Drew Book Cliffs: Rifle - lets see some pics

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DeerHuntin101

Guest
I am looking forward to a great hunt out on the Books this fall. If you have them - post up a pic or two from your past success on this unit. I'd like to see "on the hoof" or "on the ground" pics.

Would like to see what I should expect to find out there - is 180" too high of a goal for this unit?

Gunna be a blast either way!!

Thanks!
Jeremy
 
I'll be chasin' fuzzy muleys on the Books with my stick-flicker, I'll try to leave a big one up there for ya... :)
 
It's a great hunt deer every where. Big bucks good luck hunted it the whole season last year seen four bucks I would hang on the wall. Take a good spotting scope and a spotter because there is a ton of three by fours and three points that look good til ya hit them with the scope and find out their not a true 4x4. The four points were mostly crab claw on the front forks. My advise if you see a good forked 4x4 24" wide smoke him!!! I held out and it did not pay off! If you would like I can message you where I went.
 
If you aren't happy with a 24-26" 160-170 buck you will probably be frustrated. Those are shooters in the Books. Lots of bucks, but top end bucks are hard to find. If it takes 180+ or 28"+ width to make you happy turn the tag back and keep saving your points. Really fun hunt, but there are better units for top end trophy potential. Lot of 20-22" 130-150 3x4 bucks are shot out there. There are some big boys, but it takes some serious luck to find them on the rifle hunt as they are migrating during that season and it is hard to scout for it.

Dax

There is no such thing as a sure thing in trophy mule deer hunting.
 
Mojo,

Thanks for the offer for additional info. you can either PM me or call me. I plan to scout as much as possible prior to my hunt but any additional info would help.

Thanks!
Jeremy
801-362-9997
 
Dax,

Thank you for the info as well. I know a 180" buck is tough in most units and I have heard that it can be REALLY tough on the Books. I plan to get off the roads and use a lot of glass/boots to cover some country.

I'm not really caught up on score but rather - if it looks good to me then it is good enough. Having hunted only general units for the past 20+ years I just hope I can hold out long enough but I don't want to go home with tag soup!!

It will just be fun to look over a ton of bucks since I have never been able to do that on a general unit.

How would you scout the area considering the migration??

Thanks!
Jeremy
 
We also got 4 book archery tags....
I hunted it in 04 and unless it has went down hill there are plenty of 180 class bucks on that unit.. driving the roads lots of smaller bucks back in a little bit big ones lurk many places..good luck if ya see me down there stop in and talk.. all black f150 white f150 red f150 all 2010's...
 
I have guided, hunted, and trapped out there for over 30 years and I have never seen "plenty of 180 class bucks on that unit." If someone believes differently, then that person is certainly a better hunter than me. What I have seen out there resembles Dax's assessment...he is right on. A 180 class buck is a true trophy and the bookcliffs simply is not a trophy unit. Rather, it has a high buck-to-doe ratio that makes for a fun hunt. Be careful about your 180 class expectation...there are some, but they are very, very few...trust me on this.
 
+ 100

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
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I probably spend as much time out there as anyone, save a few real die hard Book Cliffs afficinados. I just don't see many bucks 180"+ or 28"+ width in the late summer/early fall nor during the rut. There are nice bucks out there, but you have your work cut out for you if you want 180". I guess I would suggest to do some scouting and try hunting high on the opener and hope you can catch your buck still on top. My wife had the tag last year and I had a pretty nice one spotted the Monday before the hunt, still wasn't any kind of giant. We showed back up a couple days early and never could find him again. I did see the buck again, got one quick glimpse of him in November. Hard to see in these, but he has a couple cheaters on his right side. Good backs, decent width, not the best fronts. This is an above average Book Cliffs deer.

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I saw the harvest data and the average buck taken out there last year during the rifle hunt was 4.8 yrs old, 23.5" wide, and had 3.8 points on his left and 3.8 points on his right (excluding eyeguards).

