52a Mule deer

tagsoup · Sep 6, 2008

Could anyone tell me what to expect in 52a during the general rifle season. Do most people just drive around or are there a lot of people out and about? What can a guy expect for deer numbers? What would be a nice buck for the unit?

Thanks,
Soup

Idahoron · Sep 6, 2008

I do think most people do drive around. There is a lot of open country to glass long distance. Deer numbers are good, and I think a guy could hold out for about anything he wanted. That unit holds fantasy sized deer. The problem like anywhere else is finding the big one and holding out FOR the big one.
Don't shoot a dink! Ron

tagsoup · Sep 7, 2008

Idahoron,
thanks for the reply.

Idahoron · Sep 7, 2008

Finding deer there won't be easy. Finding a BIG deer will be harder. I have seen jaw droppers in that unit, but they were in the DMZ and safe from hunters. Ron

Foxbow · Sep 9, 2008

Ron

Are you reffering to the Craters area, is that whole place off limits to hunting ?

idhunters · Sep 10, 2008

The "expanded monument" is open. The original is closed.

tagsoup · Sep 17, 2008

How many deer can a guy expect to see in a day? Is 10 a lot? Or is 20 a lot? I plan on doing a lot of glassing. And plan on getting as far away from the roads as possible. Also are there any hills in the unit or is it as flat as a pancake. I have driven through arco once before when I was 10 or 11 which was 17 or 18 years ago, but have never set foot in the unit. I kind of rember what it looks like but not really. I am going to hunt this unit for sure this year. From october 24 to the 31. Will there be a chance of snow that time of year? Will snow make it a better hunt?

Thanks,
Tye

idhunters · Sep 17, 2008

I have spent more time in 68 than 52a. Its not "all" flat like a pancake. The topography is rolling hills/cuts/creases with a couple smaller buttes (Serviceberry butte, etc).

10 deer a day on average is alot. When you find the deer you may see more than that but there may be days when you don't see any.

Glassing can be tough. The deer sit pretty tight, so stepping on them is a great way to get them going.

It is also tough to get very far from the roads-there are lots of roads in the units. However, I found a couple decent bucks one year that were bedding 200-300 yards from a road and if you shot one you would have had to pack them out in pieces as the 300 yards of terrain was impassable to vehicle, ATV or horse.

Lots of ATV's in the area and no restrictions on where they can go (off road).

It is not an easy place to hunt. There is alot of country and deer densities are low. There are mature bucks in the unit.

Snow may fly but its doubtful that it will stay. You may see some migration on the north end of the unit if the weather turns. But generally during October you're hunting resident bucks.

Good luck.

Frontier · Sep 17, 2008

I hunted it years ago on a controlled hunt. I did see some really nice bucks, in fact the one I got is hanging on the wall, about a 180. I did see others that were larger, but it seemed that at that time it was controlled hunt only and there was no general hunts in that unit, I can't remember. The unit has small hills with lots of small pockets and road access pretty much covers the unit, unless they have shut off access since I was there. The best thing to do is find the higher points and glass with spotting scope and binocs. When I hunted there I saw between zero to 30 deer per day. Have fun!

tagsoup · Sep 19, 2008

Does the expanded monument have a lot of atv traffic? Are there a lot of roads in the expanded monument? It looked to me on the maps that the expanded monument did not have very many roads.

tworivers · Sep 20, 2008

The south end of unit has 4 wheelers going everywhere, have muzzy hunted last three years, what IDhunters and others have told ya is spot on walk into lava pockets and expect quick shooting, glassing is best early mornings.

Get your hunt on!!
tixs,lodging,for you
cruises,trips for her!
songdogtravel.com

idhunters · Sep 22, 2008

Not all "roads" are on the map.

Not all the terrain is passable to ATV or vehicle.

I would venture a guess that the portions of the map that "don't have very many roads" also say "Lava flow" on them.

I have seen 1/2 a dozen ATV's lined out driving thru the desert "hunting" deer. I have also sat in my pickup and watched 170" and bigger deer.

Concentrate on finding good deer habitat and hunting it rather than worrying about the roads/traffic. Some days there isn't a soul out there.

tagsoup · Sep 24, 2008

idhunters,

Thanks for the reply. I have been worrying about the atv traffic. I hate walking somewhere only to have an atv drive past me. But if you can see 170+ bucks from you pickup, I will do more glassing than walking. Plus I love to glass.

I was hoping that during the middle of the week there wouldn't be to many people in the unit.

One more question for you guys. Should I bring more than one spare tire? Is this one of those units that you seem to get a flat tire around every corner?

