Paunsaugunt

W

whipknot

Active Member
Messages
185
I had never even been on this unit before this year but drew a rifle tag and have spent a little time down there over the summer scouting and getting to know the unit. It is truly amazing country... breathtaking! I'd love to hear from anyone else with this tag or anyone spending time on the mountain. I can't wait for the hunt to start!


4ac29ab126bbe196.jpg
 
Enjoy the view you will be way below those cliffs hunting if you drew a rifle tag.
 
+1 If that's where you're scouting for your hunt you are wasting your time. Deer will be long gone and down low. Especially if we get the snow they promise tomorrow.
 
My wife has a tag. We expect to be down there. Hoping to find something good.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
 
get below the cliffs in mid way up the side of the a draw and glass the other side ......... you can see 40 deer an hour!
4a2c3c3419e430ad.jpg


rackmaster
 
I have a rifle tag too. I guess I'm a little confused. I've seen dozens of bucks this summer and even as recently as ten day's ago, they were all over the area west of Bryce Canyon. This was after the archery hunt and there were still lots of bucks, both on the creek and the ridges above the creek.

Should I be looking some place different. I has really getting pumped but now I'm wondering if I've just wasted the last 6 weeks.

Any different areas I should have been looking in, I can't even find a deer track down in the sandy desert area of the unit, even around the stock tanks.

DC
 
WHEN THE MIGRATION IS ON ITS ON!!
look for the road kill on 89 way east on Kanab
to sky rocket!
4a2c3c3419e430ad.jpg


rackmaster
 
I've heard it described as the pink cliffs (the highest elevations), the white cliffs (middle elevations) and the red cliffs (lowest elevations). For the rifle hunt the deer are generally at the white cliffs level and lower. By the first week in Nov they are generally starting to cross into Arizona.

I'd be happy to share a little more. Send me a PM.
 
They will start moving as soon as the first cold weather hits. My mom has a rifle tag, and we expect to be down east of Kanab maybe on the Arizona line (but in Utah) on the Buckskin. There are a few bucks that will hang high for a while longer but the hunt is two weeks later than normal this year and they should almost all be down in the sage brush. It should be an awesome hunt for any rifle hunter (I predict the best ever).

Dillon
 
Did I Draw - PM sent.

I agree with all of you guys, thanks for your replies. However, the deer and the scenery are much better up on the Pinks! I'm sure the deer will be way low this year for the rifle hunt... in fact, I'm hoping for it big time! Come on snow!!! Please chime in with any lower areas that you think will hold good deer. Thanks for the info!

Whipknot
 
As of the most recent weather report they weren't really receiving alot of moisture in that part of the state, but then again I don't live down there. It is suppose to be real cold. The weather station reports show that in Central Utah the current temps are in the upper twenties with snow.
 
Just so you guys know, the deer migrate every year the same time regardless of snow or rain. They started last week, and will be heading south during the first 3 weeks of October.

Snow or rainy weather may accelerate the bulk of the migration so more deer head south at once, but seriously, they are going south every day now.
 
Are there still deer hanging around the Utah side of the Buckskins from Dec. 5-16?
 
This thread is a great example of why I love MM. Thanks to all that have chimed in and for the PM's sent. You guys are great! I hope that we all have a few pictures to share after the memories are made!
 
Amen to that Whipknot.

Thanks for allowing me to jump on board with you. The information has certainly cleared up a lot of my confusion. Really looking forward to getting after it. For me the scouting is nearly as much fun as the shooting. AI guy only gets to move the trigger once but all the looking creates all the memories.

Maybe we should arrange a MM "HOWDY DO" at Houstons Monday night (or any other night) for all the MM guys and their families. Founder, your the man, pick a place an hour after dark one night, send out the word and lets have a real live toast to MULE DEER HUNTING, at it's finest.

There's a couple folks that sent me a PM I'd like to buy dinner for. Ya'll know who you are.

Keep the information coming guys, this is starting to get sporty.

DeLoss
 
My little guy has a tag for his first rifle hunt. I'm going to do my best to ruin him for life. It's going to be awesome. Grandma has a tag as well. Heading down next week to take a look at things and can hardly wait. See you all there!

Dub
 
My brother drew the Pauns rifle tag also. Our family has hunted it 6 times since 1992. We love the unit and I agree that this could be a good year for the rifles with the later season. I wish the best of luck to all the lucky 2009 Pauns rifle tag holders.

