How Would You Run Colorado’s Muledeer Hunting?

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 9, 2024

How would you run Colorado’s MuleDeer? Would you keep it the same? Split it into regions? Bigger units? Less tags? OTC archery deer? Change point system? Let’s hear some ideas of how you’d make the muledeer hunting better?

HntHrdr · Sep 9, 2024

I slash doe tags for much of the state that’s for sure. I would move dates around (back to what they are doing) so 4th is the only true rut hunt. Issue more (most 2nd rifle tags) IMO deer are most vulnerable early and late. Early you can pattern, late they get stupid with the rut. Other two giant glaring issues are 1. Loss of habitat 2. This all out was on predator hunting and trapping ( we haven’t had effective trapping for decades) . Not enough bears and lions getting taken out of the equation every year. If the lion ban gets passed and the wolves get established it will be a bad day

RRCowboyStar · Sep 9, 2024

My 2 cents
1) Archery Deer 8-20 thru 9-15
2) First Rifle Deer 10-1 thru 10-14
3) Second Rifle Deer 10-20 thru 10-25
4) Muzzy Deer 11-1 thru 11-14
5) NO DOE TAGS

Aerosith · Sep 9, 2024

DeerAddiction4 said:
How would you run Colorado’s MuleDeer? Would you keep it the same? Split it into regions? Bigger units? Less tags? OTC archery deer? Change point system? Let’s hear some ideas of how you’d make the muledeer hunting better?

I think the way Utah manages general units would be very good for Colorado. The bottom line is we can't be hunting does in units under objective and IMO we need to totally eliminate November rifle hunts.
People crap on Utah general units all the time, but there are great big mature bucks on all of them. The way Colorado is managing the season structure is virtually killing off all of the mature deer. It is only getting worse year by year across the entire state west of I25. Even the most coveted units/tags are nosediving in quality and age class. I had a 4th rifle hunt last year (2023) and never saw a buck with does, they were all dead. And I saw 30-40 does in small groups of 4-5. That is a BIG problem.
Move the Archery hunters mid august-early september, Muzzy last week of 10 days of september, Rifle hunters 10 days mid october ONLY. If they did this, they could sell way more tags while still maintaining quality/quantity animals on the landscape.

Mallardsx2 · Sep 9, 2024

1. I would 100% shut doe season down statewide until objective levels were reached on a unit-by-unit basis.
2. I would make SEPERATE tags for each unit instead of lumping multiple units onto one tag. This would help manage at a micro level.
3. I would hire 100 more wardens for the state of Colorado. Each warden would work a unit or two only. No more of this "Oh I cover 8 units nonsense..."
4. I would bring back the $100 NR bear license.
5. I would 1080 the living dog $hit out of the mountains for Coyotes.
6. You would not be able to have ANY male mule deer tag in your hand unless it cost you ALL of your points. No refunds. No exceptions.

The_Coloradoboy · Sep 9, 2024

1. Cut buck tag numbers in half.
2.Eliminate all doe tags
3.Quit hunting bucks in mid/late November
4. Aggressive predator management

Tristate · Sep 9, 2024

You need to define what you expect "better" to be.

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 9, 2024

Tristate said:
You need to define what you expect "better" to be.

At least one 2 180+ bucks in each unit (hopefully more)

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 9, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
1. I would 100% shut doe season down statewide until objective levels were reached on a unit-by-unit basis.
2. I would make SEPERATE tags for each unit instead of lumping multiple units onto one tag. This would help manage at a micro level.
3. I would hire 100 more wardens for the state of Colorado. Each warden would work a unit or two only. No more of this "Oh I cover 8 units nonsense..."
4. I would bring back the $100 NR bear license.
5. I would 1080 the living dog $hit out of the mountains for Coyotes.
6. You would not be able to have ANY male mule deer tag in your hand unless it cost you ALL of your points. No refunds. No exceptions.

Says the guy posting doe photos in the average buck killed thread.

The_Coloradoboy · Sep 9, 2024

DeerAddiction4 said:
At least one 2 180+ bucks in each unit (hopefully more)

I would say that’s already a reality even as poor as things have been compared to what they once were

coloradoman · Sep 9, 2024

The_Coloradoboy said:
I would say that’s already a reality even as poor as things have been compared to what they once were

Exactly.