Thanks

Frontier · Sep 24, 2008

You should be OK if your tires are fairly new. The lavas can give you some flats, but its not that far into one of the towns, depending on what side of the unit you are in. I like to keep the radial repair kits in the vehicle and a 12 volt pump handy in case Murphy strikes!

idhunters · Sep 25, 2008

Let me just clarify about the bucks. I saw them scouting in August. They are a "little" easier to find then.

When my buddy killed one of them he stepped on it in a sagebrush patch-no seeing them from a truck in Oct.

Glassing is still a good bet, and sometime the top of the pickup is the highest point around.

Good luck and let me know how you did.

tmull1 · Feb 24, 2021

tagsoup said:
Could anyone tell me what to expect in 52a during the general rifle season. Do most people just drive around or are there a lot of people out and about? What can a guy expect for deer numbers? What would be a nice buck for the unit?

Thanks,
Soup

Hey just wondering if you did end up hunting this unit? how it went?

elkboy32 · Feb 24, 2021

tmull1 said:
Hey just wondering if you did end up hunting this unit? how it went?

Looks like this thread is about 13 years old.....
I bet someone will chime in with some current information though

tagsoup · Feb 24, 2021

tmull1 said:
Hey just wondering if you did end up hunting this unit? how it went?

Didn't hunt it. Can't remember now why I didn't and I don't remember where I hunted for sure that year. Getting old sucks.

hawkbill · Feb 25, 2021

It was good thirteen years ago , today is a different story.

NoDoe · May 19, 2021

Does anyone have any recent info on unit 52a? Don

hawkbill · May 23, 2021

The Deer numbers are low, very few mature Bucks

Alwayshunting · May 27, 2021

tagsoup said:
Didn't hunt it. Can't remember now why I didn't and I don't remember where I hunted for sure that year. Getting old sucks.

Kind of funny stumbling into this thread. I did hunt it thar. Had nothing but time and an unpunched tag on my hands. You didn't miss anything. There's easier way to put a 3 pt in the freezer... lol

Model70 · Jul 1, 2021

What about the elk hunting there?

Idahoron · Jul 2, 2021

Another zombie thread

Alwayshunting · Jul 2, 2021

Idahoron said:
Another zombie thread

What muzzle loader do you prefer to hunt zombies Ron?

hawkbill · Jul 4, 2021

If you guys are so intent on 52a why not go scout it, There are a lot of Deer and Elk hiding in the Lavas with a hundred degree heat and the worst drought we have seen in along time. As far as the Elk go it’s a roaming heard shot off ranch to ranch until they hide in a giant corn field good luck. That lava country will kick a mans ass if you don’t watch your step.

Idahoron · Jul 4, 2021

Alwayshunting said:
What muzzle loader do you prefer to hunt zombies Ron?

???

Smokeybarrel · Sep 26, 2021

elkboy32 said:
Looks like this thread is about 13 years old.....
I bet someone will chime in with some current information though

Elkboy32,
Any experience hunting this unit? I've got a rifle buck tag, and plan to hit it hard for 10+ days next month.
My Dad lives in Carey, I've scouted it a few times. I've hunted 48+49 last season and took a nice buck.

hawkbill · Sep 27, 2021

Hunt the lavas east of the fields

mightyhunter · Oct 6, 2021

tagsoup said:
How many deer can a guy expect to see in a day? Is 10 a lot? Or is 20 a lot? I plan on doing a lot of glassing. And plan on getting as far away from the roads as possible. Also are there any hills in the unit or is it as flat as a pancake. I have driven through arco once before when I was 10 or 11 which was 17 or 18 years ago, but have never set foot in the unit. I kind of rember what it looks like but not really. I am going to hunt this unit for sure this year. From october 24 to the 31. Will there be a chance of snow that time of year? Will snow make it a better hunt?

Thanks,
Tye

Up

Bendele_21 · Oct 18, 2021

I killed a very nice buck in the lavas this year just expect to walk 7-9 miles a day to find the deer its like jump shooting because most bed from morning to almost night fall i shot mine about half a mile off a field

hawkbill · Oct 18, 2021

Lets see a picture, congratulations

bonepicker · Oct 18, 2021

Pics or it didn’t happen! ?

IDAHOdale · Oct 19, 2021

Bendele_21 said:
I killed a very nice buck in the lavas this year just expect to walk 7-9 miles a day to find the deer its like jump shooting because most bed from morning to almost night fall i shot mine about half a mile off a field

I must see

Smokeybarrel · Sep 6, 2023

Bendele_21 said:
I killed a very nice buck in the lavas this year just expect to walk 7-9 miles a day to find the deer its like jump shooting because most bed from morning to almost night fall i shot mine about half a mile off a field

Smokeybarrel · Sep 6, 2023

Exactly what Bendele_21 said, expect to cover some ground. Stay persistent. Depending on your idea of trophy buck, if you put in the time you'll turn up deer. 150"+ deer in this unit.