X12

bjbawana · Sep 6, 2023

Hi guys. My buddy and I have rifle tags for later this month and we spent 3 days scouting & glassing all around the Bridgeport Valley last week during bow season and were really disappointed in the lack of deer sign & deer spotted. That brutal winter really seems to have done a number on the deer herd. Biologist I spoke with said they didn't experience a high die off according to their spring counts & GPS collar data and the deer were just really dispersed? Talked with a Game Warden and he had a much different story? Just curious if anybody else has been up there snooping around before the hunt. Good luck to everyone....

Rie bread · Sep 7, 2023

How high did you scout?

bjbawana · Sep 7, 2023

We went up above the end the Upper Summer Meadows Road, up around Mt Patterson, up around the Virginia Lakes, over around the Bodie Hills, Mt Biedeman, Potatoe Peak. Tried to get above Lobdell Lake but they had the road closed going in through Burcham Flats. Everything has really grown up since we hunted there last in 2017. We'll still be up there in a few weeks, deer or no deer! Can't beat hunting camp.

Rie bread · Sep 7, 2023

Most of the deer I see during this time are way up near the crest.

bjbawana · Sep 7, 2023

Rie bread said:
Most of the deer I see during this time are way up near the crest.

Thanks for the info. Probably too high for my old knees….

BigPig · Sep 9, 2023

I scouted late July for some family members who had the tag. Deer numbers are definitely down overall. You don’t see the numbers of does just driving around like in years past. That said, I had no trouble glassing up bucks. Found at least a couple every evening I went out. Including the biggest x12 buck I’ve seen in several years. Beautiful 4x4. Get off the road and use your glasses. You’ll find deer. They are high and low and in between. You don’t have to be above timberline.

bjbawana · Sep 9, 2023

That’s encouraging news for sure. Looking forward to getting back up there in a few weeks. Did your family hunt archery season or they going rifle?

BigPig · Sep 9, 2023

bjbawana said:
That’s encouraging news for sure. Looking forward to getting back up there in a few weeks. Did your family hunt archery season or they going rifle?

Rifle

bjbawana · Sep 9, 2023

BigPig said:
Rifle

Well good luck to you guys.
Hope you find that big 4x4….leave a couple for us!!

highsierra · Oct 4, 2023

Well….?

highsierra · Oct 5, 2023

BigPig said:
I scouted late July for some family members who had the tag. Deer numbers are definitely down overall. You don’t see the numbers of does just driving around like in years past. That said, I had no trouble glassing up bucks. Found at least a couple every evening I went out. Including the biggest x12 buck I’ve seen in several years. Beautiful 4x4. Get off the road and use your glasses. You’ll find deer. They are high and low and in between. You don’t have to be above timberline.

You nailed it...gotta use your glass!

When I was young, and x-12 was still just part of a larger X-9 zone, we had no problem seeing and stalking bucks from the road systems every morning and evening. Things have changed. Are the bucks still there...absolutely! The difference is that there are WAY more people iin this state now (upwards of 40 million!) and, therefore, way more people out in the woods driving around in their "overland" vehicles, side by sides, quads, etc. all summer long. The wildlife populations have responded accordingly...you just dont see mature bucks hanging out next to the roads. Do people still road hunt and kill bucks...sure. But its more of a "dumb luck" kinda thing....nothing I would ever count on. What you can count on is if you put in the time glassing, and are willing to get out and hike a few miles, X-12 will always be a zone where someone can find a decent buck.

bjbawana · Oct 6, 2023

Had a great time with our boys. We covered a lot of country and ended up finding a nice little spot on the 4th day that held some bucks. One really nice buck gave the our boys the slip. They both killed their bucks on day 5. Not trophies but they were happy. That’s what it’s all about.