Wasatch Front (Utah)

hunter1975 · Jun 29, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-05 AT 09:44AM (MST)[p]I have been planning to do some early season bowhunting on the wasatch front this year. One concern I have is that there are a lot of "anti hunters" around through the summer and early fall. I'm a little concerned about confrontations with these people that don't really care to see a guy in camo carrying a bow or a deer for that matter down the trail. Would they try to screw up your hunt? I know these trails are for everyone to use and the best way to access the high country and once you have the elevation you can get away from the bikers, hikers etc. Has anyone here hunted the wasatch front in late August or early Sept? Whats your overall experience been like?

Prism · Jun 29, 2005

I wouldn't worry about it, I've gotten some looks over the last 10 years, but never had a problem. Now some of the other hunters up there can be a pain! I haven't spent as much time in Big and Little the last three years, but I hear it's a zoo early. Used to be empty the first couple of weeks of the hunt.

I'll get some of you riled up and say that I don't think dedicated hunters should be allowed on the Wasatch

Elkslayer · Jun 29, 2005

That would be fine with me Prism! I'm o.k.with picking a weapon and sticking with it. Although, you play by the rules as they are now. It would be a great hunt with-out the dedicated hunters.
By the way, nice job on the video.
Alan

Prism · Jun 29, 2005

Alan,

Thanks about the DVD.

Glad to hear you agree with the dedicated hunter gig too. It gets swarmed by dedicated hunters at the end of the year. I'm not bagging on all dedicated hunters that hunt the front (used to be one of them), just think it would be a much better hunt w/o them. Not just for the hunting, but also the bad press the hunt gets.

If it was only allowed for the true archery only guys, you'd see a whole lot fewer hunters (and fewer hunters doing stupid things), and I believe the success rates would go up-which is what the DWR wants anyways.

I've spent a lot of great hours up there almost blowing chunks cause it's so steep, and seen some of the biggest deer of my life.

Wouldn't it be cool if the DWR gave out a handful of rifle tags? Won't happen, but it would be one neat hunt!

sneeky · Jun 29, 2005

The only place along the front I have run into anti's has been in City Creek Canyon. But that is so close to the Avenues what do you expect.
Todd

adamsoa · Jun 30, 2005

Never see them when I'm heading up the canyon. Once in a while you run into someone comming down but they have always been curtious.......Might help that I'm not a small person.

piranha · Jun 30, 2005

prism,
what the hell do you care if a dedicated hunter hunts up there or not? Do you stop and ask if they are?

predator · Jun 30, 2005

Let's see, if I'm a dedicated hunter I must be: unsuccessful most of the time, do stupid things most of the time, and wouldn't hunt it if it was archery only??? Isn't it archery only now?

Oh, and I did ask the NUMEROUS archers I saw doing those stupid; no wait COMPLETELY ILLEGAL things last year if they were DH's....and only about 1/3 of them were. The rest were those dedicated archery hunters.

I hate labels. I really do. Do some DH's take advantage of the program-absolutely. But geez, some of them (former DH's like yourself and me included) just want to hunt.

My guess is that if the rest of us who witness those stupid illegal acts actually take the time to do something about it than ##### and moan about it, those folks would go away after receiving a citation or two.

My 2,
Pred

Prism · Jun 30, 2005

Just my opinion that if the DWR wants more deer harvested and fewer problems on the front don't allow dedicated hunters.

Or better yet make it an unlimited draw, but if you draw it that's the only place you can hunt.

Just an opinion-doesn't mean I'm right or wrong. Good luck whacking one of the toads that calls the front home!

Biggest deer I ever shot at was up there during a draw hunt for muzzleloaders and archers about 12 years ago. I was just a kid, but looking back I bet he was pushing 220.

Like I said, never had any trouble with the huggers up there. Most of them were actually pretty cool about it.

SneakAttack · Jun 30, 2005

Sorry but I don't understand the complaint about dedicated hunters.

"Just my opinion that if the DWR wants more deer harvested and fewer problems on the front don't allow dedicated hunters."

How would less hunters result in a higher harvest? What problems to hunters in the dedicated program bring to the table?

Guys that are willing to only harvest two deer in three years are obviously in it for a quality experience. Therefore, willing to work harder to take the buck of their dreams. I'm dedicated, and I also hunt the Front. But not during the general archery season. I would rather spend my time archery hunting and scouting an area that I can hunt with a muzz, or centerfire. But I will return in late fall. Just wish I wouldn't have dropped the hammer small buck my first year in the program....picky, picky, this year.

'It's all about the gut pile'

cabinfever · Jun 30, 2005

Prism, I think I see where you are coming from on Dedicated Hunters hunting the front, however, I would say there are a lot more ethical hunters in the DH program than these monkeys you meet every year on the opener of the archery, who are sighting there bow in the night before the hunt, and than launching arrows at every buck they see and at every distance. I think since they went to a over the counter state wide archery tag, there are a lot of bows being put in unresponsible hands.

