4th deer season versus 2nd

HornedToad · Jun 1, 2024

I saw this buck a few seasons ago in Unit 45. I didn’t have enough points for a late-season hunt, so I applied for and drew a 2nd season license.

I thought the area was relatively obscure, and that I would not see much traffic. Wrong. The area was overrun with hunters, most cruising in their trucks, looking sullenly across the landscape.

There was about three feet of snow on the ground, which was more that I had counted on. I hiked to a number of glassing locations, and on the way back from one, cut a nice, fresh buck track. There were no other human bootprints following the deer. I tracked the buck to the edge of a precipitous drop-off into a deep canyon, and stopped, with an ominous feeling that if I went down in that canyon, I might not get back out. Slogging through the powder snow had been tough going, and I sensed something was wrong (though it would be another year before I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure). If I had been ten years younger, I would have descended that canyon, even if it meant hauling the buck back out.

As I was returning to my vehicle, I heard a nearby shot, and was encouraged that someone might have taken a deer. But the shooting continued, and I quit counting after 120 shots. It was clear that some yay-hoos were shooting up the country.

After that experience, I packed up and left, deciding that I would not apply for another deer tag unless I could go 4th season, when there would be fewer license holders in the hills.

For this year (as posted earlier), I’ve drawn Unit 55 deer, 4th season. Given my age, I have modest expectations of taking a nice buck… but I do look for a better quality hunting experience, with only other serious minded hunters in the field.

For those of you who have held out for 4th season deer hunts… was it worth the wait?

HT

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Gunnihunter · Jun 1, 2024

Absolutely

lostinOregon · Jun 1, 2024

The only thing I would say about 4th is 5 days is very short and after the first 2 days pressure builds. Get rid of those thoughts before you go and enjoy your 4th season tag

nripepi · Jun 1, 2024

lostinOregon said:
The only thing I would say about 4th is 5 days is very short and after the first 2 days pressure builds. Get rid of those thoughts before you go and enjoy your 4th season tag

This is true, it is short and pressure is real. The other variable is bull elk and cow elk hunters messing up a hunt, this is really real and can absolutely change your opinion on the 4th. The other issue in some units the deer migrate through public to private and don't come off. Just hunt hard, have fun and hopefully shoot a good one!

Togwotee · Jun 1, 2024

All there should be is deer hunters and a few cow hunters right? no bull tags I believe. you should have a fun hunt, how could you hunt deer in the Gunnison basin and not have fun. just forget what it used to be and accept what it is.

wife has a 4th season tag. my biggest worry is too much snow, not sure how often that's a problem.

LIK2HNT · Jun 1, 2024

Togwotee said:
All there should be is deer hunters and a few cow hunters right? no bull tags I believe. you should have a fun hunt, how could you hunt deer in the Gunnison basin and not have fun. just forget what it used to be and accept what it is.

wife has a 4th season tag. my biggest worry is too much snow, not sure how often that's a problem.

Snow seems less and less an issue every year. Last 12 years os so I alway bring my snowshoes, alpine skies, and sled. Before that just snowshoes and sled. Have not had to use any of it hunting since I started bring alpine skies. But with my luck the year I leave everything home I would regret it.

jims · Jun 2, 2024

Deep snow can benefit some areas and hurt others. Obviously, access can be an issue in deep snow. An area may be almost void of deer if there is too much snow and other areas may be void of deer if there isn't enough snow.

It looks like that MM buck is pretty safe if he stays in the confines of the deep timber behind him! If many hunters are running up and down roads I can pretty much guarantee that is where he'll stay until possibly after dark!

I've hunted the 4th season when it was amazing and the same unit a different year and it was downright horrible. There are lots of factors. Most include timing of snow and amount of snow, hunting pressure, full moon, warm temperatures, crunchy vs powdery snow, etc.

Togwotee · Jun 2, 2024

The problem I had a couple years ago on 66 3rd wasn't hunters, weather or lack of deer. it was lack of mature bucks. the older age class simply doesn't exist in any quantity that makes true trophy hunting realistic. from talking to hunters in town I'm sure this is the way all the basin units are.

Since most of the bucks I passed on earlier in the season were dead by the 5th day I'm not exactly sure how 4th is going to go. unless the later dates brings more rut activity and exposes some better bucks it could be a tough hunt. but of course the weather is a major factor and we're just going to have to cross our fingers on that.

TKMulePacker · Jun 2, 2024

Specifically as it relates to the gunnison basin, I believe 3rd season under the current season structure may be the best choice, even if the "market" says 4th is more desirable based on points.

Under the old structure where the seasons were a week earlier 4th season certainly was the best, usually peak rut. Previous 2 seasons saw some bucks killed but not all out slaughter.

Now 4th season seems little late. There arent many truly mature deer that wait til the last minute to come down so your just missing out on the crop of 4.5 yr olds thats gonna get whacked 3rd. Hunted in the gunnison 4th season 2021, 3rd 2022 and 3rd last year. 3rd season is peak rut, and 2nd season is now when 3rd season was so lotsa nice bucks probably eating it then as well. By the time 4th comes around there isnt much left.

