Deep Creek Range Utah

N

NV30378

Guest
I was looking into this range for rifle hunting several years ago when the Book Cliff's unit was closed to the General Hunt. It sure looks like some good country on a map, but the biologist's and everyone that I talked to said the bucks are far and few between. Anyone have any insight into the current status of this range?
 
The Deeps were once one of those hidden gems in Utah. Then, in the winter of '92 we had a horrible winter. There was a good amount of snow on the ground and then it got warm. The warmth allowed the snow to melt a little. A cold snap hit and dumped quiet a bit more snow. The first layer of snow froze so solid that deer could walk on top of it without breaking through. It created an ice cap over the whole area, covering the food. The biologists figured a 90% winter kill. The deer that did survive now had to put up with high numbers of cougars and coyotes. Predators, elk, and lack of numbers have not let the deer come back.

There are a few deer still, of course. But the numbers are wayyyyy down from the glory days. The Deeps are one of my favorite places to hunt, but I didn't even go out there last year during the hunt. You are right that it is a great habitat, but the numbers havn't rebounded, and unless something drastic is done out there then it never will.
 
I've been in this range several times and yes it once was a little secret. two years ago there was an article in one of the hunting magazines and two years ago it was a zoo. Most folks hunt The Basin which is great looking country but not that big so it gets hit hard. Other parts of the range have less pressure and thus better odds of success. The Goshute Indains claim the west side of the range and most access on the east is quads to the end of the trail and shoe leather from there. Very steep and not much open meadow but the deer are there. I've heard of some nice bucks coming off the mtn but have not really seen anything huge in my trips. I fell and broke my arm two yrs ago up Granite Creek but stayed on to hunt the remaining 4 days. Ate my tag, didn't find the big one. I didn't pull a tag last year so didn't make it up but in the past have always used the second draw in UT to get a tag for the central region and head to the Deeps. An isolated range but does get some pressure. Steep canyons great for cats, used to be alot of antelope in the valley too-----didn't see very many two yrs ago. Shot a nice one there in 2000.
bp
 
I heard something once about a big poaching problem a few years ago. Someone from Cisco got busted with a bunch of heads from the Deep Creeks that had been killed over several years. He was killing/selling the deer to support a drug addiction from the rumours I heard.

Mark
 
My family and I hunted the Deep Creek Range from the early 1970's until just a few years ago. We used to kill some huge bucks and it wasn't uncommon to see 15-20 mature bucks a day. During the mid to late 80's a certain outfitter (whose name I won't mention) supposedly gained access to hunt the Indian side of the range. However, during a bowhunt one year we heard numerous rifle shots coming from Rocky Peak. We could see hunters up there with rifles but couldn't see exactly what was going on. We contacted the Fish and Game but nothing was ever done. I found out a few years later, as I ironically became friends with this outfitter's son, that his dad would take hunters up on Rocky Peak and Haystack and shoot deer. After the buck was down and measurments were taken, if the hunter wasn't pleased they would continue hunting. This made sense as we would find many big buck skulls while hunting.
Add the poaching with all the elk pushing out the deer and now that area sucks.
We were last there 4 years ago. Four of us hunted hard for five days seeing a total of four bucks. The biggest was a 22 inch 4-point which we got. The rest were 2-points.
 
The elk herd has grown alot in the last few years. In the early 90's we did'nt see many elk if any, alot of deer on west side back then. Would be great to see good numbers of deer again.
 
I would listen to what these people are saying. I have extensive hunting experience out there. Bucks have never been as abundant here as other ranges, even in the deep creek hayday. Now these monster bucks that these people say used to be out there are 25-28 inch bucks. Not really "monsters" in most peoples books. If you do decide to hunt out in this "Gem". Know that you will hunt long hard, wear yourself to the bone, this country is rugged, steep and unforgiving, you will see few deer, and if your lucky, very lucky, something around 25 inches. You may see more cats than deer, and will most definitely see more elk. Don't forget that it takes 4-5 hours of driving just to get to the areas that you can start hiking from. Make sure you are prepared, guaranteed you'll have at least one if not two flat tires, and take first aid with you. I'm not necessarily warning you, because I'm sure you will go hunting out there, it seems everyone that I warn does, but when you are all done and whining about the deep creeks, then remeber that I told you so.

