SANPETE VALLEY EXTENDED ARCHERY

ELKOHOLIC · Dec 18, 2003

Are you looking to hunt this area? Well I wouldn't waste my time, it is a joke. Just about all of it is private and most of it is posted. Their are a couple of guys from this area who contacted the landowners and locked it all up "actually bought chains, and locks and locked up all the gates, even some gates that were on through roads that have been there for years". If you have enough money they proabably would give you permission to hunt "around 2500$. They are feeding the elk and have successfully drawn all the elk into their area. If you go out Pigeon Hollow road by spring city you can glass this the area were they are feeding them. I personally have seen as many as 100 cows and over thirty bulls in this area. This hunt was set up to keep the elk off the highway and to provide opportunity for people to hunt big bulls. It has been the policy of the DWR to not feed!!! the elk but it looks like their hands are tied on this. It saddens me that that this hunt has turned out like this. I know of a couple of young hunters that say they are not going to hunt any more because of the way this hunt turned out. Our youth is our future we should provide them with opportunity, not lock them out. Are we destroying our hunting heritage by alowing this to happen? It is my belief that hunting should be for everyone to enjoy not just for the rich.

Tuffbucker · Dec 18, 2003

I haven't heard too much about this hunt, but so far what Ive been hearing sucks!! I have access to land down that way and Im glad that they arent greedy suckers and would never charge someone $2500 to hunt their land.

So is this an open bull hunt or is it still spike only???

trailboss · Dec 18, 2003

If any are interested in knowing who has totally ruined a great opportunity for archery hunters you can thank Ryan Anderson. But if you are interested in participating in this STATE OF UTAH hunting opportunity, all you need to do is write a check for $2500.00 to him.

spotit1st · Dec 18, 2003

I agree don't waste your time or money on gas, I have spent 2 weekends out in this new extended area and drove the entire boundary. I would estimate that about 2% of it is not posted, and thats being genourous.

Im going to go to a RAC. meeting and let them have it about this feeding the elk program, so they can get RICH joke. If you can get pictures or video of them doing this, send it to the DWR. I believe in helping the DWR keep our big game off roads and Farmers fields but I refuse to help the DWR let somebody make money off of a hunt thats not benifiting the purpose of this hunt.

catmando · Dec 19, 2003

Because somebody is smart enough and has enough drive to make something happen you label them. How many elk have they taken??? One!!!!

Find out all of the details before you start running your mouths. If he hadn't tied up some of the land do you think for one minute that all of the land owners would just let everbody hunt for free. Wake up!!!

I don't see any bad mouthing about some of the land owners who did the same thing.

Oh ya, show me where it is illegal to feed on private property.

As a final parting shot, we won't have to worry about it next year will we.

c3 · Dec 20, 2003

No not all landowners would have let people hunt, but some of them would have. It seems to be the nature of hunting these days though. Offer up enough cash and most will sign right on.

Even many of the locals have been locked out and are not happy about it. The point of this hunt was not so much to keep elk off of the roads, but to keep from having to pay depredation fees to the landowners.

It seems that the hunt is serving it's purpose perfectly. If a land owner wants to ##### about the elk on their land they can either let hunters take the elk or they can get paid by a few to compesate them for the elk being there. Either way the DWR doesn't have to pay them anymore.

Feeding is not illegal at all, but it is not in the spirit of what most of us call "elk hunting".

We will have to worry about it next year. If you look at the 2004 proc. this hunt is still listed.

http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/proclamations/2004_biggame/xx.html

What were you saying about running at the mouth?

Cheers,
Pete

ride_red · Dec 20, 2003

When I first read about some of this I wasn't sure if it was exactly true or if it was exagerated. But yesterday I met this guy and we started talking about hunting and tags etc. He excitedly started telling me about a late season archery elk hunt he is doing. He paid tresspass fees of ONLY $2500 to have a chance at a nice 6X6 bull. (Oh man, I know where this is going - I thought to myself.) He continues to tell me "how awesome it is because the farmer has blinds set up for him and the best part is that he is feeding the elk!" And then to make himself feel better he said "but the elk don't come in every day and we have to stay in the blind past dark so we don't disturb any animals that might be in the area."

Sound like a tough hunt - NOT! I couldn't believe he was sitting there admitting (bragging) about this to me. But to this guy it was the real thing. His chance at a bull.

Oh well. The point of my post was not to rip on this guy but just to confirm that it really is happening.

trailboss · Dec 21, 2003

Nobody said it was illegal to feed the elk!. Try to stay with us feller, The point was, with the feeding and the blinds it is more like a canned hunt. Do I need to explain "canned" for you too? As for next year, you do realize it is a two year proclamation, and it is supposed to happen next year. Infact the landowners signed a 2 year lease. The landowners I think are starting top realize they could have made the same money by not signing, and getting small amounts from a lot of hunters. My understanding is, in the contract some of the owners don't get anything unless elk are killed on their land but with the feeding of the elk they are being killed on the same land. So some of the landowners aren't real happy. As for only killing one elk, trust me they have killed a lot more than that. Now that you know the facts you can run your mouth. I am pretty sure we will be seeing your mouth again. THANKS

Tuffbucker · Dec 22, 2003

Okay, I some help here please.

Can someone explain to me the exact boundries of this hunt. Is this a draw hunt, I take it that it an open bull hunt, etc. I have access to some property down in the Fariview/Mt. Pleasant Area that has some pretty big bulls on it. I know for a fact that the landowner has NOT signed any leases and is not charging trespass fees for his property. Sure he has his land posted, but his son lives down there and keeps and eye on the property. HEck, all you would have to give the son is a twelve pack of beer, a pack of cigarettes, and maybe an elk roast or two if you got one, and he'd let anyone hunt. If this hunt is going on next year, I might as well put in for it and if I draw, I guess I'd have a pretty decent chance at taking a bull.

ride_red · Dec 22, 2003

Tuffbucker,
Check the proclamation for the exact boundaries - I am not sure of them. However, this is not a draw hunt. All you need is an over the counter archery elk tag and an extended permit.