Simply go to the colorado park and wildlife website. For 2020 through 2026, colorado s 4th season is still a 5day season that opens on a wednesday. Our mountain ranches are an incredible migratory destination for giant mountain mule deer. Couple that with the color of the hide and it makes for easy glassing.
An experimental antler restriction for mule deer bucks applies in briscoe, childress, cottle, floyd, hall, lynn and motley counties. Get a good blm map, theres private land you need to stay off of. The best viewing opportunities are at dawn and dusk, when these animals are most active. South canyon off the baxter pass road usually holds some good deer and elk. Mule deer will also eat acorns, strawberries, raspberries and apples when available. Mule deer get a little larger than their closely related cousins, the whitetailed found on colorados eastern plains. Petersens hunting blogger melissa bachman travels to colorado in search of a early season mule deer. Education and pay permits are fine with me but specific season dates just move avid shed hunters around to neighboring states. This is by far the best opportunity to harvest a mature mule deer. A member of the cervidae family also including elk and moose. Once mated, the gestation period of the mule deer lasts for a little over 200 days.
The colorado division of parks and wildlife manage our areas for trophy quality. For the serious mule deer bow hunter, a mature mule deer is what dreams are made of. Last year opportunity rates ran 70% on elk and 100% on mule deer. Deer hunting in colorados gmu 67 gunnison, hinsdale. Mule deer, along with many other ungulates, are polygynous. Cpws mule deer management planning process, which takes into account not just biology but social and cultural factors. Heres an idea of what you can expect to see each season. The season dates are now pushed later into november, making the seasons open during thanksgiving. Mule deer trophy bucks taken have been ranging from 160 to 200 class and continue to improve each year. Mule deer and blacktailed deer collectively called mule deer, odocoileus hemionus are icons of the american west.
The nations largest mule deer herd, located in northwestern colorado, has decreased over the past decade by more than twothirds to 32,000 at latest estimate, down from 105,900 in 2005. Our ranches are under the mld program so our season last through january and we like to hunt them in the rut mid to late december through mid january. Colorado hunter drawn for colorado special deer license for immediate release. Nearly everything about these magnificent opencountry creatures courts their demise. Historically these ranches have consistently produced very high opportunity and harvest on mule deer in the 170190 class, with deer over 200 not unusual. Once your account is set up, the application process is simple. So he settled his gun on back of his pack, took careful aim, and eased down on the trigger. The mule deer bucks here are genetically prone to having very wide racks with lots of points.
They are distributed throughout western north america from the coastal islands of alaska, down the west coast to southern baja mexico and from the northern border of the mexican state of zacatecas, up through the great plains to the canadian provinces of saskatchewan, alberta. You may see white tails, hybrids a cross between mule deer and white tail, or even a timber buck a timber buck is a buck whose antlers grow almost straight up. Since i am a mule deer fanatic, and a serious student of the mule deer, i watch the mule deer near me with keen interest. Most bucks live in the high country that surrounds our ranches and migrate down onto the lower sage flats to rut and winter every year. Gmus 1, 2, 201 if you have the points saved up, we hunt some of the best trophy elk and deer units in colorado.
Dnr and wildlife rehabilitators urge people to leave deer. If the weather is real bad, which way will those deer migrate. Some of you guys are mighty lucky to live in the great state of colorado. Although a mule deer can successfully breed at 3 years of age, serious mule deer bowhunters typically refer to a mature mule deer as 4 years old or more. Their coats range from a reddish brown in the summer months to a grayish brown in the winter months.
A comparison of mule deer survey techniques in the sonoran. Diy drop camps for the diy hunter, our drops camps reside in proven hunting areas for elk and mule deer. Female deer, called does, typically give birth to one or two offspring in late spring or early summer. We have been fortunate to acquire over 160,000 acres of prime deer, pronghorn and turkey country on the eastern plains of colorado. From this camp you will be hunting some of the best mule deer country in colorado. If youre an archery mule deer hunter, youre getting the shaft on finding a velvet buck. You can enjoy watching mule deer yearround in most parts of colorado wherever good deer habitat is found. The 2014 posthunt population was estimated at 424,190 compared to 390,660 in 20. The last couple days of the season the bigger bucks usually start to show up looking over the does. Not out of the woods yet coloradans love their longeared muleys, but decisions on their management cant be based solely on tradition, science or social trends. Mule deer have a small rumen and therefor must forage on high quality foods. In 20, one hunter has taken a 357 class bull and several have been seen on our ranches that are over the 380 class. All guided colorado mule deer hunts are 1x1 guided and 5days.
Since the gestation period for mule deer is about 210 days, if you know when the rut occurs, then you will know when to expect baby deer. Colorado mule deer hunts colorado mule deer hunting. Antlers are shed after the breeding season, anytime from late january to early april. Hubbard creek offers colorado mule deer hunts on private land and national forest as well as blm land. The mild 201415 winter allowed for better survival, especially in the northwest. Mule deer became so scarce throughout colorado that in 19, a statewide hunting ban was put into effect. Mule deer of the rocky mountains by wildlife spirits. Grabbed the video camera and boy did we have a surprise. I am not a fan of the archery season mule deer dates. Mule deer specialists is located in craig, colorado which is in the northwest corner of the state. Colorado mule deer hunting with hubbard creek outfitters. Deer populations and sex ratios are at or above objectives, so future license allocations in these drawonly highly coveted units are likely to grow. The terrain varies between our properties, but is between 6,500 to 7,250 feet above sea level and includes cedars, junipers, river bottoms with.
