Unit 34 deer

Muleman1 · Jan 31, 2020

So I’ve been talking with Conrad8899 and decided to get out of the points game and go with 34 deer this year between talking with him who by the way has been very helpful and friendly and talking with numerous WY fish and game employees and Looking at endless maps I’ve decided it’s the hunt for me does anyone have any pics of deer or hunting stories from unit 34 they’d like to share to keep the blood boiling till the hunt starts

chipc · Jan 31, 2020

I've never hunted it Mule but I do know that there are a bunch of posts on here with pics and etc... for unit 34. Do a search and you'll find a lot of what you're looking for. Chip

Muleman1 · Jan 31, 2020

I’ve searched it and really can’t find much

BuzzH · Feb 1, 2020

I drew it 2012 after seeing a really great deer in the unit in 2011 while coming home from hunting in another unit.

Honestly, I didn't give that tag the effort I should have. I drew all my first choice applications in WY that year, elk, deer, and pronghorn all in great areas. I also drew desert sheep in AZ and rifle bull elk in AZ that year too. I also had elk and deer tags in Montana as well. Something had to give and it was that deer tag.

I did have a chance to hunt the last 5 days of the season, and I was too sick to hunt 2 of the 5. The other 3 days I limped around and ended up killing this buck on the last day of the season, with about 15 minutes of light left. Probably should have passed him and just ate the tag. I haven't shot a mule deer in Wyoming since.

Its definitely a unit with potential for big bucks but you have to spend wayyyyy more time than I did. I probably saw 12-15 bucks each of the 3 days I hunted maybe 80-100 total deer each day. Plan on glassing a metric chit ton of country.

I did this tag essentially zero justice.

alaska_bou · Feb 1, 2020

I drew this tag once in 2016. Similar to the person above I had quite a bit on my plate that year and I never stepped foot into the area that year until the second week of rifle season. I did hunt quite a bit that last week and found bucks just about everywhere I looked. Access is still good but several of the areas I had previously hunted pronghorn in were since leased by outfitters. You do have to cover ground in this unit. A good pair of 15x binos on a tripod are great in this unit but many of the bucks I found including the 6.5 year old buck I harvested were alone and tucked away in draws that can't be easily seen from vantage points and must be walked into.

The new-at-the-time Casper warden I spoke with while in the field was super friendly and suggested the NW corner of the unit after previous November aeriel surveys showed higher numbers of mature deer opposed to the rest of the unit. The NW corner naturally attracts the highest numbers of deer hunters and for this reason I mainly hunted the lower desert country.

Be prepared to see quite a few of 130-150 sized deer in 34. It is a fun unit and great for those like myself in Casper who can be in the field hunting in as little as 30 minutes.

The Natrona County DA did not prosecute corner hopping at the time so keep this in mind for those that draw the tag in the future.

Muleman1 · Feb 1, 2020

Thank u for the stories and pics

shootem · Feb 1, 2020

Usually when a certain unit gets the spotlight it makes it harder to draw the tag. I have hunted antelope in the unit and have seen some decent bucks in the past. Good luck in the draw and post pictures of your buck.

Muleman1 · Feb 2, 2020

Will do thank you

BuzzH · Feb 2, 2020

There aren't enough LQ deer units to change drawing odds. Unit 34, 87, 89, 128, 130, etc. etc. all get the same questions every year.

It takes work to find the top bucks in any of them.

Muleman1 · Feb 2, 2020

Your right and it starts from gathering as much info as you can then go scout scout scout that’s what I intend to do

Muleman1 · Feb 2, 2020

Your right and it starts from gathering as much info as you can then go scout scout scout that’s what I intend to do

Bookhead · Feb 3, 2020

The game and fish website tells how many class 1, 2, and 3 bucks are harvested in various units i would strongly suggest using the tools at your disposal instead of relying on a few glancing opinions

Muleman1 · Feb 3, 2020

Yessir I’ve read that as well like I said I’ve been doing the research but wanted stories and pics of hunters that've hunted the unit

jm77 · Feb 3, 2020

Bookhead said:
The game and fish website tells how many class 1, 2, and 3 bucks are harvested in various units i would strongly suggest using the tools at your disposal instead of relying on a few glancing opinions

It actually does not tell you that. What it tells you is the different classes of deer that were checked. In most cases the number of deer checked is a very small percent of total harvest. Also, the class is based on antler spread, not a reliable comparison for meaningful information on trophy quality at all.

Bookhead · Feb 3, 2020

I agree. But probably more reliable then most opinions you'll get off a forum

Muleman1 · Feb 4, 2020

The more info I can obtain the better

wytex · Feb 4, 2020

JM77 is that one of the areas you all are working to build mule deer herds in or is that areas south of you ?

jm77 · Feb 4, 2020

wytex said:
JM77 is that one of the areas you all are working to build mule deer herds in or is that areas south of you ?

The area south of us.

jims · Feb 5, 2020

I looked over the check data that JM mentioned. Just as JM mentioned the number of bucks checked in is surprisingly low and a poor representative of total harvest.

The WG&F sends out questionaires which may be a great spot to include easily attainable information. Antler width, number of total tines, and circumference around the base above the burr may be more meaningful data? Requiring hunters to collect and return a tooth is a great way to age deer but doesn't really explain the quality of bucks. Teeth won't explain if there is a high percentage of old age poor quality bucks (2x2's and 3x3's) in a unit. If both tooth plus questionnaire methods are used it would explain age plus quality fairly well. Anyway, this would be a lot better than what the WG&F currently has for harvest reports.

jims · Feb 5, 2020

Here are examples of muledeer harvest report summaries in Nevada.

http://www.ndow.org/uploadedFiles/ndoworg/Content/Hunt/Resources/Mule-Deer-Point-Class-Data_2016.pdf

http://www.ndow.org/uploadedFiles/ndoworg/Content/Hunt/Resources/2016%20Results_Updated.pdf

http://www.ndow.org/uploadedFiles/ndoworg/Content/Hunt/Resources/Mule-Deer-Statewide-4-pt-greater-data_2016.pdf

http://www.ndow.org/uploadedFiles/ndoworg/Content/Hunt/Resources/Mule-Deer-Main-Hunt-Returns_2016.pdf

SS! · Feb 5, 2020

Misinformation is still information. Nice try Jims! 34 has monsters. I’m tweeting it now

jims · Feb 5, 2020

I never said anything about the quality of bucks in 34. All I mentioned in my post was that there are very few bucks checked-in at check stations and that the check station data isn't a very good representation of how many and what sized bucks are harvested in any unit in Wyo. There are likely better ways to generate this data. Take a look at the Nevada posts I included in my 2nd post.