Cache, Crawford Mountain

[dillon]

I was going over the Utah DWR 2010 Big Game Odds Report the other day I and I saw something that caught my eye. I am living in Logan and it is only about an hour to Crawford Mountain, but I have never been there. I know that you can hunt it with archery and during the rifle season, but the muzzleloader is limited entry. Crawford Mt. came in as the second most difficult limited entry muzzleloader hunt in the state with only 15 tags and 466 applicants. That is (1:31.1) draw odds. I also noticed that the hunt runs from November 20 through December 5.

Are there some monsters that cross over the border right there to winter?

Are there very many deer that stick around all year?

I am looking for somewhere closer to Logan to do archery so I don't have to drive to the Panguitch Lake unit every year.


Thanks,

Dillon

 

[Founder]

There are good bucks that winter out there, but I would doubt there are many resident deer, other than maybe a handful that live near the farm fields on the west side. Not a lot of water I don't think. There are other places in northern Utah that would probably be much better archery hunting.

The late muzzleloader hunt can be good if the deer show up early. Some do, others don't show up until after the hunt closes.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com

 

[onemoreridge]

+1 on what Founder said, there can be good deer if the snow in Wyoming drives them there. It can still be a tough hunt on the late muzzleloader.

You will struggle to see many deer earlier in the fall, it is more of a wintering ground for deer than anything, but you might run into the occasional resident buck. There will be other places closer to logan that will have more deer living there in September and October.

I saw my first 30" buck out there when I was 8. There was actually 4 of them in one group about 100 yards off the road laying in the sage brush. I will never forget that sight or that day.

 

[buglinbilly]

LAST EDITED ON May-11-10 AT 10:16AM (MST)[p]I was born and raised in Evanston, Wyoming and grew up through the "heydays" of the mule deer. I used to hunt the Wyoming side, (not that far from the Crawfords) back in the mid to late 50's and into the 60's before I moved to Utah. It was nothing in those days to see several hundred good bucks in a days hunt. Although I never hunted the Crawfords at that time, we drove right by the north end (through the cut) and would always see huge bucks all the way into Wyoming. In those days Wyoming?s season stayed open into November and the hunting was unreal.

In my early days bowhunting I passed up nice 30" buck deer at 20 yards because I owned so few arrows that I was afraid that if I missed I might loose my arrow and I couldn't afford to have that happen. In those days I knew I would have another opportunity later in the day if I just kept hunting.

I tell stories that few believe about the mule deer in southwestern Wyoming and that general area. Most of you, with the exception of the old timers, can not comprehend how many nice bucks were around in those days.

There were few deer, even in those days around the Crawfords early in the season, but once the snow started the migration many of the Wyoming summer deer ended up wintering on or in the vicinity of the Crawfords. I am sure its the same today as it was back then, minus the deer and the great bucks.

Like mentioned most of the resident deer spend most of their time on the west face and as they move into the hay field to feed and water late evening and then many exit at first light. Some just stay in the willows along the Bear River on the west side of the Crawfords.

Have a good one. BB

 

[cjg_beef]

In my opinion there are better places to hunt during the general hunts. Cache Valley usually produces a few big bucks a year. You just need to put some miles on your boots.


Workman Predator Calls Field Staff

 

[sharpstick]

My brother and his friend drew the Crawford ML tag last year after 14 years of applying. They hunted hard and were both after exceptional animals or nothing. The weather was warm and sunny, which is not what you want for that area so they ended up coming home with lots of memories but no bucks.

 

[woodruffhunter]

The General hunt is not that good and there are very few "resident" bucks.

The Crawford Mountain hunt IMO is way overrated. But, as other have said, weather permiting it can be a great hunt.

Keep in mind that there is a deer fence that runs from the Cokeville junction to Kemmerer. It was installed a few years back. JMO, but i think that this has had an impact on the deer migration.

The late hunt is for Wyoming deer that are wintering in Utardia.

 

[Salmonfg]

Apparently they were the only ones:
Crawford Mountain Muzzleloader
20 tags
20 hunters
18 harvested
6.9 days/hunter
88.2 % success

salmonfg

 

[Ticks N Tines]

lol
That Sucks!

 

[theox]

ive understand the reason its muzz le is if snow pushes the deer down they come from wyoming into utah. i dont beleive many deer are actual resident deer. winter in utah and summer in wyo. just what ive understood about the unit. have heard if the weather permits some dandies come outta there so its hit and miss on it.

 

[onemoreridge]

+1 on what woodruffhunter said about the deer fence, I work with a few guys from over there that their families have land and they have said since the fence was put up it has stopped a lot of deer from coming into Utah, they don't get near the #s that they used to.