JakeL

Someone else literally just asked this same question. They got some good responses. It's the next thread down from this one.

I've been seeing some pics of killed muleys with clean antlers. I'd say odds are it's probably hanging velvet... but that's boring. So go to the grave claiming it was a drop tine, and believe that. It's more fun. And who knows, maybe it was.

I'm headed up to 1 this weekend for 5 days of scouting for my hunt next week. Anyone able to give me a good idea what to expect for some of the roads up there? Obviously some will be mud holes, but what about some of the "main" dirt roads around the greens peak or escudilla area? I'm about to see them in the rain for myself, but if anyone has experience with what they do when wet it would be nice. Pretty much just don't want to get 15 miles back and then have to wait a week for it to dry out enough to drive home. I'll be in an AWD suv, so it will be just enough traction to get stuck good, but not enough to get out. PMs welcome if you feel better about that.

13 minutes of kill shots, so yes obviously they work for deer most of the time. But look at few pass throughs there are.

I don't think mechanicals should be illegal, but I don't think they are a good choice for elk. Somewhere on youtube there is a video compilation of rage heads hitting animals, it's at least 3-4 minutes long and shows literally hundreds of animals being shot with rage heads. Rage posted it themselves, but after seeing it I would never use one on elk. So many of these shots are only penetrating around 6" on the deer they hit. Sure the deer are usually falling over dead within a short distance because of a huge 6" deep gash, but that isn't a very reliable way to kill elk since they are literally 5x the size of a deer. So I'm not just ragging on rages, let me say that their new rage ss (40ke replacement) looks like a decent choice for elk, if you must shoot a mechanical due to tuning issues. and I'm seriously considering using the ulmer edge on my elk hunt this year... But probably I won't have trouble tuning either shuttle ts or viper tricks so i won't be forced to resort to a mechanical head. If I can find the link to that video I'll post it up.

So I'm relatively new to elk hunting, and just drew my first elk tag in AZ. It's unit 1 early archery. I am super excited because I had absolutely zero expectation for drawing. But I'm also apprehensive because this year will be a difficult year for me to get any scouting in. So for now I am going to begin preparing mentally. For those familiar with the unit, what can I expect? Does it feel pretty crowded with 300+ tags on that hunt? Are the stories of hearing dozens of bugling bulls 360 degrees all around you every morning complete fiction? Is almost every one of the 150 bulls tagged there each year a 300+ bull like the magazines and youtube videos show? Of course everyone's hunt is different, but how many bulls could be encountered within a typical day? What's the usual ratio of mature bulls to spikes and raghorns? (I consider any bull with around 5x5 or 6x6 frame mature). The success rate last year was 6 in 10, how many of those 6 were over 250, 300, 350? How many shot opportunities have you had in your hunts? How many of those were bulls over 250, 300? So far, I don't really have any expectations. But I do have hopes. I hope to have at least one good close encounter per day. I do hope to at least have one good close encounter with a mature bull at some point in the hunt. And I would be absolutely tickled to tag any bull with a fully developed frame (so basically even a smallish 5x5 would be lovely). Would my hopes be fairly realistic expectations? Hopefully I will have a couple friends with more experience there helping me. Any way it goes, I know I will have fun.

Sounds pretty good so far. I really don't care about score or inches, in fact I have previously sworn that no animal I kill will ever have a tape measure taken to its antlers. I simply like hunting mature animals. It sounds like there is no shortage of those. One theme to many of the post I've read about unit 1 is that some areas are typically more crowded than others. I've been around enough to know not to ask for honey holes, so I won't. But what are the areas that get more pressure? Are there certain roads, hills, flats, etc that I can count on company?

My first elk tag, early archery unit 1. I'm getting pretty excited reading about what to expect.

I hate me too a little bit, Mr. Slider. I'm afraid I used up at least a full years luck in one day.

I drew a unit 1 early archery bull tag. With zero points. I had debated just buying a bonus point this year. I can't believe my luck.

I spoke with a kind lady from G&F over the phone today. She said draw results would be available in early April.

I completed my hunter ed recently and received the certificate and card and all that. But when I look at my bonus point report it doesn't show up yet. Its been 3 weeks, so I'm not sure if I just need to wait longer, or if there is another step I need to take to enter it into the system or something. Anybody recently complete it who knows the answer? Thanks

Thanks guys. Sounds alright to me.

