Best General Season Rifle Unit in Utah???

BrowningRage · Apr 5, 2013

Hey guys, so now that the draw deadlines have passed, I wanted to get some ideas on where the best place to rifle hunt in Utah is, on one of the general season units. I have only ever hunted archery general season, so I do not have experience hunting rifle season. I figure if we talk about it now, this thread will be lost to most people come draw time next year, and it won't influence too many guys in their "putting in".

I'm also curious to know how many of you, if any of you, believe that the general season units will gradually become like LE units. For example, is there an area that it may start to take 5 preference points to draw..? And in a decade, maybe it will take 8 or 9 preference points to draw..?

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

SneakAttack · Apr 5, 2013

Hunt the borders of San Juan and Pauns. Hey now! That's a good idea!

jaswayne9 · Apr 5, 2013

guess it depends on what you mean by best? most of the southern units are fun to hunt, with mature bucks and some have decent numbers. same can be said for some of the central units. it takes two years now to draw a couple of those units, and if some get their wish, ya, in a few years it will take 5 or more pref points to draw, imo.

Broadside_Shot · Apr 5, 2013

Yes, I think some general units will become like Limited Entry units. When they become equal it will be proposed that we don't need Limited Entry and General, just make them all General and let the points govern. Then all of the Lifetime License holders will get to hunt the best units every year. I think that is the hidden Agenda behind Option 2.

As for the best I don't think any one has emerged yet but give it a couple more years and we will know

typicalfreak · Apr 5, 2013

They give out too many general tags to ever have limited entry quality on them or to have these general units be like limited entry... This wont happen. Utah doesnt have it in them to manage this way, their whole money makin business wouldnt work if this were so.

Limited and premium units have way less than half the number of tags issued for the number of bucks on the unit, where as general units have about 10 times the number of hunters per bucks on the unit.

Trix4me · Apr 5, 2013

I'm going to have to agree with you t-freak. If a particular unit starts to develop more and better bucks, I'm sure that the tag numbers will increase. Just like the units that went down hill this year will have fewer tags.

BLooDTRaCKeR · Apr 5, 2013

Whatever unit you get a tag in is a good general season unit anymore. Hows that for an answer? Make the best of your area chosen to hunt and enjoy being out.

Infoman · Apr 5, 2013

We all want a Big Deer right? The game departments dangle a carrot in front of our nose like the Pauns or Henrys so we keep feeding them our money. so while were at it we pay for a general pt.The general hunts get hammered but the pts creep will come. The game depts. are the making big money while most of us are just dreaming. If it was about having a good time we could go hike the parks.

Trix4me · Apr 5, 2013

Infoman · Apr 6, 2013

Sorry guys
I was up past my bed time last night. The southern unit is my choice. I just dont like hunting an area that gets pounded. I used to pack into the 50 mile when there was still one or two Toads in there. I think I killed the last one. I tried it again two years ago but they have become extinct.

BRUIN4L · Apr 6, 2013

>Sorry guys
>I was up past my bed
>time last night. The southern
>unit is my choice. I
>just dont like hunting an
>area that gets pounded. I
>used to pack into the
>50 mile when there was
>still one or two Toads
>in there. I think I
>killed the last one. I
>tried it again two years
>ago but they have become
>extinct.

Or you're not the hunter you once were!

Infoman · Apr 6, 2013

Thats true but I didnt see any people tracks

Sniper1 · Apr 7, 2013

So Browning Rage... all you ever have done is archery and your now going to a rifle hunt. That right there is your problem son. You want a big buck keep that bow of yours in hand and hunt out the back yard if you know what I mean

littlebighorn · Apr 8, 2013

The current 30 units are managed by buck/doe ratio. They have to reach 18/100 does before they will increase tag numbers. So if and when units reach those numbers, they will increase tag numbers. Most all of the LE units are managed for at least 25 bucks per 100 does, and some are well above that.
So IMO we will never get our 30 units to the level of the LE units.
I am a dedicated hunter, so I can hunt all seasons. By the time the rifle hunt rolls around the big bucks are so pressured they go almost totally nocturnal and stay in the deep timber. Some are still there, but they are hard to find and don't move much. I believe almost every unit still has a few smoker bucks left during the rifle hunt, but getting them in your cross-hairs is another matter.
I agree if you want a big buck, use your stick flipper!

jr8fish · Apr 8, 2013

Man...that was hilarious...stick flipper... that practically had me rolling on the floor laughing so hard... Thats exactly what it is!

travishunter3006 · Apr 8, 2013

IMO there are big quality bucks in every single unit.

Does being the best unit mean 'the easiest to hunt' or the 'one with the most big bucks'? or a combo of the two?

There are pros and cons to every unit. I like hunting the units that nobody else likes. I may never shoot a 200" buck but then again maybe I might???

hogg_65 · Apr 8, 2013

The best general unit is the one that the hunter knows the best. Can a guy go to a new unit and get lucky? Sure. I would stay were I know and like to hunt. IMO.

BrowningRage · Apr 9, 2013

Thanks for the responses guys... To be frank, I have loved huntin with my bow. I've had some close encounters with some good deer. (And I'd love to hunt in my back yard Sniper1

).

However, I am not now, and never have been a fan of shaggy summer capes, skinny bodies, or velvet too much. Also, hunting in the heat just doesn't feel like what hunting was when I was growing up. I want it to be cold, I want hard horns, and I want to use my gun... (It hasn't killed a deer since 2004)

As far as "Best" unit... I was just tryin to get some ideas. I'll probably end up hunting the same unit I have bow hunted for years and try and figure out where the deer move to during the rifle hunt...

Thanks again guys.

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24