Rifle Paunsagaunt Deer Hunt Help

B

Bigtopher

Member
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Hello, I’ve been a reader for a while and have obtained alot of info from many posts regarding the Paunsagaunt. I’ve scouted through the area a bit, and just looking for any info about some areas I should concentrate on for the rifle hunt at the end of this month. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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Lots of factors to consider, but some of the most important for the rifle hunt is the weather and the routes deer use for migration.
 
Its an "easy" hunt my friend. By easy, I mean there are lots of deer, they are moving, migrating, and rutting a little bit. You'll find bucks. If you can go 2 days early, do it. 3.? Do it. Otherwise, just enjoy the location and the animals... Let us know how it goes.!
 
I went up yesterday and scouted the south end of tropic. Saw about 30 does and and 2 small bucks in just a few hours. Going up again this weekend to see what else I can find.
 
Another guy I know has been there on top for 2+ weeks, and hasn't seen a shooter buck yet. Time to move down to the middle ground and look harder in the brush!! For your rifle hunt, they should be all the way down, and moving. If you pass one up, don't expect to see him again the next day!!!
 
Everything will be off the top by the time the rifle hunt rolls around. I would focus from Glendale Bench south clear to 89.

A lot of deer are already moving off the top. Spent some time up high last week, saw some nice bucks, but nothing giant. An older guy from Panguitch killed the best buck I saw. A big heavy, tall 4pt with 2 kickers off his back right fork. Would love to see some kill pics if anybody has some. I have some live pics of him from before the muzzy hunt opened.
 
Thanks I’ll let you know what I find. Just a completely different type of hunt then I’m used to. Last week we were down low by white cliffs and didn’t see anything but a lot of good terrain.
 
Bigwiffy said:
They'll be there in a month
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They are moving thought there right now. I remember many years ago we talked to Dennis Winch and a few other guys when we had a tag down there. Back then the rifle hunt was 1st of October. And we were told the bucks would be off the top by Oct 1st. When we went down, it had been so nice and warm , we didnt believe them. After 2 days, we went down off the Glendale Bench. It was like clock work, they Move Oct 1st. No matter.
 
Robiland said:
They are moving thought there right now. I remember many years ago we talked to Dennis Winch and a few other guys when we had a tag down there. Back then the rifle hunt was 1st of October. And we were told the bucks would be off the top by Oct 1st. When we went down, it had been so nice and warm , we didnt believe them. After 2 days, we went down off the Glendale Bench. It was like clock work, they Move Oct 1st. No matter.
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I don't disagree with you, but there were plenty of bucks still on top as of Sunday morning 10/2. I've also seen good bucks on top on the management rifle hunt in November in recent years, but to your point most will be headed south here real quick.
 
I also had a cousin that helped with a cow elk a hunt a year or two ago and said he saw a lot still up on top at the end of October. I guess it’s just try an area and if I don’t see anyone or anything to move somewhere else.
 
We still saw deer up top, but probably 25% of the # of deer as we did in Aug scouting. When we hit Scutumpah area, lots and lots of deer. It was pretty cool to see that amount of deer down in the low country.
 
That’s the only road I didn’t drive down last week. I’ll have to make sure I go check it out. Thanks for all the tips everyone.
 
I'm here on the Pauns right now. Just came off the top this morning to hunt the middle ground. As of this morning there were bucks and does still above 9k feet. It was 27 deg this morning and it seemed like they were moving off the top based on what I had been seeing the week before.
 
My observation is there are some locations where deer start migrating for no apparent reason. An internal clock sends them packing, with or without weather.
I saw this happen on the San Juan as well, many years ago. They were on top one day and gone the next.
 
Bwht4x4 said:
I'm here on the Pauns right now. Just came off the top this morning to hunt the middle ground. As of this morning there were bucks and does still above 9k feet. It was 27 deg this morning and it seemed like they were moving off the top based on what I had been seeing the week before.
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Yeah the deer we saw up top were making they way down. If you come across a license plate on the roads around tropic, mine fell off there yesterday.
 
Bwht4x4 said:
I'm here on the Pauns right now. Just came off the top this morning to hunt the middle ground. As of this morning there were bucks and does still above 9k feet. It was 27 deg this morning and it seemed like they were moving off the top based on what I had been seeing the week before.
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You still holding that uncut tag?
 
Bigwiffy said:
Everything will be off the top by the time the rifle hunt rolls around. I would focus from Glendale Bench south clear to 89.

