Which tag? A26 bass hill bow or a9(x5b) bow?

pacer1975 · Mar 4, 2023

Which tag would you chose and why? A26, rut hunt..a9, only 5 tags, late August hunt. Thx for any input. Stay safe.

Rie bread · Mar 4, 2023

it’ll be hot but go before they get shot at for a month. the winters are so fickle sometimes i’d bank on the heat putting them where you want them.
no experience in the area but experience archery hunting the heat

HuntinEngineer530 · Mar 4, 2023

It's been several years since I've hunted X5B but I will say some big ones were easy to find when I was scouting for rifle season. One 2x3 we saw while scouting I'm pretty sure we saw taken during rifle and it was a hair under 28" and heavy horned. The couple that had him said they had watched him for over a month before the season.

Moe · Mar 4, 2023

Best bucks on A26 live in town and are shot in back yards. I'd take the x5b tag, it's a real hunt.

Deserve2beworked · Mar 5, 2023

I did the X5B archery hunt a few years back and it was one of my favorite bow hunts in my lifetime. I've been bow hunting since 1975. Have hunted most every western USA state, including Hawaii. Add New Zealand and Northern Quebec to that list too. A few factors that help, the hunt is close to home, zero hunting pressure, and I love to spot and stalk Mule deer in the high desert-Sage Brush, Rim Rock, and Mahogany trees. Lots of Antelope, some great Mule deer bucks, and huge Rattlers in X5B.

Its a 10 out of 10 hunt for me.

pacer1975 · Mar 5, 2023

Deserve2beworked said:
I did the X5B archery hunt a few years back and it was one of my favorite bow hunts in my lifetime. I've been bow hunting since 1975. Have hunted most every western USA state, including Hawaii. Add New Zealand and Northern Quebec to that list too. A few factors that help, the hunt is close to home, zero hunting pressure, and I love to spot and stalk Mule deer in the high desert-Sage Brush, Rim Rock, and Mahogany trees. Lots of Antelope, some great Mule deer bucks, and huge Rattlers in X5B. Its a 10 out of 10 hunt for me.

GReat info. Thx. Can i expect shot oppurtunitys on 140 plus bucks daily? Also have bow hunted since 1972.

Sierra · Mar 5, 2023

Sounds like a great hunt except for the rattlesnakes.

Deserve2beworked · Mar 5, 2023

140+ daily? ha ha. Honestly, in X5B, I think with if you do your preseason shooting-religiously, do the at home research, scout the unit, and hunt the unit for as many days as it takes during the season, you'll shoot a Pope And Young Mule deer or at least have so much fun you'll never forget that tag. And, with the winter we are having, Oh the X5B archery deer season!!! To begin with, check out the threads on this site. Good hunters with good advice.

pacer1975 · Mar 5, 2023

Deserve2beworked said:
140+ daily? ha ha. Honestly, in X5B, I think with if you do your preseason shooting-religiously, do the at home research, scout the unit, and hunt the unit for as many days as it takes during the season, you'll shoot a Pope And Young Mule deer or at least have so much fun you'll never forget that tag. And, with the winter we are having, Oh the X5B archery deer season!!! To begin with, check out the threads on this site. Good hunters with good advice.

Love the positive feedback. Thx

Sallaberry · Mar 5, 2023

pacer1975 said:
GReat info. Thx. Can i expect shot oppurtunitys on 140 plus bucks daily? Also have bow hunted since 1972.

Maybe this year should have some great antler growth I’ve seen a couple 180 plus not far into Nevada in the Neibor unit 015. I’d rather hunt xb than town bucks for sure.

HuntinEngineer530 · Mar 6, 2023

Here is some help with "at home research". (Hint) There is 1 fire lookout and one road that gets you to it. The summer before hunting there I coincidentally met a guy that owns ~160 acres along that road and he says he doesn't shoot any buck under 27" after the locals laughed at the first few bucks he killed when he first bought the property (landowner tag). His property is well posted.

That is not where we got our bucks though. Of course we hunted it the year after most of the zone burned so vegetation was limited at best.

Moe · Mar 10, 2023

Observation

HuntinEngineer530 · Mar 10, 2023

Moe said:
Observation

Yes, sir. The only area that seemed crowded like I was hunting in C or D zones. There are some big bucks up there. Just not gonna see too many from the road.

