Controlled Hunts 2009

[dennishoddy]

hum might be worth getting hurt for that. Dang it in 07 I had a collar bone in 4 pieces there was my excuse.

Trust me....6 months of rehab sucked, and I still don't, and never will have enough strength in that arm to pull a conventional bow. At least I can still get out during bow season.

I also put in for a bull elk at the Witchita Mtn's, antelope, and whitetail buck at the Witchita's as well.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Trust me....6 months of rehab sucked, and I still don't, and never will have enough strength in that arm to pull a conventional bow. At least I can still get out during bow season.

I also put in for a bull elk at the Witchita Mtn's, antelope, and whitetail buck at the Witchita's as well.

I didn't intend to imply that you did that just for a crossbow permit. It was August 26 when I broke my collar bone, August 30 when I had a plate and 6 screws put in to hold it together. I missed dove season, although I thought a pistol grip 20 gauge might be an option. I missed the first 3 weeks of archery season. Everybody told me to get a crossbow but I didn't want to spend the money. The day the doc gave me a rubber band to start working that arm I asked about pulling a bow. He said I could pull as much as felt comfortable, but start at 40 or 50 pounds. I immediately went to the pro shop and pulled a 50, 60 then a 70 and knew I would be just fine. I went home and started practicing. I stuck a nice doe 1st trip out that year on Oct 20th.

I am in for the speed goat, elk hunts, and 5 deer hunts.

 

[dennishoddy]

I didn't intend to imply that you did that just for a crossbow permit..

I knew that.

I'm just looking forward to the draw. Been putting in for the elk hunt since 1970....maybe one of these days.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Ridgehunter, yeah I know all about McAAP, and believe me, I was fired up about being drawn. I practiced my butt off and could keep 8 arrows insided 4.5" at 20 yards with the recurve by the time the hunt rolled around.

But I think the hunt sucked really really bad, *relative* to my expectations and what it's cracked up to be.

First off, I hated all the many stupid rules. Some made sense, like no lighters and such - fine. But no binoculars? This really hacked me off and made no sense. And I later found a pack of 209 shotgun/ML primers under the front seat of my pickup when I got home, that somehow found its way there, which had been in there the whole time - I could have been jailed for just an inadvertent act if they had chosen to search my pickup - that's for the birds; sorry.

Secondly, two related issues: not many good deer (not in the hunting areas), and too much off-limits area....Why are there so many restricted areas? Do all of these areas REALLY need to be that secure? The housing and administrative buildings areas and such? C'mon. I saw exactly ONE deer when I was hunting, after hunting 3 days hard, and only TWO deer during the scouting day, one of which was INSIDE a restricted area! Granted, it was a good one - huge thick antlers was all I saw above the brush, probably a 5 or 6 year old buck. But these deer are extremely educated, and know full well to stay inside the restricted areas during the day. I saw probably 30 or 40 deer on the WAY to go hunt, in the restricted areas, and along the roads where they know to hang out, but only 1 while hunting, and 2 while scouting, for a total of 3 deer back "up in the woods". Trails out the ying yang, yes, but no deer. They have us hunters pegged bigtime - at least all the smart ones (i.e. the good deer). So there was in incredible (to me) lack of harvest numbers. Out of 275 hunters, there would be maybe 3 or 4 deer hanging in the shed each evening - horrid horrid success rate, if you ask me. And not many of them were anything to write home about. I don't think there were 3 deer the whole weekend over 120 class. Yeah, they have some big deer in there inside that huge area, and they get a lot of pictures of the good ones, because they hang out all year and look and take pics. But they're not that much more common than big deer anywhere else in the state, on a per-acre basis. It's just that most of them don't get their pictures taken and spread around in the rest of the state. And the biggest & best undoubtedly stay in that center large area that no one is allowed to hunt, or in the restricted areas during the day. Of the 4 hunters in our group that rode in the pickup together each day, only ONE of us even got a shot off in 3 days. I could have shot a spike, the one deer I saw while hunting outside a restricted area, but I wanted a doe or big buck, so I let it pass. Also, the rules about being AT the truck to go home before fully dark sucked badly, because that meant leaving your ambush spot BEFORE prime time dusk time, to make your way back in time to be picked up and not left behind and getting in trouble.

Finally, probably the worst part of all is just the bad land management practices - that place is overgrown chock full of cedars and briars and underbrush - they need controlled burns BADLY, but I suppose cannot DO a controlled burn due to the explosives around there. So the flora situation sucked for the most part. Sorry, I'd much rather hunt in a well-managed area that I can walk through all parts of it, with far fewer cedars and accompanying cedar pollen.

95% hype (to get those hunt fees!), and 5% actual delivery.

Just one man's take on it....

P.S. And frankly, they need to allow compounds and sights. Although I was pretty darned good at the recurve by the time the hunt rolled around, and I practiced in the camp there each day, I would have been a whole lot more comfortable had a big deer actually come along, if I had my compound with sights - it's just more humane, being a more sure shot thing.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Dennis, I got a story for ya...... last year, the year after I had done McAAP, my buddy calls me and says HE got drawn along with 3 of his friends for McAAP - he was fired up since I had gotten drawn previously and he had been putting in for it for like 5 years. So they get all ready to go, and send in their fees and such. Then at some point a few weeks before the hunt, they realize somehow that they had put in for (accidentally), and gotten drawn for, the *handicapped* hunt! They're not handicapped. But they checked the wrong box. Now this year I noticed they empahasized in ALL CAPS next to that hunt choice the handicapped nature of it. Man I gave him a lot of crap, telling him that they squeezed out some poor handicapped hunters, which they did really, because once they withdrew, the McAAP people did not allow another 'drawee' foursome to substitute - said they could not, due to strict rules. So, I hope you get drawn and have a great hunt. The deer will not be nearly as educated early on during the handicapped hunt. BUT, it will be HOT. What X-bow you going to use if you get drawn?

