Best General Deer Unit???

[Califelkslayer]

In your opinion what is the best general deer unit?

And did breaking up the deer general deer units make much of an impact on the age of deer harvested? Or is it too early to determine?

 

[springvilleshooter]

It is too early too tell in my opinion. I personally like all the units on the east side of the Wasach range. current Creek is my favorite because of the great country and deer numbers.------SS

 

[ridgetops]

The one your able to scout and spend the most time on.

 

[littlebighorn]

Mr. Rigdgetops knows from experience. He hunts a not so popular unit with low deer numbers, but experience and hard work reward him and his buddies pretty regularly.
There are no units, to this point,IMO that are significantly better than others. All units still get plenty of hunting pressure, and good deer are available in all, depending on how well you know them and how hard you are willing to hunt. I haven't seen current statistics, but I don't think any units are increasing much in bucks vs. does.

 

[Zeke]

What he said^^^^

I'll add that it's a might too early to see some units evolve into semi-trophy units but it will happen if tag numbers don't fluctuate dramatically.

There are big bucks in every unit so I think, as others do, that it's a matter of learning the unit rather than picking the right unit.

Zeke

 

[hogg_65]

I agree that there is no better general unit that stands out from the rest. Hunt the unit you know best if you want to be consistently successful. Good luck to us all.

 

[Gator]

Taking it one step farther is hunt "the unit you know best" then hunt one section of that unit that scouting tell you to hunt, don't be jumping all over the place.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[trashnmass]

I would have to say that unit 17A Wasatch West has become a joke. I always thought the hunting could be in incredible if they went to a limited tag for this area but they have ruined it for the following reasons:

1. It is close to Salt Lake and Provo so they want to give people an opportunity to have a nice hunt close to home.
2. Because they want to accomplish #1 above, they give out ALMOST 10% OF THE TAGS FOR THE STATE go to this unit. About 7,500 tags.
3. I have hunted there since 1995 and we pack in with horses and backpacks. I have never seen the population dive so hard in an area. I am now hunting canyons that once had 20 to 30 bucks in them on a hunt.....that now have NONE!
4. The people of Alpine and Highland and American Fork and Cedar Hills keep complaining about the deer so the DWR sees this unit as a good unit to send in an army to kill the deer....so they do.

I am going to be hunting a different unit in 2014 for the first time in 20 years.

 

[Califelkslayer]

Thanks for the replies guys. I put the whole family in for PPs each year when we apply and hoped the change would produce a couple of units that were better than the rest.

I doubt I will ever "learn" one Utah deer unit very well. Can't spend enough time there to learn it but more power to those that do.

 

[Zeke]

Califelkslayer,
Story time:
In 1976 I had a moose tag in Wyoming. By the end of the hunt I was giving pointers and directions to the locals. It takes time, maps, gas and boot-leather to learn a unit...or at least a section of a unit but it can be adaquately done in a season.

It doesn't take years to learn a unit but it does take years to learn all the animal movements and all the little hidy-holes but don't worry too much about that.

My point is, if you pick a unit and spend the whole season you'll know more about it than the local who only hunts 2 days every year.

10 days vs 2 days for 5 years; You'd have 5 years experience vs the guy who only spends a couple days. (actually, most leave Sunday at noon so it's only a day and a half)

I'm not a better hunter than the next guy, I just stay longer and success eventually comes!

Give it Hell man,
Zeke

 

[NoShot]

>Califelkslayer,
>Story time:
>In 1976 I had a moose
>tag in Wyoming. By the
>end of the hunt I
>was giving pointers and directions
>to the locals. It takes
>time, maps, gas and boot-leather
>to learn a unit...or at
>least a section of a
>unit but it can be
>adaquately done in a season.
>
>
>It doesn't take years to learn
>a unit but it does
>take years to learn all
>the animal movements and all
>the little hidy-holes but don't
>worry too much about that.
>
>
>My point is, if you pick
>a unit and spend the
>whole season you'll know more
>about it than the local
>who only hunts 2 days
>every year.
>
>10 days vs 2 days for
>5 years; You'd have 5
>years experience vs the guy
>who only spends a couple
>days. (actually, most leave Sunday
>at noon so it's only
>a day and a half)
>
>
>I'm not a better hunter than
>the next guy, I just
>stay longer and success eventually
>comes!
>
>Give it Hell man,
>Zeke


Zeke, Your modesty has always been one of the top reasons I have admired you and your hunting prowess over the years. That and your willingness to help out the new hunter or old codger.


p.s. I still hunt on occasion with the S&W 1500 7mm you sold my dad from the old Wolf's days.

Sorry for sounding like a nutswinger, carry on.. Hahaaaa

 

[ridgetops]

Califelkslayer, what type of terrain do you like or want to hunt.
and what type of transportation?
ATV, 4x4, horses or backpacking in somewhere.

 

[chasemike]

Califelkslayer,from Ca.too. Hunted Utah last yr. first time for me, there was 6 of us. In the Boulder area. Never seem so may trees in my life, use to hunting desert. We killed five bucks biggest was 29 1/8 a 26 and a 24 1/4. I never pulled the trigger seen some bucks, but small ones. But we hunt hard, just luck on the bigger bucks, right time right place, and that is the truth. We hiked a lot, to get away from people, learned the country, it was a blast. Meet some great people. We are putting in again this year. Might not be that lucky again, amazing what you can learn in six days. I tried to learn patience, had a hard time. Good Luck

 

[Deerlove]

Mike sounds like a great hunt, pls post some pics.

 

[Zeke]

>
>Zeke, Your modesty has
>always been one of the
>top reasons I have admired
>you and your hunting prowess
>over the years. That
>and your willingness to help
>out the new hunter or
>old codger.
>
>
>p.s. I still hunt on
>occasion with the S&W 1500
>7mm you sold my dad
>from the old Wolf's days.
>

Thanks for the kind words NoShot!
Oh, the good old Wolfe Sporting goods days. It seems like I had, both, more time and money back then. I'm working harder than ever and the only one coming out on top is my rich-bich uncle (sam).

The longer I hunt the more I realize that there's an element of luck and it's hard to quantify. The FACT is I really believe that it's about the single biggest reason for success... if a guy does everything right and stays in the field hunting instead of heading home with his tail tucked. You know the routine, eyes up, early and late, deep and steep... blah blah blah.

I tried to look at your profile to put a name to you but didn't see it. Feel free to PM and let me know who you are, if you want.

Zeke