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You all in the western states question do you think the Wuhan flu will affect the number on the tag draws especially for non residents as to applications hunted antelope for the first time near Sheridan Wyoming last oct. great hunt hope to return in a year or two would really like to hunt mule deer.
 
You all in the western states question do you think the Wuhan flu will affect the number on the tag draws especially for non residents as to applications hunted antelope for the first time near Sheridan Wyoming last oct. great hunt hope to return in a year or two would really like to hunt mule deer.

I've been contemplating that since March. I think it will have some effect but it's too early to tell. The way colorado conducts the draw is the drawing takes place first week of june. Application deadline was first Tuesday in April. But, payment for drawn tags is not due until June 19th. So, how many didn't apply at all due to concerns over employment? How many applied and were drawn but will not pay? There is already a second draw underway for tags that were not drawn the first week of june THAT DRAW BEGAN BEFORE IT WAS KNOWN HOW MANY TAGS HAD NOT BEEN PAYED FOR. That draw will take place in July.

After that draw, whatever tags remain will go on sale first come first served the first week of August. THE NUMBER OF TAGS ON THAT LEFTOVER LIST compared to last years leftover list will be the first accurate indicator of how many people decided not to pay for a tag that they drew.

All ml tags are a draw in Colorado. There's ml tags available on the leftover list every year. This year may be a bonus year for a leftover ml tag so if you think you might want to give it a go this may be a good year for you.

All of the above applies to deer, antelope, elk and moose but not to sheep or goats.
 
I put in for cow elk near Montrose last year, but decided not to apply this year. I have several preexisting conditions and I am considered high risk.

A local friend up there says it's so hot during ML season it's tough to get an elk out before it bloats.
Any thoughts on that?
 
Longcruise, thanks for the reply but regretfully this year is out for me as we have a major electrical renovation planned. I would like to return next year love the hunting out your way totally different for a eastern white tail hunter. Hope to see some open hunting in 2021 or 2022
 
A local friend up there says it's so hot during ML season it's tough to get an elk out before it bloats.
Any thoughts on that?

Same problem here with our early moose season.

Could field dress it and pack the cavity with ice?

If the law allows, skin and quarter it where it falls, or even bone it out?
 
Early season animals are a challenge for sure Our archery season opens August 25th here, which some years can get to 85f+ ambient day temps. We took a large 6x6 bull (dressed well over 600lbs meat and bone) on a day that reached 90f. We got it first thing in the morning and it took till mid afternoon before we had it in the cooler. Two of us broke it into quarters and used a modern motorized pack mule to assist in retrievel. Between the heat and the yellow jacket hornets it was not a fun time!
Bottom line, you need a plan then you must have the discipline to not take an animal should your plan not work for that situation!
Walk
 
Heat is a definite problem no matter where you hunt our bow season for whitetails starts very early you can see temps well into the 80 to 90 degree range you better hustle if you get one, same as the early muzzleloading season that starts mid October have seen very warm days during this season also. I will let a animal walk if I figure I will have a difficult time getting him to the processor during these type situations.
 
Drew a MZ tag for either sex in San Diego (D16). This will be interesting as it takes place 2nd half of Dec and only 80 tags issued. I’m sure deer will be in recovery from archery, rifle and the rut.
 
I put in for cow elk near Montrose last year, but decided not to apply this year. I have several preexisting conditions and I am considered high risk.

A local friend up there says it's so hot during ML season it's tough to get an elk out before it bloats.
Any thoughts on that?

That area can be pretty warm during the September muzzleloading season. That being said I've killed elk, deer, and bears in the area in September and have been on several other kills with friends and family too. There are literally hundreds of big game animals shot during the archery and muzzleloader season around there every year. So it's doable.

The important thing as someone already mentioned is to have a plan! I gutless quarter everything I shoot that's any distance at all from the road. Best case scenario, you shoot something after supper one evening, quarter it to hang in the cool night air then get it into some coolers or down to a meat locker the next day. Of course it doesn't always work out that way. Trying to keep an animal whole is a recipe for disaster IMO. Especially up by the neck of a big bull that will start to sour quick when the temps are up.

I'm not sure how something would "bloat" with the guts out of it?
 
The deer I posted above was killed just before noon, by 2:30 pm temps were in the low to mid 80’s...

Luckily I was able too field dress and get ice on it within a couple of hours.

Transported it around 100 miles on a trailer too the processors cooler.

Hunting in warm weather definitely requires some pre planning if you’re going too get your meat home safely..
 
As far as draw hunts... I had applications in for Colorado, Wyoming & Utah. I've drawn exactly one tag. Colorado muzzleloader bear. Even struck out on antlerless tags! Not all the applications were for muzzleloader though. I hunt with bow, rifle & muzzleloader. Patiently waiting for Colorado returned tags to become available on August 4th. Hopefully pick some up or it's gonna be the slowest hunting season I've had in years!
 
Lucked out in Oregon got hair tag for elk and a buck tag for deer. Both hunts are mid October same dates.
 
I got my archery deer tag and first rifle elk only tag in the mail yesterday. I have found over the year's that with ml deer and elk being in the middle of archery season that i prefer to do my ml elk hunting in the October rifle season.
 
I got my archery deer tag and first rifle elk only tag in the mail yesterday. I have found over the year's that with ml deer and elk being in the middle of archery season that i prefer to do my ml elk hunting in the October rifle season.

Yeah, that first rifle elk season is a great time to be in the mountains!
 
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