Need Input (Henry Mountains)

OpeningDay · Nov 8, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Nov-08-11 AT 10:53AM (MST)[p]Guys,
I am planning a trip to the Henry Mountains this weekend. I am leaving on Friday 11/11. I have been watching the weather and it looks like Hanksville got hit pretty good over last weekend. I was hoping there is someone in the MM world that has been down there in the last week or that lives down there. I have never been.. I am really excited for the chance to see a couple Monster bucks. Any info on the roads or snow conditions would be appreciated. I am trying to decide whether to go in through Mcmillan Springs campground or through Coyote Benches. Any info about either access point would be awesome.. Any help would be great. I have been looking forward to this trip for over a month but with the weather, I am starting to get hesitant about it..

AZMIGHTYMULIES · Nov 8, 2011

You ended up applying for Utah's highest demand tag or unit ( Henry's late tag ) get drawn out and you have not taken a single trip there . This is what kill's me a bit . The Henry mountains and Arizona Strip 13A and 13B are the only tags I apply for . If I got lucky and drew either tag I would put forth all the time in the world that time permits in getting to know the unit and the bucks that inhabit the area . If you apply for a good tag as the Henry's , prepare well ahead of time to your hunt, get to know the area , if you are not planning on hiring a Guide .Don't get me wrong, I'm all about helping a person out and I have on several occassions for the Arizona Strip this year, but I like too see there own effort and dedication being applied first .

OpeningDay · Nov 8, 2011

AZ.. Easy now. The only shooting I will be doing is with a camera. I totally agree with everything you said. That is why I am heading down now. That way when I have a tag ( sometime in the next 3 to 7 years) I will be familiar with the area and know what to expect.. This trip is for nothing more than learning the land and hopefully seeing some nice bucks in the rut.. With that said, you seem knowledgeable of the area., any info on the current conditions of the unit?? Snow levels or road conditions??

Zeke · Nov 8, 2011

Hey OpeningDay, are you hunting or just looking around?

If you're hunting them I agree with AZMM and have fun.

If you're just looking around then have fun.

BTW;
It will be wet and when wet the Henry Mountains are always SLICK. Be prepared. I won't pull you out if you don't have a tow strap and tire chains. Well..... I would but I'll grumble about your unpreparedness. LOL

Zeke

OpeningDay · Nov 8, 2011

Thanks Zeke. We will be prepared. Are you going to be on the mountain this weekend?? Another question. How long am I looking as a drive if I decide to powder puff it and stay in a hotel in Hanksville? How long from Hanksville til I am in deer country??

Tree · Nov 8, 2011

Bout 30 minutes, depending where you want to go in. If it were me and I'd never been there, I'd head straight out of Hanksville past the post office and go up to the top, then over bull creek to Nasty flats. Then you can swing around to bromide etc. You'll see plenty of deer in all of those areas.

http://unitedwildlifecooperative.org

Zeke · Nov 8, 2011

No, I'll be chasing elk with my youngest daughter. Her first and it will be one of the highlights for me this year.

My guess is that either way you go will take you 1.5+ hours, at best. Plan on 2+. If the roads are really slippery I'd plan on 2.5-3+. Part of will depend on how fast you drive. I'm not too crazy in the mountains.

The road gets more slippery the higher you go. Good luck.

Zeke

Tikka · Nov 8, 2011

Best advice I can give for that country is tire chains all four, tow straps shovels and a chain saw. You might not use any of it, but if you get stuck their you might be their a loooooooooooong time.

"And just what were these guys doing riding horses in an aspen thicket"
WhiskyMan

Zeke · Nov 8, 2011

Tree,
30 min? You must drive faster than me! LOL
I guess it depends on WHERE he wants to end up. Right?
No way could I get to the top in 30 min.
I must be getting old.

Zeke

hogg_65 · Nov 8, 2011

There is 8-20+ inches of snow as of this morning down here if u are still planning on your trip prepare for really really bad conditions. Good luck.

SneakAttack · Nov 8, 2011

Late hunt on the Henry's...WTH are you talking about?

Buck · Nov 8, 2011

>Late hunt on the Henry's...WTH are
>you talking about?

WTH are YOU talking about?

"The value of any trophy from the field depends not on its size but on the magnitude of the effort expended in its pursuit." ~ Aldo Leopold

Tikka · Nov 8, 2011

Can any of you guy's tell me how you got that he is hunting out of his post?

All he asked for was info. on the weather and which is the best way in.

