Hunting buddy in Utah?

[winteralynx]

Any experienced hunters in Utah looking for a hunting buddy? Happy to help pack out. I have an any bull elk rifle tag for the early season, Oct 7-13. New to hunting but fit and prepping for backcountry. Want to learn as much as possible from someone who knows what they’re doing.

I live up in Davis county but willing to drive a couple hours.

Let me know if there’s a better forum for this post.

 

[Subliminal1]

Hey! I'm by no means experienced haha, this is year 3. This also will be the fist time hunting UT. My hunting partner and I have spike tags (Oct 7th - 19th).

Willing to stay in touch and if it makes sense meet up...

 

[winteralynx]

3 years is way ahead of me haha. Sweet, good luck on the Spike hunt! Definitely down to keep in touch and if you're doing any of the northern units let me know. In your 3 years what's something you wish you knew as a new hunter?

 

[Subliminal1]

3 years is way ahead of me haha. Sweet, good luck on the Spike hunt! Definitely down to keep in touch and if you're doing any of the northern units let me know. In your 3 years what's something you wish you knew as a new hunter?

Thanks man and best of luck to you as well!! We are planing on checking out some of the "middle" units first and then finishing up north.

Hmm thats hard considering I'm still such a noob . I think just understanding the amount of work that goes into it (and I don't mean physically). I knew it was going to be hard and hunting has been such a positive impact on my life.

I felt like in year 1 that by year 3 or 4 I would have some understanding of whats going on and what the animals are doing. Honestly, I'm just not there yet. Being an adult onset hunter, I would tell 3 year ago me, that this is a journey and you won't learn everything in a few years. Embrace the learning curve!! Haha

What is one (or more haha) of your questions or concerns with it being your first year?

 

[MTtrout]

what's something you wish you knew as a new hunter?

Get out there and enjoy. If it’s for you, you will know it. Just have a plan and go for it

 

[winteralynx]

Get out there and enjoy. If it’s for you, you will know it. Just have a plan and go for it

Will do!

 

[winteralynx]

Thanks man and best of luck to you as well!! We are planing on checking out some of the "middle" units first and then finishing up north.

Hmm thats hard considering I'm still such a noob . I think just understanding the amount of work that goes into it (and I don't mean physically). I knew it was going to be hard and hunting has been such a positive impact on my life.

I felt like in year 1 that by year 3 or 4 I would have some understanding of whats going on and what the animals are doing. Honestly, I'm just not there yet. Being an adult onset hunter, I would tell 3 year ago me, that this is a journey and you won't learn everything in a few years. Embrace the learning curve!! Haha

What is one (or more haha) of your questions or concerns with it being your first year?

I think my main concerns are just making sure I do everything right with out breaking laws/rules. For instance, figuring out how the land access works has been a whole adventure.

Questions I still have:

• In Utah if I kill an elk, does it matter the order I pack it out in? I'm solo so looking at 4-5 trips. I've seen some threads saying you have to leave the head/rack for last but then others saying it doesn't matter
• Where do you typically camp in relation to the area you're hunting? On public land are you ok to camp anywhere?

 

[CorbLand]

I think my main concerns are just making sure I do everything right with out breaking laws/rules. For instance, figuring out how the land access works has been a whole adventure.

Questions I still have:

• In Utah if I kill an elk, does it matter the order I pack it out in? I'm solo so looking at 4-5 trips. I've seen some threads saying you have to leave the head/rack for last but then others saying it doesn't matter
• Where do you typically camp in relation to the area you're hunting? On public land are you ok to camp anywhere?

There is no particular order that you must pack anything out. Just leave evidence of sex attached to the a large portion of meat. So leave his balls attached to the hind quarter. You dont have to pack the horns out if you dont want to.

Check with the forest service if its forest service ground, BLM if its BLM, etc but most places are pretty open for camping.

 

[MTtrout]

Questions I still have:

• In Utah if I kill an elk, does it matter the order I pack it out in? I'm solo so looking at 4-5 trips. I've seen some threads saying you have to leave the head/rack for last but then others saying it doesn't matter
• Where do you typically camp in relation to the area you're hunting? On public land are you ok to camp anywhere?

Not sure about the laws but imo the head/antlers should always be the last trip out. Cooling the meet first is always priority.

Get you know public lands and you will have your answer.

If you haven’t yet, study up on what to do after the kill. Knowing where to camp and what to pack out first means nothing it you don’t know the above

 

[winteralynx]

Awesome, I appreciate all the advice. I have another question, from an Elk perspective in Utah is early-mid October still a time where elk would be in summer territory? Or starting to move to winter spots? ONX has the charts showing each but I’m not clear on the distinction

 

[[insertspecies]Slayer]

Awesome, I appreciate all the advice. I have another question, from an Elk perspective in Utah is early-mid October still a time where elk would be in summer territory? Or starting to move to winter spots? ONX has the charts showing each but I’m not clear on the distinction

They are still gonna be in summer terrain unless you get a string of really snowy weather, but it's tail end/post rut, so think heck holes.

 

[Subliminal1]

How'd your season go?!

 

[winteralynx]

@Subliminal1 It was good! Spent a few days backpacking across some beautiful country and glassing but didn’t see anything. Covered about 15 miles before getting rained out. I did some more research afterwards and it seems like there really aren’t any Elk left in the West Desert area from what people are saying so going to look for new regions this year.

How did your spike tag go?

 

[Subliminal1]

@winteralynx Right on man! Good for you! Glad you got out and gave it a go.

It was a good hunt, lots of memories and learned a lot.

Dad and I road scouted different spots on the drive up, tested our trailer conversion for the first time. Found what we thought were elk tracks (it was definitely moo cow lol) spent the first day there then moved. New spot was great, first day there had a bull and cow 50 yards away. Day or two later had 2 bulls and a cow within 100 yards. Day or two later we were chasing bugles in the morning hoping to find a spike, no luck. A day or two later had a snow storm and followed deer tracks, beds, and rubs then came upon lion tracks, pretty cool. After that meet some buddies from ID in Logan area and did some trout fishing, had a blast doing that.

Send me a PM if you want to know some of the spots we hit up.

 

[winteralynx]

That sounds like a great trip! Pretty sweet about the lion tracks. Wrapping up a trip with some fishing sounds a great well-earned respite at the end. Absolutely, appreciate it man. Looking forward to what this year holds