotgun as well, seeing as how last year in wyoming there were ducks in every piece of water larger than a puddle. I also keep reading about people seeing grouse on the mountain, maybe having a shotgun will be beneficial in that too...

I'm also wondering, should I buy a bear tag? I keep reading that Colorado is overpopulated with them and that people need to do their share to help out.

Oh and one last question, can anyone say whether or not I need to get snow chains? I have no experience with them, but I have heard of people using them. I really don't want to buy them if I wont need them, and wouldn't know how to use them if I had them.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Yes, snow chains (two sets for front and back is what I carry) watch a YouTube video on how to use them. Personally, I would concentrate on one animal and put all effort going after it unless you are just going out for a new experience. A fishing rod is always in my truck (usually fly rod) takes up no space and seldom used but available.

 

[TexanSam]

A fishing rod is always in my truck (usually fly rod) takes up no space and seldom used but available.

To be honest I keep my crappie rod in my truck 24/7 anyways so that'll be one less thing to have to load lol

 

[TexanSam]

Well guys I got the truck mostly loaded and ready to go for when the end of the work day comes!

I did take many peoples advice and order tire chains. They were supposed to arrive Wednesday, but unfortunately the United Parcel Service is running a little behind and says that they will be here by 8PM today. I'm half tempted to leave without them and just send em back, but I would hate to need them and not have them because I didn't want to delay my departure by 2 hours....

We'll see how this goes, but hopefully I'll be somewhere in the Texas panhandle tonight. It's going to be a slow day at work....

 

[noharleyyet]

Have fun TxSam.....

 

[noharleyyet]

However, knowing the weather won't help anybody. All of Colorado will be cold.

So why did you ask unit?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

My next order of business is packing food and all my essentials. In case I tag out early, or need a change of pace one day I'm going to bring a small trout fishing rod. I am contemplating bringing a shotgun as well, seeing as how last year in wyoming there were ducks in every piece of water larger than a puddle. I also keep reading about people seeing grouse on the mountain, maybe having a shotgun will be beneficial in that too...

I'm also wondering, should I buy a bear tag? I keep reading that Colorado is overpopulated with them and that people need to do their share to help out.

Oh and one last question, can anyone say whether or not I need to get snow chains? I have no experience with them, but I have heard of people using them. I really don't want to buy them if I wont need them, and wouldn't know how to use them if I had them.

1. I've yet to see a grouse or ptarmigan after about Oct 15... you might bump some but your chances of successfully targeting them are super low.
2. I wouldn't 3rd season is kinda late... similar to grouse Sept is the best bear month.
Generally speaking I think you will have your hands full with your primary hunt. Fishing rod never hurts.

Just be judicious about where you drive, if you don't have chains just doing get to sporty. I drive a corolla, spent my life in CO, MT, and VT and have never once gotten stuck.

 

[TexanSam]

By golly it's clean clear to flagtown. I'll be rolling wheels and shifting gears as long as the highway patrol lets me put the hammer down

 

[TexanSam]

Hey guys, I officially never gave an ending to this thread. I'm sorry about that- been extremely busy since I got home.

Anyways, so I hunted high and low for the first 4 days without finding a buck on public. Lots of does and lots of hunters. On the last morning I went to a spot that many of the locals referred to as "buck canyon", saying that migrating bucks tend to pass through there very frequently.

Well I got to the trailhead well before sunrise and began my hike to a glassing knob. Right as the sun was coming up, down in a patch of Aspen's where it meets with the sage brush I saw a cow moose bedded down, and got to watch her get up, start her day and gracefully climb up into the deadfall timber. (It's amazing how they can be so graceful in their movement)

I sat and glassed for about an hour when I notice a half mile to my right is another Hunter on a different knob. Right after I see him, I look at the ridgeline in front of me and see a few deer. Through my binoculars I see that one specifically is very large, has a swayed back, sagging neck, and appears to be a very old deer. This deer also has a forked antler on each side. Not sure if he just happens to have small antlers or maybe he grew so old that his antler size regressed. Either way, as soon as I see that he is a buck, I get up, throw my pack on my back, and plan out how I'm going to get to him. Right before I leave I look to my right and see through my binoculars that the other Hunter a half mile away was giving me a fist bump in the air when he saw me get ready to make a stalk.

So I close the distance between me and the deer, and I carefully and quietly climb across the ridge, but I cannot find the deer. All of a sudden, in the sea of sagebrush 50 yards away I see a couple of big mule deer ears sticking out. Realizing I had just stalked up on a group of does, I sit still for a second to reassess what to do, when all of a sudden one realizes my presence and 10 deer get up and are off. One of those deer being the buck I was after!

I watch the deer drop down in a valley, and realize that I hadn't seen them come out so I reposition to find them again. I then see a doe in the bottom about 300 yards away as she walks through an opening in the juniper trees. I realize that the buck must not be far behind so I chamber a round and get steady.

