New here(quest for the one)
New here(quest for the one)
Well here's the deal I have hunted elk for around 30 years in the early years I was not that successful.........spent most my time chasing Mule deer back when you could hunt all three seasons until you tagged that buck of your dreams.
Of course things changed.
I started spending more and more time hunting elk in the spike units and late season cow hunts filling the freezer.
Still hunted Mule Deer looking to score but I found my passion was Elk hunting.
I started putting in on the Heaston range for limited entry Elk put in and scout and wait.Now this was before you had the internet we had to head to the fish & game office on the day of the results they were posted on the wall on the front of the office and we had no point system.....lottery.And of course that changed and we went to the point system.So the first year of the new point system......my neighbors sixteen year old brother put in for the Heaston LE Elk and drew with 0 points one lucky kid! He ended up killing a nice 6x6 score in the 360 range!
Well me and my ATTITUDE diced to stop putting in!(not very smart) Well me and my ATTITUDE came up with a plan to show the Fish&Game that I didn't need a limited entry tag to kill an Elk!
Well I continued chasing spikes always thinking about the any bull areas but the amount of big bulls in that area was way less than the hunters.
Spent three hunting seasons in Colorado killed two small raghorn bulls and one bull around 285 not to bad? Put the tags went from $250 to $485 WOW! The years I spent in Colorado I also hunted here in Utah but had moved for the spike unit I was hunting to the any bull units with no tags filled.The spike unit I was hunting seemed to dry up not of elk just spikes..........more and more big bulls.
So in 2005 me and my ATTITUDE had a disagreement! Yes I started to putting in for the Wasatch because of the amount of shooter bull I had seen on the hoof during the spike hunt. 2005 hunt in the any bull unit I was hunting we took the hole hunt
off from work and the city. when a said we I mean my wife and son he was six at the time.We had spent a week solid with
even seeing a cow! Two days before this year came to an end we decided to do a little road hunt witch I am not a fan of but
when your wore out and frustrated a road hunt sounds good! Now here's where our six year old comes into play the entire time
spent in the woods he had an on going joke with (dad there's an elk)when I would turn my head to look he would loose it with
giggles! and we would tell him the story of the boy that cried wolf.....back to the road hunt we had just passed a nice open hill
side and I told my wife that would be nice open area for a bull to be standing and waiting for me to let the air out of him.....when from the back seat came a voice........ELK! ELK! ELK!!!!!! yes it was are six year old comedian just as we turned to rip him a new one about the little boy who cried wolf......my wife yelled ELK! There he was standing on the side of the road a nice prefect 6x6 bull!!!! Now if we had been 5min later this bull would have been on that nice open hill side!!!
Well that's when bull fever got right a hold of me I threw my truck into park coming to a grinding stop grab my gun bullets in my pocket jumped out of the truck trying to take a shot at this bull.......unfortunately he did not present a ethical shot! So I just stood there in disbelief on what had just happened and watch that bull run out of range!
When I got back to the truck the look on that six year olds face was priceless"Dad I will never say that again"....LOL!
I ended up taking a spike on the last day with my wife and comedian by my side.
2006,2007 scored two bulls over 300 my buddy filled his first Elk tag he is from Tennessee scored right around 300.
My 2007 bull scored 316 1/8 biggest bull to date.
Its been three years with out filling a tag but 2011 my luck has changed with 6 points me and my ATTITUDE drew the Wasatch early rifle tag!!! Back to the spike bull unit maybe I can score a bull well over 300 that's my goal and my dream.
Of course things changed.
I started spending more and more time hunting elk in the spike units and late season cow hunts filling the freezer.
Still hunted Mule Deer looking to score but I found my passion was Elk hunting.
I started putting in on the Heaston range for limited entry Elk put in and scout and wait.Now this was before you had the internet we had to head to the fish & game office on the day of the results they were posted on the wall on the front of the office and we had no point system.....lottery.And of course that changed and we went to the point system.So the first year of the new point system......my neighbors sixteen year old brother put in for the Heaston LE Elk and drew with 0 points one lucky kid! He ended up killing a nice 6x6 score in the 360 range!
