X3 or X7A?

Duckdon83

Active Member
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197
Well as it turns out I didn't draw my Utah tag, which would have been my first mule deer hunt. I have enough points to draw either X3 tag or the X7A tag. Which would you chose and why? I've been chasing small blacktails in B zone for a long while now and am excited to get my feet wet with some mule deer hunting. Any advise or direction would be greatly apriciated. Thanks!

Don
 
To begin, there are two X3 zones, and you will have to decide between them. I like them both, but prefer the rougher country of X3B. Any one of these units will produce decent deer, but you will have to get your time in on the ground to scout it well and locate your bucks before the opener. Those who do not typically leave with a forked-horn, or no buck at all, wondering why on Earth they didn't just hunt their usual unit. For those unfamiliar with the units, the best reason to make the effort is the experience of smelling the sage and seeing some new country. If this suits you, then you cannot go wrong with either.
 
Bone is Correct.

X7A....every time and ALL DAY LONG.

I Hunted it and compared it to many years of X3b, X3a, X6...etc..and loved X7A. I felt like kicking myself for never thinking about it. You can Scout by Boat or on foot. There are endless back country areas to hike into. I seriously doubt most guys go a foot back into these areas. On some scouting trips I stayed at Boomtown and got back into X7a long before dawn.

It is so diverse that I would bring two Rifles. One for long Range and a short Range 30-30 type for deep timber. There are Mule Deer from Nevada if Snow hits. They migrate into X7A. California stopped doing a Deer survey because of funds and the Nevada Deer Herds "They didn't want to count as California Deer".
I found this survey data via a Nevada Deer Herd Survey Report. I don't have "That" link but it should be easy to find. I never knew how many, in large numbers, Nevada Mule Deer there is, that walks into X7A.

But the above is late season plus dependant on snow to get the truly big, 25"+ Bucks, into the area. However, that said, the resident Bucks are no slouch. Some massive Bucks are in there. If you have a Wife and Children, they can camp by the Lake's and you go scouting. Just park anywhere on a mountain side and start hiking in. It is a large area. Map size does not tell the size.

I have Cattlemen Friends up in the X3a,b & X6 areas who used to be PISSED, that they can't draw a tag for their own Ranch. But, those herds have been hit by issues. I would be wrong to say Blue Toung or Droughts. But the Bucks we used to see, just are not there anymore. They have Alfalfa fields and at 1am when it's time to move water lines, they used to scare off large numbers of Deer feeding, NO More. These men go up into the mountains on round-ups and still, no Bucks as once before.

Another issue is State prison Inmates from Susanville Prison plus Citizens who are against Animal Cruelty ( * ), are out in the X3A,B Sage (Desert) and I have watched Does and Bucks freak and run until their toungs hang out. See Below link:

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Convicts-and-Mustangs-Up-in-the-high-desert-at-2987727.php

I have Zero Points and physically can't go up into any such area. I have given you everything I know. This is up to date data but other experienced men may have different experiences and or, local contacts. Free advice is just that.

( * = I have been very close to the wild Horses. Their Hoof's curl up like in a gross way. Normal Horses have their Hoofs trimmed then shoe's affixed. Their rib cage bones show dramatically and some are sick. Nothing like Walt Disney Films. I'm not a vet so, I'm simply explaining what I saw many times over many decades).
 
Thanks for the input guys. Yes I will be putting plenty of scouting hours in and realize there are plenty of good bucks in all of the X zones. Just curious if anyone had hunted one of these zones in the past couple of years and had any advise one way or the other.

Don
 
Duckdon83
I wrote Up To Date data (Including inside Rancher's Information's) as best as possible. If you want someone to give you GPS locations of each Buck, ask Founder :)

I was keeping away from a political matter that infurates many but it is mentioned below.
General Hunting
UNSUCC. guys, thank you, Utahs deer herd!
Part of Post # 11.
Also I'm not sure if you have ever heard of these animals called horses that are running UNMANAGED by your lovely federal Govt.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/23449.html

There are no wild Horses in X7A and far better.... well...never mind.
 
