Unit Question

[chasemike]

What area would you hunt in 43,46,48,49. I have hunted in 39 three times, we have had decent luck. I thinking about unit 43, try something different. Any comments. Thanks Mike

 

[Coffinmaker]

What are you hunting for elk or deer?

 

[chasemike]

Hunting for deer. I like to hunt the desert better, maybe there would be less people. Thanks MIke

 

[bugle4one]

There isn't much desert in Unit 43! Unit 46 is almost all desert! All have decent bucks but they are not easy to find and migrate to lower elevations! Good Luck!

 

[chasemike]

For some reason I went through Jackpot, I thought 43 started up the road. We were on our to hunting different unit. I got out & looked around. I need to look at the maps again. Does the unit hold alot of water, less water the better I like it. Thanks Mike

 

[BPKHunter]

There is an awful lot of resources on line that can help you map-wise. Right from fish and game website you can use the huntplanner or mapplanner to clearly show you the units, as well as topo or satelite photos that can help with water, etc. From the same page you can get kill and draw info.

 

[chasemike]

BPKHunter, I am in the process studying goggle earth, I have been on the hunt planner. But alot times the creeks dry up, lot things happen. I hunt the desert from year to year it is different in Ca. Now I can say, that Idaho has a ton of water, & it might not be the same. I have hunted Idaho five years in a row, water everywhere, which is great. But I have not hunted the desert, so, this is the year. Thanks Mike

 

[BPKHunter]

Mike,

I too came from Cali and have spent 7 years living here and learning.

While I realize maps aren't better than personal knowledge, but from the Huntplanner I mentioned you can pull a map of your unit, then switch it to US Topo and zoom in. Springs will show up as tadpole looking icons on the map. I found these helpful in units 39 and 40 for high country areas that are very devoid of water. I'm sure many small seeps are not mapped, but these do help!

Quick story. My son had a great elk tag in Unit 40 for the early opener. He was 13. We watched a group of 6 bull's(nothing bigger than a few small 6's) walking across a ridge bugling as they went. One particular bull seemed awfully full of himself running a mother cow and calf down a ridge for fun. As they walked through a small draw, the ornery one disappeared. 5 minutes later out he came. He was bugling and covered in wet mud from the tip of his antler to the bottom of his back hoof. My son nicknamed him blackie, for obvious reasons. When I got back to camp I pulled out my topo, and sure enough there was that spring on the map in the middle of a very small timber patch. Then I knew why we routinely saw bulls on that ridge in the evening.

 

[chasemike]

BHK, that helps. Not really good at maps on the computer. What part of calif or you from. I live in Lake Isabella. Thanks Mike