Archery Oak Creek Deer LE tips

V

VELVETRUSH

Member
Messages
59
I drew an archery tag for the Oak Creeks and would love any input or areas that should not be over looked. I know it is a very tough hunt. I plan to hunt high and spend plenty of time staying in the bivy. I would love to hear from anyone who has had the tag in previous years. Shoot me an email instead of a pm @ [email protected] . Thanks
 
congrats on the tag, if you do what you say you are going to i am sure you will have a great and fun hunt. sorry i dont knowo the area but i have heard there are some pretty nice bucks on it! good luck and make sure to post pics
 
I saw a buck there Sunday that's already got his first splits. Pretty heavy horned and just out to his ears alredy.
 
I owe you a couple packouts, but I refuse to help unless he's bigger than the dink you killed last year!!

Congrats on the tag dude.
 
It should be a good year all around for antler growth. Mild winter, early spring, many bucks with growth out past the ears...
 
Watch out for rattlesnakes!

4b1db2ac644136c4.jpg
 
Ya stay high hunt the water holes. If it was me I would start with Lymans, Bowans, and South Walker. It's a touch archery hunt, but you never know. No one in my family drew an Oak creek tag so i'll help anyone.



Watch your top knot
 
I drew last year, it was very very tough. Saw lots of snakes! Saw some great bucks just could not get the drop on em. Cows everywhere, chittin in every water source so it makes sitting water tough. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
 
Definetly and tough hunt, especially with a bow. I had the muzzy tag back in 07. would be happy to help you out if your interested. PM me. Good luck
 
LAST EDITED ON May-29-12 AT 04:37PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-29-12 AT 04:37?PM (MST)

Good luck to you too tsho86. Do you know the unit? Be glad to give you some info on areas also.
 
I love how that buck still has the crab front claw gene, which is very previlent on the Oak creek.



Watch your top knot
 
>LAST EDITED ON May-29-12
>AT 04:37?PM (MST)
>
>LAST EDITED ON May-29-12
>AT 04:37?PM (MST)
>
>Good luck to you too tsho86.
> Do you know the
>unit? Be glad to
>give you some info on
>areas also.

Yeah I know the unit pretty well, but I am always open to suggestions! Especially on a LE hunt!
 
Or wear black/gray camo and lay down in the ashes by the water holes and ambush them as they walker over you.
 
In just talking to the Ranchers here in town, they say it's a miracle they didn't lose cattle up on the hill. If the cattle survived I'm sure most of the deer made it through.

Deep up the canyon may be a different story because there's more fuel to burn and it's raging over the back side now.
 
They have not let us up the canyon but it looks like everything at least on the south side of the canyon road is probably gone. It will probably be a couple days before we can get in and look around.
 
>They have not let us up
>the canyon but it looks
>like everything at least on
>the south side of the
>canyon road is probably gone.
>It will probably be a
>couple days before we can
>get in and look around.
>

I hope The Ponderosa made it! I would be surprised if it did though. Just glad my family and everyone else in town is okay. Do you know who the firefighters were who were injured?
 
Poderosas are toast, I got a pic from a fire-fighter friend who was up there yesterday.

Cameron Nielson and Ross Anderson were the two fighters that I know, please pray for them as they are both in for a long road ahead.

I would say turn the tags back in as I bet the main canyon is closed the rest of the year so the Forest Service can cut deadwood and possibly re-seed.

I bet more than half of the unit is now burned up.
 
I saw this picture last night from a friend. Too bad! That was the only place on that mountain that actually felt like a mountain! Too bad for anyone who drew this unit this year. The extreme southern and southeastern portion of the unit possibly survived. But if it was me I'd keep my points and put in for another unit next year.
 
Fire is headed into whiskey creek now from top to bottom. We are along ways fron this thing being burned out anytime soon. It was in the top of east fork and John Williams also and heading south.
 
>Poderosas are toast, I got a
>pic from a fire-fighter friend
>who was up there yesterday.
>
>
>Cameron Nielson and Ross Anderson were
>the two fighters that I
>know, please pray for them
>as they are both in
>for a long road ahead.
>
>
>I would say turn the tags
>back in as I bet
>the main canyon is closed
>the rest of the year
>so the Forest Service can
>cut deadwood and possibly re-seed.
>
>
>I bet more than half of
>the unit is now burned
>up.


Cantshoot, Cameron lives across the street from me and Ross around the corner. Word we got yesterday was the canyon would be closed for the rest of the year. If the ponderosa burned then it happened later yesterday.
 
