unit 31 archery hunt help

[desertambusher]

I drew a bow tag and have been scouting, saw one nice bachelor group of really wide bucks in velvet running cross the road, but thats it, have had trail cams on the waters in the area and only get does and young bucks on my cam, when do the big bucks water, cuz i cannot seem to get a pic of em, i got a blm map which showed waters and only two waters have water in them round where i saw the group, since its been so dry and had the cams on both waters but cannot find these bucks where the hell do they go?

 

[fishfurlife]

If you have stumbled onto a nice bachelor group then I can tell you that they are most likely not moving very far this time of year and in that country. So you may have already found what you are looking for. They are definitely watering somewhere though. I will be archery hunting 31 as well. I don't plan to hunt during Sept though.

 

[desertambusher]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-25-11 AT 10:21AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Aug-25-11 AT 10:21?AM (MST)

Thanks for the reply, why are you not hunting september? too hot? anyways Do you think they are moving early in the AM and in the evening and then bedding all day long and not even moving because ive been out for a month scouting with binos and have not ever seen them again, not even seeing the small bucks that i got on my cams, just a crap load of does every evening. I just dont get these bucks in september??? thanks for the reply by the way

 

[fishfurlife]

Two reasons...............

1.If you don't have them patterned very very well than the big bucks can become cryptic in Sept. I like hunting the sand country in January because it is normally the tail end of the rut and I tend to to be able to find more quality bucks during this time.

2. I will be elk hunting in Sept. in the northern part of the state.

As for movement, I am sure you will see movement both morning and evening, it just depends on how hot it is as to how much activity you see. This is just my opinion though, others might think differently than me.

 

[desertambusher]

thanks for the reply really! But how are you to pattern bucks if you can 1. never find them and 2. never see them? It just frustrates me that i spend so much time pre season glassing and have only seen them jump the road???

 

[fishfurlife]

PM at ya .

 

[NMTdub]

desert: if you want to kill a really big deer wait until january unless you have one already found.

I have hunted unit 31 for now some 16 years and you cannot pay me enough to hunt another unit. during january the deer come out of the woodworks espically big mature bucks.

you wont be dissapointed.

hopefully see you during the hunt!!

 

[fishfurlife]

>desert: if you want to kill
>a really big deer wait
>until january unless you have
>one already found.
>
>I have hunted unit 31 for
>now some 16 years and
>you cannot pay me enough
>to hunt another unit. during
>january the deer come out
>of the woodworks espically big
>mature bucks.
>
>you wont be dissapointed.
>
>hopefully see you during the hunt!!
>

This is what I was trying to convey in a less direct manner.

 

[desertambusher]

yeah I have seen them out there in January and it is crazy how they just show up, just eats at me to not see them right now. I saw two nice bucks in jan of last year but i was hunting 37 so i could not shoot them, by the way 37 is terrible i know there is big game in 37 but i would say 90 percent is private I was so mad i let a buddy talk me into 37 last year, i knew the big bucks come out in jan, i also thought it could be cool to hang a buck in velvet. well i will prolly wait til jan to kill a buck (hopefully) unless i do spot a big one again sept. I have bull elk sept 13 in 34 so i will busy with that as well. what is the best way to go after the bucks in January? thanks for yalls replys. by the way im outa carlsbad

 

[NMTdub]

carlsbad+1

 

[NMTdub]

spot and stalk find the one you want a stay on him!!!

 

[Flores425]

All these guys are right one the money> Wait til Jan to hunt.Most of the "bigger"bucks arent resident bucks. You wouldnt believe how far these monsters travel for some hot doe. Dont get me wrong there are some nice resident bucks. But I have hunted this unit for years and come jan they just show up ready to play. Good luck hold out for a good one.

 

[fishfurlife]

If I lived in Carlsbad then I would be hunting the Sept season as well but you also have a pretty good archery elk tag. I would focus my attention on getting a good elk down and then shift to deer. Of coarse if I was as close as you to the unit then I would be out there on the weekends and in the evenings during Sept just scouting/hunting.

 

[UngulateFoe]

So is it just related to the rut, or do they generally start showing up when temps drop? Just curious, as I have the late Oct muzzy tag and have been scouting and only seeing does/bambi bucks.


The Beast is Dead, Long Live the Beast.

-The Nuge

 

[fishfurlife]

The deer are there, I personally do not feel like they migrate into the unit. It is just like hunting the whitetail rut. The big bucks make mistakes during the rut. Outside of the rut, you have to get on their daily routine and hope that it isn't more like a Nightly routine.

 

[NMHUNTER]

i have to agree with fish, most the bucks are there all year. they just get a little dumb once the rut kicks in. sure some bucks move in from other areas, but for the most part they are already there