1st Elk Hunt on Mt Dutton

[SAR_GUY]

I have waited 15 years to draw a mid-sept LE elk tag. I changed the area I usually apply for because the northern UT areas were not producing as mature of bulls as years past. I have never hunted southern UT but I understand the Mt Dutton unit produces some great bulls and this year I drew a tag. I will be traveling to the area as soon as the snow leaves for some scouting.

During the hunt I will be bring horses. If it is of any advanatage I could bring the ATV's and trailer as well. Not sure if packing in on horses to a remote base camp would be of any advantage.

If the Mt Dutton unit has remote areas that holds large bulls that we could ride to in about an hour from a base camp that is a 2-3 hour ride from any roads, that would be the ideal. We are willing to work and hunt hard for the bull of a lifetime. I am also concerned that we do not spook the elk out of a prime hunting area by having a remote camp.

I have run with Cache County Search and Rescue for the last 16 years and feel very comfortable in the remote wilderness. We are willing to hunt from a trailer on the road or a tent in the remote wilderness. We just don't know the area and we are looking for advise from people who do so we are prepared ahead of time and don't waste effort on a non-productive idea. I would be willing to hire a guide that knows the elk movements in the area that we could put in our camp and point us in the right directions and advise us as to successful hunting techniques in the steep canyons.

Any advise on areas to look at and where to access the area from. Also, what maps would be helpful and where to get them. Sorry for the length, I just have a lot of questions. Thanks

 

[stinkystomper]

What in god's name would make you think Dutton has large bulls convincing you to jump ship and change units???????






ego participate in Monasteriense muleys proinde ego sum bardus (I participate on monstermuleys therefore I am stupid)

 

[SAR_GUY]

I was given a report that showed the average age of bulls taken on each unit. With the number of points that I had and the number of permits being given each year, Dutton was the best choice. I am not getting any younger and my hiking ability is not getting better with age.

Odds of taking a larger bull took me south!

 

[338magblaster]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-30-10 AT 02:42PM (MST)[p]Since 2002 I have hunted the Mt Dutton unit on four separate LE Any Weapon (early hunts) three times as posse and once as the shooter (2005)... took a nice ~365 bull on my hunt, 300, 330 and 340 on the other successful hunts...

Dutton will kick you butt. Scouting will help you get the lay of the land, but don't expect to find the bulls where they will be in mid-September. My experience there proved bulls very hard to find until the rut really set in. Then it was not as easy as the videos make it look. We hunted primarily on the north-end of the Unit from Hoodle Creek north to Table Mountain... Nasty dead-fall in the bottoms of drainages, but that is where we found elk.

There are roads across the top of the unit and essentially everything you will hunt will be below the roads, or off in a side canyon that has no road access. Horses would be a plus because of the country that you can cover. Use your glass to do the work and then go after a bull that you have found and like.

Have a great time and don't shoot the first 6x you see...

All who wander are not lost.

 

[SAR_GUY]

I am so stoked for this hunt. I am on an exercise program and plan to drop a few more lbs. I am looking for more stamina. The horses are used all summer in the mountains in a rental business so they will be in shape as well.

I plan to scout the area 2-3 times in the summer to learn the canyons. Looking for some good maps to study now.

My sons are going to Barney Fife me!

 

[jims]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-30-10 AT 08:11PM (MST)[p]Some of the advice above is good and I'll add a few more things to consider. As I've stated in previous years, with the increase in tags the quality of top end and average bulls on Dutton and other units throughout UT will continue to drop.

I was on Dutton 3 years ago and had a good hunt. The average bull I saw shot that year was around 320 to 345. The year after my buddy drew the same tag and the quality of bulls was dramatically down. The average bulls I saw shot were in the 310 to 320 range on his hunt. Last year they harvested a few nice bulls and the quality seemed to be up a little from 2008 but not near what it was in 2007 and earlier years. This may have been due to great moisture which produced good antler growth. Also, from what I've been told a lot of elk winter on Dutton but sometimes move to adjacent units once the snow melts...and they often stay in those units through the summer and hunting season. From what I've been told...in good moisture years the elk may winter on Dutton and stay there. This may have been why there were more ok bulls shot on Dutton in 2009 than 2008?

With that said, Dutton is relatively open country where bulls are very visible due to the 10 x 20 mile swath of fire that ran through it a few years ago. Bulls are super vulnerable due to the open country even though there is a lot of isolated rock/cliffy country. Can the quality of bulls on Dutton withstand the increase in tags (especially rifle tags in the rut)...I don't think so! Age classes have declined and will continue to decline until tag numbers are decreased and rifle season dates are changed out of the prime rut.

My advice for Dutton would be to cover as much country as you possibly can. One day a bull may be in 1 canyon and a day later he may be 5 miles away hiding down in a hellhole. On average I would say there is 5 to 10 "spotters" for each hunter with a tag. Be prepared for lots of traffic and pressure from all these spotters! There is a lot of country so get off the beaten path, stay mobile, and spend a lot of time glassing.

You will be at an advantage with horses because you can bipass a lot of country that guys that hike in each day can't access. I would use this to your advantage; however, some of the biggest bulls I've seen in that unit have been right off some of the main roads!