Mule Deer Playing in My Cantaloupe's

[matthewp45]

I went to check one of my melon fields today and looks like some Mule Deer had a big party in the middle of it. Strange thing is it is about 3 miles from the desert. Luckily they don't like to eat melon plants. I have seen them eat 2 acres of lettuce in a night. Last year we had to put up a 6 foot tall electric fence around a lettuce field so it wouldn't get eaten up. Before we put up the fence we had put two guys out at night with shotguns that had no shot in them and all it did was scare them to the other side of the 40 acre field and tear it up more as they ran across it. They would not leave the lettuce no matter what. Down here in Yuma farmers spend thousands of dollars keeping the mule deer and javelina out of their fields each year. The good thing is we only have to worry about them until opening day of deer season in unit 41. Once they watch one of their buddies die they are gone. Last year that lettuce field had two real nice 4X4's and a monster 5X5. I will go out one night and take a look to see if there are any good ones.

 

[ehunt]

Nice!!! Looks like a good track!

[CouesWhitetail]

thanks for the report!

[tomgobbler]

when my grandpa was alive we grew acres and acres of cantelope, and watermellon, and the jackrabbits would play heck with them, we used to stock pile them things, one time me and my brother had a pile of 50-60 of them things at one end of the field, we had antelope come through as well, but we were far from deer, so never them, but they can sure play heck on a place...

 

matt i thought you were just "hand feeding" them for your muzzy hunt, given them extra protien for antler growth

tommy

[Jimmer Negamanee]

May I humbly suggest Jimmer Negamanee's Mule Deer Depredation Services? Better Business Bureau member since 1987.

[bowhuntaz1]

Thanks Matthewp45. You brought back memories of my first deer. I think it was 2001 or 2002. It was the last year you could take a doe with a bow. I followed her from the feild behind Cotton Hill Gin to the YPG fence line before I could put my arrow through her. Her stomach was FULL of lettuce. AHHHH the days of hunting 41...

[matthewp45]

I will be way far away from the fields for my muzzy hunt. But I do have one penned up by one of my fields just in case I can't get it done out in the desert . I am going to go out one night and see if I can get some pics of any good bucks out there. First I gotta remember where I put all those guns in my truck so I can get them all out before I get out the spot light. Ernesto, if you aren't busy next week one night after my antelope hunt this weekend maybe we can go out to look and see whats out there. Keep you all posted.

 

[Hancock7WSM]

Matt, i know eric and i would be up for it. let me know. I have been wanting to get out and see what this year is going to bring.

[izquik72]

Sure hope "Uncle Ted" doesn't find out about you baiting em in, With that sweet melon.

[billrquimby]

I went to check one of my melon fields today and looks like some Mule Deer had a big party in the middle of it. Strange thing is it is about 3 miles from the desert. Luckily they don't like to eat melon plants. I have seen them eat 2 acres of lettuce in a night. Last year we had to put up a 6 foot tall electric fence around a lettuce field so it wouldn't get eaten up. Before we put up the fence we had put two guys out at night with shotguns that had no shot in them and all it did was scare them to the other side of the 40 acre field and tear it up more as they ran across it. They would not leave the lettuce no matter what. Down here in Yuma farmers spend thousands of dollars keeping the mule deer and javelina out of their fields each year. The good thing is we only have to worry about them until opening day of deer season in unit 41. Once they watch one of their buddies die they are gone. Last year that lettuce field had two real nice 4X4's and a monster 5X5. I will go out one night and take a look to see if there are any good ones.

 

 

 

Things certainly have changed since I left Yuma and moved to Tucson to attend the UA in 1954.

 

I spent the first 17 years of my life in Yuma and never heard of javelinas being seen any closer than the mountains near Gila Bend. Years after I left, I heard that the game department had released some near Cibola.

 

There were mule deer around Yuma, of course, but they were few and far between and as far as I know, none got into the agricultural areas until they started farming around Welton.

 

We did see a few stray desert bighorn rams hanging out with domestic sheep when herders "wintered" their flocks in the Gila Valley, though.

 

There also were no mountain lions in the Kofas. The so-called Yuma puma subspecies was believed by all to be extinct.

 

Bill Quimby

[matthewp45]

Jake I will give you a call when I head out and to tell you the truth those deer are less than a mile from your house. You guys have that alfalfa just north of your houes and then Coronation has the next piece north and east of that called the Irwin. That field is the Irwin 12 just south of that little triangle piece that is in sudan next to the river. Get your spotting scope out and check it out just before last light.

Mr. Quimby- It sure has changed even in the last 10 years. All of the deer and javelina are from Dome Valley east all along the Gila River and where the desert borders the farms. You can tell when the desert is dry and isn't providing enough food because that is when the deer start flooding into all of the field for good food and water. The reason there are so many out there now is because they have the Army's Proving Grounds to run and hide on since you aren't aloud out there. They also have the nasty dense salt cedar ridden Gila River bottom. That is where the big boys hide all year. They never come out until way after dark and return to it way before light. The only time you can catch them during the day light is during the rut. As far as Javelina go they have migrated all the way west down the river almost to the Gila Valley. They live in the river and are very nocturnal so they just keep multiplying like crazy.

[Heat]

Matt,

 

Sent you a PM about javis.

 

Nick