The weather is off to a great start with this early October cool down. The cool weather will help us a lot on the rifle hunt.

Get out your sand walkin shoes and track em out! I would also like to say that I appreciate Ryan Hatch and Travis Roundy both who live in the area of the Paunsaugunt and over the years have done a lot for the hunters in the area without compensation. Thanks guys!
 
Ryan and Travis indeed are true monster muleys icons..just don't watch his videos until your hunt is over it will ruin you!!
4a2c3c3419e430ad.jpg


rackmaster
 
2lumpy - I'd love to have the MM get together at Houston's. Good food, good company... sounds like a great time!
 
Ran down there this weekend. They were pouring off the top!!! Saw some good bucks, lots of deer, but nothing the wife will shoot....I don't think.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
 
Dang, I'm convinced I'm the worst hunter on this forum, I proved it again this weekend.

Got to Alton just as the sun was going down on Friday night. Wanted to check to see if everything was gone. Never found a single deer in the hay fields nor along the road south until I got to the Swapp Ranch gate. Had three younger bucks (two 4 bys and a 2 point) and a doe cross the road just south of the gate in the headlights.

Saturday morning was clear and warm. Stayed clear and nearly hot all day. I went south from the corrals on the Glendale bench just as the sun came up. Never saw a deer, went to the south end and glassed for two hours off the white cliffs, nothing. There were what appeared to be a fair number of fresh tracks (A day or 2 day old, hard to tell when the wind blows them in, my guess is most were made since last weeks rain.)

Just to fill in a few hours during mid day I drove out to Bald Knoll, found that a large sage field right next to the Knoll has been cultivated. What used to be a deer pasture is now bare. Wondered what the plans for the field are, no deer will be using that field this year. Course there's still a lot of cover on both sides of the field.

Worked my way east and north up to the private gates in Mill and Tennie Creek. Glassed the open areas I could find along the way. Finally saw 5 doe and one spike buck just south of the private property in Mill Creek. They were moving south.

Tracks in the sand, not huge numbers but clearly the deer movement is from north to south. No stunning news in that.

Took a nap for a couple hours on the Glendale/Cannonville Road and re-directed a foreign couple trying to get to Bryce Canyon in a blue Cadillac back to 89. Seems their Travel GPS had taken them on the "long, gravel road route". The Johnson Canyon route turned to washboard dirt on them. They weren't having a really good time then they came across me. I probably didn't look like someone they could trust, sleeping out in the middle of no-where, in the great American juniper grove. Got to thinking after they left, they were probably thinking it might be better to stay lost than wake me up.

Spent the early evening out on the Hog Spring/Crocodile Road. Checked out the springs, then glassed John R for an hour, until dark. Moon was so bright didn't need the head lamp to find the road.

There were tons of tracks east of John R but not many on the west side, or so it seemed.
Never say a single deer east of Johnson Canyon. Plenty of tracks but no deer moved out of the cedars as the sun set, at least from the vantage point I was watching from. They have to be there, ghosts don't leave tracks. There were absolutely no tracks on the springs ten days ago.

Sunday was a windy sucker. Temperature must have been 20 degrees cooler than Saturday. Spent the morning watching for deer south of Nephi Pasture in the red cliffs country. Deer tracks in abundance in some places not so many in others. The water tanks seemed to be the key factor again. The further I went from the water the fewer the tracks but there are deer that far south.

Saw a doe with two fawns in a huge basin of bitter brush and then a yearling two point and a small four by four at a water tank.

The wind got really strong about 11:00 AM and had to take cover under a cedar tree while a three minute hail squall went by. That stuff stings at 10 miles an hour. Decided it was time to call it a weekend and headed back. Blowing sand is not much fun at 20 miles an hour either.

Like I said, I felt total inept this weekend. This is not going to be a walk in the park for this fat old man. It goes back to my old belief, there are deer every where if you know where to look. The average guy, that doesn't know the specifics is going to need to get really lucky to find one of those world famous monster bucks on this year's rifle hunt. My hat goes of to the guys that make a living finding these bucks year in and year out. They earn every dime they get. It takes years of effort to know which ridges these deer make a living on, year after year.

Summer range, these deer are very visible and bold, the rut makes them photogenic, the rifle hunt ????ghosts make tracks.

I can tell the next three weeks are going to be an exercise in madness. Course, when your crazy you call this fun. Now I need to get the sand washed out from under my lids.