 

[dennishoddy]

Dennis, I got a story for ya...... last year, the year after I had done McAAP, my buddy calls me and says HE got drawn along with 3 of his friends for McAAP - he was fired up since I had gotten drawn previously and he had been putting in for it for like 5 years. So they get all ready to go, and send in their fees and such. Then at some point a few weeks before the hunt, they realize somehow that they had put in for (accidentally), and gotten drawn for, the *handicapped* hunt! They're not handicapped. But they checked the wrong box. Now this year I noticed they empahasized in ALL CAPS next to that hunt choice the handicapped nature of it. Man I gave him a lot of crap, telling him that they squeezed out some poor handicapped hunters, which they did really, because once they withdrew, the McAAP people did not allow another 'drawee' foursome to substitute - said they could not, due to strict rules. So, I hope you get drawn and have a great hunt. The deer will not be nearly as educated early on during the handicapped hunt. BUT, it will be HOT. What X-bow you going to use if you get drawn?

That sux for your friends. I did the same thing several years ago. We had a couple of years of preference points built up, and as a last choice, THOUGHT I'd checked the buck hunt on the Wester Wall in Osage county. When we got drawn, it turned out to be a doe tag.

I've heard from some friends about the rules there.

I'll be shooting the Excaliber Equinox. 375 FPS. I used it this last deer season, and never had one run over 40 yds after being shot. I used the 150 gr broadheads made by innerloc for Elcaliber.

Took this buck, and two does with it.

 

[RidgeHunter]

.....

Well, sounds like it is not the hunt for you then. You are the only person I have ever heard have a negative opinion of MCAAP and I have talked to 100's of hunters there. I've known people who have been going since the early 80's and still get excited about it.

As far as the "stupid rules" Well, it is a US Military BOMB FACTORY. Ever go to a courthouse, airport etc. where items are prohibited? We should just be damn lucky they let 275 camoflauged rednecks creep around it for 2 months a year. I know for a fact Bill Starry has had a fight on his hands several times with the gov't wanting to discontinue the hunts.
Same for the restricted areas, again it's a military bomb factory, not a water plant. I had a stand withing sight of a dry pad loaded down with 1,000 pound bombs (saw deer from it too). I just find it surreal they let us in there like that at all.
(I can also tell you first hand if you accidentally realize you have some 'contraband' (within reason, IE your primers) on you and turn it over you will probably not go to jail. You won't get a pat on the back and a cookie, but you probably won't go to jail. Not that hard to clean your truck beforehand though.

As far as the deer population/quality etc. I won't say much because it speaks for itsef IMO. Nearing in on a 1:1 buck-doe ratio IIRC, 17 P&Y bucks killed in one season last year (1 grosssed 200"+) etc. etc.
Me and the 2 other guys I put in with have seen deer in range from stand every day we have hunted there, save for maybe 1 or 2. And were far from great hunters.
My dad also had 3 bucks 160"+ inside of 25 yards in one weekend about 7 years ago. All from the ground.
All 4 people in our truck had several shot ops or missed last time, in the heat. (But I won't put in for an early hunt again ever. The heat sucked in that brushy, tick filled place). I would rather not go than go in 95 degree weather again.

The harvest is low because 99% of drawees only pick up a trad bow when they get drawn, don't practice and are not efficient. The 1% of skilled hunters are very selective. Plus it is dang hard to get withing trad bow range of a deer anyways.
They also DO NOT need to allow compounds. They harvest number would increase tenfold, as would applicants. They would have to limit the tags from 275 a weekend to like 20 just to keep buck harvest in check, so it would be near impossible to draw.
(Trad bows are just as humane as anything else, a razor through both lungs will kill anything that walks the earth quickly).

The thing I will agree with you on is the land management. That place DESPERATELY need to burn, you are 100% right about that, but I guess bombs everywhere kinda limit where they can burn.

Different strokes for different folks though. I once begged and begged to get on a lease I thought would be deer hunting heaven. Tons of huge bucks, lots of land, trail cam pics out the yin-yang, people killing several monsters a year etc. Once I finally got on it I thought it sucked. I just flat out did not enjoy hunting there, didn't like the terrain, hunting style or anything.
A guy killed a B&C buck within 1/8th mile of where I was hunting that first year, but I still got off the lease. I would much rather hunt my normal 90 pound little East Oklahoma Ozark deer than hunt that lease.
So I can can understand not liking a place everyone else loves.

What area did you hunt and what time of year?

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

CONTROLLED HUNT RESULTS AVAILABLE ONLINE JULY 8

Woo hoo!

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/controlhunt.htm

 

[dennishoddy]

My blood is working its way up to a boil for July 8. Then it will turn into ice water after another year of no-draw.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yup!