Ok mesquite hunter, you are going to tell me that if we take your desert units vs. 12 a and b and 13 A and B. The same number of units. You will have more book entries from the 40 units. We have to compare apples to apples, so lets take the rifle, archery and muzzleloader, as there isn't really much in the way of muzzleloader hunt up north. I will not only take that bet, but would also add top end bucks. In fact on this bet, I am pulling out the record book right now and going back year after year and indeed the comparison isn't even close. Now one may say that big bucks are killed every year and aren't recorded in the 40 units. This may be true, as the guys that hunt these units just aren't into getting into the record books for whatever altruistic reason. However, there aren't that many deer getting past the books, that we cannot say decisively, that more big deer and bigger deer are killed in the northern units. In fairness to the forty units, the sheer number of tags from up north makes the bet unfair in the end. Now I totally understand what you are saying, it is difficult to go up and find a 190 net B & C buck up north. If you take the number of entries and divide it by tags, the actual odds of killing a net 190 buck may be better in the 40's units. But again, unless that many guys are not entering their kills in the books, this doesn't even hold true. Now if you divide 170 gross bucks and higher and divide it by tag numbers, we may be talking about a whole different thing. The odds of killing a 170 gross + are probably much better in the desert units, but that is something very difficult to follow. I respect what you guys do in those desert units, I have seen some great deer in the desert, have looked at your websites numerous times, and appreciate you are running a great business. I believe there are great bucks, and I guess I am in the camp of I like to hunt the desert with less people, so I would much rather see those guys hunting the early hunts up north. So back to the original question, those early dates in October will probably help you guys as less nonresidents will probably want to hunt, those northern units.
T