Nevada Archery Hunting 2020 Unit 10

[Retired_Fyrguy]

Good Afternoon all, A little background to set the expectations. I've bow hunted since I was 15, love it. Recently moved to Nevada. Got to say hunting out here is about as different as it can be from Whitetail hunting in Illinois. From the tag process on....Never realized how spoiled I was when I would purchase over the counter tags as I needed them. How do you ever get to really know an area here? I hunted the same area for 15 years, we had a pretty great layout of how the deer moved, bedding areas, food plots, all the good stuff. This not knowing if I'll ever get the unit again is kind of a bummer.
So last season was my first season to hunt out here. Drew 114/115. Did some scouting and ended up settling on an area near Sacramento Pass Campground. (recommend that place too). Went on opening day and spent 2 weeks there. Nothing. come to find that the deer don't come down off the mountain and out of Great Basin park until later in the year. So nothing.
This season I drew Unit 10. Spent Memorial Day weekend at Lamiole canyon, 102 great area, but I think a bit much for my second season out here. We then went to the south end of 108/104. I think we found a few very promising areas near the Illipah campground.
So does anyone have any suggestions? I'm going up there for at least one more scouting time. I'll mark a few possible high spots. I plan on getting out before dawn and pick a spot where I can glass a big area and locate some deer and then move to an intercept area. (a bit different than sitting in my treestand or ground blind and whacking one that way) We will be going the last two weeks of archery season.
Thanks for the input. I hope this becomes a huge repository of great Nevada hunting experiences.
Greg

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

So a bit more.. As a retired guy I'm a bit broken from some of my experiences.. I am trying to locate areas that you can hunt that don't require a quad or side by side. I was not planning on purchasing one of them and a toy hauler for hunting.
Is this even possible? I don't mind hiking at my pace to get somewhere, just shouldn't need a belay to get me there.
And public thank you to all who have messaged me.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

Wow, the plan to update this regularly didn't work out at all... Life happens right. Hope everyone is well and psyched about the upcoming season.
What we have been doing so far to prepare for the Unit 10 hunt this season.

• Getting in practice at the range. Trying to tighten the 50 yard grouping. (aim small miss small right)
• doing a lot of electronic scouting using a combination of online applications, OnX, Google earth and printed maps from MyTopo.
• Found some water sources. So we are laying out some details on how we are going to glass the areas to get some decent intel on animal movement. different locations to approach based on wind/time of day.
• located a few spots where we are going to park the vehicle and start the hike. I'm at a disadvantage there as I am broken a bit from my 21 years in the fire service. So I cannot hike the 5 miles in to hunt all day and then hike out.
• We've got the primary and secondary location for camping secured so that is a relief.

Couple of questions to end the post for the masses..

1. Anyone ever camp at the ELY KOA just south of Ely? The staff there seem to be very helpful and willing to work with us.
2. how close to a fence line/lot line are you comfortable with hunting? One of the water sources is only ~180 yards in off the lot line. Glass the area and discover the active lanes to/from the private land and nail them when they cross out into the BLM.

have a great weekend

Greg

 

[2rocky]

Everyone I know that has been successful in unit 10 has been deep in the wilderness, often packed in by an outfitter and then spiked out in sheep looking country. Given your limitations you might want to look for bucks going into the alfalfa fields on either side of the Rubies.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

Everyone I know that has been successful in unit 10 has been deep in the wilderness, often packed in by an outfitter and then spiked out in sheep looking country. Given your limitations you might want to look for bucks going into the alfalfa fields on either side of the Rubies.

Thank you for the suggestions. In case we ever draw Unit 10 again, I have started an information packet. I'll add the information to the file.
This season we have two very promising looking areas picked out. Going to give them a try.

 

[sneaky]

Nevada is a tough go if you're limited on how much hiking you can handle. Those low country water sources are known to everyone, so be prepared for company during the season. It will take longer to draw, but late season rifle tags where the deer are pushed down into more forgiving terrain might be your best play moving forward. Archery out west equals burning lots and lots of boot leather and elevation changes.

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[Researcher]

In terms of getting to know an area in Nevada pick a few that you can hunt deer, elk, and antelope in. Put in for male and female and if you pick the right areas you’ll be hunting something every year. Also helps to take up chukar hunting. Anything to spend time in a particular unit.

Welcome to the desert.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

Nevada is a tough go if you're limited on how much hiking you can handle. Those low country water sources are known to everyone, so be prepared for company during the season. It will take longer to draw, but late season rifle tags where the deer are pushed down into more forgiving terrain might be your best play moving forward. Archery out west equals burning lots and lots of boot leather and elevation changes.

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I'm from Illinois, Archery season was pretty empty. Very few archery hunters. But the shotgun weekends are nuts.. so I'm familiar with crowds. It will all be part of the learning. Thanks for the suggestion on late season rifle.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

In terms of getting to know an area in Nevada pick a few that you can hunt deer, elk, and antelope in. Put in for male and female and if you pick the right areas you’ll be hunting something every year. Also helps to take up chukar hunting. Anything to spend time in a particular unit.

Welcome to the desert.

thanks for the welcome. It's definitely a different way of doing business hunting wise out here.

