12 b west early hunt

[tooele]

I have a buddy that drew this tag as a non-resident with 0 points. I put him in to build points and he drew? Go figure I can't draw anything with 7 as a resident. Anyway, Wondering if anyone out there has any insite or general areas to start looking at on 12 b west. I have so far figured out that it appears to be a pretty tough hunt. Depends a lot on the weather. Is pretty much all winter range, so without weather, getting deer off the pauns and the kaibab just won't happen. Buckskin mountain seems popular with more deer and more hunters. There are some resident bucks, but hard to come by. Lots of sage and junipers.

T

 

[BOW_N_ARROW]

Best advice I can give is find the most secluded water and see if you find any deer using it. If you find some sign, you can always brush out the tracks and check back a few days later to see if there are any fresh ones out and about.

It will still be pretty warm, so the you know they'll be on water if they are there.

JB

 

[Blank]

What are his expectations? Had the late 12B-W three years ago, and got screwed by the early weather, which then cleared up and got them moving back up into 12A for our hunt. Oh well.

When I hunted it early two years ago, I passed up over 50 bucks, and burned my tag. Spotlighted the highway each night, to look at those Kings quality bucks. There were some good ones migrating over the line in the dark from Utah, but never found them the next day. The best ones I know of were a huge 32" non-typical and a nice 30" typical. Unfortunately, saw 'em both after the shot!

Could have taken a 22-24"er, most any day, but it sure wouldn't have been close to a road.

 

[tagsoup]

I have five points and have been thinking about putting in for this unit next year. Do you guys think I should spend my points some where else? Or do you think if a guy hunted it hard he could have a decent chance at a 170 buck?

 

[tooele]

Hey Blank,
Any chance I could give you a call or a pm and talk about some of your strategies and general areas you were hitting?
T

 

[Blank]

Had great hunts on both tags, and would be glad to point out some spots I liked. Hope to draw it again, as it is a fun hunt. PM whenever you want.

 

[azbiggame]

T Soup - take those 5 B.P. and apply in 12A-W and East in 2009.You can draw those early hunts and those units have Quality & Quanity.Add some Weather and those early hunts can be very GOOD.Had a client from WI. draw this year with 4 B.P. for the early 12A-W. Good Luck to All,this Fall www.silvergrandoufitters.com

 

[tagsoup]

azbiggame

Thank you for the reply. Would you put in for west as a first choice or east as a first choice.

Thanks

 

[tooele]

Thanks a lot for the reply, my buddies expectations are fairly high, he has shot nice deer in wyoming, utah and nevada in the past, so he won't be shooting just to fill a tag. He is a single guy in his 30's who will spend the whole hunt hunting hard. We have the following game plan so far:
1. If it is dry and hot hunt the areas surrounding water holes that are seeing a lot of deer traffic.
2. If the weather moves in, try to catch the deer coming accross from Utah, if they are not coming accross from Utah, then move and try to catch them coming off the Kaibab.

Currently, we are leaning toward hunting in the Buckskin mountain area if it is dry and hot.

A couple of questions, as the unit is fairly new to us. Where do the deer typically come accross from Utah, is it the whole area around Kanab or are there some specific corridors that we should concentrate on or does everyone do this same thing.

Same question, but when the deer come off the Kaibab, do you know of any corridors that they start moving through?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

matt

 

[azbiggame]

Tsoup --- My advice would be to put 12A-W down 1st choice and 12A-E,2nd choice.More tags & deer in 12A-W and the deer are easier to find in "Transition" areas.The East side is Weather dependent on the Early hunt,for Quality.Good Luck in the draw in "09" www.silvergrandoutfitters.com

 

[Blank]

Tooele: Damn computers anyway, do just exactly what you tell them to. PM sent.

 

[maddglasser]

I know what I would do with those points and the 12AW or E early don't come anywhere near my mind!
Travis
www.southwesthuntingadventures.com

 

[rook]

I'm in the same boat, except I'm by myself. I have been doing as much research as possible on the web. Everyone is pretty tight lipped. They don't want to give out their hot spot. I can't say as I blame them.

 

[tooele]

My buddy went up there a week or so ago. It turned out that he ran into several bowhunters, one of the groups had been hunting for 5 days and hadn't seen a deer, but had a pile of sheds, so they weren't just road hunting. This unit must be a real tough, bow hunt unit, but hopefully the deer will be moving onto it for the early rifle with a little weather. He verified water holes and canyons that we planned on hunting. Now if we can get some nice person to speak up and let us know which canyon all 175 people will be in come opening day, then we will try to avoid that area and we might just get lucky.

T

 

[azoutback]

I can tell you that most people are going to be around buckskin mountain. Go find a nice canyon on the utah border and glass.

 

[Blank]

T:

New PM sent.

 

[hunter1]

johnson canyon or just call or stop in to talk to ryan hatch he has no problem helping people out.

 

[tooele]

I assume that's a little sarcastice there hunter 1

T

 

[hunter1]

i am not sure what part you are talking about, the canyon or ryan, ryan has been good to me and didnt blink an eye to help me out with a few things and i dont think he would mind talking to you about your hunt either, as far as the canyon i have glassed some nice bucks up in there back when they had the elk tags in 12b, thats how i got to know ryan hatch.

