Early deer oct hunts

[elkaholic]

Maybe some others will add their hunts .

 

My wife had Oct Coues in 21- we managed 3 days , despite the heat - it was 90 degree in the desert , opening day and what I can only describe as the worse GNAT infestation I have ever experienced while hunting.

I mean they were constantly trying to get in our ears- eyes - nose-- I mean hundreds in and around your body and head - crawling all over your hands etc. Fortunately I had a head net for my wife , she never would have survived the hunt without it .

We did manage to find a few does - but no bucks were seen

we still had a great time.

I do not think she wants to try another Oct hunt in the desert- and getting up before 5 am isn't in her normal schedule .-lol

 

I honestly believe the deer were in the thickest stuff possible , just so they could avoid the pesty gnats too!

[Seldom Drawn]

When I take women or kids on tougher hunts, I scout like crazy at least 3-10 days depends if

I can find the animals how much time did you put in? I want them to have fun and want to come back so I have to really put the time in.

How many days were you out?I have seen some good bucks friends shot in 21 but they scout as much

or more as me sorry your wife didn't connect you might put her in for the early Kaibab hunt tell she draws it would be a slam dunk.

[elkaholic]

we had bucks on trail camera - had 2- 3 spots picked out - just wasn't meant to be this tag - we had a good time

 

didn't want to overdo it too much as it can make it worse in the long run - heat was a factor - bugs were a factor-

 

limited days to hunt - not complaining

 

as far as pre scouting - making 3-5-8-10 trips prior to season - glad some can afford it - I can't

not everyone can pack up and spend the season in the mtns. either.

 

it's nice we were able to get out hike the hills and see some deer

 

might have to change seasons though - hopefully she'll draw an antelope or elk tag for this fall- now she says even turkey might be fun - I'm like - now you say something - so just getting out and having a good time was great - shes getting back into hunting after a 25 yr layoff- lol usually always put her in for early rifle elk hunts

[singleshot]

Feeling your pain. I can be hunting in 15 minutes from the house so I usually don't scout much. My daughter, brother and I were smothered in # 50 sunblock, the gnats were unbelievable, the heat was just numbing. Glassing the cooler north slopes, options are few for any form of shade. The grass is waist high and the snakes were out. We saw some deer but not what we are used too.

Nice getting some much needed exercise in but this hunt has been miserable as far as the heat and bugs.

Headed high today to poke around in the pines.

[Zeke-BE]

You know besides the bugs, this is the main reason I opt out of the first more successful hunts because do the heat. I work in the heat all the time but for some reason hunting in it just drives me crazy. Maybe it's a psychological thing you think hunting should be cold but it's hot. I don't know. But I'm hoping for my November 14 hunt it should be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than what it was this last Saturday

[Coues79]

I've never hunted for deer with a rifle in hotter weather than what I hunted this past weekend. I was literally beading sweat, running down the face, hot and miserable. Its hard to focus on glassing, picking apart hillsides when you're like that. A ten degree difference in heat would make all the difference in the world IMO. Deer were held up very tight, bedding down before 7, not moving again til around 500 pm. Difficult hunt.

[ajohunter]

One of the hottest hunts I have been on ever. Seen lots of deer between 0630 and 1000. Larger bucks were holding tight in the washes and up high so I decided early on to take any buck. It was difficult to stay out in the sun and heat and glass but it paid off.

[Zeke-BE]

I can't remember when maybe around 2005 I had a December hunt whitetail in 36B. We got there and we had a high pressure swing in the day before. It was around 95 degrees in December opening morning. December!!!!!!! The next day southern arizona had a hi wind advisory. It was wind blowing 20-40 mph. We still got out and hope to find some calm pockets. I got to the top of the mountain and all of Mexico wind was bashing on that ridge. With the wind compressing up against the mountain the top side was shooting wind around 50-60 mph. I could barley stand. Well we gave up that day and I remember the tent bubbly down on our faces in the middle of the night. Did it get better?? We woke up to calm cool RAINY weather. We still wanted to hunt so we went out and beat the bush and scared out a few does. The next morning we woke up to snow!! What the!! Snow is a better sign but I was done mentally with this hunt. So we glassed all morning through fog and some open areas and then called it quits. That was the most bizarre hunt I have ever been on.

[.270]

So I dont get it, it's deer season, you have tags.....and you're whinin' about it? You been watchin' too many huntin' shows. Is there a girly man only hunt right now? . A 13 year old girl hunting outta our place hung onto a mule in rough country for 2 days and shot a big buck a couple weeks ago. She was all smiles the entire time. Lark.

[elkaholic]

I guess "we" cant come on here and tell about an unsuccessful hunt -- without it being called whinning and girly man

 

 

.270 glad to know there is a real manly guy here - to point that out for us.

 

I just see hunters telling what happened on a hunt

[.270]

Dang, guess I'll hafta put you on the do not tease list. I was actually trying too get a rise outta singleshot so I could tell his dad on him. Anyway, whatever. This is Arizona. We have 2 seasons. Summer and then December, January and February. Sometimes, well most of the time, it's hot. This time o' year the cedar gnats hatch and are horrible sometimes. I had the same hunt. Dealt with the same stuff. Shot a nice buck Monday. One thing you have to deal with everyday, without fail, if you're hunting or not, is the weather. Season lasts till tomorrow. If I still had a tag, I'd go huntin'. Lark.

[Coues79]

LoL. Lark I am mad at global warming. It got the best of me this year. BTW that muley that girl took was an awesome buck. Congrats to all involved!

[SunDevil]

it's Bush's fault!!!

[elkaholic]

It's all good - guess I missed the humor

 

I didn't know about the gnats hatch cuz normally I do not hunt the early hot seasons in the desert

 

If it was my tag I'd be hunting but someone has to earn a living.

 

we hunted the days we could - and I know we'll try agin

 

we can't all tag out !

 

added note - for a 60 yr old lady who hasn't hunted in the last 25 yrs and rarely gets out in the hot desert - She was a trooper. no whimpering or whining - no road hunting allowed - we hiked a few miles in and out each trip.

 

kinda funny-seeing her expression when she'd look back and see the truck that looked like a red dot from the hill top.

[singleshot]

Hey Lark,

the old man didn't raise no sissies. I spent my whole childhood trying to keep up with him, and he was huffing a camel the whole time. He made me cross Deadman to go back and look for my empty 6.5 brass after I killed my first buck. Didn't even congratulate me. I will never forget him telling me " you left 35 cents on the side of that mountain get your butt back over there and find it". My brother and I would have to stay in the truck as he went into Circle K and came out with a loaf of bread and two cans of Viennas and that was breakfast, lunch and dinner. After lunch he would reach in his pack and ask my brother and I if we wanted a candy bar. Of course we wanted one and he would laugh and say "yeah. I do too".

Retired at 52 and lives in Alpine, I should have learned to like a bread sandwich.

We hit it hard for five days, his granddaughter is the toughest beautiful girl I know. I'm thinking about calling in sick tomorrow.