High uintas wilderness?

[Elkmasterwyo]

Just curious if anyone has hunted muleys up in the high country of the uintas, like above treeline? I've flown over it quite a bit in my Cessna but never low enough to see critters. Looks like awesome country to find a buck though. I know there is quite a bunch of hiking activity up there but figure if I can get off the trails I could probably get away from alot of it. Let me know if you have any experience hunting it. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

 

[jarheadhunter]

I hunt it every year for elk. We see very few deer and especially big bucks. I will be heading up there this weekend for the Elk opener actually. Don't get me wrong there is some monster bucks up there. My grandpa has prob 15 bucks that would go over 30" inches and I think his biggest is 34-35". (None taken in the Uintahs) He knows what a big buck looks like. He told me about a buck they saw up there about 10 years ago that would easily break the 40" mark. My cousin shot a decent 4 point on the N slope last year. It wasn't above timberline, but still a N slope buck.

My cousin is actually from Lyman you might know him. His Dad still lives in the area.

 

[jarheadhunter]

BTW I would love to go up in your Cessna sometime. LOL

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Thanks jarhead! I may just have to give it a try next year, I guess if only be out the price of a non-res tag and a little boot leather! Who's your cousin? I probably know him. If you ever get to Lyman hit me up, always looking for an excuse to fly!

 

[jarheadhunter]

His name is Mike Torzillo and his dad is John Torzillo. Let me know if you get a tag I wouldn't mind showing you around where I know and giving you a hand.

 

[sk1]

hunted it the last two years, not a single buck.....all i ever see is individual does by themself. granted i am elk hunting and up high on the north slope. there are some good deer in the uintas, but most of my friends that find them are hunting the lower elevations, not way up the main drainages. that's my limited experience, i would stay a bit lower for deer, up high seems to be mostly elk.

 

[realunlucky]

X2 I've seen very few deer up high. I also only spend time looking for elk.I will also say that the wilderness sees plenty of pressure especially during the general elk from guys with horses

 

[jarheadhunter]

X2 I've seen very few deer up high. I also only spend time looking for elk.I will also say that the wilderness sees plenty of pressure especially during the general elk from guys with horses

And the few of us idiots dumb enough to just hike up there. LOL

 

[sk1]

And the few of us idiots dumb enough to just hike up there. LOL

i second that, was up there during archery season, hiked back as far as 8 and 1/2 miles. dumb. only to come back and shoot my elk close to home on the wasatch front.....i am done going to the uintas for elk, ill be hunting out of state for a backcountry hunt, and close to home with my resident tag

there isn't as much pressure during archery season, but x10 hikers because its hiking season, it was horrible this year trying to get away from everyone, and some of the hikers or riders rather, have horses so it doesnt matter how far you go.

 

[Chuffness]

And the few of us idiots dumb enough to just hike up there. LOL

Glad im not the only one.... Although ....

 

[realunlucky]

Hunt really depends how the snow was and how many tags Wyoming issued for its late season where they winter. Good hunting in Wyoming= bad hunting wildness next year

 

[sfischer]

Archery hunted the Rock Creek trail. Walked 9++ miles deep solo. Real eye opener for a Wisconsin boy. Walked out after 6 days. Seen 5 does, 1 forky, 1 cow elk. Glassed the high areas for days nothing. Deer encounters were on the trail walking in or in the meadows with water. Amazing views and solitude. Hunted areas outside the wilderness the following week and ran into many deer and a couple of biguns. My next trip back into that wilderness area will be for a mtn goat. Got crazy close to them and some sweet video.

 

[sk1]

Archery hunted the Rock Creek trail. Walked 9++ miles deep solo. Real eye opener for a Wisconsin boy. Walked out after 6 days. Seen 5 does, 1 forky, 1 cow elk. Glassed the high areas for days nothing. Deer encounters were on the trail walking in or in the meadows with water. Amazing views and solitude. Hunted areas outside the wilderness the following week and ran into many deer and a couple of biguns. My next trip back into that wilderness area will be for a mtn goat. Got crazy close to them and some sweet video.

what part of wisconsin? i grew up in janesville

haha, 9+ miles is ridiculous for getting an elk out solo(not saying it cant be done)....i had a partner from wisconsin hunting with me and the furthest back i hit was 8 and 1/2 miles and lets just say we both passed on cows.

 

[sfischer]

sk1. I'm from the Lodi area. Was actually back there for deer. When I was walking out I ran into some elk hunters going in on horses. They asked what I was chasing and where I came from. One guy said man you cheese heads are nuts! And not joking he reached into his backpack and said you deserve this - a Budweiser! It was a fun trip seen a lot. The mtn goat encounters will never leave my mind. I will be back

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

His name is Mike Torzillo and his dad is John Torzillo. Let me know if you get a tag I wouldn't mind showing you around where I know and giving you a hand.

Thanks again jarhead, I still may buy a tag and head up next year just for the heck of it! I've been up into the wilderness in the winter, never during summer/fall though, would be fun to go check the country out with a bow or muzzleloader and if ya found a nice buck, great! If not, we'll ya still got to see some awesome country! I know of john, my mom went to school with him I guess.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

I grew up in Ogden, and my Grandpa used to go up there on horseback for mulies and elk. My dad hunted deer up there. I've only backpacked up there. I love it.

I've been in the Denver area for about 18 years now but took my son three years ago and did some backpacking with my brothers. The main issue I see, and it may just be me, is the huge number of people in the greater SLC area that love to go up into that particular wilderness. It's Utah's only real alpine wilderness, so it gets slammed with hikers in a way you don't see in Colorado.

 

[jarheadhunter]

I agree with you crzytrekker. Even if people don't go there for the hike they are going to fish one of the hundreds of lakes or streams. I am hoping that I can get into some elk this weekend.

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

I agree with you crzytrekker. Even if people don't go there for the hike they are going to fish one of the hundreds of lakes or streams. I am hoping that I can get into some elk this weekend.

I'm headed up on Tuesday to hunt deer but on the Wyoming side, if you see any monster bucks, scare them north not south please good luck on the elk hunt too!

 

[jarheadhunter]

Sounds good buddy. I come in to our camp from the Lyman/Mt View area and head towards China Meadows. Never fails every year we see some decent bucks going up the main dirt road in the quakie patches down on the WY side. Might want to give that a try.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Good luck jarhead and elkmaster!