Well me and my ATTITUDE diced to stop putting in!(not very smart) Well me and my ATTITUDE came up with a plan to show the Fish&Game that I didn't need a limited entry tag to kill an Elk!
Well I continued chasing spikes always thinking about the any bull areas but the amount of big bulls in that area was way less than the hunters.
Spent three hunting seasons in Colorado killed two small raghorn bulls and one bull around 285 not to bad? Put the tags went from $250 to $485 WOW! The years I spent in Colorado I also hunted here in Utah but had moved for the spike unit I was hunting to the any bull units with no tags filled.The spike unit I was hunting seemed to dry up not of elk just spikes..........more and more big bulls.
So in 2005 me and my ATTITUDE had a disagreement! Yes I started to putting in for the Wasatch because of the amount of shooter bull I had seen on the hoof during the spike hunt. 2005 hunt in the any bull unit I was hunting we took the hole hunt
off from work and the city. when a said we I mean my wife and son he was six at the time.We had spent a week solid with
even seeing a cow! Two days before this year came to an end we decided to do a little road hunt witch I am not a fan of but
when your wore out and frustrated a road hunt sounds good! Now here's where our six year old comes into play the entire time
spent in the woods he had an on going joke with (dad there's an elk)when I would turn my head to look he would loose it with
giggles! and we would tell him the story of the boy that cried wolf.....back to the road hunt we had just passed a nice open hill
side and I told my wife that would be nice open area for a bull to be standing and waiting for me to let the air out of him.....when from the back seat came a voice........ELK! ELK! ELK!!!!!! yes it was are six year old comedian just as we turned to rip him a new one about the little boy who cried wolf......my wife yelled ELK! There he was standing on the side of the road a nice prefect 6x6 bull!!!! Now if we had been 5min later this bull would have been on that nice open hill side!!!
Well that's when bull fever got right a hold of me I threw my truck into park coming to a grinding stop grab my gun bullets in my pocket jumped out of the truck trying to take a shot at this bull.......unfortunately he did not present a ethical shot! So I just stood there in disbelief on what had just happened and watch that bull run out of range!
When I got back to the truck the look on that six year olds face was priceless"Dad I will never say that again"....LOL!
I ended up taking a spike on the last day with my wife and comedian by my side.
2006,2007 scored two bulls over 300 my buddy filled his first Elk tag he is from Tennessee scored right around 300.
My 2007 bull scored 316 1/8 biggest bull to date.
Its been three years with out filling a tag but 2011 my luck has changed with 6 points me and my ATTITUDE drew the Wasatch early rifle tag!!! Back to the spike bull unit maybe I can score a bull well over 300 that's my goal and my dream.
Re: New here(quest for the one)
Good luck. I hunted the Wasatch in 2007 and had a great experience. I've been able to hunt with guys on that unit almost every year for the last 10. Lots of elk and lots of fun.
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MuleyMadness
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Re: New here(quest for the one)
Best of luck on a fun tag, hope you get a good one. Thanks for the report and Welcome.
Re: New here(quest for the one)
You'll have to keep us posted on how everything goes. Sounds like you will have a great time.
Re: New here(quest for the one)
Just wanted to thank every one for the replies!
Put my boots to the ground last weekend went in about a mile and half to check out a new area.
Started my hike about mid day no thanks to Tim and Coors the night before! Didn't see much sign found a rubbed off pine (last years) some good open parks.Tons of bugs tons of feed......! hopefully the temps drop and kill some of these buzzing around biting little SOBS before the hunts start!
Put my boots to the ground last weekend went in about a mile and half to check out a new area.
Started my hike about mid day no thanks to Tim and Coors the night before! Didn't see much sign found a rubbed off pine (last years) some good open parks.Tons of bugs tons of feed......! hopefully the temps drop and kill some of these buzzing around biting little SOBS before the hunts start!