Pretty sad when this is the best you can do.
4ac9712e519c916e.jpg


Until next week.

DC
 
Whipknot,

I'm game. Doesn't need to be no formal RSVP thing, just a time, a date and a Muley Crazy hat (cus we most certainly are) so we can tell who's who. Could be the mak'ens of a good time but it's Founder's business, in as much as he'll be in the neighborhood I'd be reluctant to take the lead on a MM roll call.

DC
 
2lumpy,

Sounds like a tough weekend... but much better than work! Hopefully it will get better over the next couple of weeks. Good luck!
 
I hunted the muzz hunt on the Pauns a few years ago. We saw lots and lots of deer. We hunted mainly up Johnson canyon Nephi Pasture area. There are a lot of monsters on the unit. Not that easy to find during the day. Drive up the canyon and spot light the fields at night and you'll see some dandies. Make sure you have no guns in your truck. Find where they are and then hunt above those areas. You should kill a nice one. good luck.
 
That make sense 567. I guess I've never associated Johnson Canyon with Nephi Pasture, always figured the deer in Johnson Canyon were a long way from the Pasture but I'll get my maps out and see if I can associate the hay field with the surround public land. Some of these deer should be leaving those fields via a consistent route that might be a good place to set up and watch morning and evening.

Thanks for your suggestions, every added piece is helpful.

DC
 
Well...the twice a year slaughter has started. I was East of Kanab today and counted three fresh road kills, including a nice 4x4. It's common to get two or three deer ran over every night once the migration begins. And then again when the deer head North in the spring the same thing happens all over. I figure this accounts for at least one hundred Pauns deer per year. And that's just one stretch of highway. If you travel highway 89 between Kanab and Page, slow down. All of the blood stains, skid marks and crow piles amount to some expensive repairs and a sad ending for to many of the units deer. I wished there was a way to fix this issue. Good luck to all you tag holders. A little rain today and some cold weather. It should be one of the best Pauns hunts in a long time. We should see what the unit really has to offer.
 
Yeah the deer killed by cars is sad. In fact "one" of the biggest deer I have seen in the past 4 years was slayed over by an old lady in a Dodge Stratus. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!!! He was massive and he scored 218. A buck of a lifetime for anyone. I still loose sleep over that hog. Should be a great hunt this year though. Some nice bucks roaming the hills!
 
my buddy and i both have rifle tags and took a drive over croc last night just to see how many tracks were around. ended up seeing probably 30 deer including a really nice 3x4 and a 5x4 that was probably in ther 180-185 class. shapin up to be a good hunt. the deer are defenitly on the move.
 
My old man has been out scouting for my moms hunt almost every night and he says that there are a lot of 22-24 inch 4x4s, about anywhere on the unit. Should shape up to be a great rifle hunt, hopefully mom can hit what she shoots at. Come to think of if I don't think she has shot a gun in like ten years.

Dillon
 
So if Mrs. Founder misses,you gonna take the gun away & cause another scene like you did last year?

VJ
49ca8f1a4fbfdf37.jpg
 
It is gonna be good. I can confirm what your dad has seen. I did see one heavy 3x4 that was pushing 28. It is your duty as a son and hunter to encourage your mom to get to the range!!! Gotta give those bucks respect with a clean kill.

Go Aggies! Are you and your wife True Aggies (married style)-not many are, too much security and lights now:)!!

30-30
 
No my wife is not an Aggie, she is a BYU fan that graduated from Utah with two degrees in English and Philosophy! I am more of a Utes fan than her, but I like USU as a school. Their football team seems to struggle a lot.

Mom does need to get on the range and zero in her rifle however. She has been so busy teaching school and canning peaches that she has forgotten what is truly important.

I am not worried that she will hit or not, seeing as of how the water hole she will be sitting over is not a hundred yard shot even.

Dillon
 
thirty thirty you've got my interest now, what exactly is a "married style" True Aggie?
 
So... any last minute suggestions? My dad, boys and I are heading out there tomorrow. Sounds like the deer are on the move and it should be a good hunt. Good luck to everyone!
 
They (USU) has a stone in the shape of the letter "A" with a little platform on top. To become a regular "True Aggie" you and a partner kiss on top during a full moon Years ago it used to be in a more secluded area and so you could get away with a little more than a kiss if you know what I mean (married style). The "A" has since been moved to a more public place making it almost impossible to become a True Aggie married style. USU has made becoming a True Aggie a big event called True Aggie night. If you want to see 500 kids making-out at the stroke of midnight, then go to one. Your freshmen daughters are not as innocent as they seem!

