K_P said:

---

Speaking of bouncing rounds off animals in the 6.5ish mm range.

I am headed to CO mule deer this fall. I was planning to use the hunt as an excuse to pickup a .300 win mag, but probably not in the budget as of now. I have a .270 that's been a great rifle for the last decade. Remington green box core locks have been lights out against TX white tail and hogs.

Questions-
do I need a higher BC / heavier bullet than the 130gr core locks I've always used? For "cheap" ammo they group really well at 100, never grouped them at 200, but deer haven't noticed.
I have a duplex scope, is some kind of BDC scope a need or a want? What actual ranges should I really plan on? 300 yards is easy to type but in my experience that is a long damn way away, but my experience is mostly western hill country and south Texas, and my furthest shot has been ~240yds

Edit to add hunt area is 25/26, going with a friend who knows more than me but we're both pretty clueless

---

My recommendation would be to practice shooting to as far out as you have access. My buddy and I were able to practice out to 400, which actually ended up being the range he smoked a stud buck at last year. It helped my confidence when taking deer at 150. Usually it is easy to get within 200 yards or so, but really depends on the terrain. Sometimes the only available shot is cross-canyon.

Does anyone know when tag results post for left over Wyoming tags? I can't find the dates on the game and fish site.

mneisch said:

---

K_P said:

---

Speaking of bouncing rounds off animals in the 6.5ish mm range.

I am headed to CO mule deer this fall. I was planning to use the hunt as an excuse to pickup a .300 win mag, but probably not in the budget as of now. I have a .270 that's been a great rifle for the last decade. Remington green box core locks have been lights out against TX white tail and hogs.

Questions-
do I need a higher BC / heavier bullet than the 130gr core locks I've always used? For "cheap" ammo they group really well at 100, never grouped them at 200, but deer haven't noticed.
I have a duplex scope, is some kind of BDC scope a need or a want? What actual ranges should I really plan on? 300 yards is easy to type but in my experience that is a long damn way away, but my experience is mostly western hill country and south Texas, and my furthest shot has been ~240yds

Edit to add hunt area is 25/26, going with a friend who knows more than me but we're both pretty clueless

---

My recommendation would be to practice shooting to as far out as you have access. My buddy and I were able to practice out to 400, which actually ended up being the range he smoked a stud buck at last year. It helped my confidence when taking deer at 150. Usually it is easy to get within 200 yards or so, but really depends on the terrain. Sometimes the only available shot is cross-canyon.

---

The year I killed my first bull ammo was actually available. I shot 200-300 rounds in 25 round sessions over the course of the year getting ready and was confident to 400 yards and felt ok to 500 yards prone with a bipod.

Killed my bull minutes into the season, free hand at 140 yards. But I was ready. To this day my longest shot on an elk has been under 150 yards, but I still think it's important.

I'll answer my own question. I think it's July 12th, but I swear that website gets more confusing every year.

That's plenty. No need for a new gun, unless you just want one.

Ranges totally depend on where in CO you are hunting. But range is limited by your ability, not terrain, usually.

Get to where you can stack them at 300 without thinking twice. Then see if you can stretch to 400, depending on your glass. That will be sufficient. Don't be tempted to take a shot past your limit. Be disciplined.

Unsuccessful on mule deer buck in NE

Any of you guys interested in a Dan Durston X-Mid 1P tent? I'm thinking about selling mine. It has been set up in the back yard once to check everything and never used/slept in.

Figured I'd ask here before I put it on Rokslide Classifieds.

https://durstongear.com/product/x-mid-1p

What are you looking to get for it? I have the 2P and wouldn't mind the 1P when I'm solo.

Shoot it to me in an email if you don't mind, mneisch (at) gmail.com

Bump for AgEng06

Oops, sorry about that. I will send you an email shortly.

Thanks for the hookup on the tent. It will be perfect for muzzy season this year.

You're welcome. Be sure to update us with a grip-n-grin in front of it.

Had planned on climbing up some mountains with my wife next week. Well she can't now. I wonder how pissed she will be if I leave her at the cabin with my parents?

Nice!

I'll be scouting my unit in 2 weeks. This will be my first year muzzleloader hunting and I'm hoping the mule deer will still be in the same areas come mid September.

I might be sliding into a 4th rifle season elk hunt but won't know for sure until tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, do you guys have recommendations on cold weather gear for that time of year (Thanksgiving week)? We'll probably have to deal with snow but for sure low temps. I have a lot of gear but nothing I would consider rated for sustained sub 20 degree weather, unless I layer up.

