Riverbed Unit Question

[ridgetop]

This unit is one of the hardest draws in the state but does not produce B&C bucks. Is it more bad genetics or just people shooting the first buck they see from the road? Are there book bucks on the unit? PMs are welcome.

[chet]

I think alot of people put in for that unit because of all the tame goats hangin out along the pony express road.......
how many potential applicants travel that road??? hmmmmm

think of how many rabbit/dove/coyote/chukar hunters travel around them parts and see the quality/quantity of the pronghorn.....

think of the waterfowlers heading out to fish springs.

campers.

atv'ers.

rock hounds.

I know of alot of people that drive thru the unit in the summer to work at Dugway.

I just think that in general, this unit gets alot of exposure, possibly more than any other unit.
and I think people put in for it because they believe it will be an easy hunt, which it is if you're lookin for a 70" goat.

Now as far as trophy quality goes.....
I have seen two out there that I truely believe would go over 80".
The two biggest that I measured last year were 77 and 78.
I always hear of MONSTERS that are on Dugway ground...... I finally talked someone into taking pics of the so called BIGGEST one on base, and it was a modest 15" short pronged buck.

genetics: mass is common, prong length is not. I have seen some decent length (16"+) on occasion, but they're usually lacking mass.....

The best buck I chased in 2007 was 14.5" probably about 78 ish... long prongs and oh he was so gorgeous! I missed with a muzzleloader at 178 yards....

anyways..... the timing of the rut will help you out if you can hold off the first weekend, and sometimes the DWR chases them off dugway when the bucks start getting frisky.

[ridgetop]

Thanks Chet, I 've been torn on picking a unit like Riverbed that's close to home. Where I could scout a lot and find a good out of the way buck but not make the book or go for a unit like the San Rafael, North. Which produces many book bucks. I think it would be cool to find one of the very very few books bucks to ever come off the Riverbed area. No matter how big the buck is, the look of the cape is most important to me. Well unless it is garenteed to score over 82"
Thanks for the info. I think I'll get out to some remote areas this summer and get some video.