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Got my Colorado deer tag !

Pygmy

By Pygmy,
in Out of New York Hunting

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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I just received my  Colorado deer tag in the mail..

 

I drew a deer tag for unit 61, 3rd rifle season...

 

Now it's time to start making airline reservations, rental car, plans for meat shipping, etc. etc.

 

Not to mention getting some ammo loaded up so I can get in some trigger time with my .280  this summer  !

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BizCT Grand Master

BizCT

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Congrats! I know on the other thread you said it took many points to get this tag, so what are your expectations for a mule deer? Are you going alone or with a buddy? I know that unit is regarded very highly for deer and Elk, you will probably see some giant Elk and hopefully deer too!

 

I drew a deer (region C) and antelope tag (023) in Wyoming, and my Dad drew a deer tag (region C). We are hunting 10/1 - 10/4, the first 4 days of rifle season.

Edited by Biz-R-OWorld
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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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My buddy and I applied as a party.. We both had 11 preference points.

 

We had planned to do a DIY hunt, as most of my hunts have been.

 

However, I'm getting too old to sleep on the ground in a little tent, so I was researching cabins or camps to rent in the unit.

 

One outfit that I called regarding a cabin made me an offer for a guided ranch hunt ...Not that much more $$  than renting the cabin, and all we have to bring is our rifles and personal gear...

 

SO we are going guided...We stay at the ranch..They feed us, board us, and we have access to private ground as well as the public land in the unit.

 

I checked a bunch of references on this outfit... A 180 -190  mulie is a realistic goal on this hunt with a decent chance at a 200 +  buck.

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BizCT Grand Master

BizCT

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My buddy and I applied as a party.. We both had 11 preference points.

We had planned to do a DIY hunt, as most of my hunts have been.

However, I'm getting too old to sleep on the ground in a little tent, so I was researching cabins or camps to rent in the unit.

One outfit that I called regarding a cabin made me an offer for a guided ranch hunt ...Not that much more $$ than renting the cabin, and all we have to bring is our rifles and personal gear...

SO we are going guided...We stay at the ranch..They feed us, board us, and we have access to private ground as well as the public land in the unit.

I checked a bunch of references on this outfit... A 180 -190 mulie is a realistic goal on this hunt with a decent chance at a 200 + buck.

That's awesome, I started doing some research on your unit and saw similar numbers! I read somewhere that shooting a b&c Mulie is becoming one of the toughest animals in recent years.

Has that unit always been good? I assume so since u applied for 11 years. Id like to start applying for a tag that I can use in like 4-5 years but I don't know if the same units will still be good years down the road?

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Edited by Biz-R-OWorld
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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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That's awesome, I started doing some research on your unit and saw similar numbers! I read somewhere that shooting a b&c Mulie is becoming one of the toughest animals in recent years.

Has that unit always been good? I assume so since u applied for 11 years. Id like to start applying for a tag that I can use in like 4-5 years but I don't know if the same units will still be good years down the road?

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 Success rates change in western  wildlife units due to harsh winters, droughts and other factors.

 

However, in Colorado, preference points are NOT unit specific. A deer preference point is valid in any unit in the state.  So, if in a few years the unit you are interested in declines, you can apply your points to any other unit that may be better.

 

When you recieve a CO preference point, it is good statewide. You do not specify a unit if you are simply applying for a point. You have to send in the cost of the tag with the application, but you will be refunded the money, minus an application fee, which is 30 or 40 bucks.

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  • 4 months later...
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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That's a very general statement lol. Colorado is a big state and Pygmys tag is in a great unit

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What Biz said.....

 

I just got home early this morning...I took a dandy nontypical buck with 10 scoreable points on the right and 6 on the left and good mass, scoring around 180.  My buddy took a similar non-typ that scored around the same and even had large, gnarley spilt brow tines.

 

The other three deer hunters in camp shot very nice typical 4 x 4s, from 26" -28" wide all scoring in the 170's.

 

I'll try to get some photographic evidence on here after I  get unpacked and settled in . Great hunt.

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Zem18 Apprentice

Zem18

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Nice job. My father in law and his buddy are headed home from out there. They hunted the 3rd rifle season, DIY, on public land. Don't know the unit but it is in the northwest corner near Craig,CO. His buddy shot a 5x5 mulie. If I get some pics, I will post up.

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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Thanks Steve, and thanks to Lawdwaz for posting the picture.

 

It's hard to see all the garbage on that right beam, but there is a droptine, a couple of stickers and a dagger, and the mass is exceptional..Look at the diameter of the main beams where my hands are.  The antler burrs are close  to 4" in diameter.

 

I had no idea he had so much cool stuff when I shot him...Just took my guide's word that he was a nice buck.

 

When I walked up to him it was like ground shrink.....In REVERSE !.....

 

However, he was no more a trophy than the other 4 bucks taken by my campmates the same week...All 5 were great bucks.. 2 non typicals and 3 very nice 4x4 typicals..

 

Elk hunters in camp also did well..4 bull hunters took 4 nice 6x6 bulls, the best scoring about 320.

 

The only hunters who struck out were two elderly gents, both in thier 80s, who had cow elk tags...They saw lots of bulls but cows were hard to find.  I only wish they had been with me the morning before I shot me buck..I snuck upon a little draw hoping to head off a buck deer and came upon a herd of elk..10 cows and a couple of raghorn bulls.. Would have been easy pickins if someone was there with a cow tag.

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