30-30
 
Been there, done that. They even gave everyone who participated a laminated card, kind of like the school ID, to prove it. I have no idea where my card is.
 
This thread was a great help to me and I met some fantastic people through it. I love MM for that reason. I was able to head to the Pauns last Thursday with my two boys (11 & 8)and my dad.

Before setting up camp we decided to check out a water hole in the middle of nowhere just as 2lumpy rolled up on his 4-wheeler! Seriously... what are the odds? It was crazy meeting him there since he was camped about 15 miles away. We had a nice chat and shared information. 2lumpy is a fantastic guy and ended up taking a great buck... but I'll leave that story for him!

After not seeing deer where we thought we would, it took us all of the next day to decide where to camp and concentrate our efforts. Conch was off on vacation but had arranged for his brother Lynn to show us some spots that night. It was great to have Lynn ride along with us and share many years of experience on the unit. I can't thank Conch and Lynn enough.

On the opening we stayed down in the low country but didn't see many deer. I had some fun hikes with my boys, but we didn't see any good bucks. That night we set up near a water hole that we had scouted and a good buck came in right at dark. I could tell that he had a good frame, but just couldn't see exactly what he was in the fading light. There are so many screwy deer on that unit that even though my 11-yr-old kept telling me he was big enough... I didn't pull the trigger without knowing for sure. The next day I took my boys home so they could get back to school. They were crushed.

Monday (thanks to a great tip from 2lumpy) we headed back higher above the white cliffs and got into a ton of deer. I passed on a great 29", heavy and tall 3x3 main frame buck with matching cheaters that I probably should have shot at 150 yards. That night we went back to the same place but the word was definitely out as there were at least 30 trucks driving around that area and people walking on nearly every ridge. Those of you that were there (founder) know what I am talking about.

Tuesday we wanted to avoid the crowds and headed to the low country again. Up before light, hiked and glassed most of the day... no deer. However, we had scouted the area and I knew that there had been some good bucks there and felt that this was the end of their migration and that they would still be there. I built a little blind near where I had set up with my son on the opening as my dad was spotting from across the valley.

As I was glassing, I saw some birds fly out of a tree like they had been spooked. I kept watching that spot and a couple of minutes later I could see a nice buck poke his head out from under the tree. He looked left, looked right and then started trotting across a sage flat for the water. He made it about 75 yards across the flat at 225 yards before I pulled the trigger and ended my hunt.

I have to admit... there was some ground shrinkage on this buck. But as my Dad later said "when you quit getting excited at seeing a good buck, it's time to quit hunting". It was a great end to a fantastic week with family and friends. The buck is 28" wide and probably young... but a good typical 4-point is a rare thing on the Pauns.

It was fun to connect with my friend Tyler from Kanab and great to meet some new friends from MM. I especially want to thank my dad for spending the week with me. Some of my fondest memories of life were made with him in the hills! Here are some pictures from the hunt.

My two best huntin' buddies!
4ae0875f409196af.jpg


My oldest son as we set up the first night
4ae0879e423db62b.jpg


My Pauns buck
4ae0870d3d6ce2f4.jpg


4ae08809453ecb2e.jpg


4ae0883146958032.jpg


My Dad
4ae08868488f7575.jpg
 
That is a nice buck. Congrats!

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD
 
Sweet buck Whipknot, we only saw 3x4s for the first few days, but now my mom is getting into some better ones. Congrats!

Dillon
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-09 AT 08:27PM (MST)[p]Pictures are at the bottom of the post.

The best part of hunting for me is having family and friends enjoy the adventure, the harvest is always a bonus.

It took us six days to locate significant deer on the Paunsaugunt. Without the help of my three sons, (muley 73, muley75 and balz) two Grandsons, DeerBeDead, DidIDraw, conch, Bonej, Whipknot and my good friend and hunting buddy, Brine, it never would have happened. DeerbeDead kept us updated every other day as to the movement of these migrating deer and after 6 days of vigorous searching we located a concentration of bucks, right DeerbeDead said to check. DeerbeDead, your the man, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your help.

conch, I hope your trip to the east coast was a good one and want to thank you publically for your assistance as well, you truly went beyond any expectation in helping me with this hunt.

