The Elk Thread

[SwampRabbit]

Tagged.

[rhendrix]

What did you guys not like about the Wasatch elk tag?

[ELKAHOLIC]

What did you guys not like about the Wasatch elk tag?

Too early, The archery season ended on Sept 11 (before the rut) The rut is during the riffle season. They don't give the elk any break! It's a wonder any of them get mature.

Too crowded, During archery they give unlimited cow/spike tags. Everyone and their dogs from Salt Lake get one. (They have nearly wiped out the cows.) The last 7 days are reserved for the LE tag holders so that's when we went.

We saw some bulls, but none even close to bow range. Out of the ones I saw, only one I would call a shooter. Calling does no good. All the people from the city go out all summer long and blow calls at them, so they are very call shy.
It is very steep, but worse it is all covered with some kind of dry noisy underbrush. In 99% of places you can not stalk up on them even if you hear a bugle. When you try to stalk you sound like a heard of elk!

The only way to hunt the elk is out of a tree stand over a water hole. This not my type of elk hunting! Even if it was, it takes a while to find a waterhole, and all the good ones already have a stand on it, usually owned by an outfitter. The outfitters there will give you a place to stay, food, and will sit with you in a treestand over a waterhole all day for $5500
Sadly, this is the way to go if you want to get it done in the Wasatch in archery season.

On the weekends (especially Labor day) everyone from Salt Lake and all the other cities come out to camp. If there is an area big enough to park one rv, there will be five of them there. We saw thousands of travel trailers and rv's.
A lot of folks just leave there trailer parked out there like a second home. People were even camping on the side of the road, anywhere they could camp, they did! Good luck finding a camp!

Now, all of these people were having a great time hiking, partying and being loud, ALL of them had a Polaris Razor (or similar) or dirt bikes. Razors were all over the place, it was unbelievable.
The dirt bikes are allowed on the trails! So no matter where you go there was a dirt bike screaming through the woods near you!
I honestly have never hunted such a hectic crowded area in all my years of elk hunting, even back in the riffle days, and to think it took me 9 years to draw!
We were able to find an area where the crowd was not overwhelming. The bulls did bugle some, but they would not come to calls at all, or come out of the thick cover and if you tried going in you would just bust them out. For a few days we sat water all day, but they would not hit the water till sometime in the night.

I tried to stay positive thinking it would get good and that I had waited years for this, this was for me a once in a lifetime hunt! In the end all I can say is, If they gave me the tag again next year, I would pass. The thought of the 23 hour straight drive to deal with that again? No Thanks.

As we packed up to leave I talked to a guy just getting there for riffle season. I gave him the info we had learned and asked him, as a resident, how long did it take you to draw this tag? When he told me 18 years I almost shed a tear for him.

Please do not waste your points on this tag. After going to Utah, now I know. Put in for the any weapon season! Even if you are going to hunt with a bow, you can do it during the rut!

[BuckSmasher]

[BuckSmasher]

OTC Montana DIY in grizz and wolf country.

[TWP]

OTC Montana DIY in grizz and wolf country.

Way to go!!!!!!

[simek]

Nicely done, Brandon! Did you see any grizz or wolves? Tracks?

[BuckSmasher]

Way to go!!!!!!

Thanks man!

[BuckSmasher]

Nicely done, Brandon! Did you see any grizz or wolves? Tracks?

Thank you! No Grizz sighted. One wolf howl the first Sunday night and some tracks. We came across another hunter that saw a sow with cubs.

We saw one solitary Grizz last year. This year the only predators seen were one sow black bear with cubs.

[Caprock]

Unit 52 in NM. Brother in law shot while I called.

[Stroke]

Unit 52 in NM. Brother in law shot while I called.

Very nice! Congrats to your BIL!

[TexasTK]

Congrats to all the sucessful hunters.
I hope to add to the list. Sitting in Prescott now and head to ranch tomorrow to begin my hunt.

[simek]

Caprock, what's the story on that bull. I am dying to get back on 52. You are a good brother!

[BTLowry]

Too early, The archery season ended on Sept 11 (before the rut) The rut is during the riffle season. They don't give the elk any break! It's a wonder any of them get mature.

Too crowded, During archery they give unlimited cow/spike tags. Everyone and their dogs from Salt Lake get one. (They have nearly wiped out the cows.) The last 7 days are reserved for the LE tag holders so that's when we went.

We saw some bulls, but none even close to bow range. Out of the ones I saw, only one I would call a shooter. Calling does no good. All the people from the city go out all summer long and blow calls at them, so they are very call shy.
It is very steep, but worse it is all covered with some kind of dry noisy underbrush. In 99% of places you can not stalk up on them even if you hear a bugle. When you try to stalk you sound like a heard of elk!

The only way to hunt the elk is out of a tree stand over a water hole. This not my type of elk hunting! Even if it was, it takes a while to find a waterhole, and all the good ones already have a stand on it, usually owned by an outfitter. The outfitters there will give you a place to stay, food, and will sit with you in a treestand over a waterhole all day for $5500
Sadly, this is the way to go if you want to get it done in the Wasatch in archery season.

On the weekends (especially Labor day) everyone from Salt Lake and all the other cities come out to camp. If there is an area big enough to park one rv, there will be five of them there. We saw thousands of travel trailers and rv's.
A lot of folks just leave there trailer parked out there like a second home. People were even camping on the side of the road, anywhere they could camp, they did! Good luck finding a camp!

Now, all of these people were having a great time hiking, partying and being loud, ALL of them had a Polaris Razor (or similar) or dirt bikes. Razors were all over the place, it was unbelievable.
The dirt bikes are allowed on the trails! So no matter where you go there was a dirt bike screaming through the woods near you!
I honestly have never hunted such a hectic crowded area in all my years of elk hunting, even back in the riffle days, and to think it took me 9 years to draw!
We were able to find an area where the crowd was not overwhelming. The bulls did bugle some, but they would not come to calls at all, or come out of the thick cover and if you tried going in you would just bust them out. For a few days we sat water all day, but they would not hit the water till sometime in the night.

I tried to stay positive thinking it would get good and that I had waited years for this, this was for me a once in a lifetime hunt! In the end all I can say is, If they gave me the tag again next year, I would pass. The thought of the 23 hour straight drive to deal with that again? No Thanks.

As we packed up to leave I talked to a guy just getting there for riffle season. I gave him the info we had learned and asked him, as a resident, how long did it take you to draw this tag? When he told me 18 years I almost shed a tear for him.

Please do not waste your points on this tag. After going to Utah, now I know. Put in for the any weapon season! Even if you are going to hunt with a bow, you can do it during the rut!

Glad you posted this

We lived in Salt Lake a couple of years when I was 4-5 and we camped every weekend it seemed like.
I have been thinking about trying to find a way to get back there where we spent so much time and maybe make a hunt with dad and my brother.
After reading this I guess I will be doing a lot more research before I spend any money

[Stroke]

Details/story on my Idaho Hunt

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10501459#post10501459