Utah Bow Elk Hunt

Gun Rod Bow · 09-10-2008, 01:50 PM

Ended up getting a call from Utah in early August wanting to know if I wanted a tag for Diamond Mtn bow elk. The guy ahead of me had declined so I was next.

My friend Gary had hunted it the previous year and killed a 5 pt on his 2nd day. Said he saw a lot of elk and they were bugling good on Sept 2nd last year.

I almost passed since I have a Wyoming tag this year, but went ahead and took it.

Their seasons run early, Aug 16 to Sept 12.

Gary went with me in August just after it had opened to hunt and mostly scout and learn the unit. Planned to get serious in September.

The first draw I walked into I ended up seeing 6 bulls, called in 4 to 30 yards or less. The last one about a 320 bull that came in to 20' while I had 2 rags at 30yds to my right. I kept expecting him to turn toward the others so I didn't draw. He came right to me at 20' and we locked eyes. (I should have drawn sooner....) He busted into the brush but stayed within 40 yds. Never would clear for a shot so we all stood there for about 20 minutes until it got too dark to see and I backed down. Pretty exciting first hunt.

We saw a total of about 15 bulls in 5 days. The 320 was the biggest. I was really looking forward to September and get some bugling action.

My friend Keith was planning to go back with me but his father became very ill. So I ended up ging back solo.

Long story short, the bulls were with the bulls and the cows were with the cows and I only got into 1 group that was bugling. And that was 3.5 miles up a seriously nasty ridge. I mananged to call about 20 cows out of that herd but never could get the bulls out of the brush. They were "me too" bugling but no real fired up.

I had an area I kept spotting bulls on a high ridge and made the 2 hour climb to close in with two seperate groups of 2 bulls on different days. But I would get within 100 yds and call and they would just wander off.

I covered tons of ground and moved all over the unit and really didn't see many elk. Maybe 15 in 6 days.

Last evening I went to the back end of a draw in the brush and set up and called lightly for about 30 minutes then waited. About 30 minutes after I had started I heard waht sounded like horns pushing along the brush. I just sat quiet. I heard him raking a bush. Not clatering, more like wooshing.

15 minutes later this 5 pt slipped down the trail quiet and cautious. He came broadside at 20 yds. I was glad to get him and get home.

Off to Wyoming next.

Easy pack down the bottom of the draw.

BlindSquirrel · 09-10-2008, 01:53 PM

Awesome!

Nw dukn · 09-10-2008, 01:59 PM

Great bull congrats..

Mello-Yello · 09-10-2008, 02:14 PM

RipsDrift · 09-10-2008, 02:23 PM

Put your time in and get rewarded!!!! Nice Bull!!!

oregonmuley · 09-10-2008, 02:25 PM

Sounds like a fun hunt - thanks for the story and pictures. Sure wish I would have a hunt like that - maybe this year

Congrats again to a good hunt!!

Wingmaster · 09-10-2008, 02:37 PM

Great work as usual!

elkaholic · 09-10-2008, 02:42 PM

Looks like a great piece of meat GRB. Good luck on the next journey, take lots of pics!

chromebright · 09-10-2008, 02:56 PM

How was the land access in that unit? I put in for that tag last year, but changed this year.

Beamerfish · 09-10-2008, 03:02 PM

Way to go - one down and one to go! Now that's the way every elk season should be. Now go and shoot a bigun in WY - how cool would that be?

Sounds like your experience was real similar to ours hunting the Utah bow season the last couple years. Elk were starting to get restless but not really fired up quite yet. If they responded to a call at all, it was silent and circling in around the downwind side. Glad you were in the right place to head off that kind of sneaky behavior.

sliverpicker · 09-10-2008, 04:06 PM

Nicely done cowboy, congratulations!

RidgeRunner · 09-10-2008, 04:12 PM

Great elk, congrats on your hunt. Good luck in Wyoming.