There are nice mature bucks, but it is tough to find ones that score well. Not saying it can't be done, just wanting you to go into with realistic expectations.

Good luck.

Dax

There is no such thing as a sure thing in trophy mule deer hunting.
 
I shot this buck with my muzzleloader on the Books in 2011. Not a great scoring buck, but he has great mass and a unique rack! He sure got my heart pumping! I saw one buck that would have scored better, but I couldn't pass this buck up. Good luck on your hunt!!


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This is the best buck I've ever seen in the Books:

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Here's a couple others we passed last fall:

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This one was about 26", and if he had a matching front fork like the bakcs, my dad would have whacked him... But he was only a three...
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Only a 3x4:
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My dad's buck:
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We passed up lots of other decent bucks. My dad just found his tooth data results indicating his deer was 6 1/2 years old. While I know there are 180" bucks out there... You will have to weed through a lot of 150" bucks. I think anything like my dad's 160" deer is hard to pass on- but you definitely can. You'll just have to find more deer and hope you get a little lucky. COngrats on a great tag. You will love it.

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
Here is the buck I was able to taken in 2010. I actually have footage that was sent to me of him live on the hoof. Seen one buck bigger than him the week before but could never find him again.

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meatinthepot
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 01:17PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 01:15?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 01:14?PM (MST)

I also drew a rifle tag out there this year. Here is picture of a friends buck he shot out there last year on the rifle hunt.

Just under 30" and a little over 190.

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I have never been on the books but it seems crazy to me how long people wait for a tag (9+ years) to hunt a lot of 150-160 type bucks. I have no doubt that it would be a fun hunt with the amount of deer on the unit but there are so many 0 point units that you can hunt every year in CO that have just as good if not better potential for trophy size bucks. I know that there are a few smokers coming off of there every year but compared to how many tags are given out it doesnt seem like much for the weight. Is it the genetics or the management of the books? If managed differently would it have the genetic background to be much better than it is? Not trying to ruffled feathers here I just got looking at the points required and it threw me for a loop.
 
Thought I would post some pics I have taken of books bucks over the years, they date back to 2004.

Nice 4x5
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Giant 2x3
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really wide buck with crabed fronts
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A cool 4x5, the next pic is ofmy niece holding one of this bucks sheds that I found.
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another nice 4x5
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You will see alot of bucks like these.
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Wide 3x4
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good 4x4
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lots of these kind of bucks
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cool 3x6
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Now heres one you might be interested in. 4x5
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This is the same buck from above one year latter.
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decent bucks
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really good buck with huge backs
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Enjoy, should be a fun hunt.


Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!
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Saying right now whether to hunt the top or the bottom is pointless. Every year is different. The are very few places you can hunt the middle country without a very good understanding of the country and a lot of work. I would say getting to know the country is far more important than looking for a certain deer prior to the hunt. This is why I'm always baffled at the people that put in for the books with no knowledge of the unit. If you wanna avoid the crowds hang to the north slope. The south side rifle is no different than the general hunt with the parades of people on the roads. The deer also don't hit the bottom of the south side like they used to because of the pressure. I would love the tag and wouldn't pull the trigger on anything below 190. But it's also my back yard and I know how and where to find the deer when they are in mid migration. Unless you plan to get a couple miles off the roads you'll probably have the results stated above, lots of 140-160 bucks. But if you gain the knowledge of the land and are willing to put in the work a 180 is possible. Most guys come with big hopes of the unit until they show up and realize it's a lot rougher country to hunt than expected, then end up taking a 140 buck cause its easy.
 
The Books herd is way down from '05. There are some nice bucks, but score is a difficult chase out there. You will be hunting mature bucks-- have FUN. My wife also drew the rifle permit on the Books, but she also has a CO hunt so the Books tag may go back and some lucky hunter will be getting a call!

