Herd numbers continue to climb in Colorado, a state long revered as a mule deer mecca. Since implementing an all-draw system nearly 10 years ago, the state has seen dramatic increases in deer population.

And with point restrictions removed, hunters are seeing more trophy bucks each year.

Despite brutal winter weather conditions that plagued the Western Slope in late 2007 and early '08, the forecast is strong for mule deer hunting in Colorado.

SOUTHEAST
Turn on any outdoor channel and chances are the cameras will be rolling on the southeastern plains. Each year, this area of the state gains in popularity, and it's not hard to see why. For starters, the mule deer population on the plains is nearing 11,000 -- and that's not including the mountainous units in this part of state.

Another attribute of the plains is their abundance of public land. The Comanche National Grasslands spans 435,000 acres and is crawling with colossal mossbacks. Combine this with better-than-average draw odds and the potential to harvest a buck scoring well above the 200-inch mark, and you have all the ingredients of a world-class hunt.

Trent Verquer, a Colorado Department of Wildlife biologist for the southeastern region, said that in this part of the state, many of the Game Management Units harbor excellent buck-to-doe ratios.

According to the latest numbers, units like 122, 127, 128, 135, 136, 139 and 146 had 60 bucks to every 100 does. Other productive areas for mule deer -- like 142, 143, 144 and 145 -- have more like 40 or 50 bucks to every 100 does. But the ratio could be a lot higher.

"We simply don't survey these areas that often," said Verquer.

"But when you combine these units, you're looking at some of the best buck-to-doe ratios in the state."

He said that compared to previous years, this area had a very mild winter. He expects few animals were lost to winter exposure.

"The herd numbers should be strong," he said.

Hunters in the southeast can choose units where they can put a tree stand up along a wooded creek bottom, stalk the sage-covered prairies or scan the cedar-covered canyons for a wide-racked wallhanger.

Private land can be an issue in some locations, but hunters who do their homework will have no problem finding access and plenty of trophy-class animals.

The Comanche National Grasslands stretches into nearly all of these units. Get a map from the Timpas Unit by calling (719) 384-2181 and you can seek out your own honeyholes.

A few good places to start your search include the area around Packers Gap in Unit 135, Vogel and Picket Wire Canyons in units 135 and 142, and the Keller State Trust Land near John Martin Reservoir in Unit 146.

When factoring in all methods of take, the average harvest success rate for the plains units over past few years was 53 percent.