"And just what were these guys doing riding horses in an aspen thicket"
WhiskyMan

OpeningDay · Nov 8, 2011

Well. I think I will watch the weather as the week goes on and make a decision. I really would like to see what the famous Henry Mountains is like. I believe there is a Buffalo hunt starting down there this weekend. If not for me, hopefully the weather holds out for them.. If anyone from down there could keep me updated on the weather via this post, it would be very much appreciated. I am thinking I like the idea of going over Bull Mountain. If its passable.. Looking at my map, is that the main road that people take to get to Lake Powell?? Seems like it would be one of the best roads? Anyways. Thanks again for the help...

SLIVER · Nov 8, 2011

Hope you see a ton of deer. Please post pictures up when you get home.

}}-SLIVER-->

timothymarks · Nov 8, 2011

ask for advice and get a long winded ignorant lecture. gotta love it. That would be a fun place to go look for deer, hope you see some monsters!

SneakAttack · Nov 8, 2011

Azmm brought up the 'Henry's late tag'. That's what I was referring to.

Tree · Nov 8, 2011

Zeke,

I ain't gonna lie, I've replaced a few sets of shocks, but no, not all the way to the top. I was responding to his question about starting to see deer and this time of year, I've seen deer well before lonesome beaver.

Mostly I just wanted the opportunity to say lonesome beaver.

Twice.

http://unitedwildlifecooperative.org

Tree · Nov 8, 2011

. I am thinking
>I like the idea of
>going over Bull Mountain. If
>its passable.. Looking at my
>map, is that the main
>road that people take to
>get to Lake Powell??
>Seems like it would be
>one of the best roads?
> Anyways. Thanks again
>for the help...

If there's 20" of snow, the top of bull creek is gonna be a bugger.

The road that heads to bullfrog is a good way to access it as well. It's paved. There are several different roads to go in on. One of the ways to get to the bromide side is just before the split to go to Hite/bullfrog. You can go further and turn off to go to coyote benches, pennell etc.

Another option is to catch the notum road on the west side past Capitol reef and the sandy ranch. It'll take you to apple brush, Stephens, airplane springs, cave flats and all of that jazz on the west side and eventually McMillan, nasty flats etc. But it takes like 6 days and 13 tanks of gas to get there from hanksville.

http://unitedwildlifecooperative.org

OpeningDay · Nov 9, 2011

Thanks again guys for the help.. I talked to a guy in the BLM office yesterday and he was a big help. Sounds like Bull Mountain is impassable by truck at the moment. He gave me some other routes to get in there though. Sounded like we will end up in the Bromide/Nasty Flatts area. The rest is up to us to pick roads and cover some country. It sounds like we shouldn't have a problem finding deer. As of now, the trip is still a go and I am getting excited to say the least.

smilesgv · Nov 9, 2011

I was just there on the mngt hunt. The roads were bad only in few spots. To avoid the possible bad roads I would focus around Coyote Benches, you will see plenty of deer.

OpeningDay · Nov 9, 2011

Smilesgv,
Thanks for the heads up.. Did you take a nice management buck?
I would love to see some pics.. Coyote Benches was one of the places I wanted to go for sure.

jwarren · Nov 9, 2011

Take two spares and an extra gas can. You might also want to drive around from star springs and back through Stanton Pass. If there is as much snow as people say, then the deer might be down on Hillers. But be careful in Stanton, it can get REAL slick. You can also get gas at the off shore marina by Ticaboo. They have good breakfast burritos!!!

buglinbilly · Nov 9, 2011

I am planning a trip with my camera next week. For those of you who know the mountain well, where's the best area to find the biggest bucks?

I will most likely enter about 19 miles south of Hanksville. I will probably take my four wheeler. I had a buffalo permit there in 1981 and have been down there a couple of times since but really don't know the area very well with the exception of around Mt Ellen. I always see deer around there but never the real big ones. So if any of you want to tell me or PM me a good place I will see you get a full size file of a good buck it leads to one. And I promise to post a few photos after I get back.

Have a good one. BB

OpeningDay · Nov 9, 2011

BB, I was also wondering the same thing, but didn't ask for fear of the honey hole lecture.. You know, the whole find your own spot, get out and look thing.. MM police are quick to get ya on something like that.. Haha. I am heading down Friday and am planning on going in or around the same access point you are. I will make sure I catch up with you and give you a full report of what we find.. If you hear or know of any places we should take a peak. Let me know. This is our first time to the Henry's, so any pointers would be great.

antlerrick · Nov 10, 2011

With the rut going on, you shouldn't have much trouble finding some big bucks. Just glass a lot and enjoy!

grrio · Nov 14, 2011

We go down and scout frequently in the winter. If you have 4 wheelers they are your best option for sure. We like to park near the bottom of coyote bench. You shouldn't have much trouble spotting deer especially if they are rutting. Good luck! I'll be down there the 1st weekend of December.