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Post by parkerbow on Oct 27, 2018 19:27:03 GMT -5
My buddy and I made the 2.5 hr trip to Big oaks last night and spent money on a hotel to hunt the early Primitive muzzy hunt. We got up early because we had to do the safety briefing and get checked in and find out how to get to our area and paid 20 bucks for a hunt permit. We hunted about 7 hours and never seen a deer let alone even a track. I mean we hunted from stand a good 5 hrs and then walked around the rest and never even seen a sign of a deer. We talked to 4 other hunters that were hunting the next area over and they never seen a deer either. We also passed numerous trucks along the road and no one had any deer. Even at the check station when we checked out I did not see a one dead deer. I am sure there are some good spots in BO but all I can say is been there done that. I think the deer numbers are not what they use to be up there as well as the hunter numbers.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 19:54:43 GMT -5
Which zone did you hunt?
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Post by greghopper on Oct 27, 2018 20:10:24 GMT -5
My buddy and I made the 2.5 hr trip to Big oaks last night and spent money on a hotel to hunt the early Primitive muzzy hunt. We got up early because we had to do the safety briefing and get checked in and find out how to get to our area and paid 20 bucks for a hunt permit. We hunted about 7 hours and never seen a deer let alone even a track. I mean we hunted from stand a good 5 hrs and then walked around the rest and never even seen a sign of a deer. We talked to 4 other hunters that were hunting the next area over and they never seen a deer either. We also passed numerous trucks along the road and no one had any deer. Even at the check station when we checked out I did not see a one dead deer. I am sure there are some good spots in BO but all I can say is been there done that. I think the deer numbers are not what they use to be up there as well as the hunter numbers. Success rate there is probably less then 25% for the year... thought everyone pretty much knew that! I say a lot areas are 10% or less.... They use to have the success rate per area posted on the web page! It's differently not a give me when hunting there... |
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Post by freedomhunter on Oct 27, 2018 20:14:13 GMT -5
I really think you have to get lucky there for sure. I had about the same experience years ago. Don't even consider it now.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 20:16:26 GMT -5
Last year I hunted there and saw 4 deer, 3 were before legal light and 1 wouldn't stop a coyote was about 30 seconds behind it. There are definitely deer there but nothing like it used to be for sure.
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Post by greghopper on Oct 27, 2018 20:43:01 GMT -5
Last year I hunted there and saw 4 deer, 3 were before legal light and 1 wouldn't stop a coyote was about 30 seconds behind it. There are definitely deer there but nothing like it used to be for sure. It's not even considered a reduction hunt .... it's considered a opportunity hunt! Most people go there looking for that one special deer and they are differently there for the taking! Here pics of one found dead there few years ago...    |
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Post by span870 on Oct 28, 2018 2:17:18 GMT -5
So here's the question. What happened or is happening to the deer. Absolutely way less pressure on the deer with way less hunters and hunting opportunities. Deer should be over run in that place. Even with supposed ehd years ago, the numbers should have bounced back. In a given year they might only harvest what was taken on opening day of gun during jpg era.
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Post by ukwil on Oct 28, 2018 6:14:04 GMT -5
The does have been decimated since they installed the earn a 2nd buck program. I believe that is the biggest factor. The deer numbers are just not there like they used to be. Here the last couple of years they had a harvest one year of less than 300 I believe off of 26,000 huntable acres.
The landscape has dramatically changed over the years since I've hunted it too. It's gotten so thick in some spots you can't even hunt it.
Most guys go down there thinking it's a give me that they are going to harvest, but its not. It's an opportunity to hunt a place that has potential, but it's a hunt.
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Post by Pinoc on Oct 28, 2018 7:17:31 GMT -5
Everything south of K road was basically closed to all non military personnel back in the day. Way less hunting pressure then. When we hunted it you were shocked to see another truck on the roads. Took a good hour or more to drive down perimeter roads in the evening because of all the deer. Once Refuge took over and opened it up to the public the herd has been greatly reduced and the deer have learned where to go once human smell is everywhere and that is where that big buck above came from.
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Post by parkerbow on Oct 28, 2018 15:26:09 GMT -5
We hunted area 39 and the other guys we talked to hunted area 38. I did not really expect to kill a deer going in blind to an area I never been before but I mean there was not one track seen the two hours I walked around. One thing there is nothing there for them to eat except some browse but there was not much of that either. Most of it was just small maple trees. I know it is a huge area but I also only heard a couple shots. Yes, they made it if you kill a doe you earn another buck tag. So you could shoot 2 bucks in there. I think they did this to get more people to hunt there since the hunter numbers are down. There are definitely some big deer there but you are talking 50,000 acres. Heck there are big deer on the HNF in a 50,000 acre area too. I doubt I ever go back. I know it used to be good but they ruined it I believe. The bottom part of it is leased out too before you go into the east and west gates.
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Post by duff on Oct 28, 2018 16:21:34 GMT -5
The does have been decimated since they installed the earn a 2nd buck program. I believe that is the biggest factor. The deer numbers are just not there like they used to be. Here the last couple of years they had a harvest one year of less than 300 I believe off of 26,000 huntable acres. The landscape has dramatically changed over the years since I've hunted it too. It's gotten so thick in some spots you can't even hunt it. Most guys go down there thinking it's a give me that they are going to harvest, but its not. It's an opportunity to hunt a place that has potential, but it's a hunt. Bears and bobcats |
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Post by greghopper on Oct 28, 2018 16:30:45 GMT -5
We hunted area 39 and the other guys we talked to hunted area 38. I did not really expect to kill a deer going in blind to an area I never been before but I mean there was not one track seen the two hours I walked around. One thing there is nothing there for them to eat except some browse but there was not much of that either. Most of it was just small maple trees. I know it is a huge area but I also only heard a couple shots. Yes, they made it if you kill a doe you earn another buck tag. So you could shoot 2 bucks in there. I think they did this to get more people to hunt there since the hunter numbers are down. There are definitely some big deer there but you are talking 50,000 acres. Heck there are big deer on the HNF in a 50,000 acre area too. I doubt I ever go back. I know it used to be good but they ruined it I believe. The bottom part of it is leased out too before you go into the east and west gates. The Bottom(south)area is a privately owned and has been for a long time....Big Oaks only owns the area going North |
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Post by greghopper on Oct 28, 2018 16:38:12 GMT -5
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