Desert Archery Tag

[outdoorfool12]

Where did all the big bucks go? I have hunted 11 days straight and have yet to see a " QUALITY" BUCK. Very frustraited to say the least. Any help for the last 3 days would be great. Dont want to eat a tag I waited 7 years for.

[trophyhunt]

Archery tag for that unit would be tough, there is a huge buck on here taken by a rifle guy from that unit and he didn't see much either before he saw the buck he took. I think all the bucks morphed their antlers to his one buck, it's scores 243''. Good luck on your last few days, it sounds like there isn't as many bucks as there used to be, if I knew anything I would tell you.

[ribka]

I drew archery tag last year. Tough hunt, Full moon and heavy fog most days of hunt.

I passed on a few smaller bucks the first 2 days. I saw 8 nice bucks the week I hunted. They usually would bed in the tall sage or wonder down into the Russian olive trees or cattails.

Made many stalks but could never manage to get closer than 60 to 70 yds.

Only shot opportunities on bigger bucks were a result of a friend making small drives through bedding areas.

Get up on dunes before first light and be ready to start glassing.


Good luck.

[outdoorfool12]

I have not had any trouble getting on deer. Infact I have had numerous deer at under 10 yrd. Just not the deer you wait 7 years for. 

[trophyhunt]

I have not had any trouble getting on deer. Infact I have had numerous deer at under 10 yrd. Just not the deer you wait 7 years for.

Sounds like your just the guy he needs to talk to! What is the biggest deer you passed up? Would you recommend the tag for archery or rifle?

[jen05056]

Trophyhunt- is there a pic on here of that rifle buck taken in desert unit? I had a friend hunt that same unit i think.

[trophyhunt]

Yes, its in the deer section and the title I believe is washington masher or masher deer. 3rd page

[ribka]

I have not had any trouble getting on deer. Infact I have had numerous deer at under 10 yrd. Just not the deer you wait 7 years for.

I saw 3 to4 bucks that were monsters during my hunt. Easy shot with a rifle.

they are in the unit. remember you are hunti g after the rut and the bucks have been pressured.

 Not as many as in the past though based on my research.

[outdoorfool12]

I was 43 yrds from this buck for about 35 to 40 min. the mon befor season. I was on him on the second day and passed on a 35, 50, and 55 yrd shots. I was about 3 1/2 miles from my truck and it was 4:00 pm. Yes I am kicking myself now.

[Pathfinder101]

Well, I am not going to rub it in then, but I will say that is a really cool, really old buck.  Probably a little past his prime I am guessing...

[Ibcnurun]

That is a great picture. Now put down the camera and shoot I would have.

[tazman2800]

I drew the modern rifle tag in this unit 2 years ago. I ended up filling my tag with the buk in my avatar. Before the season I spoke with a game biologist out of Ephrata and said that there were only around 5 bucks in that unit that would push 180". When I first heard I drew the tag everyone told to hold out and not shoot anything under 180" until the last day. I live 10 miles from that unit and I started scouting in June a least 2 days a week until my season started around Halloween. Of all the days that I was out scouting I found 1 big 4X4 with a 6" drop tine on the left side. I found this deer 4 days before the season so I went after him opening morning, but the duck hunters had driven around a gate to the pond and started yelling and blasting away about 30 minutes before legal shooting hours, needless to say I never saw that buck again. One issue is all the bird hunters in the same unit blasting away all day long. Also I heard that they busted a poaching ring in that game unit last year and they found a shed full of large deer racks. From what I have seen taken out of there recently, the unit seems to have a great many 3 point genetics in the heard. So knowing what I know now I would not have passed up the buck you have a picture of.

The reason the game department considers that unit a quality hunt is because the high buck to doe ratio is what I was told by the Ephrata office of the game department.

Side note the buck in my avatar was a heavy horn 3X3 with eyeguards, however when I flipped him over I found that he had the doe plumbing on the  back end. Guess it was my turn to kill a freak of nature.

Until things change I will probably use my quality buck tag points in the Entiat unit where I know there a lot of big bucks.

[curlewkiller]

They just posted an article about this female deer with horns on CNN.  Did you report this your biologist friend?

I drew the modern rifle tag in this unit 2 years ago. I ended up filling my tag with the buk in my avatar. Before the season I spoke with a game biologist out of Ephrata and said that there were only around 5 bucks in that unit that would push 180". When I first heard I drew the tag everyone told to hold out and not shoot anything under 180" until the last day. I live 10 miles from that unit and I started scouting in June a least 2 days a week until my season started around Halloween. Of all the days that I was out scouting I found 1 big 4X4 with a 6" drop tine on the left side. I found this deer 4 days before the season so I went after him opening morning, but the duck hunters had driven around a gate to the pond and started yelling and blasting away about 30 minutes before legal shooting hours, needless to say I never saw that buck again. One issue is all the bird hunters in the same unit blasting away all day long. Also I heard that they busted a poaching ring in that game unit last year and they found a shed full of large deer racks. From what I have seen taken out of there recently, the unit seems to have a great many 3 point genetics in the heard. So knowing what I know now I would not have passed up the buck you have a picture of.

The reason the game department considers that unit a quality hunt is because the high buck to doe ratio is what I was told by the Ephrata office of the game department.

Side note the buck in my avatar was a heavy horn 3X3 with eyeguards, however when I flipped him over I found that he had the doe plumbing on the  back end. Guess it was my turn to kill a freak of nature.

Until things change I will probably use my quality buck tag points in the Entiat unit where I know there a lot of big bucks.

[boneaddict]

You should thank the duck hunters, without them you wouldn't see a big buck.   (not saying that becasue I am a duck hunter) Saying that because I chase deer out there.

[Broken Arrow]

My buddie drew desert archery 3 years ago, we spent numerous day with the same results. Its a frustrating unit for that tag. The last two days we got way back in, not sure how many miles, but i can tell you we walked for hours, finally saw some really good bucks, but everything got blown out with horse back riders, Feel you pain....no salt in the wounds...but would have shot that buck.