Once again I started the year out mapping out all the public areas in Northern Utah, Studying land ownership maps, topo maps, WMA maps, BLM maps, talking to biologists, and WIA coordinators. I found a few areas that held good bucks and a few that I THOUGHT would have little pressure during the General season. Turned out I was wrong again, This region sucks!
I hiked in about 2 miles on Saturday to a spot where I had previously seen some nice bucks from August to present. I had never seen anyone in this spot before and had hunted it for Archery and Muzzy. I was pretty surprized when it got light to count over 50 hunters in one canyon, including a very pregnant woman that high tailed it 2 miles up hill with a rifle over her back (That's dedicated). I had no choice but to wait it out and see if anybody would kick anything up. Everybody else had the same idea and nobody moved for 2 hours. We spotted 4 does running for thier lives in the distance and nothing else all day. With no other choice, we left the mountain.
I'm considering joining Muskyhunter for the "field bucks" next year because this is absolutely ridiculous! On top of that, my freind hit up another good spot on some BLM property and was told by "the Owner" that the BLM traded that property to him and he gave up a piece of his POS sage brush flat property in return.
This region has gone to crap!!! If you get a Ogden land ownership map you can clearly see that 90% of the land is private. There is limited to no land for public hunters to hunt up here anymore and they just keep getting rid of the 10% we have left. I can't afford the gas to go more than 30-40 miles from home, so what does the average hunter like me do???
This state needs a serious makeover!
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You do the same thing that I have done. I said to hell with it and Go Fish or do something else. I feel the same way. You put so much time and energy into getting ready and waiting all year for that one weekend. Then in ten minutes, you get so discouraged that you want to just go home and watch TV. It sucks.
I have not taken a rifle from my safe this year and probably wont. Yes, I am bummed. But, Its going to do nothing but get worse. I feel your pain brotha.
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Thanks.
I'm going to hit it hard for the rest of the week and then I'm honestly never hunting the rifle season ever again in this state. I'm dropping out of the DH program and upgrading my bow to a really nice Matthews. Makes me even sicker to read Walt Prothero's books on hunting in the good old days in Utah. Every single place he mentions on his books is now CWMU, which brings up the question, "How in the Hell does public land just disappear? How is it sold? How is it traded? and WHY?
Screw this place!!!
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truth is. it just keeps going down hill yr to yr for deer in utah. its run for elk moore than deer know days. the good old days. utah was a deer state. we had so many good bucks it was truley killer hunting. if you want big deer the best is wasacth bow hunt!!!! its work but thats where to get them. and its close to home. your on the right track. i havent rifle hunted deer in 15 yrs in utah!!!! and may not ever do elk rifle again either. bow deer muzzy elk looks like the only way to hunt without pressure. ken
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That's my plan.
Archery Deer and Muzzy elk, maybe an occasional archery elk tag (So I can go stick a cow for meat).
Other than that I will wait my 20 years to draw a decent buck or bull tag (And probably get skunked).
[crazy]
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ill put in for expo tags. but the only 1 ill put in for utah le is my boy. he will draw a le elk and deer both with 3 yrs. he is 12. me i just hunt open bull and high country bucks. nothing under 10, 000 ft for me. the muzzy bull looks like alot of fun. gona do that next yr...
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Flycastin and I are going to try our luck this year at the Muzzy Bull. I'm just praying for some snow, if it stays like this, we are screwed.
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you dont need snow... it makes it easy to see them from far away but if you just fallow the grass line. you will find elk. what area you hunting? i can share a few things about late elk hunting. pm me. im just gave 1 secret to everyone. the rest stay in private.[fishin]
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Don't put all your eggs in the archery basket. I went on a 4 day hunt this year and left after 1 1/2 days because of the pressure. Archery has gotten so popular that I'm now reconsidering Utah all together. I gave up on the rifle 5 years ago for all the reasons you listed, but the rifle hunt you can have success in a crowd. Not sure I can say the same about archery. I even had a dune buggy drive through a meadow I was sitting in a half mile off the road! I my opinion, Utah needs to micro manage deer units, limit tag numbers and increase quality. I would gladly hunt in Utah 1 of 3 or even 5 years to have a quality hunting experience. After all I hunt to LEAVE the crowds not join them.
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get back and go hunt the rutt on the wasatch!!!! do it 1 time and you will see less crouds and bigger bucks. trick is to glass. i do it from store parking lots all along the face of the wasatch just to find them for pic,s. any parking lot by the mountain. look on south facing slopes. then its all leg work.
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Check out this makeover
[url "http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/nov16.pdf"]http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/nov16.pdf[/url]
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Now is the time to invest in buying property just think in ten years how its going to be [pirate]
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Dont feel too bad. I drew the buck bull combo. Going up I expected to get at least a buck but ended up with a nice 6 point bull. This is the first year in the 25 years of hunting utah that I saw more bulls than bucks. I saw no bucks and just a handfull of does. The winter kill was tremendous and they sure didnt cut back on the buck tags!!! Great "managment".
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I remember taking that survey. The questions were leading and bias at best. How frustrating!! It says they want to increase the buck to doe ratio by decreasing an miniscule percentage of permits. Why dont they end the buck hunt and offer a LIMITED amout of doe permits for one season for all weapons! I am no a wildlife biologist but is seem that would kind of kick start there "plan". The other thing is this memo does not mention one single thing about is winter kill. Everyone that I have talked to has said that last winter has played a major role in this years buck population. But at least they are trying somthing!!
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Yeah, I know they are planning some big changes, but it won't make the state any better to hunt. I'm going to the Northern RAC this year to hear them out, but i'm not expecting much.
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[quote HookJaw_Brimhall]Thanks.
I'm going to hit it hard for the rest of the week and then I'm honestly never hunting the rifle season ever again in this state. I'm dropping out of the DH program and upgrading my bow to a really nice Matthews. Makes me even sicker to read Walt Prothero's books on hunting in the good old days in Utah. Every single place he mentions on his books is now CWMU, which brings up the question, "How in the Hell does public land just disappear? How is it sold? How is it traded? and WHY?
Screw this place!!![/quote]
Can't answer the how is it sold or traded, but I think the why is because it is used to pay for public schools.
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The state sections are school trust lands and you are right they can be sold. The federal lands are sometimes traded for assorted reasons. An isolated piece maybe traded because it can't serve the public if there is no access to it. There used to be some BLM land inside deseret. I think that land was traded for an equal amount that was adjacent to other federal land. I think that is a good idea. At least it can be used by the public. gshorthair
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The only way anything will ever change is if everyone quits buying licenses but if one quits there is always someone else that is willing to buy the tag,
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That will never happen.
Things will never change! I just hunted the Wasatch Front tonight thinking there wouldn't anybody there either and guess what? PUMPKINS!!! [mad]
I'm about ready to hide my rifle under a trench coat and ride the Gondola up to Snow Basin and drop into the deepest, darkest, canyon in the the middle of nowhere, but I'm sure that's been done too.
BRING ON THE FIELD BUCKS!!! [cool]
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Not asking for specifics but what general area of the Wasatch front did you hunt? I had a very similar experience hunting the extended archery area this last weekend.
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