Will UT be crowded?

[ArrowForester]

Does anyone have insight on the number of Utah Archery Any Elk permits being sold? There has been a lot of prognostication this year about the COVID-economy impacts keeping people out of the woods vs flooding the woods with hunters. Now that many of the UT tags are sold out it seems like there will be people in the woods for sure. Is there any way to know how many archerry elk tags have been sold? Anybody have an evidence based idea to expect extra hunters or fewer hunters in the early bow season? I know prices went up and some folks are tight these days but I get the feeling there will be lots of us hunting this season.

 

[realunlucky]

Yep tons of three season elk tags sold so that alone will increase people in archery. No dwr won't put out the number of archery only tags sold until next year.

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[Sled]

Yes

 

[Eric_mac]

go where no man has gone before. You can always find a quiet slice somewhere

 

[ArrowForester]

Thanks guys. I tend to agree. My trip is up in the air and this is a factor to consider. I would like to go where no one else goes but having a hard time finding it. Between horses, bikes and sheep it seems I am over run by somebody from 0 to 9 miles in the four drainages I have to hunt. Last time out there was a guy that set up three camps so he could roam freely and always be within 4 miles of a tent and sleeping bag.

 

[Gerbdog]

Last time out there was a guy that set up three camps so he could roam freely and always be within 4 miles of a tent and sleeping bag.

That is impressive. I can't decide if it bothers me or if its just genius.

 

[KineKilla]

This is about right. 15,000 any bull tags + however many archery tags in a limited area (unless you have pack animals) = UT general season elk hunting.

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[ArrowForester]

That is impressive. I can't decide if it bothers me or if its just genius.

It would seem a little more genius if he were staying on the elk and using the multiple camps to work his way in. But it actually was bothersome as it appeared he was just doing laps around and through the entire drainage, bumping around all of the elk in the process. I’m not a very good hunter so he probably knows better than me but everyone else saw him multiple times as well and always on the move.

 

[ArrowForester]

It also made me move to a different spot because there was a tent close to where I had planned/scouted. Turns out he was only in it every third or fourth night and was just roaming the entire 10,000 acres.

 

[Gerbdog]

HAHA, well... i mean.... he IS putting in the boot leather..... but yea I cant say I've heard that strategy before... i know its easy to stick to an area hoping an elk is gonna show up... but that's definitely another level

 

[KineKilla]

Hey if you can pattern the guy and he's pushing elk you should be able to develop a strategy to use his movement to your advantage.

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[Roughwater]

If you really want to hunt you need to just go. You can always find places where there are not a lot of hunters. But don't expect it to be easy country to get into. The easier places to get into will have the most hunters. What will you do if you don't go? Probably be wishing you had gone I would bet.

 

[Sled]

I certainly didn't mean for my lengthy comment to scare you off. It's just that it is crowded every year. That said, I still find places to hunt that aren't overrun with hunters during archery. And it's not by going 10 miles off a trail.

If you want to hunt rifle it'll be crowded. Almost like duck hunting on dikes.

 

[Flatgo]

Judging by the sports stores being sold out of almost everything this year. My guess is just about all western hunts are going to be crowded....