Arizona Desert

YumaOutdoorsman · Sep 16, 2021

Has anybody been out looking around for deer? I've been looking around the last few weeks at some areas in my unit for rifle season and I'm starting to get a little excited. I have been waiting for it too cool off but the weather is not cooperating. My next free weekend is the first weekend of October so no matter what, I will go take my first long hike over 5 miles and see what I run into. It is extremely green in my neck of the woods and I don't see that changing any time soon. Tons of feed and the bucks I've seen have big bellies and a few have quite the head gear. I know a lot of the guys on here are in elk/antelope mode but deer season isn't too far off.

YumaOutdoorsman · Oct 21, 2021

Nobody has been out looking? Here is a little something to get this chat going. This is the same buck. 2019 on the left and 2021 in velvet. Beautiful buck just not much width. I'm guessing 23-24". If he survives the next couple years he will be a brute. I am not sure anybody would pass on him in the desert though.

Bluehair · Oct 22, 2021

To most of us, the desert is PJ’s. ? And I don’t remember it cooling off until Thanksgiving.

But, I got my desert sheep in 45c so I kinda know some about your neck of the woods. I never saw a buck that good there, but I didn’t spend that much time in the sandwashes. Nice deer, I don’t think I would pass on him.

Good luck.

YumaOutdoorsman · Oct 22, 2021

Bluehair said:
To most of us, the desert is PJ’s. ? And I don’t remember it cooling off until Thanksgiving.

But, I got my desert sheep in 45c so I kinda know some about your neck of the woods. I never saw a buck that good there, but I didn’t spend that much time in the sandwashes. Nice deer, I don’t think I would pass on him.

Good luck.

haha ya i figured as much. I read a lot of reports on the mountain hunts and the desert gets no love

...that's ok though. We do not have any big deer down here at sea level, you guys stay up north ??.

The 45's in general are great. Good luck on your hunt. Can't wait to see what you shoot.

Bluehair · Oct 22, 2021

It was a long time ago…..before preference points.

StickFlicker · Oct 22, 2021

Just curious what makes you sure he's the same buck? I'm not saying he's not, he may very well be. I was just interested if he has some unique mark etc. that allows you to know it's the same one? As far as him being a brute in a couple of years, if it is the same buck he looks pretty much identical over the past two years, so he might not really get much bigger in the future, especially since this was a much wetter year than 2019 and he still didn't get any bigger in 2021.

YumaOutdoorsman · Oct 23, 2021

StickFlicker said:
Just curious what makes you sure he's the same buck? I'm not saying he's not, he may very well be. I was just interested if he has some unique mark etc. that allows you to know it's the same one? As far as him being a brute in a couple of years, if it is the same buck he looks pretty much identical over the past two years, so he might not really get much bigger in the future, especially since this was a much wetter year than 2019 and he still didn't get any bigger in 2021.

In my opinion, and as you stated, the rack is identical. I saw this buck last archery season about a mile from this drinker. So this is year 3 he's been on or around this waterhole. This photo I have posted was from beginning of September. I have not had him on camera since mid September. I do not see him getting wider but I do think he will get taller and have more mass in future years. I could be wrong though and he could be maxed out. Maybe I'm just hoping hahaha....I have a couple bigger bucks on camera that are wider but I like that symmetrical rack of this buck, even though he is not very wide. For the desert, he is a solid buck. Here is another photo of him with both ears out. I wish he was another 5-6" but he's is what he is.