Is it Just me, or did Utah elk decline in Big bulls harvested?

[cantkillathing]

I havent seen many pics or heard many rumors this year of 400 inch bulls taken in utah this year. I heard of a couple 390 bulls on san juan but that is about it.

 

[notags2]

I have not seen or heard of very many big bulls being taken this year. Like I have said in the past with the spike hunting in the limited entry units and the late bull hunts the trophy quality is gone . I don't think we will see the huge bulls coming out of Utah like we did . Just my two cents but I got to experience an elk hunt in 2004 on the Dutton. Wow how I wish I could experience something like that again

 

[Maxxy]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-13-16 AT 04:42PM (MST)[p]I had the early Rifle Boulder tag. Scouted all summer, had 5(ish) 400+ bulls on Camera. 1 was harvested on the Archery (405)... I knew of 2 other 395+ on the Archery that were killed and also know of 3 or 4 on the Rifle that were taken. I think they were on the Mtn, but early rut, combined with 5 days of full moon, and 2 days of terrible weather really hurt on my hunt.

Declining??? Maybe a bit, but Im hoping it is cyclical and not because of the amount of spike and cow tags being given. Time will tell...

 

[Horsecorn]

Time is already here bud. What do you guys think all the cow and spike tags would do. It's just common sense. Jeeez

 

[elkassassin]

JUDAS cant!

Do You Remember any of what I've said for years?











[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]

 

[fordtruck1996]

Maxxy how did your hunt turn out? Shoot me a pm if you'd rather...

 

[cantkillathing]

Yes, Bess I recall you saying you love the spike and cow hunts...lol..

There was a time when the efforts of SFW went to try and increase the elk objective on the San Juan unit to have a 15% herd objective increase, but it didn't ever happen. Can you guess the group that was against the increase.......RMEF....thats right RMEF was against the increase. Something to do with ASpen regeneration efforts ect...,

There was a time in the state we had lots of elk, more than we were suppose too, wish we could get that objective increased now...

 

[crimedog]

The weather this year and full moon wrecked havoc on the hunt. There is some decline but the weather didn't help matters

 

[desertpointbrian]

>The weather this year and full
>moon wrecked havoc on the
>hunt. There is
>some decline but the weather
>didn't help matters


Weather is just an excuse in my book. The animals don't turn invisible cause of weather. You just gotta change your strategy and find them. Ok maybe it plays a small factor the mental defeat of not having ideal weather

 

[257Tony]

>I have not seen or heard
>of very many big bulls
>being taken this year. Like
>I have said in the
>past with the spike hunting
>in the limited entry units
>and the late bull hunts
>the trophy quality is gone
>. I don't think we
>will see the huge bulls
>coming out of Utah like
>we did . Just my
>two cents but I got
>to experience an elk hunt
>in 2004 on the Dutton.
>Wow how I wish I
>could experience something like that
>again

Look at the Bulls that came off Dutton just 2 years ago, both the Gov tag and the sportsman tag killed there. Both studs. There are still plenty of big bulls running around Utah.

 

[albubba]

When you cant see 30 yards in front of you because the clouds are socked in it becomes a factor.
The full moon and weather definitely played a factor on the rifle hunt this year.
It will be interesting to see the harvest reports.

 

[HorseCreek]

You get to hunt rutting bulls with a rifle. If you can't get it done with utahs prime dates I feel bad for you. No matter what the weather does. It's the same sob story every year with the rifle guys.


Traditional >>>------->

 

[albubba]

I don't recall any sobbing in this thread. I stated facts and I never did say I didn't get it done. Why is it always a rifle vs archery thing? All I pointed out was that it was tougher than shooting fish in a barrel.