Any Bull unit west of Nephi, did any one hunt it?

deadI · Oct 11, 2003

Just wondering if any one has hunted the Any Bull unit west of nephi, Utah. And if so did you do any good. I have herd rumors of one bull being shot. Not huge aprox 320-340 a good shooter. I have hunted deer all over out there, but have never ever seen an elk. My other question is what was the DWR reasoning for Turning this area into a Open bull unit. Are they trying to whipe the few elk that are out there off the face of the map?

DeadI

_droptine_ · Oct 11, 2003

It has been about 10 years or so since I have been out there. In the late 80's I was bowhunting out there when my buddy and I first saw elk in that area. It was quite the shock because at the time, that was one of the last things I expected to see out there. My buddy has since informed me that the DWR doesn't want the elk herd expanding out there so that is why they went to an any bull unit.

c3 · Oct 11, 2003

The idea of the West Desert unit was to eliminate the elk. Those were the words of one of the DWR folk at last years Central RAC meeting. They are causing all kinds of troubles on the vast amount of private land down west of Nephi. The combination of a Limited entry unit and all many private land owners made it an unmanageable situation according to the DWR.

I heard this morning that it was a slaughter out there. Many big bulls were supposedly taken. This info is purely second hand so take it with a grain of salt. I haven't seen any pics or actually talked to anyone who hunted it.

There was one very nice 6x6 taken out there on the youth hunt. The pictures of it were under a thread about that youth hunt a few weeks back. It is a *.bmp image and takes a long time do download but the youngster has a grin from ear to ear.

It is also open from Nov. 15th - Dec 31st as an extended archery unit. The conjecture is that all or many of the bulls have been killed and it could be a poor archery hunt.

I have video from two winters ago of 24 6x6 or better bulls from that and the Filmore-Oak Creek unit. There were definitly some nice ones in there.

I'd love to hear what really happened out there too.

Cheers,
Pete

love2hunt16 · Oct 12, 2003

I do not know why they put this into an any bull unit but one of my neighbors hunted it, without letting me know, of course. He was hunting with his cousins and his cousins kids there and he ended up shooting a huge 8x8. He just left my house with the antlers. I took a bunch of pictures and once they are developed I will for sure post them on here. This bull is big. The mass on the thing is unreal. The bull scores 347 because of the broken points on it, however he is having his taxidermist fix the points and with it being like that, the bull scores 375. So it's a really big bull. Will post the pictures soon.

love2hunt16
Tyler Hennessy

sirfilbert · Oct 13, 2003

Rumor has it that about 43 mature bulls were taken off this unit during the hunts. This info came from a buddy of mine that lives down in Payson. That's the scuttle butt. Also note that apparently, rumor also has it that a 14 year old girl took a possible 390ish bull off the unit during the youth hunt. According to the DWR during the Central RAC meeting last Nov., the reason for an any bull unit designation was to remove all traces of elk off the area due to the elk dining in the fields and to alleviate depredation payments to landowners. They, the DWR, thought the any bull unit and massacre was better than issuing the landowners some bull tags to sell, was a better option. I'll let you decide. I hate to see any herd massacred. Also, if I remember correctly, the herd size for this unit, according to the Elk Management Plan is supposed to be about 5 or 7 animals. Now the unit I am referring to is the Filmore Oak Creek North.

2_Point · Oct 13, 2003

The youth hunters definatley made the most of their Early tags on the unit. Many good bulls killed out there. That is what I have heard.

c3 · Oct 15, 2003

I just got off the phone with a guy from Levan. He said that 7 or 8 people from that town have killed large trophey sized 6x6 or better bulls on this unit. His suggestion was that close to 40 trophy 6x6 or better bulls have been killed out there this year. One of which is rumored to be 404 gross.

There are some people who are not very happy about it either.

Cheers,
Pete

MrBaitnFish · Oct 15, 2003

So is that herd completely wiped out now or is anything left?

TAGCHASER · Oct 15, 2003

Would Anyone be willing to give out information on were in the unit these elk are being harevested. I have a ML300 Tag and would love a crack at a branch antlered bull. I have taken many cows. However I continue to chase my limited entery bull tag here in utah. Any info would be awsome. Are they scattered through out the unit? How many elk are out there? Public or private? And after what I read is there even any bulls left?

eccut · Oct 17, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Oct-17-03 AT 12:04PM (MST)[p]Any deer hunters seeany bulls left out by Nephi, Levan, Eureka after elk season?

eccut · Oct 21, 2003

Come on someone must have some recent feedback!

eccut · Oct 24, 2003

Jake_Sorensen · Oct 31, 2003

I think it is rediculous to let a heard get massacred like that, why didn't they just try to move them to a different area some how?

fishon · Oct 31, 2003

I have a list of 48 people who killed bulls on that area. they have not shot out there inheritance. it will take 10 years to get back to where they were all because of the lds church fields that the dwr wouldnt fence. oh well 48 people had a once in a lifetime hunt.

BIGJOHNT · Nov 2, 2003

How do you come up with that number? My son shot a nice 6 by 6 bull on the youth hunt and my brotherin law shot a little 2 by 3 on the open bull hunt. So does this make your numbers go to 50 ?
John