AZ Late Season Deer

OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Utah
I let them go, started a hike out and got into another herd of about 12, and only 1 small buck in there.

I had to work today, so I left there til tonight.
Once again I got into way too many deer. Too many eyes.
I belly crawled for 30 yards in the sand, it was 70 degrees and I was soaked.
Popped my head up and the doe was right there waiting for me.
She was funny
I called her bobbin and weaving

She would drop her head to fake me out like she was gonna eat and then pop it back up. She did this non stop for 5 minutes until she busted me.
I thought I had a scorpion crawling up my leg, and no deer is worth all that.
lol

I got on 2 more herds after that. But no bucks worth the energy and time to get them out.
I have 3 more days, but so far I am having a blast.
 
OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Utah
I drove the hay fields after dark just to see if any big boys came once it was safe.
I didn't see a single set of horns, but there was around 150 does/fawns out there.
]It is difficult hunting with this many does constantly on guard.
I swear they are nuts. So paranoid like they really want to live.
I decided, at least for tonight, their will to live was greater than mine to kill.
Fascinating adventure so far.

Sorry no pics.
As I was walking out, I looked down to do something for like 1 minute, looked up and 12 were in front of me, and it was non stop after that til dark.
 
OP
mfllood3800
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Nov 25, 2016
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Location
Utah
Day 3:

I went and set up near the same place as yesterday.
About the same time here comes the look out doe. I hate her. She is a problem in the deer world and needs to be removed. I honestly believe because of her the deer herd is flourishing.
lol
I am tucked in a salt cedar tree, kneeling down in 2' ditch. She feeds in heading perfectly broad side away from me just as I hoped. But shed decides to feed back in my direction. There ISNT ANY FOOD TO EAT. What the heck was she feeding on.
lol
She gets 10 yards from and looks at me. Stare off for 10 minutes. No other deer here yet. She always comes in first and does a recon on the area, waits for the rest to show up and gives them the green light.
But here she is staring at me, and she does the morse code with her front right foot. taps the ground 2 times, pause, then once. In deer talk that is the "do not come over here" code.

I gave her the hunter wave to get out of here, she bolts, stops and turns back and continues to stare.
I got so fed up with her I arrowed her and eliminated this problem.
 
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OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Utah
Actually I didn't, but I wanted to.
No laws were broken in the making of this days hunt.

I let her skip town knowing exactly where she would lead the rest of the herd.
I got out there, hiked 4 miles thru a wash and up and over a ridge to get into their bedding area.
Exhausted, and sweaty I stop to take of layers. Once cooled down and hydrated, I head out across to the other side of this wash to get set up for the wind.
Guess who is there waiting for me?
Yep old wanna get arrowed (her new name). She flees. But prior to this, as I was on the ridge, I glassed up the herd and they were a good 200 yards behind her. So I simply moved to where she was gonna clear the area for them.
Now I am between her and the herd.
Also while up on the ridge I glassed up 3 bucks, one was a shooter the other 2 were very nice too. They were already starting to break off from the does
 
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mfllood3800
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Utah
I feel I was set up really well, then , off in the distance, I hear the rumbling of a man made machine. A jeep. A freaking jeep. Here he comes, down this exact same wash. How the heck did he get in there?
Oh well. It's public land and he was out joy riding.
Wish I was Joy Hunting.

I figured he pushed the deer either to my left or right. I opted to take the washes to my left, nothing but one lone deer about a mile passed there I figured had a fawn some where so she jumped to get my attention.
I was done it was pushing 11:00, sun was out and I had a 4 mile trek to get back to truck.
That's when the fun started.
 
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mfllood3800
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Utah
On my way out, I hit sugar sand and buried my truck
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It is way worst then it appears. It was buried to the axles

that sugar sand is no joke. I thought I had enough speed but obviously not.

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OP
mfllood3800
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Utah
I went in this trail In the dark and it was sketchy but I got in.
But I didn't get out.
A phone call and tow truck was on the way.
3 hrs later I was free and ready to head home.
Didn't get to hunt this evening, but will be back at in the AM

The bulk of the tracks went right over my morning set from going in.
Looks like I could've hunted from my truck.
lol

It was still a great day of hiking and exploring, and watching the herd dynamics of this group of deer.
Cant wait for the morning.
Should have some local hunters out there being it's Saturday.
I will reassess my strategy to use them, as most of them hunt the road or in shallow wash pockets.
 
OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Location
Utah
I will write up a full review on some gear I brought to test for this hunt.
Some I am totally frustrated with and hate, others are dang nice.

I belly crawled for a short distance last night, in the sugar sand. My release mechanism got kind of gritty, well , ok, it was buried in sand every time I put my hand down for about a 10 minute crawl. it wasnt working right.
No fault to it,. A few seconds of running it back and forth- good as new.
Got love this. Its like it was desert tested for the military and passed.
 
OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Location
Utah
Ha ha
Cell service
This is luxury hunting , here's my view
If the does pass
I'll drop in and wait for the boys
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Bobbyboe

WKR
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
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600
Great write up. I am following closely. I have never hunter Arizona, but have family that lives in Tuscan. I may have to make a January trip there in 2019.

