Not to be a downer, but I think the drop hunt with SJ outfitters is a huge waste of $$, There are plenty of roads and access to about the whole entire area. I would be willing to get you started in the right direction without charging you to basicly just set up a camp in an area that everyone has access to. If I were you i would also focus more of my time on the NM hunt, the quality of the deer is much better. Vallecito is a good area as long as it hasnt snowed too much by that time. There are a lot of good access roads in that area as well. I have never hunted the colorado hunt w a riffle, but i would think if it snows a lot private land would be the way to go if you could get access to the river bottoms and hay fields. I know even for archery seasons that seems to be the best bet! If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Thanks
Andy

I drew two good Mule Deer tags this year (NM 2A rifle and CO 75/751 3rd season) and was hoping someone could offer some advice on where to start looking. I have never been to either unit and won't have time to scout. The NM 2A hunt is a drop camp with San Juan River Outfitters; the CO 75/751 hunt is DIY. I have been focusing my research on the CO hunt and am looking at the area around Vallecito Lake, but am not sure if the bigger bucks will still be there or will have pushed to winter range near Bayfield. Any comments would be much appreciated.