Best Elk hunting Unit (Poll)

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lchcguide

Active Member
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Curious as to what you guys consider to be the best trophy elk units from any state.

My pick would be unit 15 in NM. Lots of 350-380 bulls and a few 400".
 
There are four or five in Utah that are hard to keep off the top for me, Pahvant, San Juan, Beaver, Boulder, Dutton are as good as anywhere in the west.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-06 AT 05:43PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-06 AT 05:41?PM (MST)

NM Valle Vidal for shear volume of elk and an overall super high quality elk hunting experience. Some real nice bulls but anything bigger than 350" would be very rare.

I hear CO GMU # 201 (or 1, 2 & 10)are pretty strong also if you can live long enought to draw a tag there.

Grizzly
 
Bookcliffs,Pahvant,Monroe,Southwest desert,San Jaun,Beaver,Boulder,Dutton,Wasatch,Deep Creek....
So Many Units to choose from that nobody knows where the next State record will be killed in Utah.
 
Book Cliffs has to be #1 after the record got set there.
Pahvant has to be #2 because some kind of record gets set there also.
#3 would be Beaver. Lots of 400's came off that unit.
#4 Would be Boulder. Seen lots of 400's from there also.
#5 San Juan has to be in there.
#6 Indian Peaks.
#7 Any other unit in Utard. 400 bulls popped up everywhere this year. Something like 15-20 over 400 gross?

You guys can fill in the rest! Ha! Utah is THAT good. Seriously, can Arizona compete when the droughts are not bad? Does NM have anything to compare? Colorado is not in the same league? I know it is not a competition, but I cannot even imagine anywhere else like Utah? If there is I would like to try and draw/hunt it.

Just some things to ponder! Not starting a long winded debate or fight!
 
Well, I guess I do since I asked the question. If you're going to compare areas/states and where they rank in "the book", the REAL score should be given, IMO.

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
I sure get sick of people saying that all these bulls scored over 400 when hardly any of them officially gross over 400 and rarely to any of them net over 380. I am not saying that there is not any, but very few. Every bull killed any more is 400....
 
Easy guys!

I watched one get measured 401 GROSS, 380 something NET. I have seen official score sheets on a couple and they do Gross over 400 and net over 400 also.

Most probably do not officially net over 400. I like talking in terms of gross, but net is a different thing for sure. Many bulls I only hear the score and who measured them I do not know. Surely some of them are off, but look awfully big at any rate.

I agree, it would be fun to hear official numbers both gross/net.
 
I can assure you 388 that mine was not net or gross 400. There was a high amount of 400 bulls reported. Are they? I do not know. Just a fun discussion I thought? I have always said less that 1% of the bull killed go over or come close to 400. So I do not think it is every bull by a long shot. We just hear about the best of the best. I can guarantee some tape measures are faulty also.
 
Ktc

Everybody puts so much attention on that 400 mark that when somebody kills a 350 to 380 bull. People think that is small when in reality that is one hell of a bull. Just wish that people would be honest with their self, let alone others......
 
One thing to keep in mind about Utah is that it's the hunting media capital of the West. We hear about every big bull that gets shot. Arizona is a close second.

We seem them on DVDs, hear about them at banquets, see them in Magazines, and read about them on here, get them in emails, etc, etc.

I know of some HUGE bulls that get shot in other states and we never hear about them. New Mexico and Wyoming produce a lot of great bulls we never hear about.

If you're lucky enough to draw a tag or wealthy enough to buy a tag then I agree it's the best state in the West for trophy bulls.

I think there's been a 400" plus bull shot in almost every Utah unit-with the exception of very few.

I'd be willing to be that there were more 400"+ bulls shot in Utah this year than any other state-perhaps the best year in Utah's history....?
 
Exactly 388. Prism makes some good points also. I have always said a 350 is a great bull no matter where he came from. 350 is big! We either get the movies like Prism states or guys who get them make sure evryone sees them.

No matter how you slice it Utah was great this year. Will it continue to get better? Who knows. I find it hard to believe another year like this one will follow?
 
My guess is it'll be the area I'm gonna hunt next year.
Click.
My guess is it'll be the area I'm gonna hunt next year.
Click......
 
Yeh, well, Goodmorning,
The new issue of Fair Chase (B&C quarterly mag.) has the listing/article about the top states in modern times, 2000 thru 2005 and UTAH is #1 with entries.

Top 5 states are:

Utah-48 40 Typical/ 8 Non-Typical

Arizona-39 21/18

N. Mexico -23 18/4

Wyoming- 22 20/2

Nevada- 19 12/7

Looks like our DWR is doing a great management job on our LE elk herds along with (give credit where credit is due----GULP) Don and his SFW group.

The guides that put folks on these monsters, like Troy, Doyle, Shawn, Lyle, Todd & Travis, Monte Green and so forth.

The overlapping habitat projects of MDF and RMEF and the UFNAWS certainly have added up.



I can just imagine the big leap in Utah climbing even higher as the #1 state after this 2006 year is added to the equatiion.

Robb
 
THANKS Robb!!!

