Desert Unit...Where's the Quality?

[Bushcraft]

For a variety of reasons, I was under the impression that the Desert unit was being managed as a quality unit and held some of the biggest bucks in the state.  Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see a single bruiser worthy of putting the sneaky-sneak on, much less punching what has historically been a highly coveted tag.

All last week was spent slinking through the dunes, sagebrush and Russian olive trees and glassing for miles and miles across the pocketed expanse of the Desert unit.  The first part of the week was bitterly cold, which probably kept more critters hunkered down than usual, but I was still seeing lots of does and a handful of small, younger bucks per day.  Okay, no biggie.  That’s just part of hunting I told myself.  The latter part of the week seemed more promising with a few inches of fresh snow and higher temps.  And, the white background definitely helped with contrast and glassing. There were more critters bedded and/or up and moving around, but I still saw no bucks worth writing home about.

Perplexed and admittedly frustrated at only seeing does, dinks and coyotes, I bailed for home to wash my clothes, straighten out my gear, and mentally regroup for next week.

I could have thwacked a young/small buck that happened to be looking the wrong direction just as I eased over a dune.  I was pretty discouraged at that point and was very tempted to just punch my tag then and there and put some more meat in the freezer, but remembered all those years of seeing “NOT SELECTED” next to my quality deer choices.  So, I let down and waited to see if he had a big brother hanging around close by.  That was not the buck to take with this tag.  Plus, it felt like cheap random luck instead of an earned spot and stalk.  (Don’t get me wrong, if it had been a heavy beamed monster that arrow would have found it’s mark and I’d have counted my lucky stars.  Ha, ha!)

This “quality” hunt is just not shaping up the way I’d envisioned it……1) Put in the miles and time and glass up a nice representative buck that was at least 180” or better.  2) Work the wind and the terrain.  3) Close the gap.  4) Perfectly release the arrow and kill it.  Repeat steps 1 through 3 until I got it right. 

I’ve spoken with guys that know the area intimately and they are convinced I’m looking over some primo public parts of the unit.  I don't have access to any private property.

For those that have been successful in desert archery hunts, what are some pointers you’d be willing to share about how you’d approach it?  Also, if you know where one is tied to a Russian Olive tree, that’d be great too.   

[buglebuster]

So you mean to tell me the hype about the desert being the best draw in the state isn't true  all those applicants and its not number 1? 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

All the monster bucks are on private property.......

[benhuntin]

They're in there!!

[highside74]

Hunt off the A rd. Park at the end, go to the fence follow it to the end,  angle right slightly and walk for 30 minutes. That will put you in prime deer area and much more stockable turrain for archery. If your not in the brushy plants that are 3 to 6 feet tall your not where the deer are.

[Bushcraft]

Thanks Highside.

Do you think A Road is any better than Division (next road west)?  If so, why?

I spent half a day glassing/sneaking south of Division towards C Road and glassed up exactly one 3x4 buck.  Sort of a semi-tall weird looking thin framed spindly guy.

Allen

[splitshot]

  I don't think desert is number 1 or 2.   mike w

[Magnum_Willys]

So you mean to tell me the hype about the desert being the best draw in the state isn't true  all those applicants and its not number 1? 

Note to self: Don't put in for Desert in 2016 !

[2labs]

If you drew and your hunting without a army of clowns around you. In this state that's quality

[highside74]

Thanks Highside.

Do you think A Road is any better than Division (next road west)?  If so, why?

I spent half a day glassing/sneaking south of Division towards C Road and glassed up exactly one 3x4 buck.  Sort of a semi-tall weird looking thin framed spindly guy.

Allen

That's the same area,  just different access point.

You could go to Mardon resort and speak to Dick Hemor. He keeps track of the deer in that area and helps guys find big bucks. If they are out there he knows where.

[jackelope]

I'm not sure anyone in this state should "expect" to find a 180" buck regardless of what season or where unless you've got an army of guys out scouting for you. If you do find one on your own, you've done very, very well.
With all that said, there have been some massive bucks killed in the Desert unit recently. Pretty sure one of them just came out of a taxidermy shop recently. I'd still think it has some very big bucks, but maybe just not as many. It's definitely not an easy unit to hunt from everything I've read about it on here and heard from friends. I've never been there though.

[Bushcraft]

Thanks Highside.

Do you think A Road is any better than Division (next road west)?  If so, why?

I spent half a day glassing/sneaking south of Division towards C Road and glassed up exactly one 3x4 buck.  Sort of a semi-tall weird looking thin framed spindly guy.

Allen

That's the same area,  just different access point.

You could go to Mardon resort and speak to Dick Hemor. He keeps track of the deer in that area and helps guys find big bucks. If they are out there he knows where.

Roger that Highside.  Yep, I spoke with the legendary Dick Hemore.  A friend of mine that knows the area really well gave me his name and number early last week.  Dick encouraged me to hunt that same area we're talking about, among others.

Thanks,

Allen

[Jonathan_S]

If you drew and your hunting without a army of clowns around you. In this state that's quality

Kind of makes me think about the NE unit tags for whitetail and mule deer.  They are quality because of low pressure but if you see a nice buck, you'd better take it 

[muleyslayer]

I'm not sure anyone in this state should "expect" to find a 180" buck regardless of what season or where unless you've got an army of guys out scouting for you. If you do find one on your own, you've done very, very well.
With all that said, there have been some massive bucks killed in the Desert unit recently. Pretty sure one of them just came out of a taxidermy shop recently. I'd still think it has some very big bucks, but maybe just not as many. It's definitely not an easy unit to hunt from everything I've read about it on here and heard from friends. I've never been there though.

goodluck, I hope you find what your looking for

[crabcreekhunter]

Unit was amazing before it went to draw only, far better bucks then than now... Poaching is a huge problem.  Good bucks can be all over the unit.. Head to job core dyke road to the very end (lock your vehicle leave nothing of value atleast visible) head west from parking lot across sage flat, there's a old road that will get you through the ponds and hunt the west side of the resevoir.  Another missed spot that I've seen some of my bigger bucks out there is from the dune loop road an hunt west along crab creek area (north of the mud flats/orv area).