So you are saying for example, concentrate on putting in for Unit 10 and only that unit? but for all of the species? Or just the same units each season for all species? I'll look into it. I have drawn archery tags now both times I put in for tags.
I follow the suggestion from the NDOW on reading the stat sheets.

Thanks for the input

 

[sneaky]

I'm from Illinois, Archery season was pretty empty. Very few archery hunters. But the shotgun weekends are nuts.. so I'm familiar with crowds. It will all be part of the learning. Thanks for the suggestion on late season rifle.

Tremendous difference comparing crowds in Illinois to out west. Habitat out here doesn't support animal densities like we enjoyed back east, and a little pressure out here has a much more profound impact on the animals. Midwest they get spooked off of food or water, they've got 25 different options within a mile. They get pressured here they go nocturnal or move miles away to a different source. There's plenty of archery guys in the woods in Illinois, you just don't see and hear them. The orange army always stands out. They compensate for success rates out here by limiting rifle tags and season length, just like back east. Difference is those late season hunts the animals are more accessible due to being pushed out of the mountains. If you see them up high in archery season, you gotta go up high to kill them. Rifle season you just wait for the weather to bring them to you. That's why I recommend those tags because of the physical limitations you said you have.

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[Retired_Fyrguy]

Tremendous difference comparing crowds in Illinois to out west. Habitat out here doesn't support animal densities like we enjoyed back east, and a little pressure out here has a much more profound impact on the animals. Midwest they get spooked off of food or water, they've got 25 different options within a mile. They get pressured here they go nocturnal or move miles away to a different source. There's plenty of archery guys in the woods in Illinois, you just don't see and hear them. The orange army always stands out. They compensate for success rates out here by limiting rifle tags and season length, just like back east. Difference is those late season hunts the animals are more accessible due to being pushed out of the mountains. If you see them up high in archery season, you gotta go up high to kill them. Rifle season you just wait for the weather to bring them to you. That's why I recommend those tags because of the physical limitations you said you have.

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It was a great recommendation. I will be putting in for the other tags next season.

Again, this was a great learning moment I spoke of in the post. Great information about pressured deer.

Where we hunted in the Shawnee, we used Dixon Springs Campground as our base. We hunted the area for a lot of years. The archery guys were few. Loved that you know about the "orange army"!!!

Thanks for the information. It's all great.

 

[Researcher]

thanks for the welcome. It's definitely a different way of doing business hunting wise out here.

So you are saying for example, concentrate on putting in for Unit 10 and only that unit? but for all of the species? Or just the same units each season for all species? I'll look into it. I have drawn archery tags now both times I put in for tags.
I follow the suggestion from the NDOW on reading the stat sheets.

Thanks for the input

The big picture goal is to spend as much time in a unit or area as possible. You can draw the “best” tag but since you have no time in the unit you have a good chance at leaving without the “best”. Whereas if you hunt an area often instead of waiting for the “best” tag you will have a better experience. For example you picked the 10s so put in for a doe tag there, put in for a mountain goat tag (good luck), go shed hunting there, chase the hungarian partridge, do a cow elk hunt, etc. The point is to learn the area. I believe that a hunter who knows his area well will have more success then the hunter who draws the “best tag” every ten years.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

The big picture goal is to spend as much time in a unit or area as possible. You can draw the “best” tag but since you have no time in the unit you have a good chance at leaving without the “best”. Whereas if you hunt an area often instead of waiting for the “best” tag you will have a better experience. For example you picked the 10s so put in for a doe tag there, put in for a mountain goat tag (good luck), go shed hunting there, chase the hungarian partridge, do a cow elk hunt, etc. The point is to learn the area. I believe that a hunter who knows his area well will have more success then the hunter who draws the “best tag” every ten years.

Totally agree. More time on the ground the better. We put in for the same areas as last season for that very thought.
Have a great Sunday

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

Happy 4th update. So the skypoint cameras have been awesome. Didn’t think we’d get cell connectivity but we do. Confirmed a few of the watering holes. Spent a few days glassing and think we have a decent initial game plan. But like all plans, they are only good til you are engaged and then you are adjusting.
Hope everyone else’s preseason planning is going well.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

The season was fantastic. we will be putting in for unit 10 again.

 

[07yzryder]

How did you make out? hopefully you managed to harvet, cant imagine how hard bow hunting deer is in these areas.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

We made out great. We did not harvest a buck. We had animals in the kill box ever single outing. We could have killed a doe or two every day. We had some elk encounters and of course some free range cattle. It's a shame that Nevada didn't sell a either sex tag or a antlered tag AND antlerless tag at the same time.

 

[07yzryder]

We made out great. We did not harvest a buck. We had animals in the kill box ever single outing. We could have killed a doe or two every day. We had some elk encounters and of course some free range cattle. It's a shame that Nevada didn't sell a either sex tag or a antlered tag AND antlerless tag at the same time.

thats good to hear, i've told everyone I don't care if I harvest or not. spending 2 weeks up there will be amazing, a buck will just be icing on the cake.

 

[Retired_Fyrguy]

I totally agree with you.