12bw early

[208muley]

My wife has this tag for her first deer tag. I have hunted this unit many times but not since the fence in Utah went up. If you have hunted this hunt since the fence can you tell me how your hunt went? Are the deer figuring the fence out?

[EAS]

I hunted 12bw late rut the first year of the fence in 2013... Still saw buck, shot the buck in my pic.

Let's see what others have to say, I have the late 12B rut tag this year again hehe...

[218buck]

I hunted 12bw late rut the first year of the fence in 2013... Still saw buck, shot the buck in my pic.

Let's see what others have to say, I have the late 12B rut tag this year again hehe...

That's pretty lucky good luck

[naturebob]

Utah really put up a fence? Thats BS on their part I think..............BOB!

[GreyGhost85]

it had nothing to do Utah trying to keep the deer in their state or anything. i am not too educated on the subject, but i think it was to reduce the amount of deer casualties that occurred on the roadway and diverting the deer to cross where it is safe. from what i have heard the first year it really changed the deer patterns a lot, but hey have gotten used to it for the most part and are getting back into their historic patterns

[Fathead]

I had that hunt last year. Shot a 4x4 on day six. Only saw does and yearling bucks up to that point.

[208muley]

Thanks for the answers guys. Fathead, we're the numbers of deer kinda normal? Not really concerned too much with a giant, even tho I have spots to find em in the past, more concerned with her having a great experience seeing deer and when she wants to shoot a buck, regardless of size, there are plenty of deer to sift thru. In years past there has been a ton of younger bucks, forkies and 3pts, around. Is it still that way?

[Fathead]

Saw yearling bucks almost every day. Saw lots of does each day. Ran into a BLM ranger on day 2 and he said the bucks hadn't really started migrating in yet. At the check station at Jacob lake when I checked mine in, the guy there said they were hammering them in 12a so I guess the BLM guy may have been somewhat right. I really don't know how many bucks come from the upper Kaibab vs Utah but there's the info I know.

[lancetkenyon]

As for last year, I would not say the hunters were "hammering" deer in 12A. At least not a lot of monsters, or even mature deer. Of course there were some bruisers taken, but I swear, it seems like more and more 2 points are being taken off the Bab each year during the Oct. general hunt. I checked my deer in on day 5, and while it was a nice mature 4x4, it was one of the biggest checked in up to that point. Yet, I was seeing forkies hanging in every other camp.

 

Go where you have seen bucks in the past. If you have found them there before, my bet is you will find them in the area again. I know I have a few honey holes that hold bucks every year. I am hoping to put my 13 year old daughter on a deer in one of those holes this October.

[Fathead]

By hammering, I don't mean monster bucks. The guy just said that the tags from 12a were well over half filled when I checked mine on day 7. Just going by what he said. He didn't say anything about the quality of the bucks checked. I did see a pretty nice 5x5 at Jacob Lake that day that was from 12a.

[452b264]

Thanks for the answers guys. Fathead, we're the numbers of deer kinda normal? Not really concerned too much with a giant, even tho I have spots to find em in the past, more concerned with her having a great experience seeing deer and when she wants to shoot a buck, regardless of size, there are plenty of deer to sift thru. In years past there has been a ton of younger bucks, forkies and 3pts, around. Is it still that way?

I have hunted the early hunt three times. The does and smaller bucks migrate into Arizona from Utah first, which make up 99.99% of the deer during this hunt. Hunt around water and you will do fine, the last hunt my son and I had we waited until the last day after most of the hunters had left for home to sit close to a tank that had been hammered by the road hunters, but had a ton of fresh sign all around the area and took two bucks in 1 hour.