Timberline Mule Deer Hunting

Written by actionadventures on December 4, 2017.

Recent Photos

Quick Facts:

Limited Mule Deer Unit 65
- Archery Deer – By application -typically draws with 1 point (either sex)
- Muzzleloader Deer – By application – typically draws with 5 points
- Early Rifle Deer – By application – typically draws with 10 points
Horseback Pack-in (3.5 hour ride)
Elevations range from 11,000 ft to 13,500 ft
Accommodates 2 to 4 hunters

This camp is where the big bucks call home for the summer and early fall. These groups of bucks love it at timberline and above. This hunt should offer a great opportunity to harvest a P&Y buck in some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rocky Mountains. We only take a select few archery hunters each year. Spot and stalking a trophy buck with a bow above timberline is not with out its challenges, but it is well worth it. A new early rifle season has recently become available that allows rifle hunters a short season to be able to hunt these high country deer before they move down into their winter range. This is one hunt you don’t want to miss out on.

WARNING!!!
This hunt is not for everyone.
These mule deer are living in extreme altitudes and tremendously tough country. If you are up to the challenge the game is there for the taking.

Hunts & Rates

Drop Camp

ARCHERY – 7 DAYS – $1,950 / HUNTER

ARCHERY – 8 DAYS – $2,150 / HUNTER

MUZZLELOADER – 7 DAYS – $2,150 / HUNTER

RIFLE – 7 DAYS – $2,150 / HUNTER

Semi-Guided

ARCHERY – 7 DAYS – $3,250 / HUNTER

ARCHERY – 8 DAYS – $3,450 / HUNTER

MUZZLELOADER – 7 DAYS – $3,950 / HUNTER

RIFLE – 7 DAYS – $3,950 / HUNTER

Fully Guided

ARCHERY – 7 DAYS – $4,250 / HUNTER

ARCHERY – 8 DAYS – $4,650 / HUNTER

MUZZLELOADER – 7 DAYS – $4,950 / HUNTER

RIFLE – 7 DAYS – $4,950 / HUNTER

Calendar & Availabilities

2019 Timberline Mule Deer

Archery

8/30 – 9/5

9/6 – 9/12

Early Rifle

~~9/13 – 9/19~~

2020 Timberline Mule Deer

Archery

9/1 -9/7

Early Rifle

~~9/11 – 9/18~~

2021 Timberline Mule Deer

Waiting for Colorado Parks and Wildlife to set season dates.

2018 Forecast

How mule deer fair the winter has a lot to do with antler growth and over all health of the herd. So far this winter has been mild to non-existant. Assuming the weather trend continues, 2018 should have some great bucks running around. I recently attended a meeting with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife about the recent finding of chronic wasting disease in Unit 65. There were mandatory checks for CWD in 2017. They only found a few cases of it at low elevations along the Uncompahgre River Corridor. CWD should not be a concern where we hunt.

2017 Recap

2017 was a bit slow in the mule deer department. The winter of 2016/2017 was cold, and at one time snowpack got to 200% of normal. However, biologists at the CPW said it had no effect on Unit 65 deer, and even increased tag allocations for 2017. From my observations there were plenty of bucks to be found, but the quality was down from previous years. I would guess the hard winter may have slowed antler growth.