Whipknot, you started this thread on MM and I would never have gotten the advice I received if you hadn't allowed me to jump into the thread with you and get the help I got from the MM members. It blew me away when I came around that cedar tree and ran right into you and your family out in the middle of a million acres of j and p. I still marvel at how that happened.

After six days of scouting my sons finally located a concentration of bucks (where DeerBeDeer recommended we look). The next morning we found this buck just as the sun was lighting up the morning sky, the second day of the hunt. We had just passed a camp that was surrounded on all sides with as many as eight young bucks, some up to 24 inches wide, the occupants were in camp with the light in their travel trailer still on and the bucks were all feeding within a 100 yards or less. We headed up to the next ridge and found 6 more bucks feeding in a clearing in the cedars; this buck was one of the six.

I was able to get a pretty good look at him, got the range finder out to check the distance.

Misjudge everything!

I think I saw the acorn type of damage on his right side and figured he was really heavy (in the early morning light, it's my excuse). I didn't think he was all that wide but could see he was reasonably tall and at that moment of breathless logic I figured he was heavy and wide enough to be right near 180 inches. I don't know what I was picking up on the range finder but it read 172 yards and I figured I could handle that with a dead rest. Put the cross hairs right on his right shoulder and will I was thinking, "this gun is really steady and I'm ready to pull the trigger, it went off. Next think I know??.the deer is down.

Well?????.he has some mass (16 + inches) but I thought he was heavier. He has 25 inch main beams, (hadn't noticed that before I shot). I didn't see the acorns. He measures 29 inches wide (that shocked the daylight's out of me), I had misjudged his width. Truthfully I wasn?t really overly concerned over his width because I've always been more interested in mass, tine length and confirmation but I'll take width, now that he's on the ground. I really didn't think he was approaching the holy grail when I pulled the trigger. When the boys all congratulated me on such a long shot I argued that it was only 172 yards and they all grabbed the range finder and told me it was considerably further than that so I actually have no idea how long or short a shot it was, I only know I hit exactly where I was holding (for a change).

So all in all I didn't know that the hell I was doing when I pulled the trigger but I've always used the excuse of have better luck than good judgment and it worked out that way again this trip.

Now here was the tough part. We had just walked up to this deer and here comes one of my boys charging up the hill with a video he had taken 5 minutes earlier of a really heavy beamed 5 by 5 with a 4 or 5 inch cheater that he has located feeding in an opening right back down the road. We were all bummed but that's hunting and after looking this deer over for a while longer we all decided it was a darn good buck and we were really thrilled to have him on the ground.

The best part of the entire adventure was having my three sons and two Grandsons in camp and the help we got from the great folks from the MM forum. My sons each made tremendous sacrifices to participate in this hunt. One hauled his travel trailer over 500 miles and blew up his ATV engine, one drove over 2000 miles to help me find this deer and the third son drove over a 1000 miles and made sure my two grandson got to be right in middle of the action as it all came together. Not to mention the days off work each of them took to help me harvest this mule deer.

I have had my sons with me on nearly every hunt since before they were old enough to walk. We have had some of the wildest adventures and encounters you can image over the last 35 years and this was surely one of them. I feel so fortunate to have had them with me now, at considerable sacrifice on their part. Their only concern, since I drew this hunt at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, has been for me to get a trophy deer. They have worried about my success a hundred times more than I have over the last several months. I can't begin to tell you how much I love my family; they are absolutely the very best.

Lastly, I would especially want thank SFW for putting together the coalition that supports and sponsors the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo that made this tag possible. I've had plenty of negative things to say about the Utah DWR over the last 30 years and I have to admit that I'm not on their Christmas Card List but for making this program possible I would also like to thank the DWR for allowing these tags to be donated to the sportsmen that support the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo. Without the DWR's partnership this would have never been possible. I hope the DWR, the sportsmen, and Utah?s big game species all benefit from the revenue the Expo generates.

Don Peay you are making a difference. You are a five hundred pound gorilla when it comes to wanting the best for the future of public hunting and fishing. We don't always arrange on the process but we'll always agree on the end game. Thank you for your bulldog effort.

I hope I haven't left anyone out, it's been a wild ride and I appreciate everyone that has been involved.

Long live mule deer!

DC

4ae113db5bc68ccf.jpg

4ae114075cd78332.jpg


4ae114625f79340f.jpg


4ae1149260a95aa1.jpg


4ae114445e33beab.jpg
 
Lumpy I just wanted to say congratulation. And to show you how things go around, one of your sons Muley-73 has been GREAT on giving me a few ideas to get my yound son (Hunter--13) a chance at a buck.