Also, Fall 2022 saw A LOT of early snow. Hunted sixty seven 3rd season 2022 and a ton of deer came down early in 3rd and got killed. Lots of them, what was left of them. that 7 day period and the winter kill that followed did a lot of damage to the age structure.

If they push the seasons back up next year thatll help a lot, but for now, 3rd season is probably the best choice in the gunnison units. Just my observations.

1989Cohunter · Jun 2, 2024

I will not personally save any points for deer. Fourth season where I used to hunt was an amazing hunt. And it could be drawn with under 5 points. That is not the case as of the last couple years. My wife was able to draw the first year Colorado pushed the seasons back, and she had a pretty good hunt.

elkmo41 · Jun 2, 2024

jims said:
Deep snow can benefit some areas and hurt others. Obviously, access can be an issue in deep snow. An area may be almost void of deer if there is too much snow and other areas may be void of deer if there isn't enough snow.

It looks like that MM buck is pretty safe if he stays in the confines of the deep timber behind him! If many hunters are running up and down roads I can pretty much guarantee that is where he'll stay until possibly after dark!

I've hunted the 4th season when it was amazing and the same unit a different year and it was downright horrible. There are lots of factors. Most include timing of snow and amount of snow, hunting pressure, full moon, warm temperatures, crunchy vs powdery snow, etc.

By the time that buck figures out alot of traffic is running up and down the road, he wont have time to figure anything out, first few vehicles he's dead. If it’s rut time, bucks are drunk and not playing hide and seek, why everyone wants the late tag…everything is easier minus the weather.

My .02 is that buck drifted over from 44…

Togwotee · Jun 2, 2024

TKMulePacker said:
Specifically as it relates to the gunnison basin, I believe 3rd season under the current season structure may be the best choice, even if the "market" says 4th is more desirable based on points.

Under the old structure where the seasons were a week earlier 4th season certainly was the best, usually peak rut. Previous 2 seasons saw some bucks killed but not all out slaughter.

Now 4th season seems little late. There arent many truly mature deer that wait til the last minute to come down so your just missing out on the crop of 4.5 yr olds thats gonna get whacked 3rd. Hunted in the gunnison 4th season 2021, 3rd 2022 and 3rd last year. 3rd season is peak rut, and 2nd season is now when 3rd season was so lotsa nice bucks probably eating it then as well. By the time 4th comes around there isnt much left.

Also, Fall 2022 saw A LOT of early snow. Hunted sixty seven 3rd season 2022 and a ton of deer came down early in 3rd and got killed. Lots of them, what was left of them. that 7 day period and the winter kill that followed did a lot of damage to the age structure.

If they push the seasons back up next year thatll help a lot, but for now, 3rd season is probably the best choice in the gunnison units. Just my observations.

I have a feeling you're right. but season is a few days earlier this year , and I didn't see nearly the rut activity in '22 I expected in 3rd season. around here about the 20th is the peak, I have to assume CO is similar so that's opening day of 4th.

We're going to be in 551 which isn't a top unit by any means, but it took her full 18 points to draw it. like most are saying I don't see any reason to hold onto deer points in CO so it is what it is. and it'll be fun however it plays out.

jims · Jun 2, 2024

It didn't take many years for Colo to take a giant leap in a positive direction years ago when we went from all OTC units to all limited. Many may not remember what the quality of bucks was like back in those OTC days. Colo likely had more deer back then but a lot of young bucks. The age class of bucks now throughout Colo is similar to the good ole OTC days. Hopefully the CPW gets their act together and manages herds like they used to prior to the CWD scare.

It certainly would be nice to have at least a few limited units scattered across Colo with mature bucks available that are worthy of nonres/res burning their 20+ pref pts!

nripepi · Jun 2, 2024

Togwotee said:
All there should be is deer hunters and a few cow hunters right? no bull tags I believe. you should have a fun hunt, how could you hunt deer in the Gunnison basin and not have fun. just forget what it used to be and accept what it is.

wife has a 4th season tag. my biggest worry is too much snow, not sure how often that's a problem.

There will be twice as many elk hunters as deer hunters in 55 4th:

40 Bull Elk Tags and 10 Cow Elk Tags.

Shouldn't be as bad as other units that have more elk tags but it isn't insignificant.

TKMulePacker · Jun 2, 2024

Togwotee said:
I have a feeling you're right. but season is a few days earlier this year , and I didn't see nearly the rut activity in '22 I expected in 3rd season. around here about the 20th is the peak, I have to assume CO is similar so that's opening day of 4th.

We're going to be in 551 which isn't a top unit by any means, but it took her full 18 points to draw it. like most are saying I don't see any reason to hold onto deer points in CO so it is what it is. and it'll be fun however it plays out.

