Generally, mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk tags are on the eastside of the state and draw only. Archery is easier to draw than rifle. Better units take years to draw. For mule deer, its questionable if it's worth waiting years. The mule deer population isn't doing that great. Roosevelt are...
Go with what you're confident in. I would go full. It's late season so they may be spooky and not hold well. It's usually windy, and while chukars may be quick on the wing, it doesn't take them long to get out there. This was over a flushing lab, which is what we had growing up. A pointer +...
Looks great. That's the way I do it as well with great results and much shorter cooking time. I also dry brine it vs wet. It looks like you might have used cherry, which I find makes a dark bird.