2B Youth Hunt help

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Ut_live2hunt

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I have 3 Kids that drew for the 2B youth hunt, Oct 18-22nd. I was interested if anybody could tell me about this hunt? We also have 2 general rifle deer tags for southern Utah during the same time and the opportunity to hunt with my brothers and brother-in-law here in Ut. I have also drawn a Beaver early rifle elk tag 9/13 and still have Idaho and Wyoming draws...so I am trying to balance these hunts with work and Family and may end up returning some of the deer tags either Utah or new Mexico.

Is their anyone out their who has hunted 2B early that can help me out with type of hunt, numbers of buck, size or maturity of bucks? This would help me make a better decision. I may just have to hit them all.
 
I also have a daughter who drew this tag. We are from Arizona and are planning a scouting trip in early sept.Any advice on where to start would be apreciated. Thanks
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-19-08 AT 03:54PM (MST)[p]I don't have any advice, but good luck. I'll be there also helping my ten year old twins try to get there first bucks. We're from CA and have little knowledge of the area. I have a couple of friends that have hunted the later season. I think we will find deer. Win, lose, or draw, its going to be a great time with the family.

Don P.
 
My boy also drew this hunt, I hope he can tag his first buck on this hunt--but it should be a fun adventure in any case. Does anybody know how many 2B youth tags NMGF gave out this year? I am assuming this will be a well-controlled hunt. Good luck to everybody--we'll have to compare notes after the hunt.
 
last year my ten year old dater and my friends 8 and 9 year old boys drew this tag. the kids all shot deer tow 3 points and a 2 point.my girl mist a nice 4 point. But dont expect to see many good bucks that time of year. but if you want a 2 poind ther are plenty.
 
congratulations to all of your guys and your kids on drawing this hunt. I just wanted to put my two cents worth in and remind you guys not to let the whole MM Forum mentality mislead you on this hunt. It's a fantastic hunt, and one of the best youth hunting oportunities in the country. It's quite true that the huge bucks that this unit is famous for are much less likely to be taken during this early hunt, but there are mature bucks to be had by all and extremly good chances for a kid to kill his/her first deer if they haven't let the huge racks they see on this site skew their idea of success. I occasionally see a posting on here from someone who's disappointed with their 2B hunt, and as someone who has property in the unit and grew up there and hunted public land there since 1980, I just have to wonder how that's remotely possible.
 
Thanks for all your input. I guess I will make a couple of trips to the area to look things over before I decide what to do. Who knows we may hunt them all...The Bull Elk is my prioity.

I have 2 daughters 14 & 15 this will not be their first time hunting or harvesting muleys. My son who is 10 this will be his first trip. Unlike the first couple of times with my daughters I more than anything want to leave a good impression of hunting, wildlife and the outdoors. I believe this is the only way our hunting rights will continue!

As looking for them big bucks not necessarily their goals(dads goal yes). I am trying to teach them to be sports women and set goals higher each time to challenge themselves. Who knows they still get excited at any buck and they make their own decisions of the time to pull the trigger. Succes to a beginner in always size. My 2 daughters want to harvest 4 points(any size)...my son is happy to get to go with Dad and sisters he has harvested one Texas white tail buck but not a muley.

Keep sending the input. I wish the best of luck to all the youth and if I am hunting thier I will be glad to help any of them out. I hope each one has a great expeince!
 
JohnQPublic. If you have any help of where to start looking, maps to obtain, local division of wildlife agents number. I would appreciate a starting place to scouting trip.
 
Thanks JohnQPubic for the encouragement, it's going to cost some dollars to drive from Logan, UT but I hear this is nice country. I need to make a family vacation out of this, so I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on good places to camp and places of interest for my wife and younger daughter to visit (archealogical, scenic, whatever)?
 
I PM'ed you guys. I don't know exactly why, but that sounds dirty. I sent you a private message, feel free to E-mail me.
 
All we got to do is a little scouting and we will be on deer. If your kids is as lucky as mine, they will be done the first hour anyway. Of course mine depends on dear old dad to do his scouting for him...spoiled brat! lol
 
I hunted the muzzy season two years ago. Only got to do one scouting trip prior to the season, 4 day whirlwind and then the hunt. We worked our tails off to find game. We backpack hunted different areas trying to find game. Found Elk but few mulies. There are some mature resident bucks though. We finally found a bachelor group towards the end of the hunt in the sage flats, in Sept. Didn't expect that. We ran out of time but had a great experience. Everyone we spoke to said we were one month early and that the deer pour into 2b in Oct and Nov. later the better and more snow in the mountains the better.

I would definitely hunt the unit again. Met one of the chiefs from Jicarilla and we've kept in touch. Beautiful piece of property they have and he's a great guy but I digress.

If it rains, you better have 4WD and chains would be recommended. Can get real messy.

Lots of roads (too many for my preference) but access will get severely limited I believe Oct 15 on. I would encourage you to do the scounting trip to get the lay of the land. Our best source of information was the oil and gas employees. Stop and talk to them. Most were more than willing to share where they've seen game hanging out. Their feedback helped us zero in on the area holding the bachelor group of bucks.

Activities for rest of family: I'm not much help there. Farmington isn't too far away but we're not talking metropolitan area, just some restaurants and movie theatres. Nothing special. Taos and Sante Fe are within a few hours drive. Cool cultural experience. Some fishing available below the dam not too far away. Some say to stay as close to Jicarilla as possible. We're probably just challenged but we couldn't find 'em there. Not for lack of trying though.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

BB
 
I'm also looking for help in 2B. We drew the mid November hunt this coming fall. I tried to PM a couple of you, but I couldn't get it to work. Please let me know if you can help. Thanks!
 
I will help anyone that wants help. I can tell you what we see on the youth hunt. Problem is you have to be in the right place at the right time on a migration. What I see in october might not be their in November. Guys have killed big deer on every part of 2b. The best spot this year might be the worst next. Get a map and study it, plan to be mobile when you hunt, and glass, glass, glass. I would come a few days early before the hunt and scout, a september scouting trip may be a total waste of time.
 
I'm really looking for more general type help. I've never been in this area, the closest I've ever been is probably Taos. How does the country lay out? Is it high desert or is it all pines?

I've bought maps and done quite a bit of research, but I haven't had much luck finding an landscape pics. Do I need to be in marathon shape to hunt here?
 
The terrain itself is not that difficult, and you're usually never more than a half mile from a gas company road. However, a lot of those roads are behind locked gates, and some of the better hunting areas that I checked were 4 to 6 miles beyond the gates. Nevertheless, as someone else above stated, I found the gas company employees driving those roads for the most part to be very helpful with their information, and one even gave me and my deer cart a lift back to my downed deer and then hauled it out the 4.8 miles back to my truck...

Hope some day to draw that tag again.
 
I have hunted the early muzzleloader hunt as well as the late rifle hunts. The late rifle hunts are by far the best. The early season hunts are difficult, but you can do it....you will just need to work so much harder.

There are many road hunters in this unit.....much more so than any other unit that I have hunted. Get on the sides of the canyons and glass, glass real hard. Look at some of the gas line clear cuts. Use the gas roads to get far back....I would even recommend the use of mountain bikes to get farther back on these roads.

Good luck.




JBone
 
Hey JBONE!

So tell me about your muzzeloader hunt would sure like to hear what that is like? My buddy drew that hunt and was wondering what the early hunt might have to offer. Mountain bike? Good idea!! You pack in pretty far?

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