If it happens, I'll be at a lodge/house and won't have to worry about sleeping out there, just daytime stuff.

Things I know I will need:

Better gloves
Better beanie
Probably okay on socks but open to suggestions
Insulated hiking boots or just regular boots with gaiters and wool socks?
Outer Jacket
Insulated pants (the sitka pants I have aren't real insulated but they do have the pad/protected area on your knees and on your rear to keep you dry)

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

TIA

Rain gear and down insulation are a must in my opinion.

Down puffy Jacket and Pants
Sitka Kelvin light
Arcteryx
Kuiu Superdown

Rain gear
I own Sitka Stormfront, but Helly Hansen or Arcteryx is also great.

Gloves: still working on this too but leaning
King of the Mountain.

Regular boots with Darntough socks. I wearing Scarpa Kinesis GTX.

I like my beanie from "Coal"

Gloves: look into chopper mitts if it will be really cold. I usually wear rag wool gloves and then switch over to chopper mitts if it's cold and i'm sitting a while where I don't need hand function.
Beanie: Minus 33 has some decent wool beanies on amazon. Or the original winter hat, Stormy Kromer
Boots: If you're going to be sitting and glassing, insulated boots are nice. If hiking, regular boots are fine. Gaiters are a must if there's snow. Keeps the pants from wetting your socks.
Outer Jacket: I like to layer and usually run a light shell (or even rain jacket if it's durable) as the outer layer with a puffy underneath, wool base layers under that.
Insulated pants: Eddie Bauer has some fleece lined guide pants that are nice and half the cost of the hunting brands. I usually only switch to them if it gets brutal cold (single digits) or if I plan to not be moving a lot. Nice pair of wool long johns under regular pants goes a long ways if you're not going to be sitting for long periods.

Looking into the transportation of elk back into the state of TX from CO and it looks like I need a couple of things. I know I am sort of counting my chickens before they hatch but I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row and necessary forms completed.

From TPWD:

Quote:

---

No CWD-susceptible species carcasses or parts of carcasses can enter Texas from a state or country known to have CWD, and no CWD-susceptible species carcasses or parts of carcasses can be transported out of a CWD Zone EXCEPT:

• Cut quarters with all brain and spinal cord tissue removed
• Boned meat/cut and wrapped Texas regulations do not allow processing beyond quarters until reaching your final destination (possessor's personal residence or commercial facility/private cold storage).
• Caped hides with skull not attached
• Skull plate with antlers attached and cleaned of all soft tissue
• Finished taxidermy products
• The skinned or unskinned head of a susceptible species may be transported to a taxidermist (with a Deer Head Waiver), provided all brain material, soft tissue, spinal column and any unused portions of the head are disposed of in a landfill in Texas permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The waiver should be kept on your person or with the deer head until it reaches the taxidermist. Download the Deer Head Waiver form (PWD 1410) to transport the intact head or obtain from a TPWD CWD check station.
• Hunters bringing intact deer heads into Texas from a state or country with CWD should also have this waiver.

Looks like I need this form - https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdforms/media/pwd_1410_w7000_deer_head_waiver.pdf

Since I am driving up to CO, I will be in NM briefly and will also need to look into their laws. The law in TX seems pretty straightforward... as long as I have the waiver form and the elk is quartered, I should be good to go, right? Anything else I need to start looking into?

All help is greatly appreciated!

---

The best part of this is the Texas rules conflict with NM and CO rules. I literally had CO outfitters and game wardens tell me you had to bone out and elk and removed all meat possible (neck and ribs) on top of quarters, tenderloins, backstrap if packing of a mountain to avoid wasting wanton game.

I've always done that and cut antlers at the base plate and hoped for the best as your screwed either way and I don't want to lose my ability to have a CO hunting license. Just another example of government bureaucracy putting law abiding citizens in a bind.

It is pretty confusing and quite convoluted...

Unless we're in BFE on the ranch I am hunting, we should have access to pull the whole elk onto a vehicle or UTV. Even if we don't we'll be able to quarter and pack it out a short distance to the vehicle. So we should be okay with the CO laws (the ranch will make sure of it).

I'm just paranoid because of all the laws around CWD and especially since I watched an episode of Louisiana Law where they almost confiscated a deer shot in Arkansas that was brought into Louisiana. I know that sounds paranoid but it involved their CWD laws and this is not something I regularly deal with like duck limits or saltwater fishing.

