35B long read.

[slopoke36]

Where to begin… Opening morning we did a lot of glassing the hillsides and saw nothing, ended up walking several miles and didn’t see much sign at all on top of the hours of glassing. We ended up going back to camp around 1130 to eat lunch and regroup. While at lunch I noticed about 12 trucks driving up and down the road with dogs in the back! I looked at my buddy and yelled QUAIL SEASON! I totally spaced that it was Mearns’ season, ugh. I felt sick to my stomach. We got these left over tags because it is an ok area and we know it pretty well but it never occurred to me that other seasons would be going on. So, from camp we walked to a water hole and saw at least 15 ducks on it and we decided if nothing else tomorrow we would bring the shotguns and have some fun. So, while walking to a hilltop we were going to sit until dark we stop to take a break and scared up some Mearns’. Right away my buddy noticed some quail hunters to left of us and we decided to wave them down and show them where those little guys went. The deer hunt to the hilltop was ruined because they just came down the canyon with their dogs, sigh. Needless to say they got on the quail and got a couple, they thanked us and went on their way. It was funny trying to get their attention because they never saw us standing there and I didn’t want to scare them or make it seem like I was pissed that they just walked through the area I was trying to hunt. That evening we sat on the hilltop watched a doe walk 150 yards in front of us and that was it, kind of a bummer opening day.

Day two sat the same hilltop this time we drove in a little bit, parked and went to the hilltop. This hilltop I keep talking about is a good area because you can see into two draws that lead to a water hole. You get about 300-350 yards of clear visibility. Well about 10 minutes before shooting hours a mule drives up and parks 20 yards from us. Two guys get ready and walk into the draw to our left and fire three times as soon as they get into the draw. We are guessing they got one in there because we could see one guy getting a trap and stuff ready at the mule. I can’t say for sure but I would like to believe that deer was walking the draw to water hole and right through the kill zone. We went down to that area later in the day and I guess they were about 450 yards away from us. I have patterned those deer and they use the draw to get to the water. Day two ended with nothing else to report other than in the morning we were driving FS road 799 near Canelo and saw a quarter of a deer lying in the middle of the road, almost like it fell out of a truck or ATV.

Day three and last day for us was the pits. The same guys that shot near us ended up beating us out of camp and made it to the same area where they shot earlier. We turned around and left them alone. Saw nothing all morning. Around lunch time we went to see if the ducks were on the pond. So, we grabbed the shotguns and put up the rifles. I didn’t grab my shotgun because I was going to film my buddy shooting at the ducks. We made our way around to the ducks being very sneaky when all of a sudden they jumped. For the life of me I couldn’t understand why. So, I continued to walk around the pond and when I got the other side I kicked an 8 point trying to come into the pond and no rifle in hand! I learned a valuable lesson about deer hunting. When you go don’t be distracted by the side shows just deer hunt. Oh, and we also kicked a javalina at the same pond walking to the water.

Well, this hunt ended with no deer for us. But, we have bow season and a better understanding of this area. We also find places to hunt other game so all and all it was a fun time.

[CouesWhitetail]

Quite the adventure....sorry you didn't get your bucks, but anytime in the woods is valuable time!

[AZ_Chris]

Last week I was too busy with family and work obligations to hunt so I think I'll be able to get a few hours in on Thursday to hunt 35B which is the last day of my tag. Can't get down there at sunrise and can't stick around till sundown because of work obligations but I'll be there in the afternoon.

I was successful in the southeast portion of the unit last year and there's a few unexplored roads and trails in the same area that I'd like to check out this year.

Oh well a bad day hunting is always better than a good day at work.

[slopoke36]

Last week I was too busy with family and work obligations to hunt so I think I'll be able to get a few hours in on Thursday to hunt 35B which is the last day of my tag. Can't get down there at sunrise and can't stick around till sundown because of work obligations but I'll be there in the afternoon.

I was successful in the southeast portion of the unit last year and there's a few unexplored roads and trails in the same area that I'd like to check out this year.

Oh well a bad day hunting is always better than a good day at work.

 

Good luck and let me know how you do. That unit is tough in my opinion.

[AZ_Chris]

Thanks. It seems like kind of a small unit sometimes. There's the really popular area around the airport that everyone heads too but I've only seen lots and lots of does up in the hills there and one buck from a few miles away.

Then you have Washington Camp too where quite a few deer seem to flock to but also tons and tons of hunters. I've never seen any deer in the hills with all the juniper trees just south of Sonoita but I haven't spent much time in that area.

However the southeast portion seems pretty unexplored. There mostly just seems like a lot of quad trails down there and large hills only accessable by foot. Found a pretty good stash of empty burlap sacks up a trail down there once too The trail had obviously been used for awhile to bring loads up from Mexico.

Last year I got really lucky on my first day down there, shot a 96 1/8" deer right at the end of the day we spotted from the road. Set out on foot before dawn and spent all morning humping over hills and *bam* saw one from the comfy truck with the heater on and radio playing about 30 minutes before sundown. It was more luck than anything I think and I'm not expecting to see much tomorrow. I've just been too busy with work to spend anytime down there scouting except for one trip I made in October.