G3 Trophy Quality

highsierra

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-19 AT 06:33PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-19 AT 11:43?AM (MST)

This came up in the other Goodale (G3) post and I thought it might warrant a separate thread..

My thoughts...

First of all, I'm not denying that trophy quality of bucks taken in this zone has diminished over the years. This may be a function of several things...habitat, loss of superior genetics from selective removal of largest bucks by hunters, Mt. Lions targeting older age class animals, etc. Theorize all you want...I'm sure that all the aforementioned play a role, to some degree, in what the current situation is.

What many fail to understand about this particular hunt is that the demographic of the hunters drawing this "coveted" tag may also be effecting the "perception" regarding trophy quality available nowadays.

Here's something to consider...
Most (90%) of the hunters drawing this zone have MAX points (18). So, if you were a pre-teen 12 year old, with wisdom beyond your years and tremendous patience (highly unlikely), you would now be 30 years old if you drew this year. Obviously, the chances of this scenario playing out are next to impossible. So, in essence, the hunters drawing this tag are probably those that were plugged into the "hunting scene" at the time CA went to a pref. pt. system (as there was little social media then) and understood that it may take many years to eventually draw. I'll go out on a limb and say most 20 year old CA hunters, and maybe even most 30 year old CA hunters, probably wouldn't fall into this category 18 years ago.

So what does this mean? Those that are drawing the tag now were probably at least in their 30's eighteen years ago...putting them now in their late 40's. Mind you, this would be the YOUNGEST of hunters drawing G3 today. As evidenced from many posts/photos online, as well as from personal experience in the zone, I can say with great confidence that the majority of hunters drawing G3 now are well into their 50's...many much older.

You can probably guess where I'm going with this now. Older hunters are not always in the best physical condition. To take a truly magnificent buck in this zone you need to understand that you will be walking in steep, potentially high altitude, terrain in (hopefully) winter-like conditions (low temps/ snow,wind, etc.) The buck I helped a friend take last year required a 3 hr 2500'+ climb in the dark just to get close enough to evaluate. Not for the faint of heart. Could you find a good, maybe even great (180" +) buck close to a road...maybe, but unlikely. Big bucks need age to reach their potential. Bucks possessing descent antler growth (that of a typical 4-5 yr old) that also acclimate over the years to spending time near roads never reach their full potential because these are the bucks a high percentage of the G3 hunters target. Throw in the overwhelming massiveness and daunting terrain of the Eastern Sierra, the pressure of just shooting a buck so that that long awaited tag doesn't go to waste, and you have a recipe for tag holders smoking "lesser" bucks more often than not.

I for one, am not willing to write off this zone as a potential producer of a "Governor's Tag" worthy buck. It will just take the right person that possesses the right attitude, the necessary physical ability, the required skill set, and a little bit of luck (weather) to notch a tag on such a giant. With the aging demographic drawing this tag...the chances of this happening may be lessening each year.

your thought?

-HS
 
It's really funny you posted this because I was thinking the same thing after reading a post on another forum that talked about 3 different hunters that were all 70 or older and shooting bucks closer to the road that were nice deer for California but are not deer that you would want to wait for max points for.

I would never have the patience to wait 18 years for a tag or whatever max points are now. So that takes me out of ever putting in for this hunt. But I definitely think there's some correlation there with older guys getting this tag and not being in the shape to get up to where the big bucks are at.
 
Good points, but I'm in my early 40?s with max points, so I'm hopeful. If you've been watching max point holders are putting in for tags which do not require max points. Point in case, the individual who burned max points for D6 this past season. I hunt out of state every year and have killed my fair share of California bucks, I'm in no hurry and can wait for this tag. I've drawn G37 (pre points) and will now be G3 or bust.
 
>Good points, but I'm in my
>early 40?s with max points,
>so I'm hopeful. If
>you've been watching max point
>holders are putting in for
>tags which do not require
>max points. Point in
>case, the individual who burned
>max points for D6 this
>past season. I hunt
>out of state every year
>and have killed my fair
>share of California bucks, I'm
>in no hurry and can
>wait for this tag.
>I've drawn G37 (pre points)
>and will now be G3
>or bust.

Haha you noticed that too that someone burned points on D6, I'm sure someone must?ve messed up filling out there application on that one
 
I guess anything is possible but I hunted G3 before we had a points system and have had friends hunt it since, while it was better when I hunted it, I don't think it was that great even back then speaking from a trophy quality stand point anyway. It's a great hunt to see bucks but there just are not that many really big bucks there and I am talking California big like 170+. Good thing is I've had the chance to hunt it and burned my max points a few years back and killed a better buck than I did on G3 in another unit. I have been fortunate to be on a lot of our premier hunts both as a hunter and helper and I can say if I had max points and was guaranteed to draw any tag in the state G3 would not be what I applied for not sure it would even be in my top 3 but that is coming from a trophy stand point not an easy to shoot a decent buck stand point. That being said if someone is getting up in years and has max and wants a good chance at a 140+ deer then it's a great option.
 
So do tell what your top 3 zones would be? In the California points system and the odds of drawing there is no reason not to share which zone. Now your. ? honey hole? still suspect but everyone needs to have their spot.
 
I actually do have a reason as my wife has max but mainly because I have been waiting for a year to draw where I have time to concentrate on her tag and I don't have a hunt at same time. That being said I follow a few hunts closely and I don't think I will apply her next year either as what would currently be my first choice devils garden was way off the pace last year. So currently my top three would be devils,Doyle(which I used my points to draw) and third I would probably do X5B but only after scouting the year before hand. Problem I see with G3 is these are Inyo mike deer which tend to be smaller, different deer for sure I have one and color is different ears way smaller, I know a giant or two gets produced but they are rare. I think if a guy scouts and spends time in almost any of our x zones he can find a buck or two as good or better than he will in G3 so I don't see myself ever getting way up in points again. G3 will be more dependable as there will always be plenty of bucks the hunts I mention can be hit or miss but I think better odds of a giant. I think if I lived further south I would be looking at Anderson flat and I'm sure the guys that know the southern desert units we'll kill there fair share of good bucks.. I would recommend anyone with max go to whatever hunt they are trying to draw the year prior during the season and see if its what they expect before using there points up. I try and get info or In The field knowledge of the hunts I am talking about 2019 seems to have been a fairly off year for most hunts from what I have seen.
 
You definitely have valid points, except Anderson Flat. Being it is a November hunt it is entirely dependent on an early storm to push the big bucks out of Yosemite. If there is not a storm, it's just a general session D6 hunt. If the weather hits stand by for some quality bucks. M3 and X5b, I agree both have potential to get you a trophy Nevada mule deer. Good luck to your wife drawing her tag.
 
I think all the tags I mentioned are a bigger gamble than G3, the muzzleloader hunts are obviously tougher due to weapon choice and yes Anderson needs weather and 5b needs scouting and even then you may not turn up a giant but for me the risk is worth it as I think I could kill the average G3 buck on a lot of other hunts that require way less points. I wish they would move hunts around and rotate them maybe hunt them every 3 years and have more of the late hunts in other areas so point creep doesn't get worse, just seems if you kill most of the top 10-15 bucks on units that have a fairly limited supply it's going to take a toll on quality. I am actual glad I don't have max points anymore as I am having fun hunting different units every few years and not having the pressure of a coveted tag.
 

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