Frustrating first year Utah archery

[Wilderness_chick]

Well ladies and gents, this being my first year bow hunting Utah has been incredibly rough. Boot miles beyond imagine and Ive turned up one buck at 1000 yards.

Ive got the Ogden archery tag for deer and archery elk. I thought I had done my homework scouting and putting miles on, but man alive its been tough.
For you folks that have hunted archery in Utah up around the Ogden unit or into the extended, whats the deal with the area.

Moose galore, but not many deer and few elk. matter of a fact, i haven't seen a single elk. If you've got a Moose tag up here, I can point you in a good direction! I had a Big Big bull Moose at 45 yards on Sunday. Saw 5 Moose that day.

Ive scouted and hiked miles into the public land areas i thought would produce deer or elk. the terrane was right, had water and good cover. nothing.

I could use some pointers for the area if anyone would be willing to share experiences or places to flat out avoid. Ive so far ruled out several.. lol

I am glad to see I can shoot a doe during the extended for the meat, but why the wait. I could have filled my tag on a doe the second day but alas the wait.

I would prefer a buck to keep the doe's breeding, but understand we need the bucks to breed as well.

am I waisting my time hunting this early and should I wait for the later time in the extended? I haven't had the opportunity in the past to hunt later in the season with a bow or a rifle so this is all new to me. Usually my pervious tags in another state ended with bow in September and rifle mid October.

I can PM you where I have been that hasn't turned up any bucks and few doe's.

I have a GPS with land chip so I've been hitting off of that in scouting pretty hard.

any help is greatly appreciated. I'm not afraid to walk and i have a horse if needed. I don't own ATVs.

 

[fullthrottle]

Ogden is a decent unit with plenty of deer, you should be seeing numerous bucks a day. Hard to believe you've put in that much effort and only turned up 1 buck at 1000 yards. If you sit on any of the high peaks above Ogden and glass you will turn up bucks, don't know what else to say they are around. P.S. Shooting does is weak!

 

[fullthrottle]

Read my last post and it may have come off a little arrogant, if you are seeing moose galore it sounds like you need to be hunting higher. Muleys need very little water, they get most of what they need this time of year through their diet. Most the deer ecspecially bucks will favor the higher open basins, maybe try looking there. And if your just wanting the venison, doe's are very easy to come by come late November. Good luck.

 

[elkassassin]

You Don't Own ATV's!

You didn't take the 1,000 Yard Shot?

!!!

Some of these Spotted Fawns that were born at least a Month Late ain't gonna make it without their Mother!

Keep Hunting & Good Luck!




Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

 

[Wilderness_chick]

I appreciate the info. I'm not against shooting doe for venison because that's what we prefer to eat venison.
I've been taking my little girl with me. Spending quality mother-daughter time together is very important.
I may have been hunting too low in the public land.
Yeah I'm one of those old-fashioned hunters were I walk and don't Road hunt. In the other states of hunted I've always had good luck finding decent deer mid to lower on the mountains. It's sounding like Utah deer like to stay up higher.
You have to understand that sometimes it is hard learning to hunt a new state let alone a new area.
Maybe I could've made that thousand yard shot, with a good stiff breeze and aiming my bow straight up in the air ?

 

[jester]

lol bess...
plick!!
jester

 

[fullthrottle]

"Mother daughter time" that is rare and very cool. If you are still hunting come November I would be more than willing to point you in the direction of some very promising easy to access area's with lots of deer to chase around.

 

[elkassassin]

>lol bess...
>plick!!
>jester

Easy there SMACKDADDY!






Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

 

[jester]

just be glad ole bess that your ##### don't get in the way of your draw and release...
jester

 

[Wilderness_chick]

I appreciate that. She's my little buddy. I laugh everytime we come back empty she says she needs more 'buck steak'. ?
We will keep plugging at it!

 

[elkassassin]

>just be glad ole bess that
>your ##### don't get in
>the way of your draw
>and release...
>jester


Hey SMACKDADDY!

I Don't Think I'll Have that Problem anytime soon!

Did You Pop a Few Blue Pills & Found out it Hoyt?



Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

 

[Ticks N Tines]

As far as Elk hunting goes in the Ogden unit, I wouldn't expect much unless you have private property in the unit. The public land areas in the Ogden unit just don't hold many elk.

As far as deer, you need to get up as high as possible. Hike one of the many trailheads in the area and get up high on the peaks and glass big open basins. Make sure you are glassing at prime time, otherwise most of the deer will be bedded and hard to find in this heat.

I'm not sure if this is still a requirement, but they used to regulate the doe hunting North of Weber Canyon. So you would notbe allowed to take a doe until the extended hunt and you have to be South of Weber canyon. Lots of people think they can stick a doe on the Ogden extended, but it is seperate from the wasatch extended.

If you aren't seeing many bucks, take a break until the first part of November and then hit it hard until the end. You will see lots of bucks in November and they will be much lower on the mountain.

Good Luck

HJB

 

[Wilderness_chick]

I appreciate the information. I will definitely take another look at the regs to mak sure. Thanks for mentioning that.
I think I'm going to wait for some cooler weather. I've got 4 Antelope tags for Wyoming need filled & it opens in September. It's been an adjustment hunting this early.
Thank goodness for the extended season!

 

[Goldberg]

not 100% sure of my facts here, but believe the middle fork management area is in the ogden deer hunt boundaries. if not, my apologies. But- i have done a bit of wandering around in there, and although not this year, i have always seen deer in there this time of year, and not to far from the parking area. may be worth checking.
Good luck. bow hunting is 98% frustration, 1% WTF??? and 1% success. that last percent is variable, just depends on what you mean by success.

 

[smartbuy3274]

I have hunted this unit for the past 6 years during the extended hunt. Last year without the snow to even push the deer into the normal areas it was a little rough. only saw a spike and a 2 point. The deer are there though up high. I have a friend that does very well on that mountain every year, but he mostly hunts private land on the other side of the mountain to the east. I wish I had his in-laws. If we don't get much snow this year I don't think I will even go up there. If your not wanting to hike to the top of the mountain, sleep in a tent, and glass long and hard this time of year I think it will be tough. Good luck