relocation

[powderhogg01]

Well I pulled the trigger on a better job, that oddly has me moving back to my hometown in Wasatch County, UT. I will be around family and old friends which will be great, the only downside is none of the people I know elk hunt anymore. I will be starting over with a blank slate in a different area. I am looking forward to it. I will be back in colorado for a week of bowhunting this september, but will likely focus most of my efforts into learning the area I am going to be in. I know from my youth these wasatch mountains hold a lot of good elk and deer, I just have to learn the way utah is doing things and figure it out from there. Any of you guys live or hunt in the area?

[Swede]

Congratulations Powder hogg. I think I enjoy the scouting as much as the hunting, so if you enjoy it, you have a lot of fun to look forward to. Best wishes to you for your family, job, and new home too.

[Charina]

Trophy hunting advocates have heavily influenced UT regs. Here's the overview on UT archery.

A) Limited Entry:
Much of the good elk hunting ranges in the state are managed for limited entry hunting, as shown on the map below. Applications are taken in Feb each year. 1/2 of allocated permits are given to the highest point holders, 1/2 of permits are given on a random basis to all other applicants. Honestly, you can consider these LE hunts a once-in-a-lifetime opportunities (twice if you are very young, thrice at most if you are young and don't go for the top units). Some units will take 20+ years of applying to reach the top point pool, and there is a 5 year wait period after obtaining such a permit.

B) OTC:
All of the state has OTC hunting opportunities for archery. There is one tag, which lets you hunt anywhere in the state, and change any location at any time. But depending on if you are in a LE unit, or a "any bull" unit, the season and allowed take will vary slightly.
Spike Only Areas: All of the Limited Entry areas are open to OTC hunting for spikes or cows. No branched antler bulls. The season is EARLY. Mid Aug to Sep 9th this year. Other years will go a little later, but only by a week or so.
Any Bull Areas: Any bull, or cow, can be taken in these areas. Again, the season is EARLY. Mid Aug to Sep 16th this year. While on the map it appears there is a lot of "any bull" opportunities, that can be misleading. In the Henry Mts there are very few elk, and the DWR wants them gone. Nine Mile, San Rafael, East Canyon, Morgan, Ogden, Box Elder, and Cache East are comprised mostly of private land. There is public land there, but a whole lot is private. The Uintah Mts, which stretch from Kamas to Colorado, does include a lot of wilderness. But since it's the primary such opportunity, it is pretty heavily pressured by OTC. Kamas, North Slope, and South Slope all have good access up to the wilderness areas, but they can be really rough and rugged.
Extended Areas: There are two extended areas, not all that large, that are open all fall. These areas are very heavily pressured. Not a significant consideration, but there is the opportunity to get out every weekend for months if one wanted to. But low success rates.

Utah general seasons map.jpg (163.16 KiB) Viewed 5662 times

[powderhogg01]

thanks swede, it was a process to finally make the jump... being as how my current job allowed my all of september to hunt.. but hey at some point one decides to do something with themselves so they are able to comfortably take hunting trips because they make enough. I have accepted and do enjoy the fact that this coming season I will mostly be scouting.. but I like that because I can bring my dog and girlfriend along.
Charina, thanks for the run down. The map kind of confuses me, but I have a slightly more detailed one online that cleared it up. I understand that I can likely hunt elk every year with my bow, not every year will I be able to hunt the bulls in my backyard. I can handle that. I am fairly familiar with everything east of kamas all the way out the the grand daddy basin, which is really a lot of turf I played in during my high school days.
I am interested also in bear hunting... I have an unpunched bear tag from 2 years ago and I have yet to have the chance to redeem. I have been told some area allow bait some dont.. either way the bear population has been on the rise. I am excited to get back to an area I have only seen as a youth, Life has a way of changing our views of places and I dont know how often you would randomly find a good job t hat is moving to the same area.

[Charina]

I've hunted Pleatau, Bookcliffs (both LE) and Kamas. The LE units are great fun in that you see and hear lots of elk. But they are disadvantaged in dates, and no branched antlered animals can be shot (spikes and cows only, although it technically is possible to shoot a 1 x 6 - as long as his spike side qualifies). Kamas and the Uintah range (north slope and south slope) are otc. Probably very similar to Colorado otc units in terms of pressure and smaller bulls. I think I'll be trying out the Uintah mts this year with archery. Its rugged and rough country, but I'm thinking of giving it a go for a branched bull this year (but will stick a cow if i can). Been working on the fitness and calling all year, might as well see what I can get done.

I dont know much about bear - but i know where there is TONS of scat in the Bookcliffs.

[Lefty]

A girl I grew up with in Minnesota lives in Wasach county. Dang She turns 61 in June. Anyway she gets on her horse and rides on the NF grounds and kills her elk every year.
Ive also heard there are some brute mulies that feed near the ski hill The problem with Utah,.. there is just so msny Utahans

[powderhogg01]

thats for chiming in guys I will be able to scout a lot of country from my porch. haha, gotta love good optics and a lot of critters in the area. I have only been back here a few days but have already seen a few whooper mulies and a few elk. The nice thing is I can sit on my patio and glass several different mountains and really get to see a lot of land. I had forgotten how nice it can be here in utah... a few silly laws but whatever.... nothing one cant get past.
I am still having a bit of a hard time really understanding the system in utah, the wasatch is a spike unit, so I can draw a spike tag any year, though if I wanted to hunt bulls here I would have to draw for it. is that correct? I may have to speak with a ranger of some sort to get it all straightened out. All I know is hunting elk at lower elevation sounds nice!!

[Charina]

Wasatch is a limited entry unit, so you enter the draw each feb to build points and have a chance at the random draw (50% to max points 50% to remainder). It does offer otc spike hunting as well.