LE Elk

[tmitty]

I'm late to the hunting game, got started in my late 20s. I got super lucky this year and drew a Utah LE Archery Elk tag with one point. I've been archery elk hunting OTC (South Slope) the last 3 years with no success. I have yet to draw my bow back on an animal, and am really hoping this is the year!

 

[carsonkeys]

Just a heads up, Rokslide gets hammered with first-time posters seeking advice about specific units. This is frowned upon for many reasons, two of which are appearing as if you're looking for a 'hand out' without engaging with or adding to the Rokslide community and, secondly, discussing specific units in an open forum like this results in those units getting blown up down the road. I doubt you get much engagement, but wish you the best of luck with your tag.

 

[Ucsdryder]

It’s in your back yard. You don’t need help. Start scouting now. Look for old rubs, worn down trails, etc. Find cows and keep an eye on them throughout the summer. The bulls will follow cows. I wouldn’t worry too much about bulls until the end of August.

 

[805Bowhunter]

I'm late to the hunting game, got started in my late 20s. I got super lucky this year and drew the LE Wasatch Archery Elk tag with one point. I've been archery elk hunting OTC (South Slope) the last 3 years with no success. This unit is in my backyard, so I should have plenty of time and opportunity to scout (when the wife and kids will let me sneak away). If anyone has any info they can let me in on, I would be very appreciative. Specifically in the Hobble Creek/Strawberry/Diamond Fork areas as I'm closest to there and know the canyons and trails pretty well. I have yet to draw my bow back on an animal, and am really hoping this is the year!

Welcome to the forum. There are elk in the unit. Have a good hunt.

 

[luckydraw2014]

Good Luck, and shoot something nice!

 

[tmitty]

It’s in your back yard. You don’t need help. Start scouting now. Look for old rubs, worn down trails, etc. Find cows and keep an eye on them throughout the summer. The bulls will follow cows. I wouldn’t worry too much about bulls until the end of August.

That actually is helpful, thanks.

 

[cmbbulldog]

Come back and tell us how you did I! It’s a unit I am looking into as a NR. Good luck.

 

[nowen22]

It’s in your back yard. You don’t need help. Start scouting now. Look for old rubs, worn down trails, etc. Find cows and keep an eye on them throughout the summer. The bulls will follow cows. I wouldn’t worry too much about bulls until the end of August.

I agree with this. Good luck with the season dates this year.

 

[PumaR]

I scouted and hunted my balls off with the same tag this year, freaking joke. Utah should be ashamed calling this a limited entry hunt

 

[bigsky2]

I scouted and hunted my balls off with the same tag this year, freaking joke. Utah should be ashamed calling this a limited entry hunt

Can you expand on this? I'm thinking of trying to cash in my points soon.

 

[PumaR]

Can you expand on this? I'm thinking of trying to cash in my points soon.

Well, it starts in August when it is in the mid 90's and nothing was moving. I had a bunch of trail cams in different types of spots, water, bedding areas, well used trails. All the bulls stayed nocturnal. I have horses so I went pretty deep in several times and it didn't matter, same results the elk stayed in the deep, thick pine forests. Sitting on water I caught cows and calves several times, never even a spike during shooting hours. The hunting pressure was off the charts all season long, an absurd amount of spike hunters running around during early part of the hunt. Bad luck with a late summer blizzard which I was hoping would help kick off the rut, did not. The elk stayed holed up in the thick timber. Couldn't even glass up bulls coming out to feed or water in shooting light. That being said the 3 different areas I focused on I had a TON of bulls on camera, at night. Once spike hunt ended the pressure was still strong, I was mind blown at the amount of hunters with the same limited entry tag I had. I took work off and hunted the last 8 days of the hunt straight and never even got into a bull/ I have hunted my entire life and although I am not a pro I would consider myself a good hunter. I am super active and can hike hard and put time in, none of that mattered. They did not talk at all the whole hunt, no bugles except the last morning of the hunt I actually got a little noise action. It was just too damn hot, too much pressure, and the hunt ends well before they are rutting. Last year I shot a 6 point on opening day of the rifle hunt with the three season tag by calling him in on a line. Utah has the dates wrong for archery elk. I hunted super hard the last few years archery in Utah and just kept telling myself it was due to being on public general tag unit, not the case. Also there are freaking sheep everywhere in this unit, and I literally watched their dumb dogs chase a few young elk. I would keep saving your points and go to a legit unit that is actually managed as a limited entry should be, better yet save your money and go out of state so you can actually archery hunt elk during the rut when it is not 100 degrees outside and they are laying in the thickest garbage they can find that no one could sneak in on trying not to die from heat stroke

 

[tmitty]

I'm embarrassed to see this thread pop back up with my name on it as the OP asking for a handout. I've since edited it to remove any specifics. Thank you to everyone who shamed me and didn't give me any specific info. That's not sarcastic. After putting the work in on a unit and discovering how difficult yet satisfying it is to formulate a successful plan to get on elk, I get it.

I've since had a neighbor that I don't know too well (first time hunter) with a rifle spike tag in the same unit ask me where to find the elk. That rubbed me the wrong way. I returned the favor, and didn't give him any specifics. Elk hunting is hard, that's how it should be. If I didn't work my butt off on my own and fail a few times along the way, my ultimate success wouldn't mean nearly as much as it does.

I had a great hunt and was fortunate enough to fill my tag.

