2012 Early Season is over... El skunko supreme.

[Scooter]

Well, I spent the last 6 days of the season hunting harder than I ever have in my life... We were up in 22N and our original plan was to sit water holes, but mother nature really put a wrench in the works with all the rain we got up there. I will break down the days journal style:

 

Day 1: we arrived at camp the previous evening during a rainstorm that would last a few hours. We set up only the camp essentials, and headed out to still hunt and mark our water holes with GPS. We were a little bummed to see all the small puddles sitting on the flat rocks, knowing that the deer would just stay close to bedding areas on top if they had water and food- thus making this hunt kinda tricky. We walked about a mile up to a ridge with an excellent vantage point overlooking where our holes were and started glassing... No deer in sight, which didn't surprise us given that it was a little later than bedding time. After about 20 minutes of that out of nowhere we spot a bull elk hitting one of the holes and just tearing it up! It was awesome and he bugled several times from over a mile away we could hear it like it was next to us. We hiked down to our spots and bumped a few elk, but no deer. On our way back up to the ridge we spotted a dandy shed laying on the ground which we picked up. We headed back to camp for a quick lunch and back out again to set up the blinds in the afternoon. We set up on three different holes and hunted the evening- none of us seeing anything, which did not surprise us.

 

Day 2: We got to our blinds well before light. Daybreak found us looking over big water holes with nothing coming to them. We sat all day. When I drove over to the ridge to meet the guys at the pick up point, only one of them had seen deer- 2 does in the early afternoon. We returned to camp to eat and sleep and of course, strategize about the next couple days.

 

Day 3: I dropped the guys off at their starting point and headed to my blind for the morning hunt. I sat until early afternoon and fought off the mosquito barrage. Nothing. So I pulled the blind and headed back to camp to drop it off and head out for the evening.... Only this time I was going to still hunt and glass the ridges for deer moving. I saw 2 muley does really early in the evening at 20 yards. They got up from under a JP and ran across the road in front of my truck. I was excited to actually see deer and it reinvigorated me for the next few hours. I would not see any other deer that night until we had to beep at a big Muley buck to get him off the road. Deer were moving- or so we thought. It rained very late that night for a few hours and it changed everything.

 

Day 4: Since the deer weren't hitting any water, we decided to take the morning and scout a few spots up on top of the rim... MUD!!! It was really muddy but nothing the old H3 couldn't handle. We drove up there and scouted about a dozen spots and saw very little sign. After a few hours, we went back to camp and ate. The evening would find us hunting tree stands in the pines near where we thought deer would travel... Not a thing. Now we were getting worried!

 

Day 5: I still hunted the morning and re-set my blind at a new spot. Sat the evening there and only heard elk bugling and coyotes close by. This trip is almost over and we were all pretty beat up, bit up, tired and sore. That evening we had a beef stew strategy session and decided we would put on a three man still hunt/drive in the a.m.

 

Day 6: We started out in a line about 200 yards wide and slowly worked our way to the distant water holes the other two guys had blinds on. We bumped a few elk and a few jackrabbits, but did not see any deer again. We retrieved the blinds and headed back to camp. That evening we headed down to Payson to grab a burger and a pint. Our hunt was over. No tags filled. We had a blast, but the deer were just not anywhere we could find them.

 

The next morning we packed up camp so that the early elk hunters could move in... And driving the long way back down 87 we saw a ton of campers and ATV trailers... Good luck guys!!!

[JLW]

always good to be out even though you didn't tag out! 2 weeks in december to look forward to. I had a great time out. only could get in about 6 days total. had some great deer on my cams but just couldn't put it together. Saw the buck in my avatar (the big dude in the back) running with a smaller 3x3, cross the road on the way back from glassin. saw him on the way to glass too. I put a stalk on them and got to 52yds and had a shot at the smaller guy. I was waiting for the big 1 to clear the trees. I had the smaller guy broad side for about 3 minutes and then it happened. The old breeze swirl on the back of the neck! The little guy picked his head up and nervously switched his tail! UH OH! They were feeding right towards me and they just turned 180 deg. and started walking the other way! I almost cried! I was bummed to say the least. I got greedy! I have never been so close to such a huge coues buck! My heart was pounding so hard in my head! Adrenaline gotta love it! NEVER LOOK A GIFT COUES IN THE MOUTH! LOL! come on december!

James

[bonecollector]

Im eight there with you. I didnt get to hunt as much as I had planned and I only saw does and 1 spike at dark. I'll give it another try with the rifle in october.

[CouesWhitetail]

Nice write-up and better luck next time!

[200"mulie]

There is always next time thanks for the update!

[Scooter]

Thanks! I will be putting in the time getting ready for December. No rifle tag this year...

[JLW]

Thanks! I will be putting in the time getting ready for December. No rifle tag this year...

I thought you were a south sider?? LOL!

what are you doing all the way up in 22?

You drove past like 200,000 coues bucks to get there! LOL!

 

James

[Scooter]

I had an old hunting buddy from NY that was here picking up his elk mount from 2011 and he used to live up there. I kinda wish I'd have convinced them to come down here! Oh well- maybe I'll invite them down in December. I'm gonna do a ton of scouting (read: coyote blasting) until then...

[azffhunter]

I didn't have much luck either...wasn't able to get out much this early hunt and when I did, It wasn't until 8-9 am when is was already hot. Glassed up some does and a couple spikes/forks but nothing worth ending my hunting this early for. I was glad to get out though...looking forward to my sons Jr. javelina hunt next month. Congrats to those that were successful, and good luck to those of us still in the chase!!