So I thank you for raising some good kids that are willing to help someone else out like you were helped out!!!!

BearCat
 
Thanks for your kind words Bear, there are a lot of really good folks in the world. In spite of the occasional negative thread that comes out on these hunting forums. MM is an amazing mechanism for getting to know outstanding people with common interests and to share knowledge and information. I appreciate all Founder does to keep the forum between the ditches and provide us all these kinds of opportunities. I hope his wife brings home a monster this year.

Good luck to your son, never give up until the last light goes out, a lot of times it comes together at the last ray if your out there so it can happen.


DC
 
Congrats 2lumpy and you have helped me answer a question in my own mind. "I wounder how big of a buck they killed in that upper clear-cut?" Sunday morning, we came in after you and saw all the smaller bucks you mentioned around the trailer. I thought to myself, 'I wounder why someone would camp right in the middle of where the deer are??' We drove on and turned right, up the clearing you shot your deer. We were driving up the road when we heard you shoot. We could tell that you had killed a great buck through the spotting scope. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures. I just wish we would have seen the 5x6 your son filmed. We turned and headed out onto the main road and turned back toward the trailer and then took a turn to the right heading South on another small side road. We came over a little hill and there stood a nice 3x3 in the velvet and after looking at him for a bit, I had failed to see a nice 4x4 standin in frount of a tree that was left behind in the clear-cut. I looked him over and told Larry that he makes your 170" mark. He made a great shot with only 4 to 5 inches of his back showing above a rise at 135 yards. The buck went right down and and he put another in him to finish the buck off. I'm sure you heard the two shots. It's funny how this site makes it a small world for the passionate hunter. I agree with you on the SFW and other organizations (MDF, RMEF, NRA and the Turkey Fed.) that lobby and work so hard to protect our best intrests and help provide habitate for the animals we love to see and hunt in the wild.

The Buck scored 181" and was 27" wide. The deep tine length on each fork made this deer score well. He has two small extras on the drivers side. The deer has a big head and fat nose and his neck was thick. Larry was very happy with this deer! Thanks to Larry, for allowing my brother and I to share in his experience.

4ae1d43e4e68542f.jpg

4ae1e4c654026165.jpg

4ae1e8f27690e6ce.jpg
 
BHBISH,

The fact is, we did see you drive up the ridge and we heard you shot a few minutes later. Besides my own, ours were the only shots I heard on the unit this year.

When we came through the clearing that trailer was parked in we think we might have seen the buck you folks took. We could see a heavy beamed three by three south of the road and could tell he was with two other nice bucks but there was not quite enough light to get a good look and as many bucks as we were seeing at that moment and figuring we were the first vehicle up the hill, we decided to keep moving for a few more minutes, that's when we came across the deer I got.

I think Larry deer is a beautiful buck, it scores a few inches more than mine but they are so close they could be brothers. I'm guessing Whipknot's buck, Larry's and mine are all 4 year old deer. Young faces, just starting to get thicker boned and heavier beamed.

You know, it's hard to go to these trophy units once ever 10 to 12 years and pass on bucks that you'd like to leave to grow another 2 or 3 years so they could reach their growth potential. I would guess all three of these bucks would have become something really outstanding if we could have afforded to pass on them and look for a older animal but a guy can't even consider walking away from a buck this size knowing that it will be 10 to 12 years again before you get another opportunity. I will be 74 year's old in 12 years, no way I can pass on one of these youngsters.

I can completely understand outfitters who get to hunt this unit with clients year after year, wanting to let these 4 year olds get another year or two under their belt but for the do-it-yourself hunter that knows he may never get another change, we got to make the hard choice and pull the trigger. I'm glad I did.

Thanks a lot for filling in a few more gaps in our adventure. It's just a chuckle to be able to get on this forum and touch all these small details, it serves to sweeten a great experience that much more.

Congrads to you boys on you Pauns. buck, he's a dandy and ya'll should be real proud to display him for mule deer lovers to share.

Ain't it great!

DC
 
Deloss and to all, it is nice to read the good positive posts, great sportsmen helping each other.

SFW has invested a lot of funds from the Expo on deer projects recently, over came some major obstacles for more Bison and Bighorn Transplants.

Being invovled in these groups does make a significant positive difference for protecting wild places, wild things, and our family hunting heritage. This week i have gone to lunch with a couple of sportsmen who frankly wrote me a pretty nasty email about SFW, but they were passionate, and they wanted some questions answered.

