call from UDWR re: surrendered tag

huntjock · Dec 10, 2018

All:

My son (high school senior) got notified by the UDWR that he has 24 hours to accept a Henry Mountains Cow Bison tag for Dec 15th - Dec 31st.

During the last week of December are the cows hard to find?

We've always been DIY, but we've never been bison hunting. I talked to one guide there who quoted $4000 for a cow. Might be a little high for a last minute deal where we've not really had time to study/prepare.

I am familiar with the Henry's (2003, 2007, 2014).

Thanks for any info you can offer. I really do appreciate it!

Neil

bowhunt · Dec 10, 2018

I have been on 2 of those hunts.
We spent 4 days each time locating and getting a cow.
It is not easy.

The hard part is not knowing where they are, it is getting to them.
They get remote.

It is doable, and I am sure you will get plenty of help on here.

elkassassin · Dec 10, 2018

It Can Be fairly Easy!

But it can be Damn Tough as Well!

I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!

RoadlessHunter · Dec 10, 2018

Go hunt he may never draw again

huntjock · Dec 11, 2018

ok, I've decided we'll take the tag. Any help from you MM folks, though, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Neil

257Tony · Dec 11, 2018

Good call. He was potentially many years away from drawing anyways. Go kill your business and then get him started on trying to draw sheep or a goat tag before he dies.

Wasatch · Dec 11, 2018

Congrats on the tag! To say I'm envious would be an understatement. However it sounds like conditions are pretty rough down there right now. You'll definitely have your work cut out for you. Here's a link to a conversation happening over on the Utah Wildlife forum with some current information, particularly on page 3:

https://utahwildlife.net/forum/12-big-game/197017-january-henry-bison-hunt.html

Either way you have a tag and an opportunity, go make the best of it and have a blast! Good luck!

grizzly · Dec 11, 2018

Randy Newberg has video from his Henry's bison tag on his website. It's worth watching, it got pretty western.

Good luck!

Grizzly

elks96 · Dec 11, 2018

I am a school teacher and have time off over Xmas. Starting the 21st through the end of the month. I have no idea where to go and where to hunt, but I would love to help. I have one of the most capable off road vehicles around and could set up a camp and scout look in areas for you. I am usually hunting late season elk here in CO but a buffalo might be cool. If you would like some company for a few days, let me know. I am certain there will be others offering.

deerkiller · Dec 11, 2018

Send me a message. I've spent 7 days hunting them for the first cow hunt. It's not gonna be anywhere an easy hunt. If you have access to horses, you're definitely going to want to use them. I'll tell you everything I know that's happening right now on the unit concerning bison

huntjock · Dec 11, 2018

@deerkiller pm/email sent

DidIDraw · Dec 11, 2018

Go make it a great adventure! It took my Mom 18 points to draw a cow bison tag (we hunted the Book Cliffs last year) so this is a rare opportunity so early in your son's hunting experience.

Great thing about bison is that a big cow (especially this late in the season) makes a really nice looking shoulder mount. We did a euro on the skull and had the whole hide tanned as a rug - it looks really cool. Meat is really good as well.

Best of luck to you!

deadibob · Dec 11, 2018

My daughter got an email three weeks ago as an alternate for a Henries cow tag in early January. We turned it down because she would have needed to miss school, it's a brutal time to be on the Henries and the email implied it would be a crowded cluster(*&Y^ of hunters.

I have successfully drawn and hunted the Henries myself and been on several hunts there. We will take our chances of her drawing it sometime in the future.

DBLung · Dec 12, 2018

My friend who works for the DWR told me the bison hunt that just ended went 10-30. Only 33% success. not as easy as some make it out to be. Also access is going to be more difficult as snow piles up.