Recent experience on a limited draw unit in Utah

[Rich M]

I fully support limited entry to keep a high demand place from being overrun.

Just looking to hunt and not have people around every corner or over every ridge. Can't hardly go anywhere these days without some fellows messing stuff up. Always someone else who also scouted and thinks they own the animals when they show up 2nd or 3rd in line.

At my age, I'm looking for a quality hunt without other hunters screwing things up. Private land or limited entry are the only ways to do that.

 

[muddydogs]

A friend of mine drew a limited entry unit here in Utah after 24 years. He asked me if I would go with him and help him. It has been several years since I had participated in a limited entry hunt on really good unit. What I found was quite overwhelming. The three guides that we knew of had soooo many people out scouting during the hunt. One in particular had 25 people out scouting, driving, or posting up on a ridge. We found elk in a bowl that was basically a travel corridor, we were sitting at a spot that gave us a vantage point. By the next morning there were "scouts" completely surrounding the bowl, thereby cutting off all access to the bowl. That evening there were 11 trucks taking the two-track to get there.

I realize that my friend asking me to go along to help is the same thing to a lesser degree. I'm not anti guiding either. It was frustrating to get something going and then be completely overwhelmed by scouts. I saw dozens of people on the hunt and never saw one tag holder. Is this how it is on all of the better units now? My grandpa used to say to me "there's a difference between scratching your ass and tearing a new hole in it".

Which unit were you hunting in?

 

[BluMtn]

Good old Dan Agnew I assume. It takes a long time for most guys to get a blue mountain bull tag, most guys wouldn't be as nice as your friend.

I am currently sitting on 21 points and the quality bull population has all but disappeared. The game department is a joke and in another few years between the wolves, cougars, and the game department chasing the elk with helicopters there will not be an elk population left in Southeastern Washington. I spend enough time in the back country to personally see the decline.

 

[orionsbrother]

A whole mob of scouts? Who're telling hunters to pound sand like that bull is reserved and already tagged? When the actual "hunter" isn't even there? I'd feel like a complete azzwipe.

At what point do these guys stop participating in their hunt?

And what's next? They get carried around on a litter like some feudal royalty, only to step down, be handed a rifle and take a shot?

 

[KHNC]

Michael Deming just posted a pic of a huge bull his company gave away the hunt for. Mossback was the outfitter, most likely UTAH. 4 people in the picture. This has been a long time practice of mossback to have a big "crew" to track down the bulls. I hear some of their guys live out in the field for a month or more chasing big bulls for this reason.

 

[IdahoElk]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


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^ This

 

[brettdunn7]

I’m confused. Are these limited entry units still public land? You have every right to the place especially if you have a tag for it. Why would you allow anyone not having a tag or hunting to block you from getting to a bull? Also why would anyone allow a scout that doesn’t have a license to keep them from going after a bull they are already tracking? They can’t keep you from doing anything.


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[BluMtn]

This has been a long time practice of mossback to have a big "crew" to track down the bulls. I hear some of their guys live out in the field for a month or more chasing big bulls for this reason.

Bingo, we have a winner.

 

[Sled]

nearly privatized and certainly monetized. i like opportunity and quality hunts. i've grown tired of the limited entry system and have heard how the guides like to operate but have not experienced it myself. hunting has become something it should never have been but humans being human....

i have yet to cash in my elk points. the points creep is catching me in all the units i would have drawn easily in the past. if i could have a low pressure hunt with vocal elk i'd be satisfied with the opportunity on any LE hunt. chances of that happening are low.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Gotta love Utah

 

[Azone]

You can thank social media and record books for this. Take away the fame and most of this shit stops immediately.

 

[idahohikker]

Utah is filled with douches and flat brims. The parking across the public road deal and huge posseys are outrageous.

 

[muddydogs]

nearly privatized and certainly monetized. i like opportunity and quality hunts. i've grown tired of the limited entry system and have heard how the guides like to operate but have not experienced it myself. hunting has become something it should never have been but humans being human....

i have yet to cash in my elk points. the points creep is catching me in all the units i would have drawn easily in the past. if i could have a low pressure hunt with vocal elk i'd be satisfied with the opportunity on any LE hunt. chances of that happening are low.

Book Cliffs early rifle was a fine LE hunt, bugling bulls and low pressure. Sure there were guys driving the roads glassing and camps with 5 plus trailers in them but overall the pressure was light.

 

[Poltax]

Mossback is famous for blocking off roads ect. His crew had done that in one area. Had the public road all blocked with their trucks so you could not get by. Once it was all said and done the Mossback trucks had been pulled off to the side of the road and needed wreckers to get back out.