soazarcher Report post Posted March 23, 2009 I went and looked out the back of the house , and Jim is right, use the ridge to the north and get up high. But, i would not suggest hunting this spot, it is STERILE! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted March 23, 2009 I gotta say thsi is a great topic. Definitely keeps the thought process going in the off season for everyone that enjoys hunting! Opens up the "what if" scenario real nice. I think I'd probably take the route Doug noted to start then mid morning depending on what was seen or not seen, would shift over and move to the higher points along the route Jim painted up. We all know there is a Biggun in there so it's all about getting in the right spot to see him! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunDevil Report post Posted March 23, 2009 where is the water? I would be there in sept looking for bucks. if I found a big one I would be back in there trying to pattern him. initially I would be back away from the mtn glassing the whole thing. once I figured out where the deer normally are then I would look for areas to glass from that would avoid disturbing them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted March 23, 2009 Did someone tell jim to go back to the place he came from. I heard he was born on the back of a mule in the heart of hunting country. The cord was cut and he took a spank on the butt and then set behind a set of binos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted March 23, 2009 that's about the truth Jade, and there still aint no better place to be! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAM Report post Posted March 23, 2009 The red line on Gino's diagram shows exactly what I would do. I like to cover a lot of country when I'm glassing. RR you are right that from your first glassing knob to the far ridge is 1200 yards or so, but it's also only 200 yards or so to some real good stuff there at the bottom as well. I'd sure hate to make a lot of noise or have a shifting wind bust anything hanging out down low in those cuts. To each his own I guess. Great topic! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birddog Report post Posted March 23, 2009 Best thread in a long long time. Thanks! I like Tam's approach. I also like a little distance between me and my dinner. There will be plenty of up close personal time after I make a shot. If the conditions are good I may move to a few of the yellow spots Coues n Sheep pointed out on the topo. Not that I can’t make my own plan but there some good ones already posted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoughCut Report post Posted March 24, 2009 Sounds like a lot of you guys like to get up close and personal with those whiteys. I would wonder how many deer sneak over the top of that ridge when you skyline yourselves. I don't know if I would get much closer than where the picture was taken from. I would try and get a better angle on those cuts however. Scent issues would be way reduced from that range. You wouldn't box yourself in from farther away and drastically reduce glassing areas. I am not sure I would key on that area in the first place with that dirt road right there. Just my thoughts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted March 24, 2009 Nothing but MY ideas here, based on MY experiences, and only for the sake of sharing.....just for the record I've hunted alot on the early Oct. hunts and I've noticed that quite a few of the bucks, especially the older smarter ones, will be tucked up in the thickest pockets on the north facing slopes. In order to effectively glass into these areas you need to be closer. You'll miss bucks if you are too far away. I've also notice alot of the bucks I've seen aren't too willing to jump up just because they see you or smell you on the opposite side of a ridge.....not always the case obviously, but they can and sometimes do stay put! And as far as the thoughts about busting deer out because of hiking into these closer areas, I believe there is a time and place for doing this. I wouldn't do it during scouting and as I said earlier, I would hike in no later than 1 1/2 hours before light, and I would take the red dotted route illustrated in my pic becuase it keeps me in the bottom and not skylined. I also would have enough time that I can hike quietly and slowly. If I showed up late, I would do exactly as Doug illustrated in his pic and I wouldn't move further up into the area. Also, no matter where you go or what you do you always run a risk of busting out deer, that's what I call collateral damage , it happens! With this scenario being an Oct. hunt, and with the fact that there is a good chance somebody will ride up that trail on a quad, I would be situated on the east side up in that area. This puts me in a position to intercept any bucks that may get pushed by the hunters showing up later and puts me ahead of those hunters in case they decide to hike up into that country. I don't like the looks of the country on the West side of the road and I wouldn't want to get stuck on that side of the road should somebody else show up to hunt the east! One thing I've learned by hunting the Oct. hunts, especially in areas that are hit hard with hunters is you need to be aggressive. If you don't hike up into that bowl and find that buck hiding in that little pocket on the north facing slope, somebody else will! Even if you are certain you are the only person for miles in there, somebody seems to always show up! And my definition of being aggressive is hunting harder and smarter, getting in earlier, hiking farther and glassing more effectively into the high odds areas......it works for me, take it for what it's worth Lots of great ideas here, thanks for sharing! JIM> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 Good information Jim. I've been hunting these deer for years and it's always good to hear how others hunt them and I will take some of your theories and try and remember them on my next hunt. It's never to late to teach an old dog new tricks. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultramag Report post Posted March 25, 2009 I would hike up that hill and glass the other side where there is not any roads. I would try to find a place where I could glass both directions of any north slope or shaded area. But then the buck I shot this year was on a sun covered hill so the deer could be anywhere. so look everywhere and look twice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultramag Report post Posted March 25, 2009 this has to be one of the greatest threads ever. I wish I could get the guys I hunt with to read this forum. they would be a lot smarter about the way they hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azbownunter22 Report post Posted March 25, 2009 I think all of you have made great points and it has given me food for thought! I am with Jim in that I believe Mr. Big is going to be in the nastiest country he can find and will be in the top 2/3's of the hill. I would be glassing up high, which would make moving around to change glassing locations easier and desterb fewer deer. This would be a spot that I would noramly pass up because of the road; although, I'm sure it holds it's fair share of deer with the water and cover it has. Great thred! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azgutpile Report post Posted March 26, 2009 Great post, I like to see learn all the different ways to skin a cat. I believe that Jim would hunt the area the same way that I would; however, I would make sure to take some time to glass the bottoms of the hills in the washes. Where I hunt (however a little diffrent terrain than what's in the picture) It seems that I find a lot of deer sneaking up and down the bottom of the washes in the mesquites. Have any of you guys experienced this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acharenio Report post Posted March 26, 2009 Hope not to many guys will hunt this spot for real come october, it will be a zoo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
