Dutton Mule Deer Question

[deerjunkie]

as a person who is starting to branch to units like my self i want to ask... what kind of deer can i expect to find of the Dutton? the last three years i have pulled a 150 and 145 inch buck of of both Parker and Manti. I have been hunting the Manti and Parker that last 10 years and have had some good success like both of those deer. the reason I'm asking to look at different areas is because they feel over pressured and i feel like I'm black friday shopping when I'm up there on both mountains any more.. but The Dutton unit looks really good to me. should i give it a shot and put time into it or should i stick to what i know best and stick with the other two? and if so where? i have heard that flake mountain and the flat top are good spots to start but i just don't know much about it to know for sure.

 

[honkerdwn]

I spent a week on the Dutton during the rifle hunt this past season. All I seen were does and two points. I'm sure there are bigger deer around but I didn't have lady luck on my side this year. My methods of hunting it were hiking in away from roads and lots of glassing. Beautiful country and lots of it. I hope to go back this next year.

HD

p.s. I spent my time on the southern end of the unit not far from Flat Top.

 

[DeerHunter53]

Lumpy is your guy on this unit, see if can give you some help.

 

[Bocephus]

Dutton is tough and deer density is lacking. Lots and lots of country that should hold deer, but just doesnt. Knowing an area is over half the battle. 140-150 bucks are very respectable, why leave a good thing? No less pressure on Dutton than any other general unit.

 

[deerjunkie]

thank you for the reply! thats how i hunt as well. I'm not to fond of road hunting even though my biggest buck i have gotten was 110 yards from a main highway... crazy huh?! Do you spend any time on flake at all? i ask because i heard that was a good place to be but the guy that told me that has never hunted their himself...

 

[deerjunkie]

I will defiantly write to him! Thank you for the reply!

 

[deerjunkie]

looking at it and doing a little ATV riding on the base of it i can tell that it is tough. thats actually why its so intriguing.. It has so much food from what i can tell so it should hold solid populations. at least so i thought. Iv never really spent a ton of time up their though and i want to. the 140-150 bucks i have got from the parker and Manti were both such a privilege to get. but i feel in general its going down hill i just don't see the same quality buck as consistently as i did before... especially on the parker..i have logged well over 400 of total hours last year on parker with pretty dismal results scouting for a friend last year....that being said the burn on the Manti unit was super beneficial and has brought up the whole experience and produced bucks like the one i got last year. but the secrets out for sure..... and personally, i just have a desire to spread my wings a bit. thats why I'm desiring to look for other pastures.

 

[Bocephus]

Rifle? Muzzy? Archery?

 

[deerjunkie]

either muzzy or rifle. I'm pretty torn on which to try for this year. and I'm having trouble deciding that too... i have killed deer with both. last years deer was a rifle the one before that was a muzzy. id love to do archery and i have helped archery hunters on their hunts but i myself, just haven't got into them that much yet.

 

[2lumpy]

I answered your email deerjunkie.

Truth is, I've never hunted it, never scouted it and know nothing about mule deer on the Dutton, except, like all general season units, it's managed for yearling buck harvest so I would guess, and it's just a guess, like all general units, a handful of mature bucks live on the unit but most deer killed will be younger bucks.

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

DC

 

[deerjunkie]

thank you so much your email and answer. i really appreciate it. it looks so good to me and i believe you are correct that since it is managed for that it really can't be to much different then the others. the more i think about it i can't imagine it being to much different then the monroe units or others that are next to it. i have hunted the kaiparowitz just across from it and even though i didn't have the best success, only a young 2 year old 3 point freezer filler, i know others who have seen better.. i feel that it would probably be a lot the same. thank you again for you comments.

 

[GoHigher]

I hunted Mt. Dutton once for cow elk in early October. I was shocked to only see a few does in an area that seemed to be perfect habitat for deer. Mt. Dutton is known for big bull elk, not so much for big muleys. I was hunting on the southern end of the unit.

Just my two cents...

 

[deerjunkie]

the whole mountain seems to be set up for a solid population of deer but it sounds like it just hasn't happened down there yet... very interesting to say the least...

 

[bugleb]

Hasn't happened yet???

The glory days for Dutton have come and gone already, decades ago.

The first time I set foot on Dutton was soon after it was first opened for elk hunting, buck in the 1970's it think, but it could have been in the 1980's. I parked at the bottom on the west side and rode my motorbike up to the high point on a road that comes up the west side and then down off the north side. That road doesn't ever get into the high country above the cliffs farther east. I hiked uphill from the high point on the road. It was way too long ago to remember the names of anything.

What I do remember is the shed deer antlers I found. Gigantic antlers were scattered everywhere, but they were all very, very old, and mostly rotted off to just stumps. They must have been dropped in the 1950's or 1960's. They were all big, as thick as my arms, and very impressive.

It must have been a deer hunter's heaven down there in the 1960's.

The first time I hunted deer there was 20 some odd years ago. We saw one mighty impressive super heavy non-typical buck, bigger than anything I have seen in 30 years of hunting Wyoming Region G, but couldn't get in bow range. But I have hunted Dutton a few times since and never seen a big buck there since that one. I saw a herd of over 100 head near the highway on the east side once during the rifle season. They were all does except one small two point.

The area obviously has great potential that isn't being realized.

 

[yak4fish]

I hunted Dutton last rifle season my brother shot a forked horn (2.5 miles from the trail head!)I passed on a tiny forked horn. That's all the bucks we saw in 7 days of hard hiking and glassing. Just not our year I'm sure there are bigger bucks just need to pass on the forked horns and keep looking for the bigger deer.

 

[deerjunkie]

thank you guys both for your reply. ever piece of info helps me out in decision. I do a free that the the Dutton has amazing potential. that is good to know YAk4fish about your experience too. i took a drive down there to see if i could see anything and didn't see to much. a couple does and one small two. on my way down i saw lots of deer near the base of monroe and near otter creek. beautiful deer country no doubt about it defiantly tons of potential

 

[deerjunkie]

i wish i could have been with you Bugle when you were finding all of those sheds. i feel like you are totally correct that the place has amazing potential.

 

[BeDawg]

Take a chance. If you don't, you will always wonder what if?