AFter lunch, they joined SFW and asked how they can do more to solve the issues they care about.

Wildlife, private land, public land, resident, non residents, real estate development, oil and gas, highways, non hunters, anti-hunters, trophy hunters, recreation hunters, old guys, new guys, bows, archery, mz, elk and deer, cattle, sheep, cougars, coyotes, bears, it is a very complicated system.

I wished we had more time to meet with all the sportsmen. There are major issues we all agree on - making habitat better, fencing highways, doing water developments, solving problems with landowners, managing predators _ we may disagree on how many bears and lions - but in general terms.

So, we are working hard to have another GREAT Expo Feb. 11-14 in SLC. Thanks for coming Deloss, thanks for supporting conservaiotn for all these years, and good luck on your future projects.

Had there been an Expo started in 1970, with strong support year in and year out, i bet there would be lots more wildlfie than there is today, and as some posts have said, "man, compared to 20 years ago, there are a lot more opportunities for big game hunting in Utah.

It is becasue of sportsmen's PASSION that we have a chance to keep what we have. I hope we can get our deer back, and have some big bucks to dream about to.

don
 
DC & BHBISH - Those are both outstanding bucks. Congratulations! That was a great hunt and I'm glad that we were able to help each other out down there. I know that there were many that were/are having trouble locating deer on that unit. It was great to have support coming in from lots of sources.

Don - I would also like to thank you for what you are doing. Like DeLoss, I also drew my tag at last year's Expo. It provided a fantastic opportunity that I would not have had otherwise.

My oldest son sure was excited about this buck. Experiences like this really get the younger generations excited about spending time in the out of doors.

Thanks!

4ae26d9b7faa6d3d.jpg
 
some, in my opinion, erroneously think that opportunity is the key to recruiting and maintaing hunters. I believe this is totally wrong, especially for young hunters. They must have sucess - bringing someting home.

As we get older, we tend to enjoy the smell of aspen, the changing of the leaves, watching the critters. YOunsters need sucess - killing something.

an interesting note, we went up to our family cabin this weekend. When there were lots of deer and nice bucks in Provo Canyon, we all - lots of us looked forward to getting out the second weekend.

Today, there was NOT ONE hunter in Bunnells Fork of Provo Canyon, amazing. Lots of hunters the first weekend, they saw so few deer and so few bucks, nobody came back.

My 15 year old son took a nice buck in Wyoming earlier this year, had a GREAT hunt. Today, when faced with a marginal deer hunt, or ESPN colledge game day, he choose watching football.

so, that has got to be the key for Game and Fish personnel, who care about the future of hunting and conservation, abundant herds and flocks, and season dates to be sucesful.

thanks to all, we'll keep working hard to overcome the challanges

great to see all of your sucess and the sense of comradarie on MM.

don
 
My mom hunted hard the full hunt except for when she was sick and passed up a lot of what are now called management bucks. She took a management buck today, he last day, because she refuses to hunt on Sundays. I think the unit is going down hill quickly, there are a lot of bucks but they are all management bucks. I don't even care that my mom didn't get a monster ( she shot one of the only 4x4s she saw), because she really doesn't care, she went for the pepsi and oreo's. But if you have to wait 13+ years to get the tag only to see management bucks, then it is a waste of time.

Dillon
 
too bad it was a tough hunt dillon and you didnt get the monster you wanted. Thats why its called hunting. Just because you have a Henry mountain tag does not mean your going to shoot a 200 inch buck. They are there, you have to put in the time and luck has to be on your side. Just like the pauns. you can hunt hard and give it your all and you still might not come home with a trophy.
 
>too bad it was a tough
>hunt dillon and you didnt
>get the monster you wanted.
>Thats why its called hunting.
> Just because you have
>a Henry mountain tag does
>not mean your going to
>shoot a 200 inch buck.
> They are
>there, you have to put
>in the time and luck
>has to be on your
>side. Just
>like the pauns. you
>can hunt hard and give
>it your all and you
>still might not come home
>with a trophy.


+1! There's also a lot more to hunting than killing! I've come away empty or with smaller bucks on some of the most memorable hunts I've ever been on. Also had great times on hunts were I didn't even have a tag!
 