So VELVETRUSH, now with all the new developments with this damn fire, how is your outlook on the hunt. I'm pissed about the whole thing. I'm curious as to just how many people are contemplating turning in the tag. So what does this mean for the hunts, everybody that drew is going to be hunting the only patch of cedars left on the unit..... Assuming there are any left.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-12 AT 12:13PM (MST)[p]>So VELVETRUSH, now with all the
>new developments with this damn
>fire, how is your outlook
>on the hunt. I'm pissed
>about the whole thing. I'm
>curious as to just how
>many people are contemplating turning
>in the tag. So what
>does this mean for the
>hunts, everybody that drew is
>going to be hunting the
>only patch of cedars left
>on the unit..... Assuming there
>are any left.

So homes and lives are at risk and all you can worry about is your gawddam hunt. Selfish prick! I hope a rattler bites you in the sack on your hunt and you wish you'd of turned your tag in.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-12 AT 12:32PM (MST)[p]>LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-12
>AT 12:13?PM (MST)
>
>>So VELVETRUSH, now with all the
>>new developments with this damn
>>fire, how is your outlook
>>on the hunt. I'm pissed
>>about the whole thing. I'm
>>curious as to just how
>>many people are contemplating turning
>>in the tag. So what
>>does this mean for the
>>hunts, everybody that drew is
>>going to be hunting the
>>only patch of cedars left
>>on the unit..... Assuming there
>>are any left.
>
>So homes and lives are at
>risk and all you can
>worry about is your gawddam
>hunt. Selfish prick! I hope
>a rattler bites you in
>the sack on your hunt
>and you wish you'd of
>turned your tag in.

Oh I thought this was a hunting forum? I've already expressed that I hope everything turns out ok for everybody affected by all of these fires. Should all discussions about hunting stop due to the fires? I'm guessing you are also offended when you see a thread on fire.... Maybe you should send an email to ban the campfire forum. I couldn't imagine what people have lost in homes,crops, animals, and everything else.
 
Depending on what the fire does from here will decide my tags fate. I went down yesterday to see what was going on and as long as the fire does not head much further south I think it will be ok. I don't know what all truely burned in the main canyon but I am sure some country will be missed by the fire.According to the current fire map there is a lot of country that I thought burned that hasn't. I think the southern end is in trouble though because I don't think they are worried about it burning with no homes or towns super close. Tomorrow I heard on the news that the winds will change to the south which will be bad for the mountain but could be good for the towns. Hopefully everyone will be safe and they will get it out. I think it is bigger than any thought it would get.
 
Yeah, I was going to take a trip down there and see for myself too. I actually know the unit way better on the south end rather than the north and planned on hunting the south side for most of the hunt. If you need any info on the south side let me know. I've seen some big ones in velvet over the years.
 
The ponderosas is what made oak creek canyon. I had a lot of fond memories camping there over the last 40 years. What a sad deal. I wonder how the deer faired.
 
Update on what I am hearing and seeing-

I understand now that roughly 40-50% of the Ponderosas remain intact! I have also heard from a couple of fire-fighters that they were able to save the "Circle"(the fee charging campground)! I am sure other spots were hopefully spared also.

Sounds like Cameron is on a ventilator due to the swelling. His burns are mostly over his face and hands. He is a good guy and I hope his recovery is quick.

The fire is heading south in the foothills and I am afraid that it is just going to keep going. The fire has also reached the Cement Plant there between Leamington and Nephi, I had a Brother-In-Law sitting at the dynamite shed with a water truck with flames less than 20ft away!

Probably over 2/3's of this hunting unit will be gone when the fire finally stops. I don't think they will let you up the main canyon at that time, so your best bets would be Whiskey Creek south to the Church Hills. I think you could still have a chance at a good buck, but that will really concentrate the hunters to a smaller area.
 
Still burning south along the foothills. It's reached clear south to where the long range shooting site is. I'm afraid that if the fire turns east again up into the mountains, there won't be anthing left.

It looked like alot of the remaining had been contained or had burned itself out, but something huge flared up this morning straight up the canyon. I think it's towards the top well above the Ponderosas, but to flare up this early in the day it must have hit something big.

Still only 15% containment and I don't see them stopping it anytime soon. We drove through Oak City yesterday and it is truly an awesome sight to see all those fire-fighters from all over trying to fight this beast. Thanks to them all and God bless!!
 
Can't shoot, we were updated this morning by the forest service at 45% containment and 93,000 acres. It actually started about 100 yards from the cattle guard south of the shooting range. Ironically the shooting range and targets are about the only spot that didn't burn(about 100 yard swath on either side of the targets).

They have the north end contained as of now on hwy 132. I did see the big flare ups today up on the peaks, pretty big flames.

