First time rifle unit 10

[jbovet]

Hey everyone headed up Friday to unit 10 for my first rifle hunt looking to finally fill a big game tag! I was able to do one day of vehicle scouting a few weeks back (wife was with me and not in hiking shape). Going at it solo out of a tent so this will be a first on many levels. Was told to try Harrison pass south of the wilderness area. Any other suggestions? I’ve heard Harrison will be packed with people. Really hoping to get my first big game animal after 12 years of attempts! ThAnks!

 

[iowacity]

If your able, I would hike into the wilderness and hunt. The majority of the deer will be in the wilderness areas. I would focus on the west side of 102 up high.

 

[jbovet]

Help!!! Up by angel lake and haven’t seen anything! Really want to fill a tag for the first time

 

[iowacity]

Get away from the main access points and hike in is all the advise I can give. I don’t know anything about angel lake.

 

[braaap]

Are you sitting and glassing? Do you have your binos on a tripod? Do you have a spotting scope? If you are glassing from a good location for the first few hours in the morning you should be finding deer.

Help!!! Up by angel lake and haven’t seen anything! Really want to fill a tag for the first time

 

[Simple man]

Your barely off Hwy 80 at a popular place Angle lake. At the top of all the units. I would concentrate on getting a lot father in away from popular places. At least to mid 102 or bellow.
Get away from people, hike farther in then most and high elevation.
I have no secret places just places nobody else will go too, seam to work the best. Difficult to reach bowls and canyons. The rougher the better. Wilderness is even better. There’s lots of it. The large moon doesn’t help.
10s are tough. So many tags given. Low success rates. Poor genetics but a decent concentration of deer in the 10s.
There’s already been 1400 tags hunted in the 10s. Your season is the next 850 tags.
Deer will disappear with that kind of pressure.
Look for and go into the nastiest of places away from people and roads. Look in the shade and shade pockets like rocks, trees, Mt casting shade as the sun moves the shade moves.
Pray for snow!!
Best of luck! Keep grinding and you’ll get on some sign and see deer!!

 

[jbovet]

I’m definitely trying. Up at angel lake been up high and to the left and right. Haven’t crossed paths with any deer but decent amount of sign. Just can’t find them and not knowing much isn’t helping

 

[jbovet]

Got it done!

 

[Simple man]

Heck yeah!! Nice work and not very buck!!

 

[BroadHead]

Oh yeah, nice looking buck. Great job grinding it out! Would you mind elaborating on that rifle? Is it custom?

 

[Simple man]

Heck yeah!! Nice work and not very buck!!

Correction
Very nice buck!!

 

[JPickett]

Got it done!

View attachment 57585

Hell of a feeling isn’t it?! Way to stick with it

 

[jbovet]

Oh yeah, nice looking buck. Great job grinding it out! Would you mind elaborating on that rifle? Is it custom?

It’s a browning xbolt long range max in hell’s canyon camo pattern.6.5 PRC with 26” barrel. I put a burris xtr ii scope on it and it has a griffin armament otb suppressor. Nothing “custom” about it all parts off the shelf and installed myself. Accuracy at 100 yards with factory Hornady ammo picture attached. Very happy with it!

 

[BroadHead]

It’s a browning xbolt long range max in hell’s canyon camo pattern.6.5 PRC with 26” barrel.

Thank you! Looks like a solid rifle that shoots very well. 6.5 PRC with a 26" barrel I imagine must sling those .264 projectiles at a good speed.

At one point, I was considering a 6.5 PRC but it's just bad timing to reload for a new cartridge. Components are all Unicorns

 

[jbovet]

Thank you! Looks like a solid rifle that shoots very well. 6.5 PRC with a 26" barrel I imagine must sling those .264 projectiles at a good speed.

At one point, I was considering a 6.5 PRC but it's just bad timing to reload for a new cartridge. Components are all Unicorns

close to 3000 FPS with 143eld-x from factory, handloads should be 3000 FPS

 

[Ranger1]

Got it done!

View attachment 57585

Congrats!

 

[fatrooster]

Nice buck. You did good. Fatrooster

 

[bonepicker]

Well done! Way to stick it out!

 

[Wiszard]

I hunted 10 with a muzzy 10 years ago and got skunked. I think that is a pretty good deer for 10. Congrats on your first deer. Was he killed on private or is that public. Just asking because it looks like a fenced field. Congrats again!

 

[jbovet]

I hunted 10 with a muzzy 10 years ago and got skunked. I think that is a pretty good deer for 10. Congrats on your first deer. Was he killed on private or is that public. Just asking because it looks like a fenced field. Congrats again!

Got him on private

 

[X7ahunter]

I hunted 10 with a muzzy 10 years ago and got skunked. I think that is a pretty good deer for 10. Congrats on your first deer. Was he killed on private or is that public. Just asking because it looks like a fenced field. Congrats again!

Some big bucks get killed out of 10. One of the biggest bucks I've personally ever seen was in 10 in 2015. It's big country and hard huntin, lots of deer probably die of old age in that unit.

A buck close to 300 inch was killed in the late archery years ago, I'll bet that buck spent his whole life down in the low ground around the Junipers and pinions.