Unit 21 herd....Edit...Pics and story

[6AYoteHunter]

Get some Turtle Skin Snake Gaiters. Nice bucks in some interesting spots. 

[CouesFanatic]

Be ready to shoot some coyotes. They are everywhere in that unit. 

[azelkhunter69]

I plan on spending most weekends scouting this summer, especially all through August.  Since this is probably my 1st and last rifle tag, if any of you kind gents want to share where you saw some of these "nice bucks" over the last year, I wouldn't be opposed to getting pointed in that direction to check them out.  I "guided" my dad in that unit 10 years ago and he shot a real nice buck so I have plenty of knowledge on where to start.  3 general areas that I will hit hard.  They are not secrets.  Obviously, there are antelope back in off Bloody Basin Rd. and up off Dugas.  And I also thought I would check up by Cordes Junction where they transplanted a herd from Utah several years back.  Curious about the "interesting spots" 6AYoteHunter?   I won't hold it against anybody if they don't want to share.  I personally am not bothered by sharing info on basically what has turned into a once in a lifetime hunt, about like sheep.   Not like there are honey holes you can hunt every year.  Not like deer and elk.  I will keep you posted on how things work out.  

Funny thing, all the time I have spent in 21, I have only ever seen one snake.

[yotebuster]

You should be able to look at just about every buck in the unit.  I’m not much help on spots as the places you listed are all the places I’ve seen them in there.  Pick the biggest one out and keep your finger on him and pray an archery hunter doesn’t kill him before you get a chance.  Kill him at opening light.  I could be wrong but there haven’t been a ton of huge bucks that came out of there.  Someone posted one on here years back that was a toad but I’d be real surprised if there’s an 82” buck in there.  Never know though!!

[lionhunter]

A good buddy of mine has the archery tag, I will let you know what I have learned after his hunt.  good luck

Whitey

[Jeffdavison]

[Jeffdavison]

I took this buck in 2016. Call me at9285335617 and I can let you know what we found on my hunt.

[AZAV8ER]

On 1/26/2019 at 7:45 PM, oz31p said:

Those 19a/b goats are fenced in. 

A wire mesh fence? Three strand barbed wire wont hold them.

[oz31p]

What if it’s subdivision on the other side of 4 wire?

[bonecollector]

20 hours ago, azelkhunter69 said:

 

Funny thing, all the time I have spent in 21, I have only ever seen one snake.

I had the archery hunt in 2015 and only ran across 1 snake while scouting and none hunting.

I was told about the snakes there, just glad I didnt experience them.

[azelkhunter69]

23 hours ago, yotebuster said:

You should be able to look at just about every buck in the unit.  I’m not much help on spots as the places you listed are all the places I’ve seen them in there.  Pick the biggest one out and keep your finger on him and pray an archery hunter doesn’t kill him before you get a chance.  Kill him at opening light.  I could be wrong but there haven’t been a ton of huge bucks that came out of there.  Someone posted one on here years back that was a toad but I’d be real surprised if there’s an 82” buck in there.  Never know though!!

The buck my dad killed would have been right at 82" if he hadn't broken 1 1/2" off one side.  He wasn't real tall, but had mass all the way up.

[yotebuster]

25 minutes ago, azelkhunter69 said:

The buck my dad killed would have been right at 82" if he hadn't broken 1 1/2" off one side.  He wasn't real tall, but had mass all the way up.

I definitely think there’s always a chance of a good one but it’s not a unit that if you scout all summer and don’t find the giant you’re looking for you can expect one to randomly show up.  What’s there is there and he might have to be happy with just a nice buck if that’s all that around.  

[Jasper17]

Don't keep talking about how many goats you see G&F are reading and will give out so many tags over a couple of years and wipe out everything. Just like 18B.

[azelkhunter69]

Well, I shot my buck Friday morning about 10 minutes into the season.  During all my scouting, I never saw a buck that made me say "Wow".  Combine that with leaving Wednesday for my elk hunt, the God awful heat and the fact that the opener would have been my dad's 81st birthday, I really wanted to shoot one the first day.  I saw a couple that were a little bigger than this one but he was decent enough.  And best of all, he hung around in a very stalkable spot.  I put him to bed Thursday evening and was back before light Friday.  Sat drinking coffee waiting for it to get light enough to start out.

  They were hanging out in a spot that was just over the rise of a gentle slope the last time I saw them Thursday so I slowly moved in that direction.  I was getting close so I put my pack down and continued on.  I was keeping an eye out, hoping I would see them before they saw me.  Well, they had moved into the bushes above and to the left of where I thought they would be and I actually passed them without seeing them.  Next thing you know, I see does trotting along the fence about 150 yards away.  I saw the buck coming along behind.  Of course, he stopped behind some brush.  I moved a little closer and I think a doe must have seen me.  The does started trotting again and I got ready as he went behind another bush.  The grass and bushes were so tall I had to shoot offhand.  He came out on the move and I let him have it.  He went down but I hit him a little back.  I put another one through his shoulders as he tried to get up.  I didn't realize he was all busted up.  A fighter.  Broke off the prong on his right side and the tips were broken off on both horns.  Decent mass and right at 14" long.  Now....on to elk. 

 

Forgot to mention....shot him with one of my dad's rifles also.  Winchester Model 70 in 7mm WSM.

 

 

 

 

[thegunsmith2506]

Congrats! I had this hunt in 2012 and lived in cordes at the time. I looked over lots of bucks and ended up with about a 70in buck on day 3. Back then they had 25 tags. I saw several bucks killed that were not even above the ears. I am glad to see they cut the tags back.