Jager sounds full of himself with lots of misleading info in his posts, it's worth what you paid for it.

I have either had a tag or went along with persons that had tags in X3a, 5 of the last 6 years. Feet on the ground, Adin is one of my favorite places and i go there often. If you like high desert Muley hunting, X-3a is a good hunt. The deer numbers are not what they once were but i'd ask Jager when was the last time he seriously hunted X-7a, numbers are down in that area too.

One of my good hunting Pards has a ranch in x-3a that he has taken 5 bucks in 5 years, all 4x4 or better, fully mature bucks, from 24-29". During that time, i have passed over 30 bucks with tag in pocket, looking for the two, "over 30" bucks i had scouted only to find out later that both monsters had been poached before the season. My local ranch owner connections, many, also have their opinions, nothing like Jagers, and yes, one time after 100's of hrs glassing many different areas, i found 3 wild horses, very much a non issue in my opinion. Another thing about x-3a, i have yet to be turned away when asking permission to hunt private. Very friendly folks in that neck of the woods.

Is x-3a a top notch area? Maybe! The more you put into it the better it can be. Is X-7a a better area, there are hunt reports from good hunters in these pages that would lead a guy to the conclusion that it too is a decent hunt but even those who live there and have hunted it for years have settled for a meat buck once said and done.


Joey

Keep your slimy Paws Off My, Yours, Our,.. Public Land!!!
 
>Duckdon83
>I wrote Up To Date data
>(Including inside Rancher's Information's) as
>best as possible. If you
>want someone to give you
>GPS locations of each Buck,
>ask Founder :)
>
>I was keeping away from a
>political matter that infurates many
>but it is mentioned below.
>
>General Hunting
>UNSUCC. guys, thank you, Utahs deer
>herd!
>Part of Post # 11.
>Also I'm not sure if you
>have ever heard of these
>animals called horses that are
>running UNMANAGED by your lovely
>federal Govt.
>http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/23449.html
>
>There are no wild Horses in
>X7A and far better.... well...never
>mind.


I appreciate your time and info in this matter and Im in no means asking for coordinates to bucks. Just looking for a general history/experience in these units. Your advise is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Don
 
>7A stats are massively misleading

Ive heard all types of things like "its the forky capital of the X zones" Is that where it gets its success percentage from? Is this why its misleading?
 
The zone is a skeleton of what it was in its heyday as 3-5yo bucks were fairly commonplace, not so much anymore.
F&G stats show a much higher percentage of older bucks than I personally have witnessed. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice bucks available, but from personal observation over the last 20 years more and more harvested animals are just that, forks and small 3pts.
As the quantity of deer declines quality it soon to follow. That following happened in the past 15 years and continues to slide.
Just my observation, maybe others have a different story, but you really have to burn some leather to find a diamond.
 
I did not see where your posted your eventual choice. I hope you were drawn. I spent three days in the high country of X3B last week and found several good bucks. The best was in a group of four others and would go perhaps 24 inches outside, with four symmetrical points to a side and fair eye guards. There are a lot of good, young deer in this unit today. I expect great things for this unit in two or three more years (but would be happy in either of the units you have mentioned).
 
>I did not see where your
>posted your eventual choice.
>I hope you were drawn.
> I spent three days
>in the high country of
>X3B last week and found
>several good bucks. The
>best was in a group
>of four others and would
>go perhaps 24 inches outside,
>with four symmetrical points to
>a side and fair eye
>guards. There are a
>lot of good, young deer
>in this unit today.
>I expect great things for
>this unit in two or
>three more years (but would
>be happy in either of
>the units you have mentioned).
>

A buddy and I drew x7A! It's a closer drive so we are able to scout more often. We have seen some quality bucks along with some small bucks. They are there! Just going to have to work hard to locate them! Good luck out there.
 
Jagar,

There are great bucks killed in X3a, X3b, X4, X6a every year, they just aren't publicised.

Living here, I see these bucks.

Glad no one is talking about X6B.
 

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