Just my two cents
Mike

Prism · Jun 30, 2005

Good luck to you all on the front this year.

I'll more than likely be chasing elk around the usual spots after the snow flies.

To the original post on the early hunt up there. I'd stay away during the weekends if you can. You can really have a lot of country to yourself during the weekdays and hunt the last of Sept. through Oct. Doesn't seem to get as much pressure when the other hunts are going on-muzzleloader and rifle. Not sure why though-hahahaha.

Good luck all!

www.neverenoughbiggame.com

PleaseDear · Jun 30, 2005

Every Year the UBA asks for input on proposals for the next year, it is brought up to have the W-F. be totally draw only.

Three sub units to draw from;

W-F south from I-80 Parleys to the south boundary

W-F center from Weber Canyon south to Parleys

W-F north from Weber canyon north to Sardine canyon

A combo bow tag for General elk/deer draw--Preference point if not drawn.... OR seperate by species.

AND MANDATORY Bow Ed. with the W-F ethics course.....

Nothing has ever come of it..........

Dedicated Hunters do a lot of work projects for all us hunters.

Robb

piranha · Jul 1, 2005

I guess anyone can have their own opinion, prism included. I guess for those that get skunked year after year and want someone to blame it on because they don't know how to shoot a bow, blame your failure on us Dedicated Hunters, because I shot mine last year down south and didn't have to hunt the Wasatch.

rutnbuck · Jul 2, 2005

Go Get em 1975
But tell ya what if ya run into anti's. And I doubt u will. Just ask them to try and look intelegent for the camera when u take their pics. Tell them that it is really hard for a anti hunter to look very good. Turn them in for harasement and walk away. I have hunted the WF for years and tell ya what there is not a better unit to consistantly produce great bucks. Or at least give u a look at them. Hunt high in the Rocky basins.
Rut

DaleJr8 · Jul 3, 2005

if you see a tree huggin, gay pride t-shirt wearing, granola bar eating, a i'm in PETA cause my ##### parents didnt give me enough god dam attention when i was little. you ignore them, just like their parents did. walk right on by, tip your hat and say nice day, most are smaller rather inadept humans that cant even wipe thier own ass.

wfm · Jul 3, 2005

Just hunt off the trails a little bit and dont try to piss people off who are hiking trying to enjoy the mountains as we are. I dont think we have to kiss there a##, but we need to get along to continue this great hunt we have. I think we as locals here in the Salt Lake area have a great hunt going on, so lets try and get along with our neighbors( hikers, bikers, pine cone eaters ) so this great hunt can continue for years to come. By the way my 2006 calendar of "Wasatch Front Muleys" will be available to purchase in August. My web page should be live soon, but I think Monster Muleys is going to carry it as well.

-Dustin

rutnbuck · Jul 4, 2005

Dustin
When u get your calender done let me know. e-mail me if u will.
Rut

piranha · Jul 5, 2005

I've hunted the tricanyon area for years and haven't had anyone make any smart $%# remarks, most of them are too chicken #$%% to say anything until they get around a group of their anti american, pot smoking, pine cone eating buddies. Just say hello and walk past briskly, that's what we have done and since you never initiate a conversation, rarely will they bring up their lesbian/gay beliefs.

hunter1975 · Jul 8, 2005

OK, So I go up to do some scouting on the front and I can't find the trailhead I'm looking for in the dark so I just keep driving. I find three pretty good bucks (22-25")right off the road with a couple of small ones along with some does. I finally find the trailhead at 7am and start hiking. At 8am, I see one doe and thats it for the next four hours glassing between 8500 and 10000 ft in all the peaks and bowls I can see. Do the deer really bed down that early or do the people scare the deer of those high elevation trails more the the vehicles do down lower? There are quite a few people now days hiking and riding bikes up there. Who knows I probably just walked past all the deer in the first few hundred yards!

Any ideas or opinions?

cowslayer · Jul 8, 2005

Keep looking. Like they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It's early yet on the WF.

CS

AspenAdventures · Jul 9, 2005

1975,

If you have already gone up the WF this year you no doubt ran into a lot of snow at 10,000 feet.

I too had the same problem with finding bucks at that elevation during the hunt. I have talked to a few reputable guys over the last few years that have done well on this hunt so I know they are there and they said the bucks were still feeding at 9 am. So the deer were there when I was looking but I never found them. Like the last guy said, we should probably have kept looking but we changed areas that year because we didn't see more than a few fork horned bucks. If we had stuck it out we would have eventually found some nice bucks.

A good video on the WF archery hunt is "FMP 360". It has archery hunts on the WF and these guys are very solid with a bow.

On a lighter note, maybe I should go back and look now that I have contacts for my eyes and I have traded up from my "trashco" spotting scope.