1989Cohunter · Sep 9, 2024

Cut tag numbers.

Don’t allow lion hunting to be chopped.

I agree with others about not doing November hunts.

El Gringo · Sep 9, 2024

I feel like if they just moved back to the old date structure, it would help a lot.

I would be in favor of cutting all 4th season deer tags, as well. Rifle Hunt Deer 2nd, and 3rd only. That would save some age class for sure.

I really wish they would divide Archery Deer (8/20-9/5) and Archery Elk 9/5-9/25 or so)

Colorado has a lot of escape cover, and if you gave the bucks some grace after the 15th of November, I think there would be bombers around again in about 3 years.

El Gringo · Sep 9, 2024

FYI, for the guys that only hunt Colorado, it’s still the best Deer hunting in the west, outside of very limited draw hunts, here and there.

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 9, 2024

The_Coloradoboy said:
I would say that’s already a reality even as poor as things have been compared to what they once were

Let’s say 2 180 bucks and 1 190 buck per unit then

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 9, 2024

Already have that in most units

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 9, 2024

I would do this. Limit the doe tags to 2 per unit. Take buck tags down to 3/4 of the amount now. Change the rifle hunts to where they aren’t during late November (maybe limit it to a few units).

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 9, 2024

I think getting away from the late November fourth season tags would do wonders for quality

woodturner · Sep 9, 2024

I do not disagree with most of your thoughts. But, Colorado (and about all of the other states) want to sell as many tags as they can so they have the money to keep afloat and be able to protect all the lions and wolves. Most of the time it is not about how to protect the herds but how to make more money.

antlerradar · Sep 9, 2024

I would for sure is cut down on doe tags and move the seasons back to the original dates.
Surprised no one has mentioned doing away with landowner and other pay your way to the front of the line tags. I would cut those down to very few or none at all.

Tristate · Sep 9, 2024

If I was managing for Colorado's mule deer I would be running choppers statewide to shoot coyotes. There wouloud be a $100 payout for a coyote tail. I would also make female lion tags free with no take restrictions and a voucher to out of state hunters to refund their license fee if they kill a female lion.

Then I would start lighting fires. 12% of the public ground would be burned annually. We would triple the number of cow elk tags provided and make them free. Deer tags would be allocated to kill %8 of the buck population annually and every single tag is calculated as a dead buck. %100 of all antlered and horned game tags will be auctioned through a computer auction system.

Last, one statewide tag for a mule deer buck would be issued and presented to me each year.

Laugh all you want but we'd be whacking studs.

Mallardsx2 · Sep 9, 2024

ORIONTHEHUNTER said:
Says the guy posting doe photos in the average buck killed thread.

I didn’t shoot that doe in Colorado you knucklehead.

schoolhousegrizz · Sep 9, 2024

Eliminate doe tags. Shoot the piss out of the elk, I'm talking cut them down to about half of what their numbers are right now. Overpasses, underpass, 1080 on predators. That should turn things around

coloradoman · Sep 9, 2024

It could be solved in a short order but nobody would like it.
I would tho because in a couple years residents could actually hunt deer in our state.

Bluehair · Sep 9, 2024

What about cheatgrass?

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 9, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
I didn’t shoot that doe in Colorado you knucklehead.

Doesn't matter you shot a doe. Pretty sad a guy from back east comes west to shoot does and dink 2 and 3 year old bucks. There isn't a western state where does should be shot especially by a grown man and especially one who whines on every forum.

Mallardsx2 · Sep 10, 2024

ORIONTHEHUNTER said:
There isn't a western state where does should be shot especially by a grown man

Bold statement cotton. Are you now the tag Gandhi and the self proclaimed resident biologist of MM? Lol

Bluehair · Sep 10, 2024

schoolhousegrizz said:
Eliminate doe tags. Shoot the piss out of the elk, I'm talking cut them down to about half of what their numbers are right now. Overpasses, underpass, 1080 on predators. That should turn things around

Elk are hardly overrunning the landscape in most ares of Colorado.

MD are thriving on private lands, Why?

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 10, 2024

Bluehair said:
Elk are hardly overrunning the landscape in most ares of Colorado.

MD are thriving on private lands, Why?

