Letshunt
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In 2018 or 2019 there was a very poor fawn survival rate. Since 2018 the amount of tags given on the oak creeks has risen.
2017:
Archery: 6 tags
Muzzy: 6 tags
Rifle: 16 draw tags
Landowner 6 tags
Conservation tags: 1-2 tags
2022:
Archery: 8 tags
Muzzy: 8 tags
Rifle: 20 tags.
Landowner 6 tags
Conservation: 2-5 tags. (Possibly higher)
Not including the sportsman’s tag has killed in this unit and so has the governors tag.
The amount of deer is roughly the same. It’s the quality that is way down from where it was at during its peak. The amount of applicants has doubled and even tripled for some hunts.
Some people say it’s the late green up that is the problem which I believe is a factor. Others believe that it was the shape the deer were in after the harsh winter. Others say it is the fact that there is almost 0 five year old deer on the unit from the almost non existent fawn survival rate of 2018 for there being such poor quality this year.
The lack of fawn survival rate in 2018 is a huge factor for there not being many big deer this year but the tag increase has also hurt it pretty bad. Another huge reason is: The top end has been shot out. 6-8 year old deer are pretty much non existent. This years rifle hunt will be a massacre of so many 3-4 year old deer with amazing genetics. Many will fall in the 180-190” range. Which for the last 7 years those deer were never considered by almost every hunter who drew the tag. But they will be a trophy this year.
So with a missing an age class and the increase of tags and a ton of the younger bucks getting killed this week, the oak creeks will never touch what it used to be unless they change it from a regular LE unit and move it to a premium LE unit and lower the tags again to make it managed for more higher buck/does ratio. Every one who left the Henrie’s and pauns to come to the oaks might want to change course because the oak creeks is in bad shape for high end mule deer.
How often do you see a hunter buy a tag for 70k and then turn around and sell it for almost half of what he bought it for? That should tell you that all the mossback guides(that know the unit extremely well) haven’t found anything worth the amount he spent for it. And that’s the feeling of every other guide that I have talked to. They have never seen it this bad in the last 7+years. There is one legit buck and he’s on private property and a very hefty price was paid by an outfitter to hunt this one specific deer.
2017:
Archery: 6 tags
Muzzy: 6 tags
Rifle: 16 draw tags
Landowner 6 tags
Conservation tags: 1-2 tags
2022:
Archery: 8 tags
Muzzy: 8 tags
Rifle: 20 tags.
Landowner 6 tags
Conservation: 2-5 tags. (Possibly higher)
Not including the sportsman’s tag has killed in this unit and so has the governors tag.
The amount of deer is roughly the same. It’s the quality that is way down from where it was at during its peak. The amount of applicants has doubled and even tripled for some hunts.
Some people say it’s the late green up that is the problem which I believe is a factor. Others believe that it was the shape the deer were in after the harsh winter. Others say it is the fact that there is almost 0 five year old deer on the unit from the almost non existent fawn survival rate of 2018 for there being such poor quality this year.
The lack of fawn survival rate in 2018 is a huge factor for there not being many big deer this year but the tag increase has also hurt it pretty bad. Another huge reason is: The top end has been shot out. 6-8 year old deer are pretty much non existent. This years rifle hunt will be a massacre of so many 3-4 year old deer with amazing genetics. Many will fall in the 180-190” range. Which for the last 7 years those deer were never considered by almost every hunter who drew the tag. But they will be a trophy this year.
So with a missing an age class and the increase of tags and a ton of the younger bucks getting killed this week, the oak creeks will never touch what it used to be unless they change it from a regular LE unit and move it to a premium LE unit and lower the tags again to make it managed for more higher buck/does ratio. Every one who left the Henrie’s and pauns to come to the oaks might want to change course because the oak creeks is in bad shape for high end mule deer.
How often do you see a hunter buy a tag for 70k and then turn around and sell it for almost half of what he bought it for? That should tell you that all the mossback guides(that know the unit extremely well) haven’t found anything worth the amount he spent for it. And that’s the feeling of every other guide that I have talked to. They have never seen it this bad in the last 7+years. There is one legit buck and he’s on private property and a very hefty price was paid by an outfitter to hunt this one specific deer.