Have 2b youth hunt with son

yemtig · Nov 13, 2019

Are the mule deer going to be in rut when the youth hunt is going or does it hit more in December? The dates are Nov 23rd-Dec 1st. I've hunted it myself in October twice before but never have hunted mule deer at this time of the year.

Still think we're gonna find the bucks up high regardless, away from pressure in canyons and out of the way ridges.

Kooper1021 · Nov 14, 2019

I think that hunt is going to be a deer slaughter. Will not be a problem killing a good deer. The area has been going downhill but now it is only going to get worse. I do not agree with giving out that many rifle tags that time of year. Don?t care if it is youth or general tags it's the wrong thing to do!

hayden3006 · Nov 15, 2019

Hopefully it will be going. My son has the 2A tag.

gznokes · Nov 19, 2019

I wish you the best, but I'm not hearing good things about this unit. My buddy hunted it for 5 days at the beginning of the month w a high profile outfitter and the biggest buck they saw was a 1 1/2 year old 3 point. I'm sure the weather didn't help. They say the youth hunt is better . . .

Nmm347 · Nov 19, 2019

>I wish you the best, but
>I'm not hearing good things
>about this unit. My buddy
>hunted it for 5 days
>at the beginning of the
>month w a high profile
>outfitter and the biggest buck
>they saw was a 1
>1/2 year old 3 point.
>I'm sure the weather didn't
>help. They say the youth
>hunt is better . .
>.

I wish it was the weather but afraid it's not. I've hunted 2b four times in the last seven years and each year is worse than the last. This unit has been over hunted so bad it's ridiculous. There are a few big bucks still hiding in the deep canyons but they are the extreme exception now. Hate it see my home unit go up in flames due to Game and Fish piss poor management.

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Nov 19, 2019

How can the youth hunt be better? This is the first year of those dates, before it was in October and it was horrible

junior · Nov 19, 2019

Migration

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Nov 19, 2019

What migration, there won't be enough snow to push them south of Bayfield let alone south of the lake

Nmm347 · Nov 19, 2019

>What migration, there won't be enough
>snow to push them south
>of Bayfield let alone south
>of the lake

Bingo. It takes a lot of snow to make them move.

roadrunner · Nov 20, 2019

I have seen nice bucks show up in the last week that weren't there before. Yes, they are beginning to rut and will do more toward Dec 1.

I agree, the unit 2's have declined over the years. Overhunting? Maybe for today's conditions, but certainly less than when I was a youth.

I blame increased predation of lions and coyotes. Couple that with a decade of drought to semi-drought conditions and you will see a decrease in deer nose count.

The last time I had a rifle deer tag in 2B was 2001. Lots of deer "back then".

Yes, there will be an increase in youth hunters filling their first ever deer tag and actually getting their first deer for a change. Not sure about a "slaughter" though...

cosmic_cowboy · Nov 20, 2019

I hunted 2b 4 times in the 1990s There were plenty of big bucks. I agree with roadrunner to many Lions and coyotes have really hurt the population, and would add Bud Light drinking 'Bro's' hunting in Dec. and Jan.
Jack

Bowdeadly · Nov 20, 2019

This is whats going to happen, mark my words!
The rut will be going, kids will be killing,
The deer population is gonna take a huge blow and lastly the Jan bow hunters are ##### out of luck.?

roadrunner · Nov 20, 2019

>This is whats going to happen,
>mark my words!
>The rut will be going, kids
>will be killing,
>The deer population is gonna take
>a huge blow and lastly
>the Jan bow hunters are
>##### out of luck.?

Deer population has already taken a huge blow which is why there is such concern over this hunt. If the population was still up, it wouldn't be an issue.

So, what happens to a herd if is all you shoot are big breeder bucks for the last 10 to 15 years without favorable weather, feed, and water conditions with an increase in predation? Pretty sure the negative impact has already happened and this youth hunt ain't gonna hurt it that much more.

But, it will be blamed nonetheless...

Bowdeadly · Nov 20, 2019

150 deer tags smack dab in the middle of the rut will not effect the population? Yes it's gonna be a slaughter. If they can't kill a deer in the rut with a rifle then thank goodness for kellers meats or wal mart. ?. Can't wait to see the harvest report of this hunt, I'm gonna say it's over 80 percent. Just glad I didn't draw a Jan bow hunt as their will be no deer left in that unit. Mount Taylor ring a bell?

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Nov 20, 2019

Are you serious? You don't think this hunt will have a huge impact on what's left. Your right the herds already down so lets just finish it off.

roadrunner · Nov 21, 2019

Yes, there will be an increase in filled tags, for once. I have always thought they did offer too many tags for these hunts.

But I'm not going to tear down and shame a 17 year "kid" because they killed their first ever deer after years of applying and never drawing or going on that idiotic mid Oct deer hunt and coming up empty handed.

I won't shame a 13 yr old who drew their first tag and are more excited than Christmas morning because they have the best chance ever to kill a first deer.

You want to increase deer numbers, then jump on the bandwagon to shutdown E&P companies by going on an anti-frac'ing crusade to combat "climate change"...

live4muleys · Nov 22, 2019

Anybody know how much moisture they got over the last two days? Roads? I know they get bad just curious if they got enough moisture to make them bad.

hayden3006 · Nov 22, 2019

We are in 2A scouting for tomorrow?s youth hunt. The roads were not to bad. Deer sightings were very few.

live4muleys · Nov 22, 2019

Thanks for the update on the roads. That is good that they are not to bad. To bad you are not seeing the deer numbers yet. Good luck.

roadrunner · Nov 22, 2019

Roads were pretty sloppy where I was.

Clay = bad
Sandstone = good

yemtig · Nov 23, 2019

>Anybody know how much moisture they
>got over the last two
>days? Roads? I know they
>get bad just curious if
>they got enough moisture to
>make them bad.

I was in 2b on Thurs/Friday. Roads were pretty bad off the entrance from 64.. Think its American Mesa Rd. 310. I'll be there later this week after Thanksgiving. Bring the chains if hunting around Thanksgiving til the end. You might need them. I would assume if the temps are cold enough, the mud and muck will freeze up pretty good every night. Looks to be a cold, snowy, muddy mess when I'm there. Saw a few small bucks in my limited time there. Hoping that getting back there in the unit along with the weather will keep the hunting pressure down and we can tag out quick.

Flatbrimmer · Nov 24, 2019

>You want to increase deer numbers,
>then jump on the bandwagon
>to shutdown E&P companies by
>going on an anti-frac'ing crusade
>to combat "climate change"...

I really doubt that oil and gas exploration and production has much effect on the deer numbers in Arizona.