MuleDeer are thriving on private land because the LOs are managing for age class. Even if their genetics aren’t good they’ll eventually get some big deer due to age. I also think it might have something to do with running cattle on the feed.

Bluehair · Sep 10, 2024

1. Water
2. Food
3. Safety

Simple as that.

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 10, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
Bold statement cotton. Are you now the tag Gandhi and the self proclaimed resident biologist of MM? Lol

Tell me where populations are booming where does should be shot? Again it's pitiful that a grown man wants to shoot muley does. If you need meat kill a cow elk.

Mallardsx2 · Sep 10, 2024

ORIONTHEHUNTER said:
Tell me where populations are booming where does should be shot? Again it's pitiful that a grown man wants to shoot muley does. If you need meat kill a cow elk.

Arnt you late to a Sam Hunt concert somewhere?

HntHrdr · Sep 10, 2024

schoolhousegrizz said:
Eliminate doe tags. Shoot the piss out of the elk, I'm talking cut them down to about half of what their numbers are right now. Overpasses, underpass, 1080 on predators. That should turn things around

Woah woah! Leave the elk alone haha, I want my cake and to eat it too…

BrianID · Sep 10, 2024

Move the seasons to earlier dates like the past.
Start hunting deer in the 1st season and give higher percentage of tags to archery, muzzleloader, 1st season and 2nd season. Reduced most 3rd season tags by 80% and very limited 4th season tags.

Fencing along most highways and overpasses/underpasses increased across the state. Limit development of housing and oil on land classified as critical deer habitat. Habitat improvements with controlled burns, bitter brush planting and cheat grass control. No doe hunting in any unit below objective. Landowner tags only good for private property.

Increase the penalty for poaching by 10x. Mandatory jail time for repeat offenders. Limit human access to winter range. Even though I’m a nonresident, limit nonresidents to 10% of the mule deer, bull elk and pronghorn tags in 1st draw. Phase out point system over the next 10 years and go to random draw like NM or Idaho.

Make cow elk OTC for archery, muzzleloader and 2nd and 3rd season in most areas. If area is over objective for elk, cow tag would be only $10 for residents and $100 for nonresidents with 2nd tag available. Landowners have unlimited rifle cow elk licenses on private land for August 1st to November 30th.

Significantly increase predator hunting. 1080 for coyotes with the benefit of removing other predators. Make OTC bear tags $10(resident and nonresident) with a season from April 1st to November 30th. Limit 5 per year.

Lions would have same regulations as coyotes. No tag needed and year round season. Legal to trap and no hound hunter permit required. Welcome hound hunters from neighboring state (even Utah)
Wolves treated the same as coyotes with 1080. Problem wolf packs would be eliminated by helicopter gunning.

Within 5 years, deer hunting would significantly improve.

Tristate · Sep 10, 2024

Bluehair said:
1. Water
2. Food
3. Safety

Simple as that.

This ain't your prom date.

Bluehair · Sep 10, 2024

Tristate said:
This ain't your prom date.

At least I went

Tristate · Sep 10, 2024

Bluehair said:
At least I went

You actually made a correct assumption. I never went to prom. I was hunting.

Bluehair · Sep 10, 2024

Tristate said:
You actually made a correct assumption. I never went to prom. I was hunting.

Shuuuurrre…….

Tristate · Sep 10, 2024

Bluehair said:
Shuuuurrre…….

There's still one or two hunters on here.

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 10, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
Arnt you late to a Sam Hunt concert somewhere?

Keep shooting does and dink bucks then cry about losing non resident opportunity. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Jerry · Sep 10, 2024

BrianID said:
Move the seasons to earlier dates like the past.
Start hunting deer in the 1st season and give higher percentage of tags to archery, muzzleloader, 1st season and 2nd season. Reduced most 3rd season tags by 80% and very limited 4th season tags.

Fencing along most highways and overpasses/underpasses increased across the state. Limit development of housing and oil on land classified as critical deer habitat. Habitat improvements with controlled burns, bitter brush planting and cheat grass control. No doe hunting in any unit below objective. Landowner tags only good for private property.

