Colorado deer. What would you do?

[Craig]

I am thinking about using my Colorado deer points in the next year or two. Right now I have 11 points and am looking at quality deer units that take a lot of points. Here are a couple options I am thinking about. What would you do?

#1 - Looking at booking a guided deer hunt with a guide that is fully booked tell 2015. Every year they average around 180" on bucks and have a lot of prime private land to hunt.

#2 - buy a landowner permit ( $3,000 + ) and hunt DYI on some public land. Then the next year use my points and draw the same unit and hunt it again. 2 hunts for the price of one.

#3 - just use points and hunt the unit DYI one time and have fun.

What would you do?
 

[Alan K]

If it's an area with an OTC elk tag available, you could just buy an elk tag and hunt it during the season you're planning on burning your deer points for. I'm guessing your looking at a 3rd season deer tag, and there are several areas that are great for both bucks and bulls. That way you're not shelling out the $$ for the landowner tag or for a guide, you still learn the area, and could get a bull too. 

[jjhunter]

I like option #2.   In fact, I am putting it into practice.  I bought the voucher this year and have the pts to draw, next year.   

Lots of good options with 11 pts.   The other thought is to go hunt next year and start rebuilding your pts again.

[go4steelhd]

I would use my points to draw next year DIY, then if you have a great hunt buy a tag the following year.
If you are wanting to go guided there are places to get a 180 deer that you won't need many points in other states.

[NWWA Hunter]

Who is the guide? I've talked to some of the best and if its the one I think you are talking about I'd do that. Additionally if you could afford both do the lo tag next year and guided the next. Take advantage of colorados quality while it lasts. You never know when a hard winter or management changes(usually based on $) can change the quality of animals

[Craig]

No over the counter elk tag for the area.

[Bigshooter]

I have 9pts and have been thinking about doing option #2 next year.  My problem is I don't know what unit to try for.

[furbearer365]

I would take option 2.  That way, when you go back to use up the 11 points you have been building, you will know the unit and what to expect and can do a DIY that is very productive. 

[norsepeak]

If I were you, I'd transfer all of your points to me, and I'd take option 2, then send you some sweet pics of two great bucks on the ground.

[Ridgerunner]

With eight points I am figuring out how to use mine in the next couple of years too. Let's talk.

[Bean Counter]

*tag* 

[jjhunter]

If you only plan to use pts, pay attention to the date reset (2015).  If I had that many pts, I'd wait one more year and hunt the latest dates possible.

[boneaddict]

Very smart

[NRA4LIFE]

JJ,

Your inbox is full.  What is this "date reset"?

[jjhunter]

Colorado publishes their hunting season dates on a five year cycle.  When the cycle resets, during the first year, you get the latest dates for each season.  Every year after that, the season opens one day earlier.   In 2015, the dates will reset. 3 or 4 days can be huge, especially during the 3rd season. 

[Ridgerunner]

The million dollar question is whAt will the point creep do in those years, barring a bad winter and with the herds recovering I am thinking there could be a significant jump as guys try to cash in.

[Benny]

It seems every time it resets 3rd season falls on a 70* week with a full moon phase.....

[jjhunter]

I was there in 2010.  Saw good bucks opening morning.   Was quiet for a few days and the last 3 days were really good.   2011 was awesome. 

[boneaddict]

Imagine if all this weather that boulder and country got was in the form of white stuff.   

[Bigshooter]

The million dollar question is whAt will the point creep do in those years, barring a bad winter and with the herds recovering I am thinking there could be a significant jump as guys try to cash in.

I agree.  And I think a lot of people are waiting to cash in, in 2015.

[jjhunter]

They said the same thing in 2010...point creep is inevitable, that is why I started targeting 1-3 pt units back in 2008 that were off the radar.   I've been down 3 times and figured out how to hunt 2 different units.   The next several years should start producing some good bucks for me. 

I have a feeling that this year will be a great year in CO! 

[NWWA Hunter]

Im not so sure about the point creep. I do TONS of out of state research and get tired of some of the knee jerk speculation to one or two years of biological changes. In Colorado theres a lot of units that significantly lowered the amount of tags due to the winter kill and droughts.  They also dropped a lot of 4th season hunts in quite a few units. Most of those units have had significant population increases since.  Now the age class is still young and increasing but they look at the unit for 3-4 years and its growth in Colorado before increasing tags.  That being said, I would expect a few years of tag increases in the central area of the rockies starting in the next couple years thus decreasing the points needed for a tag in all but maybe the top 5-10 hunts in the state.  Also, I completely agree with the dates.  From everyone I talk to that especially in the 3rd season every day later can matter.  On the earlier dates you may only get 2 mediocre days of rut where as on the later dates you could get 3 days of heavy rut. If I was spending the points I would try to do it in the next 4 years but would not want to waste them. it would be a shame if the Gunnison basin came back to its former glory in  4 years and you had burned your points during the time that you still could have hunted with LO tags.

[jjhunter]

So, you should have drawn your 25/26 4th 2 years ago when it only took 2 pts vs 5 or 6 now, right?    HF radar hunt...point creep hunt....

[Bigshooter]

So, you should have drawn your 25/26 4th 2 years ago when it only took 2 pts vs 5 or 6 now, right?    HF radar hunt...point creep hunt....

Mass point creep happens everytime the HF lists a new unit.  It's something that can really ruin a guys plans.

[Craig]

I'm leaning toward the landowner permit way. I need to research them more. I think you are suppose to be able to hunt the private land the permit is issued to. I am thinking 2015 would be the best. 1 week later of hunt can make a big difference. Between the guided hunt $5000+ tips, tags and travel I would be at $6500-$7000 for the guided hunt.

If I could get a landowner tag for 2015 and use points in 2016 would be a good deal.

[NWWA Hunter]

I understand how point creep works.  My tag wasn't rated by hunting fool till this year.  There will almost always be point creep on the best units as theres more demand than supply.  But when theres a lessor unit say with 100 tags and 500 applicants then the unit can support a 5 year drawing.  As per my tag with the droughts and bad winter in colorado they cut tags significantly within the state thus lessing supply.  Especially in the 3rd and 4th seasons and eliminating many 4th seasons which pushed persons with points into other units(thus making my unit a 5 year instead of a 2-3 year draw. It didn't really effect 2nd and some 3rd seasons as bad as there was more supply for the demand so in those units there has been little point creep and when the supply comes back soon there will actually be point decrease in many but the top 10 units.

[jjhunter]

It has actually made the HF list the last two years and the pts have gone from 2-5+.   I promise you that this IS the reason for the creep in this particular unit/hunt.   That was the point I was attempting to make...

Now for the record, did you apply for this hunt because it was on HFs list?  Did you drink the HF Kool-Aid?   

[NWWA Hunter]

It has actually made the HF list the last two years and the pts have gone from 2-5+.   I promise you that this IS the reason for the creep in this particular unit/hunt.   That was the point I was attempting to make...

Now for the record, did you apply for this hunt because it was on HFs list?  Did you drink the HF Kool-Aid?   

Of course I did! There's 200" deer around every tree there.
Actually I keep telling myself that I want to hunt deer at least every other year in Colorado but keep holding off.  I looked at my future with 6,7,8..... Points and decided to burn them this year so I looked into 3rd and 4th season hunts that I could draw with my points. Having some somewhat negative info on some other units and recommendations on a few I narrowed it to 2 and decided that this should be a guarantee where as another would be 50/50 to draw.

[Branden]

With that many points I would do an early season high country rifle hunt.