What did you see yesterday and during elk season

[wiperhunter2]

The DWR were saying there was a Winter kill of the yearly deer and elk this last year. Did any of you notice that yesterday or during elk season? We noticed it, fewer of the spike elk and deer. Just curious what everyone else noticed.
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[BEARCLAW]

Numbers do seem to be down on the spikes. Our cameras have been up since June and there definitely fewer spikes and little bucks.
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[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the reply and observations Chad. I was watching the Adam Eakle show yesterday and they were saying the same thing, at least in Northern Utah. They also said that overall the numbers of deer are up in the last 5 year years, So it sounds like there are more of the bigger deer. As we were driving back down from hunting on Sat we did see two nice bucks in the back of a truck in Kamas but only one truck at the game checking station, at the rest stop off the freeway. Did you hunt this past weekend?
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[Stickhorse]

The deer hunt was a emotional roller coaster for us. We muzzle load hunted the Uinta's in September. My youngest daughter shot the only buck we saw ( two point) and her very first deer with an awesome shot. Definitely the high part of our hunt. The low part. Our friend and hunting partner passed away the morning of the opener in his camper in camp. A hunt none of us will forget for sure. Elk hunted on the Manti. Saw fewer deer than normal and didn't see a buck until the last day of the elk hunt. Did see plenty of cows and big bulls though.
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[BEARCLAW]

I did not hunt but I was still up there in the middle of it trying to keep people out [:|] I'm glad I had Petty4life with to keep me company. We saw maybe 25 deer all day and no bucks (except for the ones on camera). Didn't see anything in the back of trucks on the way home either.
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[BEARCLAW]

Wow! I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Congrats to your daughter. Sounds like a tough hunt.
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[PACKFAN]

I can't answer that for the rifle hunt as we don't usually hunt Utah big game with a rifle unless we draw a LE tag. But we did see a lot of elk during the archery hunt, actually a few spikes as well as some decent bulls. We did see a few nice bucks and quite a few smaller bucks during our hunt. Getting ready to head out this weekend for our annual WY. deer hunt, always look forward to that. I usually manage to slip in a few days of pheasant hunting as well while we are up there.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I guess I really lucked out, went for an hour drive and ran into four buck and a dozen or so does. Three were smaller buck probably 2-3 points but the one was a nice 24-26" buck... It took two hops and was on private ground so I couldn't shoot, but at least I got to see a couple... and still got home and finished putting a new deck on my trailer to haul the sleds this winter... I need to be more ready for action, I didn't even have my gun where I could get a hold of it, let alone get a shot off in time... I do love seeing nice buck run away though, gets the ole buck fever still a burning in me... Later J
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[wiperhunter2]

Sorry for your loss, that had to be a tough day out there with some thing like that happening[]. Hope he did not suffer. When my time comes, I hope it's quick like that, rather than suffering for months with cancer or worse yet, my mind going away and others are stuck caring for me. Good deal that your daughter got one at least.
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[wiperhunter2]

I remember Jason said you guys were going up on opening day, did you get any birds?
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[wiperhunter2]

It doesn't matter if it was the rifle hunt or not, just that you saw some of last years yearling up there, gives me hope for this coming weekend that few of those smaller deer made it through the last Winter. Good luck on your WY. deer hunt, hope you get some pheasant too.
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[wiperhunter2]

Glad you got out Jeff and seeing a buck like that is always special, even if you didn't get a shot at it. Good news on those smaller bucks too.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Curt, I was afraid I wouldn't even make it out, but then my wife said she would go with me, so we took a short road hunt and it turned out better than expected... I really wanted to go, but got too busy with other projects and my wife thinks I'll die if I go alone, so I was glad to get what I did this year... Still hoping to sneak out while she's working and get a real hunt in.... Probably won't see anything but I'll get a good hike in... Makes me think I earned it anyway... Later J
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[buckhunterhart]

I think Cache took the brunt of the winter kill. I am seeing a ton of yearlings and new fawns in the Chalk Creek, Morgan S Cache Unit. A lot of good bucks as well.
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[wiperhunter2]

Yea, thats what they said on the show yesterday too. You have access to Chalk Creek? Isn't that above Coalville?
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[RILEYFISH]

had plenty of friends hunt the Cache unit as did I. NO BUCKS seen. Does were all packing two fawns. Not a good year. Others I spoke with hunted three days and did not see a deer in the cache unit.
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[RILEYFISH]

Sorry to hear about loosing a great hunting partner. I can only imagine your camps ness with discovering him that morning.

Congrats to your daughter on her deer!
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[wiperhunter2]

Well that's too bad, but that's what I'd heard. We are going back out tomorrow but we are mainly going to be driving around on the ATV's, checking out some new spots.
Good luck if you get out tomorrow.
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[gmwahl]

So after the elk hunt and muzzleloader deer and rifle deer hunt I can say that I noticed fewer deer, but still plenty. Several bucks each day. We saw substantially more 3 point or better bucks than yearlings. Saw three spikes on the elk hunt, but only had cow tags. Could easily have shot two of the spikes.

Between myself, and my two daughters we filled our two cow tags and we all three got a three point buck. Mine on the muzzloader hunt and one daughter opening morning of the rifle hunt and my other daughter on the last morning of the hunt. As I said, we saw less deer overall, but still plenty of them and plenty of bucks. This was ALL on public BLM and forest service land on the Cache unit in Cache and Rich counties.

Most of the hunters I talked to said they hadn't seen hardly any elk and not many deer....especially bucks, but most of those people were not getting out and hiking and were spending most of their time in the truck by their own admission. Most of my buddies and family filled their tags this season on public land.

Mike
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[wiperhunter2]

Sounds like your group did better than most up there, how far were you walking away from the roads, once you started hunting?
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