THAT OUGHT TO HELP MY ODDS OF DRAWING THIS YEAR!!!

THE ONLY bobcat THAT ALREADY HAS "UN" FLUE!!! :D :D :D :D
 
Sounds like Utah is the place to be. At least that is what I have been hearing and seeing. Thanks for participating!
 
I think one would need to correlate Robb's figures with a state's elk poulation and number of permits issued to get a sense of the trophy potential and chance of killing a monster if actually drawn.

Doug~RR
 
redrabbit!!!

IT SUCKS!!!

THESE GUYS THAT DRAW UTAH L.E. PERMITS HAVE A HELL OF A TIME FILLING THE PERMIT!!!

I'D LOOK ELSEWHWERE!!!

THE ONLY bobcat!!! :D :D :D :D
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-06 AT 09:38AM (MST)[p]I have to agree with KTC. AZ can't compare, drought or no drought. Just put in for Utah. AZ isn't worth it. The only AZ bulls that got shot that made the 400" mark must have somehow made their way from Utah and across the Grand Canyon.

And if not Utah, then NM. AZ needs at least another 15-20 years before it has the possiblilty of being a great state to hunt bulls. And if they ever have a program where you can donate your points in AZ feel free to contact me. It would suck because I would have to shoot small bulls but I'm willing to do it so you guys will have quality hunts in AZ in the next few decades with proper herd management.

I'm willing to take one for the team. I'll start with Warbird's points if you want to donate them. To help you all out I'll propose that at the G&F forum I'm going to next week. KTC, I'll help you out too and take your points if you would like. I'm sure Redrabbit would be willing to take some of your points too. That's just the kind of guys we are. Looking out for everyone else's best interest.

You're welcome...

Rackem

http://www.needgod.com/
 
Rackem,
I cant seem to talk myself into donating my Arizona elk points to you sorry.
 
Most definetly Utah is number one by leaps and bounds. But I also have seen a few 400 class bulls coming out of Nevada on a regular basis. I don't know where at in Nevada but they kills some good bulls from what I've seen and heard.
 
rack!

You got it buddy! I will give you mine........I just checked......I am at zero!;-) bird may give you some. He told me to apply as a group with him.
 
KTC,
Now when in the hell did I tell you that?I have been asked by others with alot less points than me if they could put in with me.THE ANSWER IS NO LEAVE ME ALONE I am not lucky drawing tags anyway you might be better off with not having any points ktc you would still draw before me.
 
Ahem...lchcguide asked...

"Curious as to what you guys consider to be the best trophy elk units from any state."

Grizzly
 
No apologies necessary.

I'm interested in the original post also. You know...being a Big Stinky Bull Shooter-Wanna-Be an all.

Grizzly
 
A trophy is what you make it to be. I think people get to caught up in "what's it score." I think that if the aniaml is beautiful and what you what then take it.
 
"if the animal is beautiful and what you what", what does that have to do with this subject? If its beautiful, get its number and e-mail address.
 
redrabbit...

I would agree that on a tag issue amount vs entries then Nevada no doubt with it's restrictive tag amounts and those late dates sure make for a tougher hunt than a rifle rut hunt like in Utah, N.Mex and Az....... throw in Nevada does way early bow bull hunt dates and it is certainly more challenging than say N.Mex or Az. bow dates.

Utah too is way anal towards bow hunter LE dates as well.

I'm on my 2nd go-round in Utah on the LE elk game....

Robb
 
What convinces me that Utah has the best unit(s) is the fact that I can't decide which unit to apply for next year. I think if I drew a unit out of a hat I would be thrilled to hunt there. Too many great choices.
 
One of the Utah units in south-central Utah would be my pick for a consistent chance at a big bull, for sure. Other units of the state are far more sporadic in their production of "400" bulls.
 
I agree with prizm. every 400 inch bull gets advertised in utah. No doubt utah is cleaning house, but look at the record books, most of the big pigs came from arizona. I personally have seen a 423 gross and a 416 gross that were shot this year out of one unit and alot more from other units from reliable sources. will the san carlos reservation count as a unit? world record is from there 500". Would say units 8,9,10. are hard to beat. We zonies keep quiet about the biggins.
 
I don't know about the best trophy units, but the worst have to be NM Units 15 & 16 along with AZ Units 27 and 1. Don't waste your time hunting here; nothing but spikes and raghorns. Must be something in the soil along with genetics or something. I'm pretty sure Utah has to be your best bet.
 
Just curious!, But what area of NM units 15, and which unit 16. There are 16A, 16b, 16c, 16d, 16e. I have hunted 15 on cow hunts wishing I had a bull tag every year I have hunted, and I have hunted 16d, and 16b, and watched my bro-in-law stick a 360 bull, and we saw nearly thirty other bulls on the same hunt. The only subunit in unit 16 I know nothing about is unit 16c, but I have seen some very nice bulls pulled out of that unit.
 
