Unconventional hunting Areas

[BeardownAZ]

Have any of you ever hunted in what could be called an unconventional or obvious area? What I mean is, every time i go into the hills, hunting, scouting, just passing time, etc, or just down the highways, I am always looking at areas thinking what the hunting there might be like. But some areas I always wonder about are the close by, probably overlooked zones. Like going through a gate on a dirt road. How many people actually hunt the immediate area instead of going way back in like 99 percent probably do. Or the canyons next to a paved road or highway that everyone zooms past or closer to town then most would think. I've heard of people saying often of seeing deer but big deer/elk too in these areas. Yet never heard of anyone hunting them. It's always everyone trying to get far away from these places, myself included. So anyone try it? I know there are animals in these areas but I believe there are probably quite a few big ones as well. It's always made me wonder. Might try it soon.

[Elkhunter1]

I guided my friend Daniel a couple of years ago not far from town and he downed his first ever big game animal.

 

 

 

There is good bucks to be found before your hunting spots.

[roninflag]

i have seen pics of Bighorns, nice rams too, in parking lot over near you. ron

[BeardownAZ]

Yeah Bighorn sheep are so normal by town not to far from hear no one is surprised or even that thrilled. No one even looks at them as game animals(almost) really they are so common. If deer where seen like that people would be getting excited.

[452b264]

Its been a long while, but I hunted out of state with an old hunting partner on public land. We hunted up as high as we could without serious backpacking or horses and spotted a few smaller bucks opening morning, mid morning I worked as a driver and only produced a few does and a couple small bucks. After lunch we moved down onto a large stretch of BLM land that had been hammered all day, we parked the truck, and my partner went east and I headed west down the ridge, I walked right down the road about 275 yards that was covered in foot prints and atv tracks, the road followed the spine of the ridge, to the north was rolling sage and the south side of the road was very steep and choked with oak brush, pinyons and sage. I left the road and dropped down the south side of the road about 150 yards and began still hunting to the west. The side of the hill was covered with deer sign. I moved about another 300 yards very slowly down the ridge and heard an atv coming so I knelled down as he passed above me (blaze orange hat and vest) completely focused on the sage country to the north, after I knew he was long gone I moved about another 75 yards to a small saddle and glassed the next draw. I was about to angle up and cross the next draw when a very large buck blew out of his bed not 12 yards straight below me, I stepped up into the next draw, and waited for a shot, he cut straight down and headed for the next saddle, as he quartered away near the top of the saddle I hit him twice on a dead run dropping him. I wasn't more than 175 yards from a road that had been hunted hard all day, and that buck could hear all the hunters pass by all day long from his north facing bed, you couldn't see him from above due to the vegetation. The south side of the hill had not a single foot print on it. The next day my partner killed a very heavy horned buck in the same manner about one mile from mine. I do back pack and love it, but knowledge of deer habits, food, bedding etc. will get you a nice buck (170+) right next to the road.

[wildwoody]

Your on to something there..

[Zeke-BE]

I treat the terrain all the same, even if it's next to a road, highway,in the middle of nowhere or homes. I've chased a 190" mule with my bow very close to town. Last January I was chasing a good medium 4 point mule with my bow and javalina within a 1/2 mile of a main road.

[More D]

Many of our family's first deers were taken between 50-500 yards from I-10. We would camp 300 yards from it. 99% of the other hunters would drive right by us all morning and late in the evening after a long day of hunting "way in there"

 

I know of a monster muley that was taken within 100 yards of a three way intersection of three WELL known units. He was pushed from his bed. He probably liived out many-o-seasons there.

[BeardownAZ]

I killed my buck last year less then a mile from a main hwy. I stayed on a power line rd on the high spot were the main transmission line pole was and just glassed the rolling hills just left of a very used dirt road. A few people went up and down that road as I was watching some deer in the next small canyon over. That canyon was at best 500 yards or so over from that road. Those deer never paid any attention as the vehicles drove by. Made me rethink were deer will be. And this was the fifth day of the hunt.

[trphyhntr]

Road hunting is the best.

[tjhunt2]

It was a regular thing for the wife and I, years ago, to stop and glass country just off the highway when traveling back and forth to the lakes. I still do the same when I have time. More game than one would expect.

 

TJ

[azslim]

I know of deer killed that would sit on a hillside and watch the traffic drive by

[BeardownAZ]

Well wasn't talking about road hunting but considering how many people kill by the road and how many I've seen, well......😆

[longshooter]

Consider those spots trashed now since the cats out of the bag

[coues krazy]

Consider those spots trashed now since the cats out of the bag

wouldnt worry to much about that. People are gonna hunt wherever they want. A post on this site is not gonna change that.