longcruise
70 Cal.
I'll add that I'm perfectly happy hunting ml during the rifle seasons.
Did you draw? Colorado
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TKhuntsman
36 Cl.
I drew a decent muzzleloader deer tag in CO this year. I grew up there and guided there for most of my life it will be nice to get back and hunt it with my Hawken.I usually fire up a topic on this each year to kinda get myself and others talking about the upcoming season.
I didn't draw the bear tag but im happy with the point. My deer strategy was to apply for something impossible and get a point plus get my second choice. NOT. My second choice had leftover tags last year but not this year.
Drew the elk tag and planning to hunt with a grandson who lives out of state. He drew the elk and deer!!
What are you planning?
I always enjoy your upcoming season threads longcruise and this year we are changing it up. Decided to do Preference Points and then OTC either sex elk tag but for archery (recurve) this year. I'm not the best archer but have been practicing out to 30yds and dialing in arrows/tips. I have a feeling once I'm back up there in the "long lonesome" I'll be missing my smokepole but looking forward to September for sure.
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I have a lefty .54 GPR Lyman but don't hunt. Good luck! Got mine at Dixon's about 2005 from Chuck Dixon Sr. personally! Good rifles, as I've said here before, if they were available back in the mid-1800's, they'd of given the Hawkins brothers a run for their money!
longcruise
70 Cal.
I'm totally on board with that tactic. I always go for the B list ml or rifle tags so I can still do the OTC Archery elk tag.
This year I went for the ml cow tag in a unit that a grandson could easily draw so he could come out from SC to do a week long ml hunt. Today he is doing his college orientation for a program that has to meet Coast guard stipulation and he is simply not going to be able to do it.
He can turn his licenses in for refund up until 30 days before opener. So he will be getting that done today. That leaves me wondering if I should keep my tag and hunt it or just do the Archery elk hunt and turn mine in too. I can be in my preferred Archery spot in 45 minutes but the ml tag is further away. I'd be hunting alone which is typical for me but the packing out aspect can be tough.
Decision, Decision, what to do. Got about one day to decide.
That's a tough decision for sure. With your preferred archery spot being so close, might not be a bad idea but for me carrying a .54 Hawken through the Rockies feels pretty darn good. Not that my Fred Bear recurve doesn't feel good it's just different. Good news is both are in September and it's the best month to be up there in my opinion so I don't think you can go wrong with any choice you make.I'm totally on board with that tactic. I always go for the B list ml or rifle tags so I can still do the OTC Archery elk tag.
This year I went for the ml cow tag in a unit that a grandson could easily draw so he could come out from SC to do a week long ml hunt. Today he is doing his college orientation for a program that has to meet Coast guard stipulation and he is simply not going to be able to do it.
He can turn his licenses in for refund up until 30 days before opener. So he will be getting that done today. That leaves me wondering if I should keep my tag and hunt it or just do the Archery elk hunt and turn mine in too. I can be in my preferred Archery spot in 45 minutes but the ml tag is further away. I'd be hunting alone which is typical for me but the packing out aspect can be tough.
Decision, Decision, what to do. Got about one day to decide.
My last bull (5x5) I took was with my Hawken and I was by myself. Shot him at about 6:45pm and luckily was only about 1.5 miles from the truck. Took me, myself and I several trips through the night but got him packed out and all back to town about 4am. Lotsa work hunting by yourself but can be so rewarding at the same time.
longcruise
70 Cal.
longcruise
70 Cal.
Hope you have a good one.
I decided to hang onto my elk tag. I've been trying to add a complimentary deer tag for the same unit but no luck.
My gear is NOT ready to go. Need to transition from the target season to the hunting season.
Colorado needs to separate the muzzleloading season from the archery season. I quit muzzleloading season because of it.
longcruise
70 Cal.
As a bow hunter and ml hunter I agree
. Probably 90% of bowhunters agree. Oddly, most ml hunters don't seem to care 
the commission seems set on leaving it as is. They say there is nowhere in the calendar to fit it in. What has really wrecked bow hunting is the compound bow. For ml it's the "modern" inline. There's no going back for either!
Same here in PA but you do earn points every year you apply, multiplies your chances to be drawn. Buck and bear are OTC but Doe are drawn. Most parts of states 1 doe tag is mostly a gimme in all but 1 management unit.
Bull and buck for me!
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Bull/Buck Muzzleloader Area 7/8/9/19/191.
Preference Points for: Bear, Moose, and Ram
Preference Points for: Bear, Moose, and Ram
longcruise
70 Cal.
Looking forward to hearing about that hunt. Taken quite a few antelope in 7 & 8 but never went there for deer or elk.
longcruise
70 Cal.
They are out there and waiting!
Good Deal @longcruise and glad to see that you are into them and picking up some shots/videos. With doing the OTC archery this year we opened the season up at 10,500 feet with hearing some early morning cows followed by a faint bugle. Followed the sound of the cow calls and we dropped down into some heavy timber which eventually dumped out into a meadow. Saw some good sign in about every direction but no animals to be seen.
Opening Day Sunrise and rubs
Opening Day Sunrise and rubs
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longcruise
70 Cal.
Got to the club yesterday and sighted bot my 54s with an elk load. Ninety grains of Scheutzen 3f. Both rifles had been set up for lighter loads. The tc has been at 50 for target work and the gpr at 70 for deer two years ago.
Getting the shot is the tricky part.
Getting the shot is the tricky part.
TKhuntsman
36 Cl.
Well my CO muzzleloader hunt was a bit slow. The only good clear day was opening day and after that it was raining, snowing, and extremely foggy. It really made for some tough conditions to hunt with a traditional gun. The bucks weren't out in the alpine country and had moved down into the timber stalking logging roads and timber patches I only saw good deer on 3 occasions and only got one shot opportunity. Unfortunately that opportunity produced a hangfire which caused a flinch and I shot high over his back. Despite all the challenges I had a great time in my old stomping grounds with one of my closest friends, and no matter how much of a damper tropical storm what's her name put on the deer it was worth the price of the tag and trip.