<dkpeay (336 posts)
Oct-24-09, 03:36 PM (MST)
59. "RE: Paunsaugunt"
some, in my opinion, erroneously think that opportunity is the key to recruiting and maintaing hunters. I believe this is totally wrong, especially for young hunters. They must have sucess - bringing someting home.>

Amen to that, and I believe it is more prevelent for the deer than elk. Nothing discourages a young hunter more than not see a buck deer during a season. With elk, a hunter learns where they are at and where they are not. On the other hand deer were more dispursed and could be located in more places. Now we are seeing a lot of empty holes that used to maintain a deer herd. Even on the Paunsaugunt there are several locations that use to hold deer that are void of hardly any deer now.

So what do we do from here? Watch the deer herd downward slide?
 
They need to cut the tags, there are way to many given on that unit. I was there the first year it opened, and to this day there is nothing like it used to be in this country.
 
DC

I'm sure the buck was one of the bucks you glassed early in the morning. It seems logical from where you saw them to where Larry killed him and also being with the velvet (heavey looking in low light) 3 point. It's true about the three deer looking a lot a like. All three deer are great 4 point deer. We did see another 170's 4x5 that got killed in another area we were hunting that had a lot of bucks. Lots of people too. That's why we hunted the clear cut that morning and not the other area. We talked about the samething, in regard to the buck having a few more years, he would have been a dandy! He had the two small extras and 5 or more little stickers that would have branched in the next year or two. But like you say, what's a man to do when you only have the tag ever 12 to 15 years?? It's hard to pass on a 180 buck. I'm happy you had a great hunt with your kids and grand kids. My wife and 12 year old son took two bucks (3x3 and 4x3) Friday and Saturday on the Southern open unit. They were so excited!!

Don, thanks for all you and SFW do for hunting in Utah and the surrounding states. SFW may not be loved by all, but the possitive things you have done, have been felt by all! I come to the Cedar City or Beaver and sometimes both banquets every year. Keep up the good work.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-01-09 AT 09:28PM (MST)[p]Hi D,
Just got back from Jacob's Lake. Spent a couple of day's with my son. He's guiding on Arizona 12a. Only got out Sat, evening and Sunday morning but very few bunches of does had rutting bucks yet. No sign of the rut starting yet above the Buckskin so I'm guessing it's been a rough go for the mz folks on the Pauns so far. This year could hold a bunch of those 4 year olds over for next year.

It's going to be interesting to see what hits the ground in the next few days.

DC
 
DC,

Thanks for the report. I have to admit... I'm a bit jealous that you get to spend so much time in the hills! I'm not too surprised that we haven't heard anything from the muzz hunters. I think the early cold snap then the extremely warm conditions messed things up a bit. Let us know how your son does on 12a. Hope you are well my friend!

Don
 
I saw a lot of deer and had a blast. The bucks were just all management bucks this year as far as I saw. I saw upward of 35 bucks while I was down there and my mom saw close to 100 over the course of the hunt. I grew up on the Pauns and guarantee you that the hay field by Mt. Carmel are going to be packed with monster bucks all winter if they are not already. There is a lot to hunting other than killing, but then again who likes to play a basketball game where no one scores, let alone watch it from the stands. I like to harvest, and I put in my time, and results come to me every years. I will not be putting in the pauns for a long time unless things change.

I want to see some management bucks on this forum...

Dillon
 
Boys and Girls, The glory days for this unit are over. With the rifle hunt as late as it is, the management hunt, and the new proposal of season changes, if adopted, we are going to see the Pauns go by the way of Elk Ridge.
 

Similar threads

Founder
Looking to trade intel on CO units 82/86 and 74
Replies
2
Views
677
dhoshauer
D
B
Late season muzz elk
Replies
6
Views
496
105Coues
105Coues
BrowningRage
Recommendation Gen Season Rifle Deer for family?
Replies
1
Views
422
BrowningRage
BrowningRage

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

D70C15F9-FB64-44D7-83BD-D5462AB38B18.png
Young Hunter's Monster Muleys
IMG_7424.jpeg
IMG_5115 copy copy.jpg
20160909_161128.jpg
7B5DEB73-963F-4183-A2E0-E6A711B8BCC0.jpeg
A33C9A40-204A-4F57-BC70-6CA4312BF54B.jpeg
IMG_20180414_222343_01~2.jpg
received_2036918646558319.jpeg
28F2FA71-4847-48B2-ABAB-432788FC34A3.png
167FD44F-F8DB-4803-8A61-140A7B9166FB.jpeg
Mule2022.jpg
Back
Top Bottom