Just returned home and had a great trip. Learned a lot about hunting this unit for deer, as this was the first time for me. Have hunted it for elk, but about 40 miles east of this deer area which is in the western part of the unit.
First I'll start with the weather. We got there 2 days before the 4th season on Monday, which was the day after 3rd season closed. The wind started blowing and blew with gusts up to 35mph, just before the snow storm hit the next day. We had a couple of inches of snow the day/night before opening day, which is what I always like. But damn it was cold, got down to 15 that night.
Opening day we went to an area up on top of a ridge where there had been a burn a couple of years earlier. Saw a few tracks & deer, a couple of small bucks. Lots of elk hunters as elk season on too. We covered lots of high country and saw a few deer, but nothing like I expected.
Thursday we changed tactics and hunted the lower sagebrush where it spread out from the junipers. Saw literally 100's of deer feeding in the sage,typical after a big storm. Lots and lots of bucks...spikes, forkies and small 3 pointers. Did see a couple of better bucks, maybe 160 class. Saw on really nice 4x4, maybe 180+, but well over 500 yards out with a pretty good wind blowing, not a shot I want to try. Could not get any closer with out crawling in the mud & snow for 3 to 4 hundred yards, not for my old 74 year old knees! Went back to camp just a sunset and there was a pretty nice 4 x 3, big bodied buck feeding by himself right at camp, so the rest was history! He was respectable, but not any large trophy. But under the conditions, hard to pass up a nice buck that would only need to be moved 100 yards to put on the meat rack! Buck field dressed 180#.
Learned a lot for sure. This is definitely 4x4 or atv country. Lots of rough roads and 2 tracks. After the moisture they are almost impossible to use without a jeep or atv. We went over 60 miles of muddy, sloppy 2 tracks on our atvs. Rut had not started yet, but probably soon. I found out my hunting trailer that I converted from a snow mobile hauler is not insulated well at all! Even with a 6000 btu catalytic heater, inside was 35 in the morning with outside at 16. When I hunt again in that kind of cold temps, I'll be running my generator at night with some electric heat to supplement the regular heater. Otherwise, trailer is great. Had so much wind, we could not set up the canopy cover, so we were slopping around in the mud as the snow melted! I don't think motels are an option (at least for me), as the nearest are around 50 miles away.
Had a great time, glad I took plenty of warm clothes and sleeping bag. learned a lot about this area and got to get some venison for the freezer.
First I'll start with the weather. We got there 2 days before the 4th season on Monday, which was the day after 3rd season closed. The wind started blowing and blew with gusts up to 35mph, just before the snow storm hit the next day. We had a couple of inches of snow the day/night before opening day, which is what I always like. But damn it was cold, got down to 15 that night.
Opening day we went to an area up on top of a ridge where there had been a burn a couple of years earlier. Saw a few tracks & deer, a couple of small bucks. Lots of elk hunters as elk season on too. We covered lots of high country and saw a few deer, but nothing like I expected.
Thursday we changed tactics and hunted the lower sagebrush where it spread out from the junipers. Saw literally 100's of deer feeding in the sage,typical after a big storm. Lots and lots of bucks...spikes, forkies and small 3 pointers. Did see a couple of better bucks, maybe 160 class. Saw on really nice 4x4, maybe 180+, but well over 500 yards out with a pretty good wind blowing, not a shot I want to try. Could not get any closer with out crawling in the mud & snow for 3 to 4 hundred yards, not for my old 74 year old knees! Went back to camp just a sunset and there was a pretty nice 4 x 3, big bodied buck feeding by himself right at camp, so the rest was history! He was respectable, but not any large trophy. But under the conditions, hard to pass up a nice buck that would only need to be moved 100 yards to put on the meat rack! Buck field dressed 180#.
Learned a lot for sure. This is definitely 4x4 or atv country. Lots of rough roads and 2 tracks. After the moisture they are almost impossible to use without a jeep or atv. We went over 60 miles of muddy, sloppy 2 tracks on our atvs. Rut had not started yet, but probably soon. I found out my hunting trailer that I converted from a snow mobile hauler is not insulated well at all! Even with a 6000 btu catalytic heater, inside was 35 in the morning with outside at 16. When I hunt again in that kind of cold temps, I'll be running my generator at night with some electric heat to supplement the regular heater. Otherwise, trailer is great. Had so much wind, we could not set up the canopy cover, so we were slopping around in the mud as the snow melted! I don't think motels are an option (at least for me), as the nearest are around 50 miles away.
Had a great time, glad I took plenty of warm clothes and sleeping bag. learned a lot about this area and got to get some venison for the freezer.
