West Desert, Vernon

4

4bigbucks

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LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-11 AT 06:07PM (MST)[p]I have always wanted to kill big ol fuzzy horned muley and I was fortunate to draw a 2011 non res L.E. West Desert archery deer tag...I have only been through that country a few times...haven't spent much time in it...I have a few road trips and lot of work a head me but I am excited! Not looking for any honey holes or secret spots...but I would love to see pics...hear some stories, opinions, advice, about or from the West Desert from anyone wiling to share!
 
Last year there was water everywhere. This year will be more.
I sent you a pm
 
PM Sent....
Lots of deer, lots of tags = lots of people
Really fun hunt I put my wife in for out there because I drew year before last. There are big ones out there but far and few between do your scouting and scout hard and you should kil a 160 buck....
Have fun
 
I had a rifle tag on the Vernon in 2007. Hunted there for 9 days. We saw 65-100 deer each day. Never anything I should have pulled the triger on. Way to many tags being issued out for this unit. Way to many ATV trails. Scout hard, have atleast 3 areas you have scouted out hard. Be honest with yourself, if you have hunted a area hard for 2-3 days and have not seen what you are looking for. Move to another spot. There are alot of nice bucks taken down there...I just didnt seem to find one. Locals that know the area well seem to usely do the best down there. Alot of big 2pts, alot of 3x3,alot of 3x4. Work your ass off and be flexable, get away from the roads. Alot of water in the bottom of the draws, more than you would expect. Thats where we saw 85% of the deer comeing from. Good luck, hope you have plenty of time to take off for the hunt.
 
Lots of water I killed my deer off a water hole. This unit has gone down hill. It needs a management hunt out there but it is a absolute riot youll see alot of deer and alot of pretty country. Hunt hard and you should do good there are some slammers out there but there not in every draw or canyon either. By far one of the funnest archery hunts I ever went on.
 
Dont forget to look way down low in the sage

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I drove that road past Vernon every day for 6 years. I saw a buck a couple times in 2003 that went over 200 Typical. Was the heaviest horned buck with mass all over the place. Maybe he has some great offspring. That was the best buck I have ever seen.
 
My daughter had a Vernon rifle tag in 2009, and if I could do it over again, I would've left her dumbazz husband home, and would've skipped opening weekend. Most of the crowd pulled out by Tuesday and that's when we started seeing some decent bucks.

I got her in on a huge 3x4 (heavy and every bit of 34" wide) that a buddy and I had found while scouting earlier in the year. We came in above the buck and he had no idea we were there and while I was trying to get her settled on the shooting sticks her husband started yelling "shoot him, just shoot him, he's right there!" and needless to say he turned and saw us and busted out of there. She got one shot at him as he was running over the hill and missed and we never saw that buck again. I don't think I've ever been that PO'd in all my life!

Anyway, it's a fun hunt, but as has been said, expect lots of people, lots of ATV's, and lots of spindly horned 3x4's.
 
Poachers have hit that area hard. There are still plenty of good bucks. Pre season scouting is a must. They move on and off that unit alot. My buddy. Shot a good tall 175 class buck last year. Let me find the pic.
 
Made it up to do some scouting the first weekend in July...covered lots of country...figured out our way around...saw lots of deer...and a few good ones. This is the biggest one I got a picture of...saw two better than him. Hunt is getting close...and I getting excited! Good luck to everyone this year.

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Glad to hear your seeing some good deer out there! I drew a rifle tag out there this year, and am having a blast getting to know the area. lots of pretty country and a lot more water than i thought for being in the desert.

Only thing I could get a picture of was a rattlesnake that scared the hell outta me!

Good luck.
 
Yeah I don't know what all this desert nonsense talk is about...looked like Ireland when I was up there!....head south about 10 hours and I'll show you a damn desert
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-11 AT 12:14PM (MST)[p]I have an archery tag out there this year as well its going to be a good hunt, there are a ton of good bucks and a few really good ones, good luck to you maybe we will see you on the mountain, we will proboboly be the biggest group out there as we have 5 archery tags.

Definiaty want to keep your eyes out for rattlesnakes me and my buddie ran into one on the July fourth luckily he was pissed and started rattling at us about 10 feet before we got to him.
 
Good luck to your group. I have an AZ antelope hunt that starts on the 19th as well...kind of frustrating but kind of a good problem to have I guess...So unless I do something spectacular on the first weekend I most likely won't be able to make it up there until the last ten days or so...

I HATE those rattlesnakes...I actually got struck in the boot the other day scouting for antelope...Didn't know I could scream that loud or move that fast...but apparently he was allergic to big rocks...weird
 

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