Fewer Deer in 30A

[Idahocoueshunter]

Did anyone with a 30A tag notice fewer deer? Normally I can glass up at least 20 deer a day, but this year I was lucky to find 5-8 a day. One day we found only a doe and fawn. I think the limited access keeps the lion population up. I've read posts of 30 deer sightings in other units, but that was sure not the case for us. We killed bucks, but they were few and far between and not the calibre we were used to.

 

 

Craig.

[creed_az_88]

I tagged out in this unit also. saw a lot of deer but not in the same areas as usual. i think u are right about the limited access and lions. Im a local so i have many areas in the unit to fall back on when my favorite areas wont produce. My uncle killed a lion in an isolated mtn range in this unit that nobody can hunt during his oct. hunt. we usually see tons of bucks in these mountains but this year there were no bucks to be found. the lower elevated hills were where all the deer had migrated to. this is a very inconsistent unit but i love it. the lions really are a problem though. they have pushed all the mule deer from the foothills to the mesquite flats. it just seems that the deer move alot depending on the lion pressure. i did not come across another hunter so it was great.

 

 

 

creed

[Spooner]

I tagged out in this unit also. saw a lot of deer but not in the same areas as usual. i think u are right about the limited access and lions. Im a local so i have many areas in the unit to fall back on when my favorite areas wont produce. My uncle killed a lion in an isolated mtn range in this unit that nobody can hunt during his oct. hunt. we usually see tons of bucks in these mountains but this year there were no bucks to be found. the lower elevated hills were where all the deer had migrated to. this is a very inconsistent unit but i love it. the lions really are a problem though. they have pushed all the mule deer from the foothills to the mesquite flats. it just seems that the deer move alot depending on the lion pressure. i did not come across another hunter so it was great.

 

 

 

creed

 

 

Did anyone with a 30A tag notice fewer deer? Normally I can glass up at least 20 deer a day, but this year I was lucky to find 5-8 a day. One day we found only a doe and fawn. I think the limited access keeps the lion population up. I've read posts of 30 deer sightings in other units, but that was sure not the case for us. We killed bucks, but they were few and far between and not the calibre we were used to.

 

 

Craig.

 

This isn't good news. I have a Dec. tag and so far, a couple of my areas to scout have fallen through due to lack of access and/or permission for access. Back to square 1 sounds like to me. That's the scout and the hunt though!

 

Will

[JVS]

I found that unit 31 was similar. We did not see the amount, nor the quality of deer we have seen in the past. Saw lion tracks EVERYWHERE! My neighbor has tagged a Coues deer every year for 28 years, and this is the first in 28 years he did not tag out in unit 31. Seems like to people population grows every year though!

[AZcoues_addict]

I noticed fewer deer as well and I think the heards are way down in numbers, as well as the buck to doe ratio! We still saw quite a few whitetail bucks being shot during the Oct hunt from one area, but nothing to really brag about, mostly small bucks and a few 3 points. Lots of hunters in a few areas, that's the one bad part about public access in this unit.

 

As far as the lions go, one person shot a lion, and I heard of three mature lions photographed at the same time on the same tank (trail cam). I hope someone seriously runs some dogs in there to thin out the cats!

In the last 3-4 years I haven't even seen a muley buck up high in the mountains like I used to, I think the combined drought and predators have cut the heards way down in number, as well as pushed the mule deer down to the flats. However, in the last few years we've spotted lions up in trees down on the mesquite flats in the thick washes too, so I think the lions are adjusting their hunting tactics more to follow the deer heards.

 

IMO - This unit definitely needs a new plan of action by the Dept., you can't simply rely on deer population numbers to stay stable with such limited access. Not only is the deer population hard to control with such limited access, but the predator #'s as well. If the deer are concentrating near the public access one year, they seem to get shot up; while in other years they are concentrated in isolated areas and very few deer are harvested. This has to do specifically with the feed and water in dry years, and where the deer are foces to congregate. Also, I think currently less often ranchers are taking care of predators, mainly due to a shift in diet - less cattle, more deer! Of course this is all just my opinion and what I've observed over my 15 years hunting this unit, which my family has hunted for over 30.

[peloncillo]

I really like hunting in 30A. I keep drawing 29 lately. I grew up in Douglas and have hunted around there since I was 14. Deer numbers there do flucuate quite a bit I think. I remember years when you would see over 100 mule deer does and be lucky to see 1 buck. My gunsmith is from there also and he just got back from the Nov. hunt there and he said he was into good coues bucks everyday. He also packed back in about three miles from the road though. The biggest buck I ever seen was in 30A. I know they are in there. Years ago Warner Glenn kept the lion population down. I don't know if anyone is doing it now.

 

Keven

[kphunter]

I also have seen fair numbers of mulies near Douglas, but don't have a clue about coues in that area.

 

 

 

KP

[Mon]

My son has a december tag for 30A, we went out today to try to find a area to hunt we were in the Rucker canyon Rd area saw a lot of good looking area but no deer. It is a little confusing about where the private land starts and ends we saw a few no tresspassing signs on some side roads but not in other places any suggestions on where to check out in this unit would be helpful we use to hunt the Skeleton Canyon area but no way in now really limits our choices.

[SunDevil]

1998 was the last year I personally saw any good bucks in this unit and I have been in there 6 of the last 8 years since then. I refuse to let Scout'm put that unit on our application but every year he asks.

 

I was down there this year in october helping some friends with there hunt and saw 4 spikes and a fork horn in 2 days of hard hunting.

 

Once again though, saw some good ole boys who had the key to the locked gate from Klump. Shot a buck right off the road as a matter of fact. Also found some kind of deer stand or something. Looked like some kind of plastic seat on top of a windmill stand. Should have taken a pic of it. Seemed kind of weird.

 

Anyway - I personally have had enough of this unit to last me awhile. CB

[scoutm]

c'mon, There are some great deer in 30A You can find them just the other side of the no trespass sign or just a ways past the locked gate.

[Spooner]

c'mon, There are some great deer in 30A You can find them just the other side of the no trespass sign or just a ways past the locked gate.

 

 

Anyone out there from Texas? NM? Colorado? Isn't this how the "You Can Hunt Here For Big Bucks$$$ system got started? There is no doubt there are legitimate small parcel owners that simply want their little get away...but....I wonder. Anyway, there are definitley some good deer in this unit. You may have to work a bit harder at locating them, but they are there. After all, aren't we industrious and intelligent hunters? Think about it, they are only Coues deer, evenutally we will be smarter than they are. Right now, they simply know where the private areas are. Anyone can figure that out!