Increase the penalty for poaching by 10x. Mandatory jail time for repeat offenders. Limit human access to winter range. Even though I’m a nonresident, limit nonresidents to 10% of the mule deer, bull elk and pronghorn tags in 1st draw. Phase out point system over the next 10 years and go to random draw like NM or Idaho.

Make cow elk OTC for archery, muzzleloader and 2nd and 3rd season in most areas. If area is over objective for elk, cow tag would be only $10 for residents and $100 for nonresidents with 2nd tag available. Landowners have unlimited rifle cow elk licenses on private land for August 1st to November 30th.

Significantly increase predator hunting. 1080 for coyotes with the benefit of removing other predators. Make OTC bear tags $10(resident and nonresident) with a season from April 1st to November 30th. Limit 5 per year.

Lions would have same regulations as coyotes. No tag needed and year round season. Legal to trap and no hound hunter permit required. Welcome hound hunters from neighboring state (even Utah)
Wolves treated the same as coyotes with 1080. Problem wolf packs would be eliminated by helicopter gunning.

Within 5 years, deer hunting would significantly improve.

Some great ideas here ! Get it done - CPW needs to correct the course from the current mess it now has almost everywhere in Colorado.
The mule deer need lots of help to get the big bucks back once again & remember this fiasco thats ruining the hunting & the future for all !

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Sep 10, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
Arnt you late to a Sam Hunt concert somewhere?

Typical liberal response when you don't have any facts and can't win an argument you resort to name calling and off topic responses. Better go get another booster before you vote for Kamala

HntHrdr · Sep 10, 2024

BrianID said:
Move the seasons to earlier dates like the past.
Start hunting deer in the 1st season and give higher percentage of tags to archery, muzzleloader, 1st season and 2nd season. Reduced most 3rd season tags by 80% and very limited 4th season tags.

Fencing along most highways and overpasses/underpasses increased across the state. Limit development of housing and oil on land classified as critical deer habitat. Habitat improvements with controlled burns, bitter brush planting and cheat grass control. No doe hunting in any unit below objective. Landowner tags only good for private property.

Increase the penalty for poaching by 10x. Mandatory jail time for repeat offenders. Limit human access to winter range. Even though I’m a nonresident, limit nonresidents to 10% of the mule deer, bull elk and pronghorn tags in 1st draw. Phase out point system over the next 10 years and go to random draw like NM or Idaho.

Make cow elk OTC for archery, muzzleloader and 2nd and 3rd season in most areas. If area is over objective for elk, cow tag would be only $10 for residents and $100 for nonresidents with 2nd tag available. Landowners have unlimited rifle cow elk licenses on private land for August 1st to November 30th.

Significantly increase predator hunting. 1080 for coyotes with the benefit of removing other predators. Make OTC bear tags $10(resident and nonresident) with a season from April 1st to November 30th. Limit 5 per year.

Lions would have same regulations as coyotes. No tag needed and year round season. Legal to trap and no hound hunter permit required. Welcome hound hunters from neighboring state (even Utah)
Wolves treated the same as coyotes with 1080. Problem wolf packs would be eliminated by helicopter gunning.

Within 5 years, deer hunting would significantly improve.

I’d be down but ID has to offer the same benefits to the rest of the country too haha

oldmossback · Sep 10, 2024

Mallardsx2 said:
1. I would 100% shut doe season down statewide until objective levels were reached on a unit-by-unit basis.
2. I would make SEPERATE tags for each unit instead of lumping multiple units onto one tag. This would help manage at a micro level.
3. I would hire 100 more wardens for the state of Colorado. Each warden would work a unit or two only. No more of this "Oh I cover 8 units nonsense..."
4. I would bring back the $100 NR bear license.
5. I would 1080 the living dog $hit out of the mountains for Coyotes.
6. You would not be able to have ANY male mule deer tag in your hand unless it cost you ALL of your points. No refunds. No exceptions.

agree with all but #6 There needs to be exceptions but with hard proof

X7ahunter · Sep 10, 2024

9 day rifle season, 16 day muzzleloader and 20 day archery. That's it. None of this 4 rifle hunts.

The_Coloradoboy · Sep 10, 2024

DeerAddiction4 said:
Let’s say 2 180 bucks and 1 190 buck per unit then

Still, that’s already a reality in every unit in this state I would go out on a limb and say.