Rauly · 09-10-2008, 04:15 PM

Nice bull GRB. Nice change in the cam lean too.

jokester · 09-10-2008, 04:23 PM

Right on!! Hard work pays off

-jokester

Cliff D. · 09-10-2008, 05:28 PM

Nice hunt, great bull, especially on a short notice spur of the moment hunt. Congrats and good luck in Wyoming.

Gun Rod Bow · 09-10-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkaholic

Looks like a great piece of meat GRB. Good luck on the next journey, take lots of pics!

Thanks doode...

I do have more pics I took. I'll post a couple tomorrow. Had a pic of moose swimming the lake.

Hey...where's your pics?

sprigkiller09 · 09-10-2008, 06:00 PM

Bruce that is an awesome bull congrats.

Hanapa'a Time · 09-10-2008, 07:07 PM

Nice job Bruce

Wow, one more outa state hunt....not much time for here. Good luck

Then it will be tidewater fall nookies......bobber down.....

nunyet · 09-10-2008, 07:21 PM

Bruce : nice job.... 2 more weeks like the last and you will be a shadow of your former self. Be careful at the beach they may start kicking sand at the new skinny body.http://www.ifish.net/board/images/smilies/bouncy.gif

nunyet

Big Unit · 09-10-2008, 07:35 PM

Nice bull and story!

BU

brianschnoor · 09-10-2008, 07:40 PM

Nice bull! I rifle hunted that unit in 2006! Can't wait to go back. Brian

nitrobass · 09-10-2008, 08:27 PM

Looking good! I'm feeling another one in the near future.....dont disappoint

Joe · 09-10-2008, 08:43 PM

Nice! Bummer the 320 isn't in the pic but that is a nice looking bull you killed. Congrats!

beardbuster · 09-10-2008, 09:09 PM

Nice work Bruce!!

BlacktailBowhunter · 09-10-2008, 09:16 PM

Nice Bull.

greenbuttskunk · 09-10-2008, 10:08 PM

Bruce, as always, you're a big stud.

now go make up some elk sausage and invite me out fishing so I can catch some chrome and eat the goods.

nice work out there! I hope Wyoming is even more successful.
Heck, I hope my hunt is this successful.
cheers,
Brad

Tilla · 09-10-2008, 10:28 PM

Good job Bruce!

blackdog · 09-11-2008, 06:42 AM

Nice start to the big game season!!!

Good luck in Wyoming as well.

riverboat2003 · 09-11-2008, 06:50 AM

Nice job way to start the hunting season off

Eric Strand · 09-11-2008, 09:39 AM

Congrats Bruce!!!!!

Gun Rod Bow · 09-11-2008, 11:05 AM

A few more pics from over there...

This moose had just swam across Calder Reservoir and was stepping up on the rod when I came by. I turned around and another bull a little smaller was swimming across. I took a pic of him swimming but it is really dark. I saw maybe 8 moose on the 2 hunts. This was the biggest.

Some of the country. Kinda high desert. Juniper and mahogany on most of the slopes. Some of the high Norths had timber. Elk were not very active during the day. In the brushy country they would bed just high enough to feel safe. But there just wren't very many elk. No bugling, and they weren't moving much at all. If you spotted a bull, he would just stay in the same area. I had a tall steep ridge where I spotted groups (2-3) bulls at different times. If I made the climb to slip in close and call...they would just wander off.

This is actually the draw I killed my bull in. Nothing special. I got way up in the back in a side draw close to bedding cover and called him down one evening.

About half of the unit is private. I did drive through and glass one evening, and there were a lot of elk there. They charge a $5 grand access fee for 5 days of hunting. I talked to some locals who said even the guys on the private were struggling.

One afternoon I made the nasty climb up the spine of a rocky nasty ridge to access some BLM on top between some private and got into a good meatball of elk. I called out cows but the the bulls were in super thick Quakie brush and I couldn't get them out even though I called out about 20 cows in 3 groups. I wasn't looking forward to killing a bull in that spot. If I did, I would probably have just gone back in with a skillet and ate him there.