 

[tooele]

Did you end up taking an elk on 12b?
matt

 

[hunter1]

my wife at the time missed a 6 point in johnson canyon. it was the only elk we saw.

 

[rook]

I have been told to hunt several places but it will depend on the weather as you have stated. I am planning a scout trip a couple weekends before. Until then I am gathering all intel. that I possibly can.

 

[tooele]

Not bad on the miss, to see a six point bull you must have hunted pretty hard on that unit. Hunter1 we talked extensively with Duwane adams about the unit, he is helpful, but even after my buddy paid for the map service, he gave him real general information, pretty much stuff that I have gotten from buddies that have hunted the unit, and every area he marked is where they say that everyone and their dog hunts. I guess as we get to know the unit better we will get more specific, with him and I hope that the money for the map service will be well spent. He kind of went with the service as everyone has been talking adams up around here so much, but so far I wasn't real impressed that my buddy was the only one that has paid him for the information on the unit, and he didn't really give him much but general information. Some of the guys on this site have given me much more specific information and hey they didn't even charge me. I hope as we pick his brain more he lives up to everyones respect. I think I will call up ryan hatch and see what he has to say. Thanks for your help.

T

 

[tooele]

Well rook maybe we will run into you, we are planning 3 more scout trips and my buddy will be up there the entire week before and then the entire hunt. Maybe we can help you out if we run into you up there.

 

[rook]

I will keep an eye out for you. What kind of truck?

 

[tooele]

We just headed up to scout some more on the unit. Concentrated a lot in the buckskins and out east. We are starting to get to know the lay of the land up there, found a lot of guzzlers. Still not even one track located. It snowed on the kaibab a little this weekend and we were expecting maybe a few does would start moving into the unit. The cuts east of buck pasture canyon look interesting, but sounds like everyone hunts them, any one have success on the cuts?

T

 

[BomberBlackies]

How far east did you go?

 

[tooele]

To where it started dropping off into coyote.

T

 

[showgun]

Anyone been in 12b lately? Looks like it will be fairly warm during the hunt. We are heading up Wed morn. Good luck to all..

 

[Gator]

Hope some weather shows up and helps move a buck or too down in to your area.
I second calling Ryan he pointed me out some places to scout and hunt IF I DREW A TAG I haven't drew that tag(Strip) yet But if I do he will be on a short list of people to call.

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

Tooele,
How did the hunt go?
MTBB

 

[tooele]

It was an interesting hunt to say the least. The weather was hot, but as my friend showed up 4 days prehunt, a lot of deer had moved into the unit. Mostly does and smaller bucks. I arrived the night before opening day and so did all of the people. Lots of big camps and more road traffic, road hunters throughout the hunt than I have ever seen in any unit. Due to the dryness it was a serious dust bowl. As I sat one morning glassing, behind me on the road, no less than 15 trucks drove by during prime morning hunting time, no wonder all these people kept telling me all they saw were does and 2 points. I saw many small 2 points in camp. As for our group, we saw some reasonable deer, but no toads that were shootable.

First day 50 does, 13 bucks. biggest a 25 inch 3 point with heavy horns, then a 23 inch 4X4, then 3 18-24 inch 2X2-4X4.

2nd day-31 total deer. biggest a 28 inch 4X4 with a sticker off the right side, couldn't get a shot, tall and wide something running through the trees that we got a back view of, but no shot, 150 yard shot at a 24-25 inch long-tines with mass 4X4 that my buddy passed on.

3rd day

10 or 12 deer total biggest a small 2 pointer

I went home planning on coming back for the second weekend at this point. My buddy hasn't sent me the deer totals yet, but the sightings apparently became fewer and fewer, and all he was seeing was 18-20 inch wide bucks. The last day thursday that he was there he saw a heavy wide buck, he was going to pull the trigger on, but it turned and it was only a 3X3, so he passed. He decided he wasn't seeing what he wanted, as he has killed some good bucks in the past, so he headed out and so I didn't have to go back up and help out. I thought it was a reasonably good hunt, but it is a pretty tough unit to find a real whopper on due to the terrain, a lot of luck involved in the early hunt to shoot a real toad. He wasn't consistently seeing enought size to keep him around, so he was out of there. we did a lot of hiking and a lot of glasssing. The unit may have better potential with different weather. Most people we spoke to were seeing only 2 points.

T

T

 

[showgun]

Nov 7th % 8th things started to come together for the bigger bucks with some early rut activity. My 13 year old girl missed a 28" toad with lots of trash, she ended up taking a heavy 22" 3 by 3 on the last day.First buck and its all on video. Ended up going 5 for 5, 2 small and 3 good mature bucks. Going back up for the late hunt with two hunters. Cant wait as things are starting to look real good.

 

[tooele]

Oh yes the most exciting thing on the whole hunt was when I was following a couple of road hunters, who would not let me past them on a 4 wheeler, come up on a little 2 point. Four of the fat ol boys come piling out of the vehicle, three of them tell me to stop, shut off my vehicle. The other one nearly pissed his pants as he was shaking so bad. Yes he did! He missed at 50 yards, and then nearly threw his gun, he was so pissed. At least I finally got past them.

T