[PublicLandHunter]

Does anyone have experience hunting in rifle season at Buford Mountain Conservation Area?

I've been still hunting in Long Ridge CA since 2012, and most recently elk and mule deer in mountains of the Nez Perce National forest, so I don't mind packing meat instead of dragging out. I need a new place away ftom CWD testing and I'm hoping that the elevation keeps a lot of pressure off due to hunters not willing to hike and pack out. Unless there's lots of people breaking laws with ATV's.

 

[Haris122]

Never hunted there, but hiked the entire 10 or so miles of the main trail(s) there one day this summer, and I hardly saw anything, anywhere. Might have just been an off-day but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Even the squirrels were hard to spot. As far as the terrain, it’s some good exercise. Especially first mile and a half from the parking lot. Lot’s of rocks, and steep uphill climb ( steep for Missouri at least). I imagine it would be a rough place to get a deer out from. There is a cool overlook though at some point. I really was surprised as rough of terrain as it is for around here, that there wasn’t muxh more wildlife to see. I’ve never deer hunted at Long Ridge but have gone out there a few times trying some other kind of hunting. How was hunting there?

 

[henry]

Why are you wanting to stay away from cwd testing ??

 

[tinhorn]

like Harris, 20 years ago I used to sometimes hiked the entire 10 or so miles too. I'd go down some of the hills down into the valleys (away from 21 HW side) too look around. I hunted some with my bow or my Muzzleloader there. I got a few deer (or turkey) but didn't see a lot as I hoped. And if you get one, it was a long, long walk. I got a 9 point with my ML once one morning at 7:30, didn't get out of there till after dark. If I wasn't so old tho, I would go again LOL

 

[PublicLandHunter]

[QUOTE="Haris122, post: 3357603, member: I've never deer hunted at Long Ridge but have gone out there a few times trying some other kind of hunting. How was hunting there?[/QUOTE]

It's never failed me in the 4 years I've been going. Due to the greater number of hunters on the north side, I found it best to enter from the south entrance, near the disabled hunting spot and work north into the food plots and then up the west side of the area. It's has an anterless tag restriction so you have to use your any deer if you want a doe. In these four years I've seen one other hunter in the south side.

 

[PublicLandHunter]

Why are you wanting to stay away from cwd testing ??

My wife asked me to due to our new baby and fear of possibly bringing diseased meat into our home. I also have one deer butchered Schneiders every year and they won't butcher a deer from a CWD zone until it's been verified as safe by the state. It's an inconvenience that I'll drive an extra 30 minutes and hunt somewhere new to avoid.

 

[Haris122]

It's never failed me in the 4 years I've been going. Due to the greater number of hunters on the north side, I found it best to enter from the south entrance, near the disabled hunting spot and work north into the food plots and then up the west side of the area. It's has an anterless tag restriction so you have to use your any deer if you want a doe. In these four years I've seen one other hunter in the south side.

I used to come in from the south where the big parking lot was, trying to hunt for stuff like coyote or squirrel but never really saw much. I'd usually start there and once I scouted around there I tried getting further north, but never really got all the way around the area that the "blue" trail encompasses. Man, one hunter in 4 years, that's nice. I swear every time I've gone somewhere I think is remote enough to not see people, I eventually run into at least one person, if not more, regardless. At least week days are not so bad. I thought about deer hunting there but I actually figured since it's a smaller area there would be more people there, and I thought until recently they had the 4 point rule there, and I figured with my luck I'd just come across deer I couldn't shoot. But you did good. I can't say I had anywhere near that kind of luck at the conservation areas I've hunted.

 

[PublicLandHunter]

I used to come in from the south where the big parking lot was, trying to hunt for stuff like coyote or squirrel but never really saw much. I'd usually start there and once I scouted around there I tried getting further north, but never really got all the way around the area that the "blue" trail encompasses. Man, one hunter in 4 years, that's nice. I swear every time I've gone somewhere I think is remote enough to not see people, I eventually run into at least one person, if not more, regardless. At least week days are not so bad. I thought about deer hunting there but I actually figured since it's a smaller area there would be more people there, and I thought until recently they had the 4 point rule there, and I figured with my luck I'd just come across deer I couldn't shoot. But you did good. I can't say I had anywhere near that kind of luck at the conservation areas I've hunted.

In 2012 I got an 8 point as he was crossing the draw above the large east/west corn field (which is now turnips).
2013, I used my any deer to get an older doe just south of the private road.
2014, it had snowed so I followed tracks from the parking lot around the west border and got a 7 point at the small turnip field.
2016, 4 fingers up from the east/west turnip field on the west border. I saw lots of deer feeding in the private corn field. I lucked out with the wind and sprayed almost a half bottle of deer dander on a tree in the draw. An 8 point came in first so I got him.

 

[waterbuckhunter2011]

Buford is a big area with low deer density. Gotta have a lot of drive to hunt this area. You can sometimes only see a deer every couple days. If u don’t mind walking you are very unlikely to see any hunters especially off the trail. Find the right acorn trees that’s where the deer will be. Good luck

 

[wiser1]

Why would you pick buford when there are more land close by with better habitat ? More rocks the less deer .......Buford is full of rocks fyi

 

[MOGC]

Find the right acorn trees? The entire area is comprised of oak timber and this year they are all bearing mast. Deer don't have to move anywhere to fill their belly. Buford gets a lot of pressure from the surrounding land owners. Many of those property owners that have land on the border also have ATV trails winding off their place and onto the public. It's illegal but with such limited access I think even the Conservation Agent has a hard time patrolling the place other than the parking lot. That may have something to do with why game populations are so poor.

 

[waterbuckhunter2011]

Absolutely the right acorn trees. There are basically three types of acorn trees on Buford that deer use white,black,and post oak. A successful big woods hunter knows these. For example I’m hunting woods that have white oak acorns laying everywhere not much deer sign in them but there are a few post oaks with acorns and if u find a tree with mast that’s where the sign is now. That’s just my approach and what works for me. I have seen the occasional atv on top but never been bothered by hunters.