A lot of deer are already moving off the top. Spent some time up high last week, saw some nice bucks, but nothing giant. An older guy from Panguitch killed the best buck I saw. A big heavy, tall 4pt with 2 kickers off his back right fork. Would love to see some kill pics if anybody has some. I have some live pics of him from before the muzzy hunt opened.
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PM Sent
 
To pretty of a day to waste yesterday . I went for a ride in the country between Kanab canyon and Johnson canyon under the whites. There was almost no deer sign . When the migration is underway, that country is full of deer trails from groups of doe and fawns. My experience is a hard freeze on top will get them moving.
 
littlebighorn said:
My observation is there are some locations where deer start migrating for no apparent reason. An internal clock sends them packing, with or without weather.
I saw this happen on the San Juan as well, many years ago. They were on top one day and gone the next.
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Have also see a few large bucks hit the wintering/breeding areas before the does even show up.
 
fin little said:
To pretty of a day to waste yesterday . I went for a ride in the country between Kanab canyon and Johnson canyon under the whites. There was almost no deer sign . When the migration is underway, that country is full of deer trails from groups of doe and fawns. My experience is a hard freeze on top will get them moving.
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Most mornings on top the last week have been near freezing. Tuesday morning at Crawford Pass was 27 degrees. IMO not cold enough for a hard freeze but it did look like some of the deer were moving off the top.
 
Last year we had pretty normal deer patterns everyday up top, until all the cowboys started round up the cows and pushing them down to Alton. I shot my buck on Oct 6th, and there were people on horses everywhere. I would bet that most of the deer dropped down immediately after that.
 
Bwht4x4 said:
Most mornings on top the last week have been near freezing. Tuesday morning at Crawford Pass was 27 degrees. IMO not cold enough for a hard freeze but it did look like some of the deer were moving off the top.
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Comin down to the wire @Bwht4x4 you drop the hammer yet?
 
There will still be some deer up top at the rifle, just like there are a few down in the sand on the archery. (A new record P&Y buck was killed in the sand down low on the archery hunt in 2012.)

That said, I’d play the rule, not the exceptions unless you know of a very specific buck in a specific location you’re after. If it were me, I’d be focusing below the whites and moving up from there if I’m not seeing deer or sign. By Oct 22nd I’d guess you’ll be seeing plenty of deer and sign below the whites. Don’t fool around Tropic anymore. Just my opinion.
 
The wife and I hit Skutumpah Rd today. We saw 6 bucks with 2 nice 4 points. One of the bucks only the wife saw and said it was definitely a shooter. Going up again Sunday to check it out some more. Here’s one of the bucks we saw.

D06CC042-5688-4121-A153-3ECAB8F08F15.jpeg
 
I figure the ones we saw are probably early migrators, or not? Just trying to see where else I need to check out this week.
 
Type “road to nephi pasture” into Google Maps for the road to get in there.

Google “Nephi Pasture” and you’ll see it.

You might as well Google “John R Flat” and “Seaman Point” while you’re at it.

Quit screwing around up north.
 
As of the morning of October 4th there were still a lot of deer up on top. I was seeing them above 9K feet and as far north as Tropic Res.
 
We hit Skutumpah again yesterday and saw 8 bucks and about 30 does in just a few hours. 4 of the bucks were definitely shooters.
 
Bigtopher said:
Well I could talk about the one I missed but no sense pouring salt in the wound. Saw a lot of bucks over that last 5 days probably over 40. Of those 8 were shooters. Finally settled on this guy. Not the biggest or the smallest but enjoyed every minute of the experience.
View attachment 91427
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Congrats man! Sounds like you had a good time and had plenty of excitement. That is what it is all about!
 
Just Got Back From The PAUNS!

Seen Two 40" Bucks!

And A Guy Showed Me a Pic Of a 240" Buck Killed a couple days ago South of The Border!
 
Over the years I've hunted down there five times, other members have hunted down there at least five additional times. Been down looking in November many off years. This includes the year my wife drew out which was the first year it opened when we saw the biggest buck I have ever seen in my life. It was a really heavy straight four-point, with high horns I estimated you could put a yard stick thru on the inside; with extra long high forks. It was as big as the bigger deer you see at the expo without all the trash. It was an absolute gorgeous rack. Rating somewhere in the upper 200 B&C, but I am not an expert at scoring. I I have probably only seen five deer in all of those years, I could be sure of that were over 40 inches. One of those deer we were chasing that I believed to be around 40" was later shot and found to be 37 3/4".

Two in one year, consider yourself lucky. Would love to see the pictures.
 
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