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Colorado trophy unit yields high success on bulls and bucks |
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We've worked many years with this outfitter, who operates in one of Colorado's special trophy units, where both residents and non-residents must draw tags in order to hunt elk or mule deer during all seasons. This unit is managed to provide quality hunting for both animals. You need preference points to draw a tag for this hunt, or you can sometimes buy a license voucher from a landowner. Plan to stay in a wall tent, but during the later hunts, the outfitter often uses an old house with no electricity, no phone and no hot water. The outfitter's family owns 360 acres right there and some is hayfields and rimrock. The deer hunting is excellent for bucks from 25 to 28 inches, and there are a few in the 30-inch class and up to 36 inches. This unit has produced several bucks scoring over 250 B&C in the past 10 years. As for elk, the average bull taken is 290 to 300 B&C points, and the bigger bulls score 320 to 380. Your best chance to take a big bull is during the September muzzleloader season or the first rifle season. Both require a lot of preference points. Call for an update. If you want to hunt elk or deer during the second or third seasons you must book in advance because the outfitter has a good clientele who have been applying for tags for years, so you have to get in line. Click on photos for larger images. Click here for more photos from this hunt
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Update for 2008: This hunt is booked for 2008. If you're accumulating preference points, call us to reserve a spot in a future year. The second and third seasons usually fill up eight months to a year befor the hunt. Monday is the deadline to apply for Colorado tags.
Unlike the famous Gunnison Basin, this area was hardly affected by the winter of 2007/2008. "We have so much winter range in our area that the deer weren't hurt at all," the outfitter said. "We never had more than four or five inches on the ground in a lot of the desert winter range. We're expecting another great season this fall." He reported going 17 for 17 on trophy elk hunters last year. Average was 294 B&C. This hunt has produced bulls as big as 380, but anything over 325 is a real trophy. All but one of his 11 deer hunters filled their tags on bucks averaging about 170 with a buck in the 190s and the biggest one scoring over 200 B&C. There will be a fourth season in 2008. To take any of the hunts, you need preference points or a landowner voucher. Vouchers vary in price from year to year and season to season. You can apply just for a preference point until you get enough that you'll be guaranteed to draw a tag, or you can apply in the unit until you draw. You'll need seven to 15 preference points to draw elk tags and deer tags in 2009, depending on the seson. Call for details. You can apply online for tags in Colorado, and the deadline was April 1. We don't tell do-it-yourselfers where to apply, but if you want a guided hunt, we can line you up. The outfitter requires a small deposit to hold your spot until you draw a tag. Hunt EK3810.
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