I've had the pleasure of accompanying others on this hunt in the recent past and can echo some of the previous comments. There are still PLENTY of deer. Finding a true mountain monarch is very much still a realistic possibility...however, you most likely won't harvest one driving the main roads and glassing areas within easy walking distances. If this is truely your goal, expect long days of glassing great distances, followed by BIG, ROUGH, STEEP hikes at high altitude. Although bucks could be considered mature at 4 years of age, a truely BIG buck has to survive for a minimum of 6+ years to attain the size that most would consider to be a giant. To do so, a buck has to avoid harvest year after year....a difficult task if you winter within easy striking distance of hunters. Just like other behaviors (ie. migration routes), avoiding hunters is learned. Those that learn survive, those that don't perish. Simple. What we have witnessed is that the does migrate to the lowlands first, followed by smaller (1-4 year olds). The BIG, "experienced" bucks are always the last to arrive in the zone, but, for the most part, do not come as low as the does, instead opting to stay at higher, often snowbound, elevations. As does come into estrus, their scent is carried upwards by thermals where mature bucks can detect it and then decend to initiate breeding. If a doe is not receptive, the largest bucks we have spotted typically do an about face and retreat back to some of the highest elevations in the zone...they just dont stick around. Unfortunately, this behavior often occurs during nightime hours. We have witnessed bucks in the earliest morning hours, with barely enough light to glass, climbing upwards of 2000 ft before bedding up for the day. And, once bedded, these bucks may not get back on their feet until right before dark. This makes them extremely difficult to find, let alone hunt successfully.
Hunters "in the know" are all too aware of this described behavior. So, why is it that more giants arent harvested in G-3? I belive there are 2 main factors involved: First, the population of the majority of max-point holders, in which 90% of the tags are drawn, are aging...most approaching 60 years or older. Very few hunters of this age are in the type of shape necessary to meet the physical requirements to be sucessful in taking the largest bucks. Personally, as I grow older myself, I have fewer and fewer friends either available or even capable of helping pack a large buck any kind of distance in rough terrain. This can be a very real issue leading to hunters staying closer to their own vehicles/roads which plays right into the survival instincts of the largest bucks. Secondly, the G-3 hunt occurs at a time when there are lots and lots of deers easily spotted from roads. This presents the issue of having almost "too much of a good thing." It can be overwhelming for many hunters that have not had the opportuniny in their past hunts to witness deer around every corner. Having to look through so many deer thinking that they will eventually find "the one" at first can be very exciting, but as the days go on, it can also be tiring, and demoralizing. It's very difficult to leave concentrations of deer to seek out areas of lower animal density where the big one tend to be. This leads to a bit of "burn out" which can result in a hunter settling for just a "nice buck". In these times of "instant gratification", having the persistence to grind it out for multiple days of realy difficult conditions has become a true rarity. Most hunters aren't even aware of how soft they have become....and if they are aware, admitting it publicly probably won't happen. It is just too easy to save face and find excuses like, "The weather was uncooperative" or "No bigs bucks exist in the zone anymore", etc.
This year it will be my turn to test how capable I am in taking a trophy buck from G-3 as I am a tag holder for the 2023 season. I am definitely older. I also have fewer friends capable of providing support, and, like most everyone else, I too may grow weary of "the grind".
Nevertheless, I have a personal goal: To push myself to a point that exceeds what even I think I'm capable of. If I am fortunate to be blessed with what I deem to be a trophy buck, I want to know that it came to me from hard work and mental toughness....not solely luck. That is what hunting is to me...It's a way to personally "check in" with oneself and truely see where I stand both mentally and physically.
So...after all that previous gobbly goop...in response to the original post, my thoughts at his time can be summed up as follows:
I BELIEVE THERE IS A GIANT IN G-3 AND THAT I AM CAPABLE OF FINDING AND HARVESTING HIM!
Positive thinking. No excuses.