Sure enough the buck walks out and as I'm sitting steady waiting for a shot, I start getting buck fever, something I hadn't had in years. In the compromised state I'm in, just a few seconds pass by, and I start feeling cold, my body starts shaking, my scope is fogging up, I forget how far to hold over for a shot I've practiced many times. Everything is happening all to fast and then *BOOM*...

I made a bad shot. The deer fell down, but then got right back up, ran a little ways. I followed, and then he crossed the fence to private land. I watch him on the private for a good 15 minutes, trying to assess if he's hit. In that time, I watch him feed a little, make a scrape (I didn't know mule deer did that just like whitetails do),and rub his antlers on a small tree. Shortly afterwards another doe walks by, and this buck puts his nose under her tail, and he follows her over the next ridge, deep off into the private land.

I go down to where he was standing when I made the shot. There was snow under him where he fell down, and it is as white as can be with not a single sign of blood, bodily fluids or hair. I asses the situation and despite my initial thought of not fatally hitting the deer, the evidence is pointing more towards a miss.

Despite having missed a buck, it was one of the most exciting situations I've ever been in while hunting. Finding a deer, making the stalk and getting the shot opportunity itself is like solving a hard challenging puzzle. The hunt was very challenging, mentally and physically, and I had times of being very tired and cold, but it was an amazing experience.

Thank you to everyone who gave insight and advice. The best advice that really helped was this: Bring a thermos with me when hunting and to pack an extra base layer to change into while glassing.

 

[Sask hunter]

Hey guys, I officially never gave an ending to this thread. I'm sorry about that- been extremely busy since I got home.

Anyways, so I hunted high and low for the first 4 days without finding a buck on public. Lots of does and lots of hunters. On the last morning I went to a spot that many of the locals referred to as "buck canyon", saying that migrating bucks tend to pass through there very frequently.

Well I got to the trailhead well before sunrise and began my hike to a glassing knob. Right as the sun was coming up, down in a patch of Aspen's where it meets with the sage brush I saw a cow moose bedded down, and got to watch her get up, start her day and gracefully climb up into the deadfall timber. (It's amazing how they can be so graceful in their movement)

I sat and glassed for about an hour when I notice a half mile to my right is another Hunter on a different knob. Right after I see him, I look at the ridgeline in front of me and see a few deer. Through my binoculars I see that one specifically is very large, has a swayed back, sagging neck, and appears to be a very old deer. This deer also has a forked antler on each side. Not sure if he just happens to have small antlers or maybe he grew so old that his antler size regressed. Either way, as soon as I see that he is a buck, I get up, throw my pack on my back, and plan out how I'm going to get to him. Right before I leave I look to my right and see through my binoculars that the other Hunter a half mile away was giving me a fist bump in the air when he saw me get ready to make a stalk.

So I close the distance between me and the deer, and I carefully and quietly climb across the ridge, but I cannot find the deer. All of a sudden, in the sea of sagebrush 50 yards away I see a couple of big mule deer ears sticking out. Realizing I had just stalked up on a group of does, I sit still for a second to reassess what to do, when all of a sudden one realizes my presence and 10 deer get up and are off. One of those deer being the buck I was after!

I watch the deer drop down in a valley, and realize that I hadn't seen them come out so I reposition to find them again. I then see a doe in the bottom about 300 yards away as she walks through an opening in the juniper trees. I realize that the buck must not be far behind so I chamber a round and get steady.

Sure enough the buck walks out and as I'm sitting steady waiting for a shot, I start getting buck fever, something I hadn't had in years. In the compromised state I'm in, just a few seconds pass by, and I start feeling cold, my body starts shaking, my scope is fogging up, I forget how far to hold over for a shot I've practiced many times. Everything is happening all to fast and then *BOOM*...

I made a bad shot. The deer fell down, but then got right back up, ran a little ways. I followed, and then he crossed the fence to private land. I watch him on the private for a good 15 minutes, trying to assess if he's hit. In that time, I watch him feed a little, make a scrape (I didn't know mule deer did that just like whitetails do),and rub his antlers on a small tree. Shortly afterwards another doe walks by, and this buck puts his nose under her tail, and he follows her over the next ridge, deep off into the private land.

I go down to where he was standing when I made the shot. There was snow under him where he fell down, and it is as white as can be with not a single sign of blood, bodily fluids or hair. I asses the situation and despite my initial thought of not fatally hitting the deer, the evidence is pointing more towards a miss.

Despite having missed a buck, it was one of the most exciting situations I've ever been in while hunting. Finding a deer, making the stalk and getting the shot opportunity itself is like solving a hard challenging puzzle. The hunt was very challenging, mentally and physically, and I had times of being very tired and cold, but it was an amazing experience.

Thank you to everyone who gave insight and advice. The best advice that really helped was this: Bring a thermos with me when hunting and to pack an extra base layer to change into while glassing.

If he fell down and got backup with no blood and it seemed like he was acting fine after you might have shot him in the horn. That will drop them like a stone for a second or two