We watched the fire for about an hour after it first started from the dunes (before the evac). That's about how long it took to get from the cattle guard to the radio towers.
 
gonna be some good range if they reseed it! Im sure there will be plenty of cover, it will change the lok of the mountains for a few years but i bet it will do a lot of good in a lot of areas. i may just put in for that deer tag now depending upon there post fire reseed management taactics.
 
My brother reported this fire when it was a 1/4 acre and burning low and slow through the cheat grass. He said by the time he got off the phone it hit the sage and exploded. This fire moved faster than you can imagine. He said it appeared the car up ahead of him started it.

if the bulk of the deer survived, this could be real good in the future. I think this kind of fire probably took out some fawn crop but time will tell.
 
I spent Saturday down in that area and saw the fire first hand. About 80% of the total unit has burned and I belive the next 10% will burn before it is over. There are spots here and there that didn't get burned.

I saw alot of the thick brush and cedars have burned and the deer will be alot easier to see where before it was too thick and they could hide easier. I think alot of big deer will be killed this year because they can't hide as easily as they use to.
 
If 80-90% of the unit is burned up, most deer will be forced off the limited entry unit onto the general hunting units surrounding it. Deer won't stay in an area with no cover. In a few years, the Oak Creek unit could be awesome deer habitat if it is seeded with something other than cheat grass. This year I don't think many deer will remain witin the boundaries. Any nice bucks taking refuge in the small unburnt patches of vegetation will be too easy to find and will get killed. The general deer units surrounding the Oak Creek unit could be awesome this year and those tags just got much more valuable! My father in law drew one such general tag and I think he's got a good chance at getting a nice Oak Creek refugee buck! These deer will be trying to find new territory with enough feed and cover to sustain them but probably won't wander any further than necessary because next year after some new growth in the burned areas, they'll start reclaiming their old stomping grounds. I'll be taking a look at the damage this week first hand. But if it is as bad as they say it is, you'd be crazy to waste your points on it this year.
 
Is it possible that the DNR could or should cancel hunts on this unit this year? The deer that remain if in fact there are some that stay there could be over pressured or easily killed. Or will it stay open for the few that don't turn their tags back?
 
That would be way to big of step in the right direction. Wait until winter with no feed. Anything left will have some struggles. There could be more brush left then what we think. The fire isn't done yet.
 
A couple years ago when Dry Mtn above Santaquin burned, alot of mature deer got killed because they could not hide. It will be interesting to see what happens and how far the deer travel on this unit. I don't believe they will travel that far. There is still quite a bit of unburned low farm country they will go to and then sooner than later, return to the higher country. IMO.
 
The DNR has decided not to do anything with the unit. I received an email explaining the hunt will remain as normal and outlining my options to surrender my tag if I decide to do so. I have an archery tag. Has anyone been on the unit since the fire? Is it all basically moon scape or is there a chance that there could be a buck or two move back in before the hunt? I have until Friday to give my tag back and get a refund, or until the day before the hunt to get the points back. I am not exactly emotionally attached to my 4 points it took to draw I plan to start back in for elk next year anyway. This is my only tag this year surrendering it will mean no bow hunt for me but I don't want to waste my time and money either. Any info I can obtain will help.
 
I tried to go up Dry Creek road today but it is closed at the forest service boundary. I called the forest service to see if all roads are closed on the burn. I was told only Dry Creek and Oak Creek canyons are closed and all others open.

If it was my tag I would keep it and change my hunting strategies. There will still be deer and they will probably be concentrated together moreso than usual. My 2 best bucks came off burns that were only a couple months old.
 
If the burn map is correct, the only thing left on the entire unit is the very southern end. I think there will be a lot of deer that have moved off the forest on to the general and the rest will be in the small pockets that didn't get burned. As fast as this fire moved, I think a lot of fawns did not make it. I wish the DWR would make the right call and close the unit for the year and issue refunds.
 

Similar threads

Sparks Shooter
If you had a Silver State Deer Tag
Replies
19
Views
1k
3TOE
3TOE
Founder
Montana Mule Deer, Whitetail, Antelope, Archery Elk
Replies
0
Views
535
Founder
Founder
Smokepole
Bear Hunt Little Creek, Book Cliffs
Replies
4
Views
910
Smokepole
Smokepole

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

IMG_3571.JPG
A837A649-0B7D-44A5-9FE6-421932E41C16.jpeg
80 Bucks in 3 Days
6CFF7558-8739-4940-A92D-31F970EA80E8.jpeg
86EE608F-DFEC-4D23-A4AA-CDD51FD8034E.jpeg
IMG_3692.jpeg
IMG_1777.jpg
20230726_075046.jpg
IMG_3328.jpeg
IMG_3571.JPG
buck me.jpg
IMG_0870.JPG
Back
Top Bottom