How far off of the road?

[recurveman]

I'm getting ready for my 36B Nov hunt and I'm going to a new area for me. Basically between Sycamore Canyon and Summit motorway. I'm looking at a few spots that are back in a little but I can't decide which one to start out at.

 

I'm wondering how far you would think you need to go to get rid of the hunters. I've got a few spots that are just over a mile off the road, one spot at about 1.5 miles and another at 2.2 miles. I'll walk as far as needed but I'm wondering if anybody actually has better luck when they go more than a mile off of the road. I've never hunted this area before and I'm wondering what others have experienced.

 

I would think that the deer would probably be much calmer once you hit a mile back in. I don't know if the added distace is just wearing out shoe leather or actually worth the effort. I'm actually going to be surprised if I see many hunters back in a mile too. I'm sure that a few will wander but I doubt that many will get more than 1/2 mile back in. Just think how many hunters wouldn't go a mile off of the road without a GPS. I was kind of bummed when they came out with that gadget.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Later,

 

recurveman - I think more than a mile is a long ways to go for a spike!!!!!!!

[Diamondbackaz]

I like camping at the end of a road.

[bullwidgeon]

I saw 3 bucks over 90 inches on the first hunt. 2 were better than 100, they were all within 400 yards of a dirt road, and in the case of the biggest of the three he was within 500 yards of the freaking highway (pavement) just watching traffic cruise right on by. Same place he was at in August when I first found and video'd him. I think that big toad would have freaked out if he didn't hear big trucks and cars cruising by at 65 MPH every day and night. I am now a bonafide road hunter. The worst part is figuring out how to hide your truck before you go on a stalk from the road, you gotta be top secret or the deer will figure out your "road hunting" them. I feel bad for you goofballs with giant quadruple cab extendo bed monster trucks with 96 inch lifts on them. Those big rigs are hard to stash in the greasewood flats . Bottom line is you gotta hunt where the deer are at and work around the obstacles presented, especially down South where there will be a bunch of other hunters and there is no real wilderness (maybe the top end of the Baboquivari's get an exception but not really, you can only hunt half of them). If you want a wilderness experience put in for any of the 21 through 28 or 31-33 units. Plenty of big roadless tracts of rock piles to go bumping around in in those units. Good luck.

 

Bret "The road dog" Mattausch

[Redbeard]

On my Oct. hunt there were tons of hunters in the general area but not one hiked in more than 2 miles except me and Andy. We saw lots of deer there. If you are wanting to get away from other hunters 2 miles ought to do it but sometimes you are going to walk right by deer to get away from people.

[firstcoueswas80]

i HAVE to hunt close to the road, my old man has bad hips and he cant really keep up with me. yeah i am a big overweight semi out of shape kid, but i can flat out get up and go if need be in the hills. if i had it my way, my dad and i would hike about a mile to a mile and a half away from camp and then start hunting. this could be done, but we would have to leave really early and the terrain would have to be some what easy or else he is in a lot of pain. we are not really head hunters so the closer we can find bucks the better!

[billrquimby]

I think most hunters would be surprised to know just how many whitetails are living within 500 to 1,000 yards of paved high-speed roads.

[hime]

I have thought about the same thing many times and spend hours over maps trying to fiqure out how to get about a mile off "the road" only to find that I am now within a half mile of a different road. If the unit has good access it might be hard to get away from roads. Keep in mind that "a mile" off the road is not always equal, for example walking in half a mile and going up in elevation 1200 feet, will loose more people than walking a flat mile. I guess the most important part though is getting to an area that still has deer. I've done it many times, but in an effort to get away from other hunters, I've hunted areas that hold few if any deer. Hope this helps and doesn't just confuse.

 

JDH

[azpackhorse]

If you plan on hunting the south side of the road in between the areas you mentioned there is not alot of access other than foot in that area. The roads are generally swamped with people on the two early hunts down there, particularly in the area you mentioned.

Just walk about 2 or 2 1/2 miles south of Ruby rd past the white pilons a little bit and they got some real nice Coues back in there They come over here and swipe our stuff so I look at it as getting a little something back once in a while

For the most part if you get off the road a little you will lose most of the riff raff, especially if the country is rough and it requires physical exertion.

[grizzly]

If we were meant to hike, God would not have invented quads !!!

[ridgerunner]

Recurve, I hunted with my brothers on the Oct hunt in 31. They went 2 for 2 on small deer near the road. We saw one toad, but he was perty smart. He gave us a look and was gone. I have the Nov hunt. A few weeks ago, I packed four gallons of water 3 miles back in. I don't think I'll see to many people. I am back packing in Thursday and plan on staying "back", as long as it takes. I think your odds will be better away from the road, especially on the Nov hunt when the deer have been shot up already. Anyway, that spike ought to bone out to 20 lbs or so, that is an easy pack!

[recurveman]

I'm just going to walk to Mexico and wait for a big deer to cross the fence. Then I'm going to whack him. Maybe I'll wait for a forky if I'm going to walk that far.

 

Later,

 

recurveman

[Guest Reynaldo de la Torre]

I'm getting ready for my 36B Nov hunt and I'm going to a new area for me. Basically between Sycamore Canyon and Summit motorway. I'm looking at a few spots that are back in a little but I can't decide which one to start out at.

 

I'm wondering how far you would think you need to go to get rid of the hunters. I've got a few spots that are just over a mile off the road, one spot at about 1.5 miles and another at 2.2 miles. I'll walk as far as needed but I'm wondering if anybody actually has better luck when they go more than a mile off of the road. I've never hunted this area before and I'm wondering what others have experienced.

 

I would think that the deer would probably be much calmer once you hit a mile back in. I don't know if the added distace is just wearing out shoe leather or actually worth the effort. I'm actually going to be surprised if I see many hunters back in a mile too. I'm sure that a few will wander but I doubt that many will get more than 1/2 mile back in. Just think how many hunters wouldn't go a mile off of the road without a GPS. I was kind of bummed when they came out with that gadget.

Thanks for the info.

 

 

I once killed a right decent buck 75 yds from a camp - the hunters were out and I chased this buck right down to a drainage below their camp.. They were upset. I have seen bucks bed right at the side of a road where hunters just walk past in order to get to their "hunting areas". As Jack O'Connor said,"bucks are where you find them".

As for the GPSs - there are many guys who can't find north with both hands and even if they did - they couldn't get there without an ATV.

[bar T]

I have hunted the nov. hunt the last two year.WE camped off ruby road and sumitt motorway. We hunted just off the road doun the small canyons. Always seen deer not to far from the road. Good luck this year

[az4life]

I think you can find good deer around main roads and farther back in off the beaten path. The key is their comfort zone. I read an article a few years back about One outfitter that had hunters set up along a paved highway and glass across a canyon. Spotted some great deer so it was said, right under everyones noses. On the other hand I also have seen some great deer when I take a long hike back into an area.

 

Personally, I want to get away from the crowds of other hunters. The hunter traffic often dictates how far I hike. I do get a bit more particular about what size buck I will shoot when I have to carry it 3-4 miles back.

[mearnsman]

It is just my humble opinion but unless the deer are pushed extremely hard, how close the roads are is not the issue. The issue is where is the water? If its near the road thats where the deer will be.