131-134 archery. WTH happened?
- Thread starter BigPig
- Start date
Seems like more than just hunting pressure, although I’m sure that was a factor too. You’d think that if some big bucks were still there one might be able to turn up just one. We hiked into roadless basins, hunted as high as possible, got away from crowds, glassed until our eyes were sore with 15’s and spotters, gave it hell, and still just young bucks. It’s as if 3-4 years ago all the fawns died so that age class is just missing now. Hunter kill sure, but there had to have been a severe weather event (or an alien abduction) a few years ago that wiped out a year or two’s worth of babies. It’s shocking. Not counting the same bucks we saw multiple times, we saw 75+ bucks and just a couple 3 yr old 24-25” 3x3’s were the best bucks we saw. Not a single 4pt and no 4+ year old bucks at all. We talked to multiple other hunters who had previously had the tag several years ago and they were 100% blown away at the difference and how the unit has declined in just a few years.
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Hunt4more
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Taking off Wednesday for archery in there.
Glassed up a 160 and170 before the opener. Sorry to hear about the lack of mature deer. It’s really disappointing and I’ve been hearing it from multiple other hunters as well.
The bucks all in velvet still?
Glassed up a 160 and170 before the opener. Sorry to hear about the lack of mature deer. It’s really disappointing and I’ve been hearing it from multiple other hunters as well.
The bucks all in velvet still?
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Live4MtnHunts
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I had the tag last year and hunted it solo. First time in 131 but got some really good info from someone who has been part of taking quite a few large bucks out of the unit. I saw lots of deer/bucks and some whopper elk but the biggest deer I could turn up was probably a 155-160" buck. Cool country and had a great time. I'd like to have the tag again and will assume my lack of success was based on just...me. Did talk to a couple of NV residents who were glassing similar areas as me and they had stories/pics of huge bucks taken over the previous 10 years. The ironic part was I was turning up way more bucks than they were, although all small. I still believe I must not have been looking in the right spots. Too pretty a place not to be holding some big deer.
Your last sentence… I felt the exact same way! And actually, based on other conversations we were having with most of the other hunters, we were seen a lot more books than them also, just all small. We were definitely hunting harder than most it appeared.
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ORPhotoGuy
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Yikes, that's not very encouraging to hear. I drew the late rifle tag this year and it will be interesting to see what's left after all the other hunts.
Sallaberry
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Late rifle is going to be ok early rifle is going to be a tough one.
ORPhotoGuy
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Anyone have any updates on early rifle or the first week of late rifle? Headed down to 131-134 tomorrow morning to hunt the last week of the hunt. I have a few places in mind from the biologist but I think it's the same information I've seen elsewhere that most of the deer are near the highway this time of year migrating to 132.
ORPhotoGuy
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So far its been slim pickings. We didn't see a single deer the first two days but we were checking some of the northern parts of the unit and it seemed like most of the deer already migrated. I finally located some does in the southern portion of the unit tonight. 2 small bucks were nearby but no bucks with any of the does. Anyone have any ideas where the bucks hang out this time of year?
mevertsen
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This has been a question for a lot of people it seems.
Even seeing small bucks with does was nonexistent for me this year on two different hunts for my daughter and dad.
Just keep looking.
Good luck.
Sounds like you need to go farther south. If your are hunting near highway 6 you probably won’t see many deer. Most of the deer have moved more south by now. I would be looking about 25-30 miles south of the highway 6 if that helps.
ORPhotoGuy
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That helps a lot and confirms what we've been seeing. Lots of does on the private ag fields at the 6 /318 junction but no decent bucks even.
Hunt4more
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Just finished up the late rifle hunt in 13. The biggest buck seen was maybe a 170”. Where I was hunting it was a rodeo of side x sides and pick up’s. Some looking for elk, but mostly deer hunters. Looked over a lot of deer between the archery and rifle. I’m unaware of anyone harvesting a toad.
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