Realistically, what size bucks are you seeing? Is this an “adventure” hunt to extend your season, or is there trophy potential?

Thanks, and again, good write up.
 

Idahohillboy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 7, 2016
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269
Location
Hailey Idaho
Ha ha
Cell service
This is luxury hunting , here's my view
If the does pass
I'll drop in and wait for the boys
8e9b6931b02cc204b22e6e7e0491dfa3.jpg
a81c908db07c10e2b2e4f0f437e8c9c9.jpg
0595e72e64e9e0f5e45b5dcc3fe8b188.jpg


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Great wash system however why not get up top of those mountains on the far side and glass down on the flats to find tfe bucks and try n bed em? I have not been hunting the desert long but when I do I see a lot of bucks that way. They move around until 10:30 out there.

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OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
3,721
Location
Utah
Great write up. I am following closely. I have never hunter Arizona, but have family that lives in Tuscan. I may have to make a January trip there in 2019.

Realistically, what size bucks are you seeing? Is this an “adventure” hunt to extend your season, or is there trophy potential?

Thanks, and again, good write up.



There are 2 shooters I have found.
Both 3 pointers

One is a wider than his ears, but not super tall. The other is a small frame but real thick horns. Kinda looks like a couse deer.
There are no real trophies here.
I have a business in this area and come down here frequently, so I just got a tag so I could keep hunting in Dec and then again Jan.
:)
 
OP
mfllood3800
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
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Location
Utah
Great wash system however why not get up top of those mountains on the far side and glass down on the flats to find tfe bucks and try n bed em? I have not been hunting the desert long but when I do I see a lot of bucks that way. They move around until 10:30 out there.

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Good eyes man,
I was up there a couple days ago, which Is why I am now over here
:)

There is no bedding these deer with a bow, maybe a rifle for sure.
This desert is as noisy as gay parade on a Sunday.
 
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OP
mfllood3800
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Nov 25, 2016
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Location
Utah
Right after I uploaded these pics, 2 deer shot across to the other side of this wash.
Dang it.
One doe the other was one of my shooters. The small but massy 3 pointer, otherwise known as "Basket Case"
Looks like he has a girl friend.

I let them go, and dropped into the middle waiting on the wide frame 3 pointer, he never showed up.
Everything was a good 45 minutes delayed today, because of the other hunters about 3 miles up. I knew being Sat, there would be road hunters and bush hoppers, but wow, when I finally hiked back, they were every where.
The deer still come this way, it just takes them a bit longer as they zig zag thru the sea of camo.

Not sure what happened to my big 3 pointer, hoping he didn't get arrowed.
At this stage of the game, I will take basket case if he comes back thru tonight.
I have one more day and I am back to Utah.

If you haven't hunted the deserts of the SW, you really should. Such a change of pace from the mountains of the high country.

These deer have developed a greater use of their eyes. They use their nose still, but they seem to want to put eyes on something to make sure. The other day I had them every where and I know they smelled me, yet they never ran.
They snorted a ton and faked a run off, but only went a few steps and always came right back.
 
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mfllood3800
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Utah
My new friend in the red jeep showed back up again. This time instead of hiding, I stood up so he could see me. He graciously drove out.
I really appreciated that. It wasn't 15 minutes and the 2 deer came thru., right where he was sitting.
He probably has a tag for Jan and is scouting this wash. It is the place to be for sure, and this guy knows it.

If I had a jeep, I could save myself a 4 mile walk in and 4 back out each day.
Ha, I have a garmin watch and on the way in it says, "You have exceeded your daily step requirement.. That is set for 12000 steps.
Not sure how many miles 12000 steps is, but double that and That's what I am hiking in, then out.

Gonna go back in early tonight, back into this wash and see if a biggin comes thru there around dark. He would still have a good 3 or 4 miles to get to the hay fields to feed and find a girl friend. So I bet they are up and moving in here- nice and shaded thru out the warmer days, and lots of little snickers bars on the wash floor
 
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mfllood3800
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Location
Utah
Here is where all the deer I saw bed yesterday ended up..
I went in there
It is a Maze of tunnels
You have to literally crawl

I Went up where I did today so I could overlook this part as well there are no openings in it anywhere,
a Tweakers Paradise

I scaled the perimeter and did not find many tracks in it. I think the skunks or coyotes use it, the deer don't like going in there cuz there's no way out pretty sure they bed just in the Shady Side on the edges, under the Mesquite trees and salt Cedars, I saw a couple of beds like that

So many Doe's around here the eyes are always looking in every direction

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OP
mfllood3800
Joined
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Location
Utah
Saw 2 more bucks, small 2x3 and a spike
Just not what I'm after.
I had a long hike out and didn't need a head lamp
Lol
Moon was bright
I could still see my pins
;)


I sat at the hay field for an hour and half after dark
No big bucks
They must be buried in deep
I was 3 miles in, and nothing came thru there.
They are either further out or lesser
Lol
They weren't where I was
Lol

Had a skunk right in my lap
Most excitement I've had today

One more day
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