Skykarp · Mar 11, 2023

We were up there in 2020 and 2021.
Vegetation is still lacking so from an archery perspective it may make it a tad tough. Hope to get a random tag again in the lifetime. Saw some great bucks that people drove right by.

Already committed to glassing for multiple friends when they draw the tag. Very fun zone.

Sit down be patient and let the glass do the work.

pacer1975 · Mar 11, 2023

Great pics sky. Dont plan to road hunt.

Skykarp · Mar 11, 2023

You don’t have to road hunt. But the zones small enough big deer live where they want especially that time of year.

In 2020 there was a 6x7 or 7x7 can’t remember killed that had been living right next to the road. Slipped past all the archery hunters. Don’t overlook any spot.

pacer1975 · Apr 5, 2023

23 digest is out. Its a $21 fine not to report but 60% success in a26 from last year. All 5 a9 tags never reported???? Wierd and a headtwister.

chrisamx · Apr 6, 2023

pacer1975 said:
23 digest is out. Its a $21 fine not to report but 60% success in a26 from last year. All 5 a9 tags never reported???? Wierd and a headtwister.

They may not have had successful hunts

Sierra · Apr 13, 2023

Looks like the department’s harvest success for X5B archery was zero percent. I don’t think that means that none of the 5 hunters failed to report.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Sierra said:
Looks like the department’s harvest success for X5B archery was zero percent. I don’t think that means that none of the 5 hunters failed to report.

Reread the digest it states nobody reported.

Sierra · Apr 14, 2023

I read that as no one reported a harvest, not that they failed to report at all.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

You have. To report even tag soup or get locked out until u pay the fine.

BradA · Apr 14, 2023

pacer1975 said:
You have. To report even tag soup or get locked out until u pay the fine.

They should make it even more severe, you don’t submit your report and you can’t hunt the following year.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Yes, how can a bio due next year's tag quotas.

BradA said:
They should make it even more severe, you don’t submit your report and you can’t hunt the following year.holll

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Guys didn't report. The last 4 years the success was 4/5 or 5/5.

Screenshot_20230414_141339_Adobe Acrobat.jpg

BradA · Apr 14, 2023

pacer1975 said:
Yes, how can a bio due next year's tag quotas.

Agreed and in this day and age, there is no excuse not to have them completed they even send emails to notify you.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

I highly doubt 5 guys with over 10 years of pts. Could all walk out of x5b with tag soup in 1 year.

Sierra · Apr 14, 2023

pacer1975 said:
Guys didn't report. The last 4 years the success was 4/5 or 5/5.

View attachment 108109

That’s not what it says. No reported buck harvest is different than no harvest reports. It could be a combo of some not reporting and some not killing.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Sierra said:
That’s not what it says. No reported buck harvest is different than no harvest reports. It could be a combo of some not reporting and some not killing.

I now have pics of 2/5 tags filled.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Sierra said:
That’s not what it says. No reported buck harvest is different than no harvest reports. It could be a combo of some not reporting and some not killing.

Again, you burn 12 years of pts. And all 5 guys walk out with tag soup? Didn't happen unless all 5 were looking for 200 plus or couldn't shoot.

Skykarp · Apr 14, 2023

To my knowledge as in I saw the deer

2020 3/5 tags filled
2021 2/5 tags filled
2022 1/5 tags filled

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

2018 4/5, 2019 5/5, 2020 4/5, 2021 1/5. 2022, nobody reported.thats from the cafw website. That's reported tags. So I guess burning 14 years of points for a bow tag in x5b is a waste of time? heck, i will put in for bass hill backyard hunt then.

pacer1975 · Apr 14, 2023

Skykarp said:
To my knowledge as in I saw the deer

2020 3/5 tags filled
2021 2/5 tags filled
2022 1/5 tags filled

So you saw the 2022 1 tag that was filled? How big was the buck? 140? 160? 180 plus?Pts? I have the pics of 2.

Sierra · Apr 15, 2023

pacer1975 said:
Again, you burn 12 years of pts. And all 5 guys walk out with tag soup? Didn't happen unless all 5 were looking for 200 plus or couldn't shoot.

Who said all 5 ate tag soup?

Skykarp · Apr 15, 2023

pacer1975 said:
So you saw the 2022 1 tag that was filled? How big was the buck? 140? 160? 180 plus?Pts? I have the pics of 2.