Marley- I'd love to know of a 0 point unit in CO where a guy can hunt 160 class bucks and see 10-100 bucks a day. :) My guess is there is not one. And people can hunt other units while they wait to draw a Books or other ltd tag. Kind of like CO #53 or #70-- where residents wait to hunt, but hunt other units in the meantime.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 09:48PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-12 AT 09:43?PM (MST)

"Marley- I'd love to know of a 0 point unit in CO where a guy can hunt 160 class bucks and see 10-100 bucks a day. My guess is there is not one."

I bet you would love to know what unit. I've drawn archery, 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th season in the same unit with 0 points and pass several 160+ throughout the entire hunt and have shot or found for bucks for others every year between 162 and 184 and see between 10 and 20 bucks a day. The units are there, just takes some scouting.

Good luck on your Utah hunt. Sounds like you need to buy Whiskeydog a few lunches or beers.
 
Ahh, I was ribbing you. Did you miss the smiley face? But it is kind of hard for a guy from Utah to throw a dart and find a unit-- and the areas within the unit-- that gives one such an experience. And yes, the Utah label hurts the chances even more!! Hunt safe.
 
I knew you were ribbing. I grew up in Utah and did the general season every year until I discovered CO. Where were you all my life CO?
 
I had the tag last year and had a good time-saw plenty of bucks, but none in the 180 class range. I passed many 24 inch four points and came home empty by choice. There are a lot of hunters and ATV's-it was hard to find a good spot without others.

Phantom
 
Here is my 2010 Archery Buck

He was the biggest buck we saw. Very old and gray. Scored just over 160. DWR said he was 10 1/2 years old. Hunted for 8 Days. I think he was on the downhill side of life.

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I always find it kind of funny when a guy says he is going to hunt the bookcliffs and isn't afraid of getting away from the roads. This tells me they haven't even set foot in the books. There are roads on every ridge and every ravine in the books. you will go out on a "long half mile" hike and see a road or end up on a road.

the deer all migrate to the same areas in the winter where they all get slammed by the road hunting rifle hunters. The book cliffs is probably the best or easiest road hunting unit in Utah. so finding a big buck isn't about finding a honey hole like you can in other areas. Its all about wading through all the dink bucks and finding one a touch better then the rest of the dink bucks.

Saying all that I still love the books and would love a tag but its not a trophy unit. I've honestly seen bigger bucks on Utahs general units then I've seen in the books and I don't know why this is the case. Maybe its just the genetics to grow small deer out there.




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Scott is describing my experience during my hunt in 2009. We found a nice "roadless" area, at least on a map, only to find several roads crossing the area.

Here is my buck from 2009 rifle hunt. I never got it scored, but it is somewhere around 160-165, and above average for out there. One thing you will notice is that there is a lot of mass on many of the mature deer out there.

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I have the archery tag this year and while I am going out scouting a few times, it is pointless to try to find one deer to focus on. The deer move around so much on a daily basis it is a much better idea to learn the area, like so many people have said.

It always amazes me that people claim there are 30" 180+ bucks everywhere that you can see right from the road. I don't think that people realize what it actually takes for a deer to be that big.
 
You drew an archery tag the very first year after the 2 year waiting period after your rifle tag..??!! Lucky sucker HighCountry... Good luck to ya... Hope you find a giant and stick 'im...


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
AND he drew a LTD bull in between the deer tags! I want to apply with you next time. Best of luck out there-- not that you need more after all you've done the past few years!!