A month out until my hunt in NM. Does anyone have metrics for fitness readiness?
I've been doing weekly 1.5mi runs, and weekly mobility and stretching session, and less often strength training like push ups and pull ups, light weighed 25lb ketllebell squats, deads, lunges. Going to start cycling this month and do the stair climber maybe a few hot yoga sessions.

I'm shooting 20,30,40,50 yards
Diff positions like kneeling and sitting on the ground.
I've also started to do long holds right now holding 1 minute then releasing and going to bump up incrementally.

Maybe just shooting off yardages like 23, 35 etc. And get a little practice at 60 yards + I just don't have a spot do it but need to find one.

It's sounds like you're doing a great job getting ready. Adding cycling is a key for me. Any hills on a bike are great. I think metrics for readiness will be personal. For me, it's the MTN Tough Heavy Pack workout and one of the cycling circuits I ride. But it's never enough.

My 2021 western hunt just took a sharp turn north. I got a call from a Canadian Outfitter I was booked with for 2022 sheep hunt. He asked if I could come a year early! I'm doing my best to make it happen. I returned my 76 Archery tag to Colorado, one of you may want to keep an eye out on the Leftover/Return list. It's a good tag.

arrow said:

---

It's sounds like you're doing a great job getting ready. Adding cycling is a key for me. Any hills on a bike are great. I think metrics for readiness will be personal. For me, it's the MTN Tough Heavy Pack workout and one of the cycling circuits I ride. But it's never enough.

My 2021 western hunt just took a sharp turn north. I got a call from a Canadian Outfitter I was booked with for 2022 sheep hunt. He asked if I could come a year early! I'm doing my best to make it happen. I returned my 76 Archery tag to Colorado, one of you may want to keep an eye out on the Leftover/Return list. It's a good tag.

---

Nice! How many points to draw 76 archery?

Make sure you get your heavy pack and boots on and find some hills. Completely different set of muscles.

For general fitness that translates to the mountain i try to do as much single leg stuff that i can. Squats bulverian lunges, weighted step ups, etc. Another thing to do is try a few runs in the dead heat of the day. That is thought to be the best way to simulate altitude stress.

On shooting practice... make sure you are transitioning to your broadheads. Also start to simulate half covered targets or around branches etc. You likely won't be looking at an elk out in the wide open like your target. Also start to think about different angles for your shots and where to place them. Start to imagine the exit point. I.e. downhill, uphill, quartering, etc. Get to know the flight of your arrow. My first archery elk was half covered by a ridge between us, but I was able to drop my arrow in over the ridge at 53 yards. Also simulate tough feet positioning.

About this time if everything is dialed I actually dial back my practice shots. I try to visualize and simulate 5 to 10 real shots per session. Make your practice shots count.

Can never be in too good of shape. Always a but kicker no matter what. But sounds like you're doing good. Legs and lungs are the main focus.

For backpack hunting being able to strap on a heavy pack multiple days in a row is where it begins to add up. If possible, toss some weight in a pack and do something for several days in a row. Even better if you can find some hills for hiking.


And damn, 76 tag! I'll be on the lookout, but I think tags that cost 5+ points they call people on an alternate draw list vs going back to leftover list. I think one of my friends was able to go a year early because of that.

harge57 said:

---

Make sure you get your heavy pack and boots on and find some hills. Completely different set of muscles.

---

This was going to be my suggestion. Spend some time hiking with a loaded pack. I've been doing 3-4 miles a few times a week around my neighborhood with 60-70 lbs and it has been working well for me.

Should have specified it's a deer tag. 6 points for 76-Archery deer.

I agree about the heat stress training. It's a good substitute for altitude. Also the asymmetric lower body work. One of my favorites is lunges and step-ups with a 50 lb kettlebell in one hand and a 35 lb kettlebell in the other.

Heat Stress training is very useful!

Rear foot elevated split squats
Front foot elevated split squats
Body weight single leg box squats (can be done on a cooler or bench)
Romanian Dead lifts
Stiff Leg Dead Lifts
Any variation of lunges is great
Overhead Split Squat (with light weight if you feel like you have the core and upper body strength - this is great for balance)
Incoporate ISO holds on traditional lifts - Due a high volume, low weight set of lying leg curls or leg extensions and then hold at contraction/extension for 15-20 seconds.
Work on your core (lower back, abs, hip flexors) as much as you can

If you're doing the stair climber, keep you hands off the rails as long as possible. Same thing goes for running/walking at an incline on the treadmill. You need to build up your stabilizer muscles...

I am about to start my cardio stuff and tweak my leg training for 4th rifle and am not looking forward to it...

Good luck!