time to burn my points!

[Roger L]

hi,
I have one less than the max in California for all species, and realizing what a goofy system we have I'm going to start using up my points.
I'm looking at the deer draw and I like X-2 but I do not know anything about the area. Can anyone give me some advise on areas, etc?
Thanks,
Roger

 

[Calbuck]

If I were in your shoes, I would look very carefully at the zone(s) you could spend the most time scouting in. Any area can stump you if you're unfamiliar with it even if there are lots of animals there. I'm assuming you're looking at a rifle hunt..with that in mind I'd be looking at X5b or X5a. You can draw X2 with 6 points, so might pass on that unless you can scout it more. Whatever you decide, keep expectations realistic and have fun!

 

[Roger L]

Thanks Calbuck. I called a buddy last night and he has 4 points. So we are going to put in for X2 and do some serious pre-season scouting.

 

[grimsreapers]

well i hope your experience in x2 this year was better than mine last year I got there late sunday night 10/11 hunted hard the four mile valley, i was camped at four mile resivor and saw zero deer monday and tuesday.i tried the burn area but the roads were closed both by beaver mountain and the back way through everly resivor, the burn is private property and they were spraying pesticides. you needed horses or atvs. Wednesday morning i was set up in 4 mile valley again when i saw a group of deer i was so pumped i had them in my scope as they popped out from a bush and i told myself if i see antler take a shot (they were 30 yards)....all 9 does, what a bummer. I called my dad back home and he told me he found out because of the heat the deer were bedding down by daybreak giving the hunters pretty much an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Thursday the high was going to be 88 and no changes until sat (the last day) the guy at blue mountain lookout said he has never seen it this hot.im curious to see the numbers, i didnt hear one shot while i was out there. I was under the impression there would be tons of migratory deer but the season ended oct 18 and i think that might be too early

 

[grimsreapers]

btw x2 is popular because of the migratory deer coming south from oregon not the residential deer so scouting isnt as much finding deer but looking for good spots and putting together a game plan

 

[sneakypete]

If I had max points I'd be looking at x5b & x5a x3a & x3b in that order. Start scouting now

 

[B&C Blacktails]

if you are a go getter and bust your butt you can not go wrong with any xzone hunt, just dont expect to find booners everywhere, or at all. 150" are very likely. Hunting is not easy and shouldn't be so, work hard and you will be satisfied

 

[Slugz]

Agree with Pete's order......and hes from the from the Greater Republic of California! I would not go into X-2 if I had other options.

All the best.

 

[Take Em Bucks N Bulls]

interesting reactions, X2 is a great unit and right now tops out X5A and X5B. About the migratory deer, there's some decent bucks, but the local bucks are the real bruisers. you just have to know where to hunt. BTW four mile hasn't been very good for a few years now. The bucks get bigger the further away from Oregon you get.

 

[goindeep]

if you are a go getter and bust your butt you can not go wrong with any xzone hunt, just dont expect to find booners everywhere, or at all. 150" are very likely. Hunting is not easy and shouldn't be so, work hard and you will be satisfied

B&C said it best. There are quality bucks in every zone. We find 150-170+ bucks every year we draw our zone. We don't always get them but we've taken quite a few. Scout and hunt your ass off, think outside of the box and you'll find a few good ones.