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www.sagebasin.com
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A road on every ridge and ravine on the books? Sounds like the words of someone who road hunts. True there are parts of the mountain covered in roads, which are likely the areas hunted by the majority. And also the areas with the 140 class bucks. Anybody that thinks there are roads everywhere on the books I would like to invite you to join me and follow a pack of hounds in the country I hunt. There's so much country out there that never sees a human let alone a road, that you'd be boggled. For one there is a roadless area inside the books deer unit, which if you think is covered in roads go ahead and take a hike from the ten mile knoll trailhead to the sego canyon trailhead, then get back to me. Ever been to the top of sulfur canyon on a road? How about horse, floy, crescent, Thompson, segars, nash, dry, coal, spring, horse, twins, cottonwood, cherry, tepee, halfway, diamond, antone, flume, long...? There's a good easy list of canyons to get away from roads. Hit the end of any of those canyons and I'll bet you don't find road hunters. And saying the deer go to the same winter range every year is incorrect. There's places that will always have deer but I've picked up plenty of 180 sets of sheds out there and they are nowhere near any of the typical road areas. I guess it depends on the persons opinion of getting off the roads.
 
congrats on the tag, my wife and i also drew out on the books rifle tag. i dont know much about the unit, i have been out there twice and have seen some good bucks. it should be a fun hunt either way.
 
I had the same exact thought, the Books is some really really rough country. I think you can hunt the majority of the winter range from a vehicle though. You could make this hunt as easy or as hard as you want and it is definitely possible that going the easier route (driving) could be as productive as trying to get one out of the roadless, but the roadless would be more fun!
 
Dang, Whiskeydog has me all figured out. I am nothing but a road hunter. If I can't drive everywhere, then I am not going to hunt it. I don't even own a pair of boots because I don't like to get dirty. :eek:

Lighten up Whiskeydog, nobody is calling you out. (I even agreed with a part of your previous post)The point is there is lots of country, lots of roads and lots of deer out there. Can you get away from the roads? Sure. Do you need to? Not necessarily. No need to get all bent out of shape.
 
Both assessments are right, from a certain point of view. The majority of the winter range on the North Book Cliffs, which also happens to be where most (not all) of the deer are during the rifle hunt has roads freaking everywhere. The South Book Cliffs has way less motorized access, but at the same time you could argue that there are roads where the deer densities are highest i.e Nash Wash, Cottonwood Can, Diamond Can, etc.

Wiskeydog threw out the names of a bunch of areas that probably hold a big buck or two and don't have hardly any motorized access. Deer densities are MUCH lower in these areas though, a guy might only see a handful of deer in several days hard hunting. Unless you have something scouted out beforehand it is hard to justify spending that much time in an area like that on a 9 day hunt. To top this off, the migration has a HUGE impact on where they are during the rifle hunt. It is hard to predict what they are going to do in any given year until they do it. It pretty much takes years and years worth of knowledge and experience in these areas to hunt them effectively, and with it being a LE hunt that isn't possible for most folks.

Dax

There is no such thing as a sure thing in trophy mule deer hunting.
 
I wasn't taking offense or getting excited about anything. More just trying to explain that the books are big enough and diverse enough that pretty well every style of hunting is available if a guy wanted to put in the amount of work for that given method. There's tons of roaded areas with high deer density. There's extremely secluded areas with higher quality but fewer numbers. But on any given year the weather can play a huge factor on where and when the deer move. As well as over time the migrations are changing. Used to be some areas that were loaded with deer come winter, now there are very few. But also new areas that I'm surprised to see them every year. The biggest thing in preparing for the books is decide the method you wanna hunt then watch the weather and be ready to adapt to the changes.

Never intended to imply that any individual doesn't get out and put on the miles. Just that if desired there are plenty of miles to put in away from roads. Its all preference for the individual.
 
i also got drawn for rifle this year. going to go scouting this summer.what is the bestway to access this areafrom the north and also the south. any info would help
 
Hey Jim, there is 2 ways to access the books from the north, through Banaza on the east, or Ouray on the west, Going through Ouray would be the better option if your looking to get on top to the divide, but theres alot of good country on the east side that the deer like during the rifle hunt but you wont see a whole lot in the summer.

But once your up there you can get anywhere, theres been several times Ive went in one way and came out the other, theres alot of ground to cover if you want to.




Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!
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I have never been to the book cliffs but it sounds like they need to close a few roads. Why have they not done that yet?
 
Ive never understood peoples obsession with resticting access to public land.

