Utah General Any Bull tag, or Spike tag?

[SoCal_818]

Utah General Any Bull tag, or Spike tag?

My pop and I didn't get drawn this year for any Utah elk or deer tag, so we're trying to decide on an OTC tag for either a general any bull unit or a spike only unit. My question's are: We have never hunted, or been on the Henry unit. How is the elk? Is it worth a tag? I know being a general unit we will not be alone. I have been trying to get ahold of the biologist for that unit, but nothing so far, I'm sure the guys are busy this time of year.

Last year we hunted the North Slope around Poison Mountain. Burnt fork/Smith Fork and boy was it crowded. Very few animals taken where we were. I about wore the legs off my old man last year with all the hiking we did and still I couldn't put him on a bull, even a small one. We did see one on the Wyoming side though, that would've been an expensive harvest. I have hunted Dutton the last 14 years for deer and have scene many spikes and several good bulls and I know the unit well.
We're just a father and son team lookin for opinions on a general elk unit. If he decides not to opt for a spike tag, I'll probably get a spike tag and hunt Dutton.

Thanks,

Joe.

 

[bluejay]

RE: Utah General Any Bull tag, or Spike tag?

I'm going to have to say they manage them Henries for deer and buff only! They have an any bull otc hunt there to try and eliminate all elk on the unit! I'm told your lucky to ever see any elk over there. I'm not telling you not to buy it, however could be a wild goose chase to even lay eye on elk. Try calling the SE region dwr office and ask them if the hunt is only held to eliminate the elk. The deer and buff hunts are so exclusive over there they dont need elk competing for feed. Just my opinion, the state has managed for elk in general so much they have trashed deer herds! The Henries happen to be one unit where the elk never took hold really well. So i think the state realized it and left it as a premium deer unit instead of pushing the elk management!

The buffalo were intended to be on the desert country north of Hanksville. The dwr feared a disease would kill off the buffalo so they corralled them and tried to give shots, in turn the buffalo busted out and went south all the way to the high country of the Henries! So the buffalo on there is some what of a mistake. Its one of the few mtn ranges that has zero national forest management. It is also the last mtn range in this nation to be surveyed.

Sorry for going so long winded! I personally wouldn't waste my resources hunting elk on that hill!


Don't steal the government hates competition!

 

[middlefork]

RE: Utah General Any Bull tag, or Spike tag?

Pretty much what Bluejay said. However there was a pretty nice bull posted last year that came from the Henries.If i were you I would do the Dutton.

 

[Elkhunter96]

RE: Utah General Any Bull tag, or Spike tag?

If you or your Pop want to harvest an elk, the spike only units are the way to go. The any bull units in Utah are very hard to get away from people or harvest a bull, they have very low sucess rates because of the pressure and how they are managed.

The guys that do well on the any bull units IMHO opinion fall into three classes: 1. they have access to private land 2. They have lots of experience and done extensive scouting to locate areas away from people and hold bulls 3. they just got lucky