Happy hunting

T
 
I will second everything Tooele has said.
My family has lived there for many years and I have not hunted it in the last 10 years. Ask yourself why? when I have a place to stay, horses, and a person who rides that range weekly to guide me if I want.
But just like T said you will probably go anyway cause we are trying to hide something.
 
Thanks for all the information. I will not be going as suggested. I just wanted to see if the herd has improved at all. Looks like you folks mimmick what the biologist said about the predators, mainly cats. Why would the range have so many cats though if the deer herd was decimated. Are they eating elk?
 
I will vouch for what has been said so far as far as the deer herd. I talked to one rancher/lion guide that killed 5 lions out of one canyon in one winter. The lions are very good predators and will take other game while hunting deer. And each year the fawns are "fresh meat". They will did not starve out when the deer herd crashed in 92/93. In fact it was a buffet all winter for all the predators. I have seen where lions have killed chukar and cottontail. A guide friend took a large 168lb lion last winter had a belly full of packrats.

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Measure wealth by the things you have,, for which you would not take money.
 
I would have to agree to what has been said in regards to the mule deer on this mountain range, very few bucks and lots of lions.

I would also like to respond to what you had to say Bev42. First off, I would like to say that I don't think it is to wise to defame someone's character and reputation, particularly someone you don't know. There is no validity to your little story whatsoever.

The people of whom you speak of have a great respect and admiration for wildlife, and particularly mule deer. These are people that understand mule deer and what it takes to grow one. They would not and did not do anything remotely close to your fictional.

I would suggest that you use a little more common sense in your future postings. Local library's have story times and I am sure you could find someone interesed in your make believe stories.
 
300WBYMULES-

Correct me if I'm wrong but did I mention anyone's name? I guess my friend could have lied about his own dad, but that wouldn't make too much sense now would it? Seems to me that's about as close to the horse's mouth as you can get.

Also, I do know this person and I think he's a good guy. Just because someone understands mule deer and what it takes to grow one doesn't mean they won't do something illegal or unethical. My neighbor also understood mule deer to the point that his wife was going to divorce him because he spent every free minute scouting, photographing, and just watching mule deer, but that didn't stop him from shooting 3 big bucks one winter.

You seemed quite interested in my little "story", perhaps I'll run into you at the library. How about you write what you want and I'll do the same.
 
I guess I will have to speak up on this one. By reading 300WBYMULE's post, and correct me if I am wrong, it seems to me that he is implying that the unnamed outfitter is a Native American, which I know is not the case. I will not mention the outfitter's name either, but I know who he is and has no ties to the reservation.

I am very familiar with what Bev42 mentioned and he is absolutely correct. It is sad to say but incidents he referred to did in fact take place. At one point the Deep Creeks was an awesome place to hunt; but due to poaching, lions, and elk introductions, it brought it down quickly.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-15-05 AT 06:48PM (MST)[p]I also will not mention names on an open internet forum, but I also will vouch for what has been said concerning a certain outfitter who had guided hunters outside of the reservation. I know nothing of shooting bucks and leaving them lay, but I do know some about them hunting on lands which were not within the boundaries of the Reservation, nor was it on lands in dispute. (The state lands which have since been given to the Reservation.)

It is too bad what people will do to make a buck or should I say poach a buck.
 
Why do you guys protect these people? My guess is a liabilty issue. Too bad our legal system protects thieves. The best defence in a libel case is the truth. I know easier said than told.
 
Who was the outfitter that got busted back then for flyin out of the reservation and flyin into NV and the surrounding areas?This happened back around the early 90's also , I personally seen the plane on the NV side they were gunnin antelope, south of the Idian Res, but I do remember that they were huntin both UT and NV.
And as for the winter of 93 I worked that country,and your right it was a buffet for the yotes and lions. The sheep men were happy the dogs were leavin the woolies alone and goin for the goats pullin down at least 5 or more a nite, till the ADC come in and gunned them killed over 40 dogs in one outing. I remember seeing a big black stud that had been raked and ribboned by a lion on the front shoulders as he tried to pull him down, was a hell of a spring, the goats and mulies have not come back in numbers since, one for the books...Greg
 

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