HntHrdr · Sep 10, 2024

The_Coloradoboy said:
Still, that’s already a reality in every unit in this state I would go out on a limb and say.

I think when guys are saying that they mean, road hunts seeing/ shooting 180 bucks on the reg. I am in your camp. Any unit in Co can and probably will have a few of those bucks in them every year, but your chances of being able to turn them up… you better know the unit like the back or your hand and be married to you glass for 7-9 days & be lucky but even then it might not happen… but hey that is hunting. Makes the big ones extra special

Bluehair · Sep 10, 2024

Or have money.

DeerAddiction4 · Sep 11, 2024

The_Coloradoboy said:
Still, that’s already a reality in every unit in this state I would go out on a limb and say.

You think so? Even in the plains units? Maybe Colorado isn’t in as bad of shape as I thought.

HntHrdr · Sep 11, 2024

DeerAddiction4 said:
You think so? Even in the plains units? Maybe Colorado isn’t in as bad of shape as I thought.

Definitely in a lot of the plains units. They are mostly private and are high dollar guided hunts. But think about what he is saying there 3-5 big bucks in a unit that is many thousand square acres, it’s not like there is a big buck in every drainage. Requires a lot of skill or luck or both to turn one up

The_Coloradoboy · Sep 11, 2024

DeerAddiction4 said:
You think so? Even in the plains units? Maybe Colorado isn’t in as bad of shape as I thought.

The plains have some of the biggest and best quality deer in the state…

The_Coloradoboy · Sep 11, 2024

HntHrdr said:
I think when guys are saying that they mean, road hunts seeing/ shooting 180 bucks on the reg. I am in your camp. Any unit in Co can and probably will have a few of those bucks in them every year, but your chances of being able to turn them up… you better know the unit like the back or your hand and be married to you glass for 7-9 days & be lucky but even then it might not happen… but hey that is hunting. Makes the big ones extra special

Exactly right. That’s why I’ve ate the last 3 deer tags I’ve had in Colorado. Last time I broke the trigger was 2018

coloradoman · Sep 11, 2024

The_Coloradoboy said:
Exactly right. That’s why I’ve ate the last 3 deer tags I’ve had in Colorado. Last time I broke the trigger was 2018

Same here. Last buck I shot was also 2018.

Danny_Ocean · Sep 14, 2024

Tristate said:
If I was managing for Colorado's mule deer I would be running choppers statewide to shoot coyotes. There wouloud be a $100 payout for a coyote tail. I would also make female lion tags free with no take restrictions and a voucher to out of state hunters to refund their license fee if they kill a female lion.

Then I would start lighting fires. 12% of the public ground would be burned annually. We would triple the number of cow elk tags provided and make them free. Deer tags would be allocated to kill %8 of the buck population annually and every single tag is calculated as a dead buck. %100 of all antlered and horned game tags will be auctioned through a computer auction system.

Last, one statewide tag for a mule deer buck would be issued and presented to me each year.

Laugh all you want but we'd be whacking studs.

Just a question. Do you think Coyotes are that big of an issue on the grand landscape of issues the MD face?

Also, what is your thought process behind killing cow elk off?

Tristate · Sep 14, 2024

I hunt mule deer in Texas about 1 hour from the Colorado state line. Coyotes are a giant issue for mule deer where I am.

HntHrdr · Sep 14, 2024

Danny_Ocean said:
Just a question. Do you think Coyotes are that big of an issue on the grand landscape of issues the MD face?

Also, what is your thought process behind killing cow elk off?

Story is pretty wild and I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself, but I watched a coyote run a yearling cow elk (not a calf mind you) ragged. Would have probably got her if I hadn’t try to whack the bugger. So do I think they hammer fawns absolutely, then bears and lions are hell on the fawns in my neck of the woods. I think timing of predator hunting helps though too really getting after them when fawns are dropping. Unfortunately we have no spring bear season and I pray to the good Lord we can keep our lion season

SlowElk · Sep 14, 2024

If the state needs to make money, burn off high point holdings, would reducing the 4th hunt to 20-35 tags per unit, and make each tag good for only one units as was previously mentioned, be a workable solution? Plus, of course, lots of coyote hunting ( even a bounty, as was suggested earlier also), to reduce that predator stress. Just my .02.