X5A Bust!

[Buck8541]

We hunted the Horse Lake Mountain area hard for three days plus one day of scouting and only saw one legal buck (he's at the processor), did anyone else with X5A tags do any better on the rifle opener? This was a frustrating opener, we only saw six deer in four days! We have one more tag, and are headed back up this weekend, any info would be great.

 

[sneakypete]

Where is X5a by? Got to be around Lake Almanor or in that area?

 

[Caseyu]

Tough luck buck! Just went to a fire started by a couple hunters shooting at a coyote right by the ferdoyner lookout road and 139 crossing last night 2 acres but I am sure we scared everything within a mile or two

 

[packer58]

Hey buck, I hate to say it but I'm not at all surprised. X5a in particular has been on a downward trend for some time now with very low deer densities. IMHO this unit is living on it's reputation of years gone by.

 

[sneakypete]

I hope maybe you get some weather.

 

[Buck8541]

Casey, we saw them on the way out, they were shooting at targets because they were bored. Coyote my butt, was that the camp sight with the fifth wheel, massive BBQ and smoker, and quad trailer? Packer, I ahave seen some awesome bucks on our property in the last year, I have a feeling the have moved down to the alfalfa fields and are holding near water.. But the deer density has declined since the draught started.

 

[Take Em Bucks N Bulls]

I was in X5A this weekend and we saw, 11 Bucks Saturday and 7 Sunday. Nothing up high, everything we saw was in the desert. The weather was tough, be patient and wait till its cools down, the big bucks will be out soon.

 

[Caseyu]

It was dark when we got there so not sure. but they tried putting the fire out themselves. 2 acres is tough to trying to stomp it out. they said they were shooting at a coyote but they were shooting fmjs so i think that is the crowd your talking about! real bummber people have to be like that. Stay after it buck! let us know when your hauling the buck off the hill

 

[Buck8541]

Caseyu,

We are headed back in on Friday, if we get another buck I will be sure to post pics if he is worthy. The first buck is too embarrassing to post, smallest deer I have ever shot I think Take Em is right everything is down low, unfortunately our property is the top of the mountain, we will see what the weekend brings. I guess a freezer buck isn't all bad, everyone I talked to on the way out had been skunked.

 

[Gr8bawana]

A small deer is much better than tag soup.

 

[nitis]

I ate my tag last year as I refused to tag something smaller than I could shoot any day of the week back home. I waited a long time to hunt there again.

Got to find water the ridge we hunted and harvested consistently years ago was vacant of deer

Saw most of our bucks all be it small north east of horselake

Last day I hunted I saw 50 deer after 9 am and only two spikes and that was between horselake mountain and horselake. Gotta find water then radius off that and watch out for big kitties

 

[Jrod]

I hunted across the street a couple years ago. We were in bucks everyday and we found it pretty easy. All the bucks were halfway up the mountains, the middle third, downwind side, and never more than fifty yards from the crest of each ridge. The wind was pretty consistent up there. We always walked uphill; ya move slower and see more.
Try the cliffs and draws around the rest area. I know there is a spring or two near there and the deer know that they are relatively safe near the road, look for spots that "look great" but are "to close to the road to hold bucks". You might get surprised
Cheers

 

[nitis]

I hunted across the street a couple years ago. We were in bucks everyday and we found it pretty easy. All the bucks were halfway up the mountains, the middle third, downwind side, and never more than fifty yards from the crest of each ridge. The wind was pretty consistent up there. We always walked uphill; ya move slower and see more.
Try the cliffs and draws around the rest area. I know there is a spring or two near there and the deer know that they are relatively safe near the road, look for spots that "look great" but are "to close to the road to hold bucks". You might get surprised
Cheers

This is one thing I regret not trying last year

 

[Musket Man]

Just went to a fire started by a couple hunters shooting at a coyote

What did they shoot at it with, an RPG? lol. I hadnt herd that 1 before!

 

[marcusvdk]

What did they shoot at it with, an RPG? lol. I hadnt herd that 1 before!

I was going to say tracers. If its been dry around there those things can start nice fires

 

[Buck8541]

Thanks for the advice, normally hunting up there is really easy and we tag out on opening day. I guess I have just been spoiled, we hunted hard again this last weekend, covered lots of miles and elevation changes. We have two springs on our property and we didn't see any deer at all. I even went so far as to use a broom to sweep away the tracks on the trail that leads to the biggest spring. When I checked it in the morning it looked like deer superhighway, clearly the deer have become nocturnal. I spent a lot time glassing the alfalfa fields below us and didn't see any deer down there either. its just a tough year, all the other hunters I talked to who hunted that area around horse lake have been skunked. We finally saw a big herd of deer (50+) in town, crossing HWY 36 running by Jack in the Box. Go figure!

 

[Drhorsepower]

Sorry to hear buck.

 

[Caseyu]

Sorry to hear your luck buck. You would not believe it. I was driving to Susanville from work and happen to drive by a guy gutting his deer on the side of a road in a turn out. Was a 25" 4x4 that I knew very well from a spot I glass on my way to work. In x5a. I guess it's better to be lucky than good. It was kinda sad. This buck had a lot of potential. I have a bunch of pictures of him but for the someone I don't know's sake I will keep them to myself. Really sorry to hear your Luck. You guys hunted hard!!! Hunting at its finest!

 

[Buck8541]

Thanks, Caseyu

I think all of the deer are down low this year or moving at night, we will try again next year. I have some property improvements to make to increase the holding capacity of the spring, and keep their feeding area moist throughout the summer. The few deer I saw this year did not look very healthy, plus; I am going to talk to a biologist to see if their is any they recommend to help keep the herd healthy from a landowner perspective. I would head back up this weekend but we are leaving for Montana on the 23rd and I need to save my money for fuel. The elk hunting was great for the archery season in the area we are planning on hunting, I hope it will that good for the rifle season as well. If not, there is a huge whitetail I have been chasing for three years that I hope to tag this year. I know my luck will be better in MT.