As a reward for reading, here's a picture I found of our beautiful desert. It looks about like the area I'm hunting. I've been fumbling around through the desert (mostly down low in 24b) the last couple of years trying to find a buck to kill with my bow. After all this time, I've realized I still haven't learned something critical to hunting desert mule deer. What type of area makes a feeding area? And what should I look for in a bedding area? What makes one section of hill, wash, or flat better for feeding than others? Especially this time of year what plants are the deer focused on? I still haven't even figured out what makes up the bulk of their diet when they're below the elevations with sagebrush and such. Now and then I spot bedded deer, or deer traveling to/from beds. Or I will find sign indicating beds from a previous days rest. But for the life of me I can't figure out much sense to where they will be. Have you seen any patterns? Do these desert deer prefer thicker cover for bedding? Or would they rather bed on an open hillside with a clear view all directions? Last year I struck out, and this year despite weeks of scouting its not looking too good. I can't consistently find deer or predict where they will be or go. This week my bow hunt opens up again, and I really want to fill the freezer. Basically I'm hoping to move up the learning curve a little bit further so I can have a better chance at tagging something, anything, this year. Any advice or tips appreciated here or in PMs.

Tell me about it. I've been hunting mule deer since I was 2. But that was up above 8,000 in Utah. These deer are a totally different game, without any rule book.

And usually they'll do the tail shake before they take a step, so if you're shooting you know if they are about to move.

That's a deer that just makes you say Wow.

This information sharing is really helpful. Let's keep it coming. Glassing: My current method is to park my little 2wd car a while before daylight, and hike with my headlamp up a hill to where I can sit and let daylight come. Then I glass as patiently and methodically as possible for a couple hours. Usually around 10am I hike around, maybe to a nearby hill to glass a new view, maybe into the bowl or canyon or flat I've been glassing to check for tracks. Around 1 I head home. Now and then I manage to get out for an evening, it's usually simpler. I get up a hill and glass until just before dark (some hills shouldn't be descended in black dark). What glassing routines do you use? Do you move around more, less? Does anyone have success glassing the middle of the day? Will the rut bring more midday movement? Feel free to brag about any other neat glassing tips or tricks you use.

Do you all find watching water productive even during this time of year when it's relatively wet and cool?

I'm sort of glad and also sad you say this. Glad because it means I'm not stupid for thinking it's totally random, sad because that will make hunting even that much harder.

Been scouting around the lower foothills in 24b. I've seen a few does, single, or in twos and threes. But haven't seen a single buck... I am hoping to get my buck between the 13th and the 20th of December. I'm praying hard for the rut to get moving.

I am also scouting hard in 24b. I've spent probably at least 6-10 days hiking around and glassing 24b. I have found areas with no sign at all, and others crawling with tracks and droppings. I've jumped one doe, a herd of javelina, and a couple coyotes. Just that one doe.... Somehow I expect to kill a buck.

Try searching around on opticstalk.com I hope I'm not out of line in recommending someone go to a different forum . But those guys know their optics as well as folks around here know Coues. Just remember to come back to us when you're done.

The slippery slope argument many on here are using is a completely misleading form of argument. It is too commonly used to deflect attention from actual issues, it clouds the current debate, and it works on the emotions of fear and uncertainty to make a point. Baiting has been banned in many states for decades. Since bait bans were initiated in those states it has not been found that hunting has been banned there. Gun rights have not correspondingly come under attack. Public land rights have not become more limited as a result of baiting laws. Audio calls for game species have not come under attack in these states either. In fact, in most of these states the only direct result of the banning of baiting has been a reduction in hunters using edible attractants to take game animals. Lets keep the discussion based on logical pro's and con's of the current issue, baiting. Its just nonsense and fear mongering when you use any argument that follows the form of "Well if they take this, then the next thing they will want is to take that, and then we are just a hop skip and a jump away from Obama becoming Our Dear Leader." This is called the slippery slope fallacy, and it has no place in intelligent discussion. It is only useful in presidential debates and political commercials. On the other hand, certain actions do have definite reactions. If something is a direct result of a given action, or if an action creates an atmosphere where an undesirable outcome becomes significantly more likely, then it is perfectly relevant to discuss. For example, "If baiting is ruled illegal, would it create excessive hunting pressure on water sources?" Lets keep this discussion classy.

I haven't been seeing anything in 24b. But then again its a new unit to me so it might take a while... Good thing I have until December to scrounge up a buck.