Early Season DIY Archery

[cnewso2]

New member and first time poster here. I am from Louisiana and I am an avid bowhunter for whitetails in Louisiana and throughout the Midwest. I have never archery hunted out west or for any other species besides whitetail and wild hogs. I have read Robby Denning's and Dwight Schuh's books on mule deer hunting to try and get an idea of what was coming. This forum has been a wealth of information for me over the past year for the gear I need to prepare for a trip out west.

I had been planning on a public land archery mule deer hunt in western South Dakota for the first week of September for myself and a buddy, but got thrown for a loop when the news came out about nonresident's season opening Oct. 1st on public land this year. Long story short, vacation has already been taken and can't be changed so I am in scramble mode to try and plan a mule deer hunt for Sept. 1st. I have narrowed it down to Western Nebraska, Arizona, or Box Elder Unit in Utah. Would be willing to look at Idaho too, but I know it will require 4-5 days drive time round trip from LA. Anybody have any tips on what may be a better choice for that time of year and the type of hunt we are looking for? We are 30 years old, in pretty decent shape and we have most of the gear to spike camp. We are not looking for a trophy, just looking for somewhere with a lot of sightings and shot opportunities for guys who put the work in. Thanks in advance.

 

[cnewso2]

Ttt

 

[canyonhunter47]

AZ definitely has the opportunity and the convenience factor coming from LA. It’s not exactly crawling with bucks like the folks on social media would have you believe but you’d have more time in the field than Nebraska. Not familiar with Utah but those are my .02.

 

[GregB]

I would go with the shortest drive. More time in the field equals more time to find animals.
And welcome to the forum.

 

[Rich M]

The shortest drive or the most animal numbers.

Figure out where you would go in each state and call biologist and game warden. If the intel regarding hunter numbers and quantity of animals is all equal - shortest drive. If an area stands out, might be worth the drive.

Crazy that you can't change your vacation several months out. Hope it works out for the best.

 

[jbw899]

Welcome to rokslide. FYI - You’re asking a lot. I think gohunt is having a 30 day free trial, I’d start there.

 

[cnewso2]

Welcome to rokslide. FYI - You’re asking a lot. I think gohunt is having a 30 day free trial, I’d start there.

Thanks.

 

[Muleyslayer14]

I agree with Arizona and using gohunt to pin down a unit. Glass, glass, and glass some more.

 

[cnewso2]

Thank you for everyone's input. It is much appreciated. We're excited to venture to a different part of the country and try something new.

 

[jwb92868]

Shorter drive definitely


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ian Ketterman]

Nebraska is under appreciated. I've had good luck every time I've gone out and it is OTC, you just need to have their Archery Education card.

 

[vanish]

Nebraska is under appreciated. I've had good luck every time I've gone out and it is OTC, you just need to have their Archery Education card.

Depends when you were born. You only need archery specific education if you're under 30.

Hunter Education | Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

Completion of Hunter Education is required for all hunters age 12 through 29 who hunt with a firearm or use a bow to hunt big game.

outdoornebraska.gov

 

[farmerboy1381]

Idaho might be worth a look, longer drive though so depends what terrain you want to hunt and how long you have.

 

[Joe Holden]

I love Nebraska. Would not go there expecting to find a huge deer each time, but they are around. Season opens 9/1 and the pronghorn hunt opens 8/20. Hunt the right area of the state and do a 2 in 1 trip.

 

[cnewso2]

A sincere thank you to everyone who responded.
After a lot of deliberation, we have decided to go to Idaho for the early season trip. I still may do Arizona for late season archery hunt during the rut.

Joe- I am very interested in Nebraska. Have been all over central and eastern Kansas as well as eastern Nebraska public lands for whitetails, never ventured to the western parts of those states. I would love to try my luck with a pronghorn one year. I didn't realize there was that much opportunity for pronghorn and mule deer OTC in Nebraska.

 

[Joe Holden]

It's a great state for Nonresidents, OTC and cost wise. But that's also a factor why you don't see people advocating hunting there during gun season, or to hold out for a big deer. If you're looking to dip your toes into the water, and are realistic about what you can expect to see, it's a wonderful place to be.
Did a 10 day trip through the Northwest Part of the state in 2016. Shot my first mule deer, only pronghorn doe, and user error of a single pin cost me my only other opportunity at filling my 2nd buck tag. Have hunted there in 2015, 2016, 2018, and will be there opening day of 2019 looking for a deer that makes me happy.

 

[rwurdeman]

Currently residing and hunting in Western NE. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM.

 

[Rikkar]

I'll be heading to Western NE from the eastern part of the state for opening day of archery this year. Went last Dec for muzzy and although I didn't walk away with a punched tag, there were some great bucks out there. Expect many miles of walking, wind, and lots of hills