Sheldon deer

[X7ahunter]

Anyone kill any bucks off the Sheldon this year? Please post some pics!

 

[Bwht4x4]

I know someone that had an archery tag last year and ended up returning it after a couple scouting trips without seeing any decent bucks.

 

[Buckbrush]

Yeah, it's not the same up in that country as it was a few short years ago, For the goats or the deer , sad.

 

[Homer]

Yeah, it's not the same up in that country as it was a few short years ago, For the goats or the deer , sad.

Horses are doing well.....so it has that going for it.

 

[Iddogguy]

Had an Antelope tag there in 2019. Saw hardly any horses! Did see one nice deer. The antelope hunt was very disappointing!!!!! Nothing like it was when I was there 9 years earlier! Mark

 

[Sallaberry]

Had an Antelope tag there in 2019. Saw hardly any horses! Did see one nice deer. The antelope hunt was very disappointing!!!!! Nothing like it was when I was there 9 years earlier! Mark

Sounds like you didn’t see hardly any animals?

 

[HEVISHOT]

Actually most of the horses were taken off during the Trump administration.
Who knows what biden will do with the horses.
Water and predators is becoming the biggest issue there now.

 

[Iddogguy]

Sounds like you didn’t see hardly any animals?

Not very many! Saw antelope not a lot & nothing that would score over 72. Very few deer, mostly on the western edge of the unit by Bald Mountain Creek. Did see 11 rams in one bunch on Guano Rim right on the Oregon border. I covered a lot of ground glassing. Very disappointed that I burned 21 points on it! I think there were only two of us that were successful on the archery hunt.

Had a sheep tag in 2010. Saw a lot of antelope, a few upper 80 class bucks. Never saw a lot of deer then either. There were hundreds of horses at that time. Mark

 

[JB48]

Very sad what has happened on the Sheldon. My first hunt there in 2001 for antelope I saw so many great deer and antelope. Hunted it twice more for deer, one muzzy one late rifle. Last hunt 2013, saw a few smaller bucks, shot a 170's type buck, it was already heading down hill.

 

[Homer]

When Frenchy Montero was there......it was full of deer and antelope....

 

[Syncerus1]

You're spot on Homer! Frenchy Montero's was a plus 500 easily. He is long gone now, and so is the herds of varied game that the Sheldon contained. I have been on and off, over and around the Sheldon for more than 4 decades. When the grazing diminished, so did the game. Horses need to be removed in total forthwith. No benefit to anyone, ever. OUR Lands, and wildlife are mismanaged, in all their forms.

 

[Padfoot]

Things have changed on the sheldon, no question. They were able to get the cattle off of it, but can't seem to get the horses off. There are more horses now than they ever had of cattle. The big issue is water sources are trampled and monopolized by the horses. No one disputes the horse issue, but no one has a long term viable solution to it either.

 

[fullcry]

Not sure when some of you were on the Sheldon last.
But most of the horses are gone and have been gone for several years.
I don’t remember but I think they pulled something like 3,500 off of the Sheldon’s.
It will still be a few more years before the land recovers.
They still need to do some serious trapping.
I saw 5 different bobcats in 1 day last time I was through there.

 

[Homer]

Cattlemens water was worth it....in itself

 

[Padfoot]

You are right, the last time there was 2016 I saw fewer horses but still too many. I don't have the stats's to back up my perception, which is, that it was in decline 20 years ago and seems like it hasn't recovered.

 

[CowDoc]

Are we talking about the Antelope Refuge, unit 33? My son had an antelope tag there last year and we tried to cover most of it. The only horses or evidence of them we saw was on Badger. I think we counted 6 total. Antelope were around, but size was disappointing. We saw one small 3 x 3 muley and 20 or so does n fawns in 4 days. Water is the limiter in my view. I think the horses were removed?

 

[Padfoot]

I'm glad to hear the horses are gone.

The first time I hunted the Sheldon in 1986 I saw about 8 horses just west of big springs table, at the time I thought it was special. Now I think they are a cancer on the landscape.

On that hunt I saw the biggest buck I have ever seen, on the west slopes of Catnip, and antelope everywhere. I mean everywhere with several pushing 80. I hunted antelope on the unit 4 times. On my last hunt in the 90's, the deer and antelope numbers were way down. A friend hunted deer there a couple of years ago and he saw few deer and no shooters and said that the habitat had changed in spots because of the fires. It is a special place and I hope it comes back so future generations can enjoy it.

 

[Homer]

Cattle ranchers are always vilinized for the sorry conditions today….but historically, without their development and distribution of water……non of these “good old days” stories would be told…

 

[bullskin]

Much of that country has been reduced to cheat over the past thirty years. Bitterbrush and mountain mahogany thickets are mostly gone. Until we figure out how to regenerate these species I do not see much hope for improvement.

 

[Homer]

...go back 30 years and don't remove grazing cattle

 

[iowacity]

I hunted up in the area this past season for deer. There was lots of Deer feed (mahoganies and bitter brush). Some of the old burns were starting to recover and had deer. I didn’t see anything huge, but did see several bucks in the 170s class.

 

[doz]

Cattle ranchers are always vilinized for the sorry conditions today….but historically, without their development and distribution of water……non of these “good old days” stories would be told…

You can make that argument for some areas, but in other areas where I hunt, there is year round water sources and plenty of it where the cattle have taken over. Cattle running over saddles @ 9000'. Destroying the spring areas.

Some places, it has had an impact.

 

[X7ahunter]

That's a sad deal. The Sheldon is one of my favorite places on earth. Hopefully it returns to it's former glory.

 

[Iddogguy]

I have a lot of old regulations from putting in. I always keep them because I've always enjoyed studying them pre application periods.

In 1987, 033 had two rifle hunts.
Early was Oct. 3-Nov. 1. It had 215 resident tags & 24 non-resident tags.
Late hunt was Nov. 7-Nov. 15 with 21 Res & 2 Non-res tags.

In 2021, 033 had one rifle hunt.
It was from Oct 5- Nov 5 it had 20 resident tags & 2 non-res tags!!!!!!

It's even worse in other units!!!!!!