Ok, gurus..tell me what my NON RESIDENT odds of drawing a Nevada deer tag might be. I know it can take many years to pick up a late rifle hunt tag. I'm interested in rifle and archery but leaning toward archery as my only real chance at hunting in Nevada sooner rather than later. Any thoughts/ideas/tips to draw a northern Nevada tag would be welcome. This forum has been relatively dead and I'd like to see some activity that may help me decide where/when to hunt. I have some limited knowledge of our X zones here in California if anyone is interested in trading info.
Nevada Archery Deer
- Thread starter Calbuck
- Start date
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
I've spent some time hunting in X1 and X4. I have some limited knowledge of X3A and X3B. Know a little about the X5's. There are some good bucks to be had in Cali, they're tough to find and hunt though. Persistence pays off in this state..I'm sure that's true of any place a person hunts though! Compared to other states, I don't know if hunting in California is any different or not. 
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
If you are willing to hike, the rubys seem to be a hotspot. Archery is your best shot at a tag there.
Rubys is a great spot. Cam Hanes took a great buck in there a few years ago. I've hunted by the Rubys with rifle back when I was a road/meat hunter. There are some big bucks there. You just need to get high and away from the other hunters. The deer are only there in the summer and move out before rifle season so you def want to try and get a Archery tag.
Don't have any points. I don't necessarily expect to draw every year, but I'd rather get out and have the opportunity to hunt vs. trying to draw a trophy unit. I'm 40 and would like the chance to hunt Nevada multiple times before I get old. Waiting 10-15-20 years for a tag is ridiculous in my opinion, so don't want to play that game if at all possible. I'd read some and heard you can draw a Rubies tag and I'd also read/heard that archery tags are much easier to draw, so looking at that option very hard right now.
Rite now is the best time for you to try and draw. NDOW is giving tags away like crazy! (No good) but if you want the chance now is the time before they realize they screwed our deer heard and cut tags back to nothing.
Ultimately, I was looking at area 6 late rifle, but I know that one will take (possibly) many years to draw. How about area 6 archery?
norcalhunter
Member
You get five choices in NV. Start with a late rifle as your first pick and work your way to archery as a 4th/ 5th pick. I drew a late season rifle hunt in the Rubies with 10 points and a late rifle in 6 last year with 1 point. It's luck of the draw!
Late late late. For rifle. Hope for snow and cold. You can sometimes catch the pre rut. Check the regs and absulutly call F&G and talk to the Bio.
norcalhunter
Member
We only had 4 days to fill 3 tags. I wish we would have had 10 days or so. It is a huge unit and I feel we barely scratched the surface.
norcalhunter
Member
BigSurArcher
Very Active Member
Rubys can be really good if you have the right hunting style and you are in shape. Backpack high and deep, and don't get discouraged early. I've hunted it the last 2 years in a row with rifle in the early season. I've drawn twice with 2 points, and once with 0 points. Glassed one other hunter opening morning last season, then absolutely nobody after that. You won't see many big bucks up there during that season, so when you do you have to get it done. Last 2 seasons we've seen 4 shooters and killed all of them. 27" 5x6, 25" 4x4, 24" 4x4, and a 30.5" 4x5. The next biggest buck to all of these was a spindly 18" 4x4. Glass all day and if you are in the does and small bucks, get the hell away from them. There are a ton of better hunts in Nevada but the fact that we train all year and know the Rubys well definitely gives us a leg up. I usually have a 170+ goal each time going there, and I've accomplished that 3 times in 3 hunts. Don't believe all the Ruby naysayers!
Thanks Bigsur..that's kind of where I'm at. I believe that if you get to know an area, even if it's not "the best" hunt zone, you can still find good bucks. I would rather spend time and money actually hunting rather than collecting points for "the best" zones..just my opinion.
So I've decided to try for area 6 archery as my first choice in hopes of drawing it this year...we'll see what happens. I would think the highest ridges I can find would be the most likely places to start my scouting if I'm able to draw.
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
Rodzilla
New Member
Cant go wrong with NV, area 6 is not bad, but don't discount what has been said regarding the rubies, also take a look at the units close to Ely, there is some good hunting to be had there, although glassing with all that PJ (Pinion Juniper) is tough. Once I burn my 6 Nonresi points I will be switching to Archery as well/don't want to wait another 6 years to hunt that great state.