X2 updates?

[TehachapiBuck]

I am hunting M9 this year curious how the X2 tag holders are doing.

 

[TehachapiBuck]

I guess none?

 

[Gollywomper]

Been hot and dry everywhere this season. With a bit of weather M9 could get good. Although it seems the monster bucks that once came through the Garden have become more rare.

 

[Calbuck]

Two different acquaintances of mine hunted it, one taking a 20ish inch 3 point and the other a dink forked horn. Sounds like its just as tough as the other hunts in the state. No good weather forecast for quite a while. Plus giant full moon all season doesn't help.

 

[marburg]

I am hunting M9 this year curious how the X2 tag holders are doing.

Giant moon, hot and dry. Was probably a very tough hunt this year.

 

[Bossbrott]

My buddy has been up there all week, hasn't seen much.
He states that water is scarce, like 10% of normal scarce.
Hot, dry, full moon, etc., even tracks/sign is scarce.
He saw mostly elk sign, and running low on options.
Long wait for what is presumed a top premium tag, hope it works out for him.
He's on a dirt bike to cover more ground, maybe that runs them outa town, who knows.

 

[Gollywomper]

Very weird year. Hot,dry they seem to have a winter coat and are not moving. My dad killed a buck in X4 on Tuesday still in velvet. The desert deer are struggling.

 

[TehachapiBuck]

My buddy has been up there all week, hasn't seen much.
He states that water is scarce, like 10% of normal scarce.
Hot, dry, full moon, etc., even tracks/sign is scarce.
He saw mostly elk sign, and running low on options.
Long wait for what is presumed a top premium tag, hope it works out for him.
He's on a dirt bike to cover more ground, maybe that runs them outa town, who knows.

Ya I have been watching the weather, it looks tough. I was up there in September, found a couple gut piles from archery, I am sure they had it rough too. It looks like the weather is breaking next week finally and hoping it continues, I'll be up the 28th through the closer for muzzy hunt.

 

[TehachapiBuck]

Very weird year. Hot,dry they seem to have a winter coat and are not moving. My dad killed a buck in X4 on Tuesday still in velvet. The desert deer are strugglin

 

[TehachapiBuck]

i hope it was a good one.... as always, I am a dollar short and a day late to the good hunts

 

[Bossbrott]

Randy returned today, didn't even see a legal buck.
he hunted around Janes Res.

 

[Deerdon]

I’ve been in contact with several locals, and some have gone the entire season without seeing a buck. On top of that, they haven’t seen many does either. Seems like the only ones that did any good are the ones that had a buck located before season… or those that has access to some private land. So far, the largest buck I have seen taken was in the “very nice” range. I have not seen anything real big.

 

[Deerdon]

I am hunting M9 this year curious how the X2 tag holders are doing

Without some serious weather, that could turn into quite a disappointing hunt.

 

[Deerdon]

Even in the driest of years, there are plenty of water sources up there. Having said that...it's not drinking water they are lacking. My brother and I had the tags (X2) last year and what we noticed was most of the bitter brush, although alive, looked as though it had been sprayed with a herbicide. Pretty much all of the feed showed severe signs of distress due to the lack of rainfall. We did find a few bucks in the 160-170 range...but a couple of those were very large bodied with very heavy bases and appeared to be older bucks that just ended up with thin/spindly antlers. It has been my experience that that combo (Big bodies, and big bases) that start out great...and then don't seem to "top out"...is a result of severe drought conditions. On top of that, those conditions also lead to a very poor fawn production/carryover rate. You throw the over abundance of predators into the mix, and you have the perfect storm! Even worse is the fact that, before the northern corner was closed (Collins Timber lands) it would not be a stretch to say that 70%-80% off all the bucks taken in the zone back then, came from their property...which encompass most of the Barry Point fire scar. Now add the fact that the weather patterns have changed and decent snow during the M9 hunt has been nonexistent for several years...you really need to pray for some weather. A little snow will bunch the deer up and get a few of those big ones out in the mix. A BUNCH of snow might get some of those bucks living on the private lands to move. I can tell you this...the private land up there has basically been a game persevere for 6 years now. The stories i have heard of what is walking around up there (deer and elk) are amazing. The person that has an M9 tag that happens to be up there when it actually does get a heavy snow...could be in for the hunt of a lifetime! In short...you need to seriously pray for some heavy weather...I did see photos of a couple decent bucks taken but, by most accounts, the X2 hunt was HORRIBLE!

 

[huntindad4]

The folks hunting near the Collins land during the regular season are going for a miracle deer to slip and go outside the private. Not a very good strategy IMO. They're not leaving without weather or pressure. I would get far away from those borders in the regular season.

Bossbrott's friend was hunting near Jane's which is right near the Collins land. Probably only going from historic advice and not knowing what else to try.

I have had the rifle tag twice and we did okay but not great. Saw BIG bucks both hunts as well as during an antelope hunt my dad had the tag for. They are there and honestly they are pretty evenly ( although sparsley) spread throughout the unit.

We camp there on memorial weekend every year for about 12 years now and I have seen quite a bit of change there but honestly for that early in the year we have seen more good bucks in the 3 or 4 years prior to the last 2 than in the 6 or so before that. So up and down. It's not ALL migration like some claim. And the migration isn't OVER like some claim either.

Feed was the best this last May I gave seen there in 5 or 6 years. Last year was the worst I had seen since going over. Bounced back nicely with the spring rains. As did all of the small tanks and reservoirs. Clear lake was pathetic as were all of the bigger reservoirs such as Big Sage, Jane's, F, C etc. As deerdon said there are so many water sources there that I don't think that is ever a problem.

We went on a bird hunt there, or rather a search that didn't turn up much waterfowl, last Thanksgiving and we saw some nice bucks but nothing truly BIG and they were in full rut. I think the season ends too early for it to be full swing without a big weather event. Good luck.

We saw a lot of locals out in the woods when we were there in the rut. I am hopeful they were lookin like us and not hunting. It's good to have lots of eyes watching over that herd.

PM incoming to the OP.