2B Where did the deer go

JFBNORTHERNHUNTER · Oct 18, 2024

Spent the last two days scouting for my father’s hunt next week(October 26-30). We scouted from the safe flats to the state line and even around the lake and we only turned up elk and wild horses. No sign and very little water. What’s your thoughts?

nmbighorn · Oct 18, 2024

There on the rez...

JFBNORTHERNHUNTER · Oct 18, 2024

I was even using the spotting scope and couldn’t turn one up on the reservation. There is a lot of drilling activity near Rosa Road and up high is dry and no water.

BUGLEnmIN · Oct 19, 2024

They haven’t been there in 20 years. Most over rated hunt in the state! Good luck

roadrunner · Oct 19, 2024

JFBNORTHERNHUNTER said:
I was even using the spotting scope and couldn’t turn one up on the reservation. There is a lot of drilling activity near Rosa Road and up high is dry and no water.

I was up there goofing off Labor Day weekend driving behind the now locked gate going into Eul thinking I might take my boat in and walk up the road that takes you down to the lake.

LOGOS has it so screwed up with their drilling and frac'ing activity that it's a sad state of affairs...

money · Oct 19, 2024

2 days of scouting in 2b isn't much scouting at all. It's a big unit with very few deer. If you covered as much of the unit as you said you did you probably didn't find any deer because the only way to find deer in 2b is to break each area you hunt down and really scout it and learn it before moving to the next. The local bucks are very smart and know how to hide. It is not even close to the unit it used to be, but there are a few good bucks around if you've got tons of time and knowledge. about 90% of the deer killed in 2b these days are 1.5-2.5 year old bucks. Add in the dry conditions and it's even tougher than usual. Go hunt it and you may get lucky, but it is a tough hunt and will be until they cut the tags by about 60%-70% for about 10 years.

Servehim · Oct 19, 2024

Amen, way to many tags. Gotta focus on the boundaries of Jicarria or Ute these days imo .

toklat · Oct 20, 2024

Majority of deer herd got shot out by too many tags being awarded! As has been previously stated, there are “some” mature bucks still around but got that way by being smart and isolated.
Case in point, personally know of several individuals who have recently taken high scoring bucks however, they put in an inordinate amount of time and effort scouting, before and during the hunt.
Good luck!

roadrunner · Oct 20, 2024

money said:
...it is a tough hunt and will be until they cut the tags by about 60%-70% for about 10 years.

I don't know about that. There are some penny-loafer wearing wildlife biologists on [MM] that say reducing tags has nothing to do with "helping the herd"...

5yearcoueshunter · Oct 20, 2024

roadrunner said:
I don't know about that. There are some penny-loafer wearing wildlife biologists on [MM] that say reducing tags has nothing to do with "helping the herd"...

It's been studied for decades, hunting bucks exclusively doesn't affect the herd. You only need 10 bucks per 100 Does to get all the Does bread. Too many buck tags might cause a lack of good bucks, but shouldn't affect the herd. Not sure if Colorado gives any Doe tags or not for this herd.

roadrunner · Oct 20, 2024

5yearcoueshunter said:
It's been studied for decades, hunting bucks exclusively doesn't affect the herd. You only need 10 bucks per 100 Does to get all the Does bread. Too many buck tags might cause a lack of good bucks, but shouldn't affect the herd. Not sure if Colorado gives any Doe tags or not for this herd.

You mean you only need 1 buck for 10 does; a buck every year that won't get zapped by a lion, hunter, or auto.

Probably true so long as all the other variables don't have an impact. When they do, you cut tags...

Monster bulls · Oct 20, 2024

JFBNORTHERNHUNTER said:
Spent the last two days scouting for my father’s hunt next week(October 26-30). We scouted from the safe flats to the state line and even around the lake and we only turned up elk and wild horses. No sign and very little water. What’s your thoughts?

When I scouted for elk all I found was deer and no elk. Saw some deer all around blanco, and Navajo Lake. Zero elk.

NMHighDesertDweller · Oct 20, 2024

Welcome to 2B, haha the unit has just absolutely tanked, thanks to tag allocation, predation and technology allowing more success in the field. There is nothing going for the future of that deer herd. Resident deer haha what resident deer, unit could run with the best of them but the NMDGF dick up everything they dip there hands in. The migratory deer are the only thing that keep that unit alive. Things will get better by next week and there will be water everywhere with the recent storm. Finding that upper age class deer will be a challenge but is doable. Best of luck

roadrunner · Thursday at 8:15 AM

There haven't been any appreciable migration rifle hunts for some time now. Hunts being moved up in October and early November is part of it, changing weather patterns is the other.

The 15"-18" avg of snow put down in the high country last weekend will not push them into 2B. The rest of everything from Pagosa Springs to Tiffany CO looks like 2B right now.

The first two rifle hunts are normally a little more tough, the 2nd is better, and 3rd hunt tou will begin to see more deer activity. The bucks know where the does are. They'll start to make themselves seen a little more.

We have a tag in our household for this weekend to the 30th as well. We aren't picky, a 2x1 will suffice...

ORIONTHEHUNTER · Thursday at 8:58 AM

The real decline happened when they moved the youth hunt to late November. I'm for youth hunts and opportunity as I have kids, but that move was detrimental to the quality in this unit.