Mule deer specialists hunt northwest colorado for mule. People had saved up their points and hunters had high hopes about the 3rd season dates for mule deer. Keep an eye out for more species and how to hunt them here on the hunting blog. For those who like to do the hunting on their own, we also offer self guided hunts for mule deer and elk.
Different species of deer respond differently to seasonal changes. I also believe these may openings put more people in the woods during birthing season. The hubbard creek region of western colorado is renowned for its exceptional mule deer hunting. The mule deer gets its name from the size of its mulelike ears. Mule deer facts wild aware utah deer feeding habits. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of colorado s wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. For instance, the approximately 600,000 mule deer in colorado represent only about half of the peak population estimated for the state in the 1940s.
A visitor at a golf course in ohio was trampled by a mother deer when he got too close to her. Brett cooter ross had a buck tag in his pocket and an antlered deer of unknown size in front of him. Mule deer are primarily browsers, with a majority of their diet comprised of forbs weeds and browse leaves and twigs of woody shrubs. Good numbers of mature bucks were observed during the 201415 aerial posthunt surveys. Eastern colorado plains deer hunting elk and mule deer. The several subspecies include the blacktailed deer unlike the related whitetailed deer odocoileus virginianus, which is found through most of north america east of the rocky mountains and in the valleys of the rocky mountains from idaho and. An estimated population of 433,140 deer posthunt in 2018, up from 418,800 posthunt in 2017. A mature mule deer is on a different playing field than young mule deer. Muleys can be found along the pacific coast from the. Mule deer populations have experienced a steady decline over most of the species traditional range. Plains deer comanche wilderness outfitters, inchunt.
As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, mike works tirelessly to ensure your hunt is a great experience. Mule deer are extremely popular game animals in utah. Deer hunts colorado is know for its trophy mule deer, and weve got some of the best bucks in our units. Deer populations throughout the gunnison basin continue to increase following the severe winter of 200708. The dedication of rocky mountain national park in 1915 and subsequent removal of wolves resulted in a dramatic increase in the mule deer population. Archery, muzzle loader and rifle hunts are available by draw only. However, deer are not the only animals that exhibit seasonal breeding behavior. Cpw issues hunting and fishing licenses, conducts research to improve wildlife management activities, protects high priority wildlife. Bachelor groups, red coats, patternable behavior and few.
Filmed in the colorado rocky mountains by wildlife photographer, lars wyka, free screen saver. The story of coloardos mule deer colorado parks and. Come hunt in the mountains of southwest colorado with ample elk herds and plentiful mule deer. Colorado mule deer hunting outfitters mule deer hunting. I know that the fawns that are being born are disappearing just about as fast as they hit the ground. There is excellent mule deer hunting on our 5,000 acre private mountain property. We offer fully guided hunts on over 40,000 acres we own and lease for private hunting in units 62, 65 and 70, surrounded by forest service and colorado division of wildlife. Deer digestive tracts differ from cattle and elk in that they have a smaller rumen in relation to their body size, so they must be more selective in their feeding. After colorado opens on may 1 utah will invade co etc, etc. Mule deer odocoileus hemionus are one of the iconic animals of western north america, known for their impressive size and impressivelysized, mulelike ears.
The bucks fight for dominance and for the right to mate with the females. Some of these deer hunts can be combined with pronghorn and elk depending on the season you choose to hunt. Spring throughout the season, mule deer are often found in crop fields. Applying for a colorado deer hunting tag is easy, as well as for bear, elk, pronghorn, etc. Our private ranches are located in colorado game management units gmus 3, and 301. Mike grew up in craig and has hunted the area for many years. Colorado parks and wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. It was opening day in colorado and ross family and friends were all on. We have several bear opportunities and lower elevation spring turkey hunts. We have enjoyed close to 100% opportunity in the last 12 years. We plan on backpacking up close to the continental divide and setting up a spike camp but dont want to be walking down a road just to have 4 wheelers passing me by. The gunnison basin deer herd is managed to produce older age class, mature bucks.
Deer are seasonal breeders, with males exhibiting rut behavior in the early fall during the breeding season. Instead of ducking into cover, when startled they tend to run a. The breeding season, called rut, occurs in midnovember. In that moment, the bullet exploded from the barrel, the buck disappeared in a flash, and ross hunting life changed forever. The majority of their diet is comprised of weeds and the leavestwigs of brush. The mule deer odocoileus hemionus is a deer indigenous to western north america. The timing of the breeding season also has implications in survival of young. Mulies, blacktailed deer odocoileus hemionus description. About 5pm today we spotted momma mule deer acting funny. Likewise, the current mule deer population in california is esti. Tepid takes you on a very difficult 3rd season colorado mule deer hunt with gohunts dennis lee and lorenzo sartini.
Mule deer of the rocky mountains by wildlife spirits photography collections to view, cds of your favorite animals. It is the smallest member of the deer family in utah. Or, in like manner, if you know when the fawns are born, then you know when the rut occurs. Video was taken in the north ranch in ken caryl valley. If you are looking for an exceptional mule deer this is the place to go.
1436 1417 217 1007 460 783 705 705 903 127 1473 1434 787 131 147 421 1295 721 1590 484 111 649 648 109 406 475 1187 747 1222 72 712 374 1357 1473 213 1012 882 651 43 358 836 67 655 206 1207 869 1447