unit 13b arizona mule deer info needed

[jonrob]

Thanks glass eye. I have responded but the mail server shows problems. You are my new good friend. I will keep tryin to respond.

 

[jonrob]

Thanks to you guys for all of you good advise, we have made real progress because some caring people messaged us with specific good information. I hope to keep this thread open as a way of sharing our hunt.

 

[Ben Sellers]

I hope you guys have the hunt of a lifetime. Good luck!

 

[jonrob]

Thanks Ben I know we will.

 

[Brow Tine]

Here are some pictures from the Strip floating around Facebook on an AZ Hunting page.

 

[Brow Tine]

Here are some pictures from the Strip floating around Facebook on an AZ Hunting page.

I believe they were taken last week.

 

[3855WIN]

Take your sons bullets and keep them until day 3. You don’t want to shoot the first deer you see.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Take your sons bullets and keep them until day 3. You don’t want to shoot the first deer you see.

Ha. That's not the way it is on that hunt. You might go 3 days before you see any deer at all. It might be huge, and it might be a 2 point.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Ha. That's not the way it is on that hunt. You might go 3 days before you see any deer at all. It might be huge, and it might be a 2 point.

Been there done that.Hunted one year it was like a war zone,bullets flying
everywhere.We didn't see any Bucks but people were sure shootin' the shite
outta something,Lasted half a day and moved on.

 

[backcountry_sassn]

Haha I’m probably going to make a lot of people mad with this post, but with how few tags they give out in this unit, I don’t think it’s going to kill any one spot. Plus why not help fellow hunters.

Gotta be careful getting a guide in that unit. $5,500 is a great price but that doesn’t include a trophy fee. I’ve never deer hunted it, but have elk hunted there a couple times (buy the OTC elk tag for that unit just in case. It’s only $50 for nonresidence). I hunted around Poverty and got into elk twice. I’m leaving the bow at home next time and using the 7mm-08. Anyways......first thing about hunting the strip is to be prepared. Zero services in the unit. Bring lots of fuel and a couple spare tires if you can. The closer to the Grand Canyon you get, the bigger the deer tend to be. But it’s a long drive on bad roads to get there. The good thing about the unit is you have a chance at a big one anywhere. That being said, the deer numbers as a whole are pretty low.

Here’s the places I would try starting from the north and heading south.....

Cedar Pocket - Tough to get to, but pretty open country with a lot of good places to glass. Very very low deer numbers, but there can be some good deer. It’s in the edge of the wilderness area which a lot of people don’t venture into.

Seegmiller Mountain - from the main dirt rd over to West Mesa. You have the thicker pinyon/junipers and the lower desert country. Glassing can be tough, but I’ve seen a few good bucks in there and plenty of smaller ones that any kid (and most adults) would be happy with.

Black Rock Mountain - this is a diverse part of the unit. Everything from old pines, to junipers, to sage flats, to desert. Lots of traffic on these roads and lots of deer. Also had some feral hogs which are legal to shoot all year long.

Tweeds Point - this is one of the more popular areas and you’ll be competing with every guide in the unit. Some huge bucks have been killed out of here. Even with the guides, you still got a shot. This is an area with a few dirt tanks and most hunters or guides have a camera on every one. They will drive from tank to tank till they see where their target buck was last and hunt near that tank. Good thing about November is sometimes those bucks travel far so their hunt method doesn’t always work.

Poverty Mountain - I haven’t seen any big bucks here but always see a lot of does and smaller bucks. I’ve also only been there in September trying to find one of the few bulls in the unit. In November I’m sure some mature bucks will be in there checking the does.

Upper Grand Wash Cliffs - another well hunted part of the unit but it has a lot of pockets that are tough to glass. I don’t know how many mature deer I’ve jumped out of these pockets while calling predators. (Also one of the prettiest places to take pics of you kill something.)

Like I said before, I’ve never deer hunted this unit or even gone in looking for deer, but I have spent some time in there and have seen some amazing deer. Glass a lot and look for does. The bucks will be there. Most of all, have fun. This is the most sought after mule deer tag in the country. Enjoy the experience.

 

[jonrob]

Thanks backcountry for real help and first hand info. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[jonrob]

Thanks browtine for the pics

 

[jonrob]

I had to look twice at thread title. That is one of the most coveted tags out there so congratulations on drawing it, current odds show .2% chance with 20 points. Having no experience hunting mule deer or out west, you may want to consider using an outfitter, especially with what is essentially a one in a lifetime tag. Just my opinion.
If you decide to DIY it, there should be boat loads of information available on line.

thanks for your help

 

[jonrob]

I am flying out tomorrow. If anyone is so inclined please pray for us. I'm looking forward to spending time with my son and our Father in his creation.

 

[rmyoung1]

Good luck! Rare experience. Looking forward to hearing about it.

 

[backcountry_sassn]

I’ll wait for Rob to chime in and post the pic he sent me!!!! If you like mass, keep an eye out for the pic.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Let's see this darn deer already!!!

 

[jonrob]

We had a great time and a great hunt. Jonathan harvested a beautiful 11 point mule deer. My new friend Don who was introduced by brushcreek told me that it is called a 4x4 with eye guards. We owe thanks to backcountry_sassn for his help, he has great firsthand knowledge and really encouraged us. Glasseye helped us as did boutdoors. There were other encouraging post and participation so we thank you guys, really thanks. I have a lot to share but I am short on time tonight. I had trouble downloading pics from my iphone but I posted a video on youtube the title is, jonrob Unit 13b Buck. I promise the pics will be downloaded soon. Thanks again.

 

[jonrob]

We hunted for two days in a Ford Fusion, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[jonrob]

We met a guide or a spotter who told us where we could glass from in a car. We tent camped on Segmiller mountain and started hunting and exploring and learning. It soon became evident judging by how many game cameras were at a water source that good water and habitat is vital.