First time slinging arrows!

[PackMule21]

Hunters,

Greetings! These formus have been very valuable in my short 2 year hunting lifespan since the military brought me to NV. They have helped my get 2 cow elk and muley last year! I caught the hunting bug in a big way and this year stepped out into a big unknown for me.....archery. I love taking on new challenges. I drew the 101-109 (Rubies) Aug 10 - Sep 9 Muley hunt. I have 82 days until the opener and the work has already started. I will be doing all the things I am supposed to but I realize nothing can makeup for my lack of "woods" experience. I have tried to learn about the animal habits, thermals and all the other stuff that will factor into hopefully getting a clean kill. So far this has been geared toward elk, but I gotta adapt! Does anyone have any good advice for a first timer embarking on a summer bow hunt in NV after one of Gods amazing creatures? I have only been in the Rubies once before, but not with a hunters eye back then. From a look at the numbers, it will be busy. What is my best play, find water and sit on it? Thanks everyone and God Bless!

 

[psycho]

If you go a half mile up any one of those canyons you have gone further than most. A lot of deer come off those fields on the east side just before sun up. If you post up in one of those canyons in a shady spot very early you will watch where they like to walk by. Then just adjust and hope they do the same thing the next day. The few times I hunted that unit they really did seem to do the same thing over and over but I never saw any big ones as I didn't hike very far with the extra crew I was hauling around. Be careful of the private land. Even with all the signage around its easy to screw up if you don't have a GPS. East side of 102 just south of highway 229 had some decent access points.

 

[p_ham]

If you get a deer get it quartered and hung in the shade ASAP. A creek bottom is best. Theres tons of water, feed, and deer in 10. If you're planning to hunt the high country expect company especially since Harrison Pass and Lamoille Canyon burned. I dont know if those burns would be worth checking out or not.

 

[WATERMAG]

Lots of practice with your arrow slinger of choice. It doesn't help to find the critters if you can't put a lethal shot on it.

 

[PackMule21]

Thanks for all the tips. Hopefully heading up soon to put eyes and boots on the ground.....waiting on the military to lift our 4 hr travel restriction. Quick follow up question, I see access can be limited in the East side on 102 and all the way down to Harrison Pass. I know I can take the 93 up to the 229 moving west and then come down and most of that is good roads due to all the private land. If I wanted to target the Harrison Pass area there are shorter and more direct routes via Cherry Creek or Currie. How are those dirt roads? One big decision is whether to bring my camper up there or choose to be mobile and hunt out of the truck with a smaller base camp. The camper vs tent option is based on need to move and gaining access into these areas. There is plenty of BLM and Forest Land to get on. If you were/are/or have hunted area 10, and more specifically the Eastern side of the area, was it more advantageous to be mobile and fluid with a smaller camp, or tow the rig up there and set base?

 

[p_ham]

You can either take the route you mentioned, I assume you're coming from Nellis, or head West on 50 when you get to Ely. Then white pine county rd 3 north which will have you in your hunt area the whole way up to Harrison. Theres deer all over 10 and it's a huge hunt area so don't get discouraged by the lack of access in 102.

 

[Bowhunter999]

Lots of practice with your arrow slinger of choice. It doesn't help to find the critters if you can't put a lethal shot on it.

An excellent point WATERMAG ! We bow hunters need to be particularly careful in our approach to our sport. Game wounded by archery people seems to be perceived more critically by people than that received by rifle hunters. Archery is a very lethal way to take big game, but the room for error is razor thin. There are still those who do not feel an arrow is an appropriate projectile, even though it has been proven to be. So we who enjoy the sport must be sure we are competent in our shooting ability (as WATERMAN stated) lots of practice, and knowing what is good arrow placement, knowing anatomy and shot angles. We need to remember, there is virtually no kinetic energy involved in an arrow. Good luck, glad to have you in the sport !