Colorado 61-Deer

[coueshunter]

Anyone have any info on 61 second season deer hunt? I have a tag and have the maps etc......any insight on your experience with this unit would be appreciated.........Allen Taylor......

[CHD]

Good draw Allen! Put everything you have into that hunt! I rank that hunt one of the top 5 October hunts in the west this year. I have a 21 tag for that same hunt, plus a buddy has 54 October. All are loaded with older bucks plus have super duper gene pools.

 

61 is 45 minutes from my house. 61 is tougher to hunt cuz it's thick with oakbrush from the top to the middle country. However, the lower country in the unit is PJ/sagebrush if you like that type of terrain. The upper end is aspen/oakbrush/mixed conifers with some open areas and is about 9000'. There is good access up high, and much of the middle ground has some access. There are plenty of places in the middle country that are steep and roadless and hold monsters.

 

There were a number of 200"+ bucks taken last year, with some 250"+. Many of the huge book bucks from the 1960's were taken on the Uncompahgre Plateau. I stopped at Rainbows End B & B in Challis, ID last week and looked at one that had a 216 frame. But, like most hunters, you will prolly be thrilled with a 170-180" typical, and there are those in all parts of the unit, both high and low.

 

PM me if you wanna chat. I don't have any specific places to send you, but we can pull out our maps and run thru the unit if you wanna call me.

 

Here are some pics to motivate you. These are old-time CO bucks.

 

 

 

Here is unit 21 an hour north of my home where I will be in late October.

 

 

 

I found a REALLY tall whopper on this slope 3 weeks ago. Unit 21.

 

 

This is a classic buckhole in 21 where I found two 30" 190+ bucks living last summer. It's a mature buck stomp cuz 1) incredible feed in the form of mtn mahogany, serviceberry, oak and sage plus a variety of forbs, 2) isolation from people, 3) water nearby, 4) it is breezy on this mtn top so the bugs are minimal, 5) good bedding in the conifers where it is dark and cool. Check out the growth leaders on the sage in the foreground! We have had the wettest year here in a decade. No drought stunted bucks this year! Unfortunately, the bucks won't be here on October 22 due to several reasons.

 

 

 

 

Another quality post by:

[coueshunter]

Thanks Chris. I am really pumped for this hunt, I know of two over 200" last year out of here from two contacts that hunted there. I am just happy to have a tag in my pocket, and have the hunt lined out, just fishing for any extra's somebody may have........hope you smoke a monster as well.......thanks...........AT.......