Utah has to be the best to Hunt Elk. Just look at the number of Big Bulls hunters are killing year after year. I dont give any credit to the DWR or SWF for the big Bulls that are being killed every year. I do believe if every state hunted big bulls during the RUT, you would see big bulls come from AZ, NM, NV,etc. Utah is the biggest joke, they are usually years behind our surrounding states. Put the Elk Hunt late and then maybe someone in our family tree might draw a Tag.
 
I hunted 16A in October for 1st rifle hunt. Only saw three legal bulls in five full days of hunting. None of them over 310". Granted the conditions were not good...40" of rain since July...and it rained 4 out of the 5 days we hunted. Water and lush green grass everywhere. I still though we would have seen more bulls and larger bulls though.

Grizzly
 
I believe if you figure the number of 400" bulls taken as a percentage of tags allocated, Nevada is number one. If I had to pick one specific unit in one state I'd take one in Nevada maybe 231.
 
I'd be damned happy to get a tag in any of the units mentioned. I didn't draw this past year.

This is an interesting topic. The focus seems to have gone toward where the most 400" bulls might be coming from, and many define that as "the best". No matter which state or unit, that is still an extremely small fraction of the elk taken, anywhere. EXTREMELY SMALL. What about units that produce large numbers, relatively speaking, of 350+ bulls, with bulls up toward that top end too? Would anyone argue that the White Mtn. Apache Reservation isn't about the best place to hunt elk on this planet? I find it interesting to see so many people place some Utah units as "the best". I agree that they produce some huge bulls, bigger than most of us will ever see, let alone harvest. They're incredibly good units. BUT, what about units that produce much larger numbers of elk, and still produce outsized bulls? Aren't some of those units maybe better?

I've never had the privilege of hunting elk in Utah, but I have hunted them in some good units in Arizona and New Mexico. In 2002, I took the bull of my lifetime in unit 13 in New Mexico. Even with a severe drought, he still scored over 385. I've been told by many people that in a wet year, like we had in 2004 and 2005, that he'd have easily scored over 400". Does the ability to produce some of those giant bulls make a unit like 13 a great one? I don't think so even though the Pueblo of Acoma sits in that same unit and they take a handfull of giant bulls each year. Unit 13 would probably compare very favorably with some of the Utah units in terms of the number of big bulls it produces each year, between Acoma and the public/private tags. Nobody is going to say it's the best, including me. I've bowhunted unit 15 in New Mexico 6 times, and while it's excellent, I can assure you it isn't "the best".

I'll take some of the Arizona units and reservations any day in a discussion of "BEST". They produce outsized bulls, and generally quite a few of them. If you take the numbers of 350 or 360 and up bulls shot in these units each year, I doubt any place else can keep up with them. And they do produce 390 to over 400 bulls too.

Of course, I'd be thrilled to have a tag in 2007 for any of these places that have been discussed on this thread. THAT would be best, IMHO!
 
There are no trophy units in Utah for elk. I suggest everyone look elsewhere, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Iowa....etc. Anywhere but Utah.

No question....San Juan Elk Ridge!!!!

It's always an adventure!!!
 
I had a unit 15 New Mexico tag this year and hunted it for the whole season I never saw a bull that would even make P&Y. I saw 38 bulls but all were two year olds or spikes. I had Elk Tags in Nevada and Az last year 162 Nevada and unit 8 az I saw some hogs in Nevada, but ended up with a 323 5x5. But in Az opening day at 8am I killed a bull gross 400 1/8 net 385 7/8 so in my book I like Nevada and Az best.
 
Rackem:

Please stay away from applying for tags in AZ! We have no large (400 pt) bulls here on PUBLIC LANDS!

It is all just smoke and mirrors here.

Course the two roommates who killed 400 point bulls in Units 3A-3C last September on the archery hunt are just an example of hunter's imagination gone wild!

Most of AZ didn't have the great winter/spring moisture in 2005-06 and as a result the number of 400 point bulls was down from 2004-05.

Seemed to me that some ex-football player was one of those that got a huge bull (over 400) in Unit 10. However, don't go there. Unit 10 has no more big bulls..honest..been there. This year, best we saw was high 380's...

Anyway, hope this helps out those seeking those magical 400 point bulls.

We have none in AZ! Go to Utah, Nevada and New Mexico to hunt BIG elk. My clients can't draw in AZ with all those misinformed souls applying for our "small" bulls.

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
 
Welcome Bigdan,
sounds like you have had some great elk tags and killed some super bulls. What hunt in unit 15 did you have? I have some friends that had the same experiance there this past Oct. even though all 3 killed bulls , non were over 300.
 
>Welcome Bigdan,
> sounds like you have had
>some great elk tags and
>killed some super bulls. What
>hunt in unit 15 did
>you have? I have some
>friends that had the same
>experiance there this past Oct.
>even though all 3 killed
>bulls , non were over
>300.
 
>>Welcome Bigdan,
>> sounds like you have had
>>some great elk tags and
>>killed some super bulls. What
>>hunt in unit 15 did
>>you have? I have some
>>friends that had the same
>>experiance there this past Oct.
>>even though all 3 killed
>>bulls , non were over
>>300.

I had 15 early called in lots of bulls but no Big Ones. Started Hunting North of Luna then moved to Slaughter Mesa
 

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