The roads are fine out there, and as was stated earlyer, there is a HUGE roadless area, and I know of alot of area that dont see alot of people insided the roaded area, why do they need to close down already exsiting roads.


Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!
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The last thing that any part of southeastern utah needs is more roads closed. They've closed plenty. There's ridiculous amounts of land that already cant be accessed even by going in on mules. The grand county side of the mountain has seen the majority of the roads closed already and that has done nothing but hurt the mountain and the wildlife.
 
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WiskeyDog



Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!
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They don't need to close any roads... If you want I'll take you and show you some areas that there's no roads for miles!

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Plenty of opportunity on the Books for whatever type of hunting you want. Quality can be had as well. I've guided numerous hunters over the last dozen or so years and taken some dandy bucks. Two bucks score over 200" with muzzleloaders. Just have to know some areas and be willing to pass on the smaller bucks and wait for the big ones to present the opportunity.
 
>The last thing that any part
>of southeastern utah needs is
>more roads closed. They've closed
>plenty. There's ridiculous amounts of
>land that already cant be
>accessed even by going in
>on mules. The grand
>county side of the mountain
>has seen the majority of
>the roads closed already and
>that has done nothing but
>hurt the mountain and the
>wildlife.
How has it hurt the mountain and the wildlife. If anything I can see it improving the wildlife when there is not a bunch of fatasses in trucks not willing to walk shooting the first two point they see.
 
Its hurt the wildlife because all the hunters are forced into smaller areas and due to competition they take younger or smaller deer. You still have the "fatasses" but now they compete. Everywhere I've checked that's not healthy for a deer herd. Same thing happens with the elk, bear, lion, sheep and turkeys. The wildlife will also heavily use the roads to travel and now they've been closed long enough they are too thick for anything to walk. The mountain has been hurt because the vegetation in some areas is overgrazed while others severely need to be grazed.
 
Yes, I will agree that the areas with the open roads will get hit harder, and that will have a negative impact on the wildlife in that specific area, but on the other hand all of the animals in the roadless areas will not have the pressure from the roadhunters, thus allowing them to mature. I much rather work for a mature buck than shoot a dink from the road.
 
They could reopen every road that's ever been on that mountain and still not scratch at the surface of the amount of area on that mountain. More access would spread out hunters to where all hunters would be more selective and that's simply better management. Look at the henrys. Roads all over that little mountain and the deer seem to do great.
 
All you Jack Wagons preaching about closing roads down and makeing more wilderness area are playing right into the antihunting groups hands. This is exactly what they want, less people in an area means LESS HUNTING PERIOD!!!! And that is what the Anti hunting groups are pushing for.




Jake H. SHED OR DEAD IT DONT MATTER TO ME!!!
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I want to thank everyone for their posts. I was out of the country for work for the past week and thought this post was probably dead. Glad to know it still lives on!!

Jake, Dax, Whiskey and a few others I am forgetting have posted some good info and I thank you for that. seeing as I have only hunted general units for the past 20+ years it will be tough for me to not pull the trigger on some of these 140-150" bucks you are posting pics of. I'll do my best though. At the end of the day - if it looks good to me then that is all it will take.

I have heard that the migration can be a tough situation out there as the deer are on the move. My cuz drew the archery hunt there last year and was able to watch 2 great bucks for several weeks - harvesting one of them on opening day - scoring just shy of 190" if I remember right. Even though he was able to harvest and animal that he had watched early in the season he commented that it won't be like that for me based on the timing of my hunt.

Based on that and what I have heard here I plan to go out in July, August, September to get a lay of the "land" and then come out a few days prior to the hunt to look for "my buck".

Keep the advice and pics coming!!

Thanks again!
Jeremy
 
highcountryfever... Thanks for stopping by camp and showing us your buck on the way out! It's a freakin stud of a buck! Post up some pics! Congrats on a sweet buck man! And you have got to be one of the luckiest people I know! ;D
 

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