Dialing In On Desert Mulies: The Archers Challenge
Any desert mulie with a bow is a trophy, maybe not by book standards, but by the standard of the hunter!
January 1st is always a busy day in the Arizona desert. Yes, it is the beginning of a new year, a fresh start for many, but that is not what brings so many sportsmen to the field every New Year. It is partly the beautiful weather that makes so many snowbirds flock here to enjoy and it's partly a day free from the grind at work. But it is, more importantly, The opening of archery deer season across much of the Arizona desert. Many anxious bowhunters start marking their calenders' months in advance to plan for this incredible time.
For many the long wait between the late October and early November rifle hunts to the January 1st opener is touchier. Many hunters will fill their general tags and have to wait, not so patiently, for the next years season to finally drag back around. The archer, on the other hand, hits it hard in January. The January archery season in the desert has become, for many, a tradition with roots stretching back to childhood days, as with me. My father did not archery hunt, nor did many of the deserts' sportsmen of today. Archery has been around as long as hunting, but the numbers of archers in Arizona, and nation wide, is at an all time high. Opportunities at monster bucks drive this surge higher and higher, not only in Arizona , but nation wide as well.
January not only brings on a new year of hunting, it also brings in the desert muley rut. The older, bigger wiser bucks let down their guard and become more easily located and approachable. While we the hunters are searching for the prize of a giant desert buck, the bucks are searching for their own prize. The prize of the ladies and the chance to guarantee their blood will live on for another generation, not much different then us....... in sorts. This rut behavior, chaos, that ensues makes this desert environment a must hunt for many archers.
Although hunting can, and will, have its ups and downs (like everywhere else), the time to hunt is at its peak. Nearly all of the desert units offer over-the-counter archery tags, providing hunting to anybody wanting to hunt Arizona and the desert. The chance to take a 180 plus buck on public land is a dim flicker in most peoples eye, but is reminiscent of the "good old days". The almost forgotten and nearly unheard of days!
Campsites begin to pop-up throughout the desert during this 1 month adventure into the glory days. License plates from all the over country can be found during this time of the year, some from snowbirds, and others from bowhunters looking to face one of most challenging big game animals on the continent, in one of the most unique settings to be found. The warm desert sun combined with cool winter breeze has a draw to folks that can be explained by the "moth to a flame" analogy. Once a person hunts the desert in January it will always be in their blood, always looking forward to their next trip.
Deer can be found all hours of the day, bucks can be found all hours of the day as well. If you find the does, keep looking, something may show up. Very seldom I find deer before sun-up. It is almost like the deer need to warm up, get their juices flowing, much same as us having to get a cup of coffee to start the day. Keep in mind, even though it is warm, it's still winter time!
The old standard of first and last light does not apply here, and especially, at this time. I have found many big bucks cruising in search of does at midday, while the majority of hunters are in camp napping. Keep looking, hours spent glassing should coincide with all of the daylight hours. Quite simply......the more you glass, the more you will find.
Bucks like this guy will be moving all hours of the day in search of a hot doe.
This special time of year can be hunted with an over-the-counter tag!
Photo By Bruce Reed
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