160 class 11 points

Dmmallia21 · Apr 27, 2023

pacer1975 said:
Which tag would you chose and why? A26, rut hunt..a9, only 5 tags, late August hunt. Thx for any input. Stay safe.

How many points do you have?

m48goat · May 3, 2023

Did you end up picking a26 or a9?

pacer1975 · May 3, 2023

I haven't yet. Waiting on Neveda draw results.

m48goat · May 3, 2023

Curious how bass hill will be this year. Never been but I hear most of the big bucks are in private? any private in that area have trespass fees?

BRHunter · May 4, 2023

Two of the 2022 A9 tags were returned prior to season opener, one tag was reported unsuccessful, two tags were unreported.

Bwht4x4 · May 4, 2023

IMO it's very possible for an archery hunt with just 5 available tags to have all 5 tags go completely unfilled. If that number was 30 tags then I would probably question it, but not with 5 tags. Archery is tough no matter what and X5b is not a cake-walk of a unit to hunt either.

pacer1975 · May 4, 2023

I have pics of 2, 3rd? Who knows. Can't believe 2 were returned for medical and all the alternates said no thx. Took 11 pts. Last year to draw a9.

Bwht4x4 · May 4, 2023

pacer1975 said:
I have pics of 2, 3rd? Who knows. Can't believe 2 were returned for medical and all the alternates said no thx. Took 11 pts. Last year to draw a9.

Are there alternates identified for deer tags? I know there are for sheep and elk, but I didn't think there was for deer tags. If you draw a deer tag in the draw they send out the tags to people, unlike the the other tags where they notify you drew and you have to agree to take the tag and submit payment.

BRHunter · May 4, 2023

No alternate on deer. I know for a fact at least one of the three tags issued was filled but unreported. I also am 100% positive two of the tags were returned. So if 2 out 3 tags were filled but unreported, that's not bad.

PCPython · May 4, 2023

I personally know a guy who turned back his tag and I doubt it was reissued to another hunter.

pacer1975 · May 5, 2023

Pushed the button today before the nv. Draw results. Cinco de mayo tago!!!

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

HuntinEngineer530 said:
Here is some help with "at home research". (Hint) There is 1 fire lookout and one road that gets you to it. The summer before hunting there I coincidentally met a guy that owns ~160 acres along that road and he says he doesn't shoot any buck under 27" after the locals laughed at the first few bucks he killed when he first bought the property (landowner tag). His property is well posted.

That is not where we got our bucks though. Of course we hunted it the year after most of the zone burned so vegetation was limited at best.

View attachment 105008Looks very familiar haha

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

Skykarp said:
You don’t have to road hunt. But the zones small enough big deer live where they want especially that time of year.

In 2020 there was a 6x7 or 7x7 can’t remember killed that had been living right next to the road. Slipped past all the archery hunters. Don’t overlook any spot.

Most definitely right have pictures of both 6 and 7 point buck I have done very well in A26 twice and X6a multiple times. The bucks are out there just do the time of scouting and glassing.

BradA · Jun 13, 2023

Woke710 said:
Most definitely right have pictures of both 6 and 7 point buck I have done very well in A26 twice and X6a multiple times. The bucks are out there just do the time of scouting and glassing.

Pictures of it didn’t happen haha.

Rie bread · Jun 13, 2023

Woke710 said:
Most definitely right have pictures of both 6 and 7 point buck I have done very well in A26 twice and X6a multiple times. The bucks are out there just do the time of scouting and glassing.

Eye guards don’t count

Woke 710 as in Remington 710?

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

No I used to race and it was my number but my dogs name is Remington do chuckar challenge with her but I got you guys on pics and I’ll throw last years a11 buck

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

Here’s pictures throughout years some mine and family learned it all from my gramps.

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

And one more X zone

Snoopdogg · Jun 13, 2023

Great bucks, Woke710. Your handle is scary though--the woke part.

Woke710 · Jun 13, 2023

Snoopdogg said:
Great bucks, Woke710. Your handle is scary though--the woke part.

Appreciate you! And yeah I get that but think that’s why I kinda like it. ?

LIK2HNT · Jun 14, 2023

Snoopdogg said:
Great bucks, Woke710. Your handle is scary though--the woke part.

Sort of like a PETA shirt I use to have.
People
Eating
Tasty
Animals
Became friends when I walked up to a rancher years ago. First he looked worried then he started laughing once he read it.

??