 

[tmitty]

Well, it starts in August when it is in the mid 90's and nothing was moving. I had a bunch of trail cams in different types of spots, water, bedding areas, well used trails. All the bulls stayed nocturnal. I have horses so I went pretty deep in several times and it didn't matter, same results the elk stayed in the deep, thick pine forests. Sitting on water I caught cows and calves several times, never even a spike during shooting hours. The hunting pressure was off the charts all season long, an absurd amount of spike hunters running around during early part of the hunt. Bad luck with a late summer blizzard which I was hoping would help kick off the rut, did not. The elk stayed holed up in the thick timber. Couldn't even glass up bulls coming out to feed or water in shooting light. That being said the 3 different areas I focused on I had a TON of bulls on camera, at night. Once spike hunt ended the pressure was still strong, I was mind blown at the amount of hunters with the same limited entry tag I had. I took work off and hunted the last 8 days of the hunt straight and never even got into a bull/ I have hunted my entire life and although I am not a pro I would consider myself a good hunter. I am super active and can hike hard and put time in, none of that mattered. They did not talk at all the whole hunt, no bugles except the last morning of the hunt I actually got a little noise action. It was just too damn hot, too much pressure, and the hunt ends well before they are rutting. Last year I shot a 6 point on opening day of the rifle hunt with the three season tag by calling him in on a line. Utah has the dates wrong for archery elk. I hunted super hard the last few years archery in Utah and just kept telling myself it was due to being on public general tag unit, not the case. Also there are freaking sheep everywhere in this unit, and I literally watched their dumb dogs chase a few young elk. I would keep saving your points and go to a legit unit that is actually managed as a limited entry should be, better yet save your money and go out of state so you can actually archery hunt elk during the rut when it is not 100 degrees outside and they are laying in the thickest garbage they can find that no one could sneak in on trying not to die from heat stroke

You're right. Don't these bulls know that we paid a lot of money and waited a lot of years for our chance to shoot them with an arrow? The least they could do would be to come out in the open and bugle now and then. DWR really needs to give them a talking to.

 

[PumaR]

You're right. Don't these bulls know that we paid a lot of money and waited a lot of years for our chance to shoot them with an arrow? The least they could do would be to come out in the open and bugle now and then. DWR really needs to give them a talking to.

I expected this type of response, this is why I have never joined rokslide or any other type of forum because ya'll always know who you are talking to and know more. I would have a hard time believing that you hunted harder or did more. If so, kudos and congrats on filling your tag. I did not sit there in a clearing hoping a bull would bugle and run in and stand broadside for me. The point I was making is I have been on a different limited entry hunt with a buddy that actually felt like a limited entry hunt. If this were another general season tag I wouldn't care. Just don't call it limited entry and charge the price when I promise you it is not any different then any general season hunts I have been on. Anyways thanks for confirming that forums are a waste of my time

 

[PumaR]

And yes, the DWR in Utah should consider what the other western states have already done and have the archery season run all of September. I would be very surprised if most people in Utah that have chased elk during archery season after season would disagree. Sure you can get lucky and sure you can sit in a tree stand, I just don't consider that fun archery elk hunting. Your best bet in Utah is to try to pattern them from feeding to bedding areas with the season we are given.

 

[Gila]

I'm embarrassed to see this thread pop back up with my name on it as the OP asking for a handout. I've since edited it to remove any specifics. Thank you to everyone who shamed me and didn't give me any specific info. That's not sarcastic. After putting the work in on a unit and discovering how difficult yet satisfying it is to formulate a successful plan to get on elk, I get it.

I've since had a neighbor that I don't know too well (first time hunter) with a rifle spike tag in the same unit ask me where to find the elk. That rubbed me the wrong way. I returned the favor, and didn't give him any specifics. Elk hunting is hard, that's how it should be. If I didn't work my butt off on my own and fail a few times along the way, my ultimate success wouldn't mean nearly as much as it does.

I had a great hunt and was fortunate enough to fill my tag.

Hey that's awesome...is there a write up about your hunt? Would like to read about it if you are so inclined.

I understand what a limited entry unit is but is there only one? Here in the Gila there are about 6 or 7 fabulous GMUs that are limited entry. You may only draw a public tag maybe once or twice every 10-20 years. We don't have a point system here but the odds are low because there aren't very many tags handed out for any given season. I don't mind sharing what I know with my close friends as they do for me when one of us is lucky enough to draw a Gila tag. But over the internet to strangers, no way Jose! I don't mind sharing hunting conditions or general info not specific to one unit though. I think it is only fair to those of us who spend alot of money and time to put our boots on and get after it.

 

[tmitty]

Hey that's awesome...is there a write up about your hunt? Would like to read about it if you are so inclined.

I understand what a limited entry unit is but is there only one? Here in the Gila there are about 6 or 7 fabulous GMUs that are limited entry. You may only draw a public tag maybe once or twice every 10-20 years. We don't have a point system here but the odds are low because there aren't very many tags handed out for any given season. I don't mind sharing what I know with my close friends as they do for me when one of us is lucky enough to draw a Gila tag. But over the internet to strangers, no way Jose! I don't mind sharing hunting conditions or general info not specific to one unit though. I think it is only fair to those of us who spend alot of money and time to put our boots on and get after it.

There is more than one unit in UT, but I just took out the specific unit info.

I wrote quick summary on Rokslide, but a more detailed one here if you are interested:

2020 Archery Bull

utahwildlife.net

For the full story and context, you can read my post from mid season, after I made a bad shot on a bull. The response I got from Rokslide users was awesome. It encouraged me to keep after it. I ended up going back into that same drainage to ultimately harvest my bull.

Worst Case Scenario - Bad Shot

I'm relatively new to the hunting scene, been at it for 4 seasons now, archery elk. I drew a LE Bull tag this year. Up until this season I hadn't drawn my bow on an animal. This season, I have been blessed with many exciting encounters, lots of early rutting action, and overall a great...

www.rokslide.com

 

[Gila]

A good ending to your first hunt! That was a good read...sounds to me like maybe your first arrow bounced off a shoulder blade. Congratulations on your first elk!