Colorado Deer - Sitting on 8 points

[npaden]

My original intent when applying for Colorado was to do a high country hunt for a velvet mule deer. I'm now sitting on 8 points. The season starts about as early as it will get for a while I think on September 7th this year. I think that I would have a decent shot at finding a buck still in velvet by then. If I am not going to shoot one in velvet I think I have a lot better chance at shooting a better deer in about a dozen other units with the amount of points that I have.

I think I'm to that point where I could be pretty sure I would draw unit 4 three but it sounds like there have been some pretty poor winters and the population is just not there to have much of a chance at a very good buck. I'm still chasing the best units though, and not sure I will get there the way point creep is going although the point creep is not as bad for deer as it is for elk. If I cash in on unit 4 three then I can get to where I start hunting every 2 or 3 years in some of the regular units for 2nd and 3rd season. Anyone with some recent experience in unit 4 three? I know it is a LONG way from where it was a few years ago.

Looking at some of my other options this might be the year to burn some points in Colorado unless lightning strikes somewhere else I'm not sitting on enough points to guarantee a draw anywhere else this year.

I would appreciate any input.

Thanks, Nathan

 

[npaden]

Looks like I was wrong on the season open date. Season opens on September 7th last year. It opens on the 12th this year. Looking pretty bleak on still having velvet for some of the biggest bucks by that time. I guess I should have hunted this last year!

 

[00BUCK]

I think next year will be even later

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Looks like I was wrong on the season open date. Season opens on September 7th last year. It opens on the 12th this year. Looking pretty bleak on still having velvet for some of the biggest bucks by that time. I guess I should have hunted this last year!

5 years from now it will be the latest in the 5 year cycle which just started this year. If you have other stuff going on you could wait it out and get a muzzy tag with the amount of points you have then and hunt as early as you can in Colorado with a firearm.

 

[npaden]

Since my main focus was mule deer in velvet I ended up staying the course. There is still 1 unit that has a season opening date in very early September that I went ahead and applied for. I don't think I have enough points but with the CoVid deal and maybe a bunch of folks moving to 3rd season with the later season this year I figured I might have a tiny chance at it.