The nice thing about 4th is the lack of other hunters, regardless of exact timing of the rut. In 551 you would be over run with OTC elk tag hunters during 3rd season. Look forward to seeing how your wife does this year on that hunt, I think youll do well! Also, 3rd season this year is basically on the full moon, 4th is well off the back end of it. I would choose 4th over 3rd this year just on that alone (maybe crazy, dont care)

HornedToad · Jun 2, 2024

elkmo41 said:
By the time that buck figures out alot of traffic is running up and down the road, he wont have time to figure anything out, first few vehicles he's dead. If it’s rut time, bucks are drunk and not playing hide and seek, why everyone wants the late tag…everything is easier minus the weather.

My .02 is that buck drifted over from 44…

I walked up on this buck near the trailhead for Notch mountain, about six miles east of the East Lake Creek border between units 44 and 45.

It was a foggy morning, and at first I thought he was a small elk, given the height of his rack.

The photos were taken a year before the hunt. On a scouting trip before the season opening, I found him in the same location, so he obviously had made it through the previous hunting season. On this second siting, he stayed back in the timber, where I could not get a new photo, but he looked like he’d grown an additional ten inches or so between the years.

I’d like to think the big, solitary track I found was this buck, but since I didn’t catch site of him during the hunt, I’ll never know. For some reason, I hope he got down in that canyon, and survived the year.

Some guys may see deer like this all the time, but for me, it was a special experience.

HT

Wyo_Roadhunter · Jun 2, 2024

LIK2HNT said:
Snow seems less and less an issue every year. Last 12 years os so I alway bring my snowshoes, alpine skies, and sled. Before that just snowshoes and sled. Have not had to use any of it hunting since I started bring alpine skies. But with my luck the year I leave everything home I would regret it.

Hey leave them home this year so my tag is good!

Togwotee · Jun 2, 2024

TKMulePacker said:
The nice thing about 4th is the lack of other hunters, regardless of exact timing of the rut. In 551 you would be over run with OTC elk tag hunters during 3rd season. Look forward to seeing how your wife does this year on that hunt, I think youll do well! Also, 3rd season this year is basically on the full moon, 4th is well off the back end of it. I would choose 4th over 3rd this year just on that alone (maybe crazy, dont care)

I'll let you know.

While staying in Gunnison for the whole 3rd season there were quite a few hunters at the motel and restaurants with tags for all the units. the two best bucks I saw on the whole trip came out of 551. not booners but nice.

Guys in 55 were seeing some deer but griping about hunter numbers. 4th season should help a lot on that.

Going to be some tough guiding , what do you do when the buck you want her to hold out for most likely doesn't exist there. it's her tag I shouldn't ruin it for her but I don't like anyone shooting dinks. we'll see.

ASB · Jun 3, 2024

Togwotee said:
I'll let you know.

While staying in Gunnison for the whole 3rd season there were quite a few hunters at the motel and restaurants with tags for all the units. the two best bucks I saw on the whole trip came out of 551. not booners but nice.

Guys in 55 were seeing some deer but griping about hunter numbers. 4th season should help a lot on that.

Going to be some tough guiding , what do you do when the buck you want her to hold out for most likely doesn't exist there. it's her tag I shouldn't ruin it for her but I don't like anyone shooting dinks. we'll see.

My buddy had a 551 tag two yrs ago & i drove up from AZ to hunt with him. We found a 200" (we guessed) 26" 7x5 & a clean 30" 170" class 4x4 the day prior to the opener. He decided to try for the trashy buck & ended up taking him, 202". We had to get off the road, but none of the other hunters were a factor in our experience. Gud luck!!

TKMulePacker · Jun 3, 2024

ASB said:
My buddy had a 551 tag two yrs ago & i drove up from AZ to hunt with him. We found a 200" (we guessed) 26" 7x5 & a clean 30" 170" class 4x4 the day prior to the opener. He decided to try for the trashy buck & ended up taking him 202",. We had to get off the road, but none of the other hunters were a factor in our experience. Gud luck!!

Any pics of the deer? dont doubt you or the score at all, just like big deer.

ASB · Jun 3, 2024

I'm not the best posting pics, but he is legit at 202. Ill try tonite to get one on here

ASB · Jun 3, 2024

Here you go TX...

TKMulePacker · Jun 3, 2024

Dang that IS a nice buck! I see a bunch of trash on those back forks both sides, pic doesnt do that one justice, sweet deer! Thank you for posting.

Togwotee · Jun 3, 2024

That's bigger than anything I heard about or saw dead or alive in '22. that's what we're looking for but don't see.

What season was it?

ASB · Jun 3, 2024

He was 7x6. 176 frame, 26 of junk. Never did look at what a net wud be, but who cares. He looked awesome on the hoof, just doesnt have width. We may have had a few beers that nite!

440.....5514th season buck, 2021. Gud luck to your wife!

TKMulePacker · Jun 3, 2024

ASB said:
He was 7x6. 176 frame, 26 of junk. Never did look at what a net wud be, but who cares. He looked awesome on the hoof, just doesnt have width. We may have had a few beers that nite!

Tog.....5514th season buck, 2021. Gud luck to your wife!

I was gonna say, thats a 180 frame with 20+ in trash. Nets are for fishing, who cares. Defintately the biggest ive seen from that area in the last half decade. A BEAUT!