Book Cliffs Bison hunt info?

headbones

Active Member
Messages
196
My daughter drew a Nov.2019 Book cliffs bison cow hunt for this year. Hoping they will be reasonable to find before snow comes. Anyone out there have experience with this area and bison? Will be an adventure for us, she is excited.
 
Congrats on the tag!! My brother drew the same hunt. Maybe we'll see you down there. We are just starting our research as well.

Thanks ahead of time to any one willing to share their thoughts/experience.
 
Send me a pm or call me. My dad had that same tag last year. It was a fun hunt.

Kurt

435-650-1156
 
It is not a difficult hunt. My Mom had the tag year before last. I'd strongly recommend avoiding the opening weekend - everyone has the herds running in circles. With a cow tag the "big" one won't be gone by the second weekend. We tried the first five days of the hunt then went back on Thanksgiving and had the place to ourselves - had one down by 8:00 a.m.

PM me and I'll give you some specifics on locations.

The meat is great and I'd recommend you skin the whole thing out for a full sized rug.
 
Any tips on identifying cows vs. bulls. We will be practicing bison ID on some of the local herds I know of around close to home.
 
>Any tips on identifying cows vs.
>bulls. We will be practicing
>bison ID on some of
>the local herds I know
>of around close to home.
>


It's pretty easy to tell when you see them in person. Usually there isn't any question about what is a cow or what is a bull
 
We made it out there for some road scouting during the labor day weekend. We saw a few deer, way too many wild horses, antelope, and even a few bison. Was really dry, hope these recent rains help out. We actually were able to sneak up on a herd of bison to 75 yards before they spooked. Big beasts in big country. How many helpers do you think it will take to carry one of these critters to the truck?
77216img1192.jpg
 
It depends on how far the truck is and if it is uphill! It actually might be more important to have a few hands to help skin the beast than carry the beast.

Have fun, sounds like a blast.
 
It's always amazed me how people like to tune the animals up before the hunt even starts. Trying to stalk bison for fun did nothing more than remind them that humans are there and those humans are trying to kill them. ?Look, don't touch?.

@screaminseagull
 
So those that have hunted the Book Cliffs for cow bison does it matter if you go the opening weekend or wait until the 2nd weekend?
 
With a OIL tag in my pocket, I'd make sure I was there opening day. We killed ours last year the first hour, but they were all headed for cover as soon as the guns went off

@screaminseagull
 
Hey guys i sent out a couple pms? Wife has this tag in Nov also. Headbones maybe I will run into you down there.
 
My dad had the early cow tag and didn't tag out. All the buffalo were gone off winter ridge. We found them around the Pine Springs and Indian Ridge area. We had vehicle issues and had to cut the hunt short but I would not pass up these areas. Mile marker 12 on the East side of the road.
 
Ok thanks. Its getting close now. Getting excited and nervous about coordinating travel, camping and the small details etc etc. Will be fun regardless
 
>My daughter drew a Nov.2019 Book
>cliffs bison cow hunt for
>this year. Hoping they will
>be reasonable to find before
>snow comes. Anyone out there
>have experience with this area
>and bison? Will be an
>adventure for us, she is
>excited.

Bison Hunt Update: Nov. 6 2019

Bison Down!! Success for my 16 yr old daughter! Many thanks to all who gave advice and comments. Its always exciting to have a new experience and learn more about wild critters. Bison are big and definitely a true once in a lifetime trophy for free-range hunt opportunity on the Book Cliffs of Utah.

After many months of anticipation and one scouting trip to a place I had never been, my eyes were open to a whole new place with many wonders. My daughter was excited, but I think I was even more excited, being the guide and mentor.

We decided to hunt low near the Woods Canyon road. We showed up four days before opening of hunt to try locate bison, since reports found they were wary and hard to find with all the extra hunt pressure. That, they were. This was no road hunt! Some get lucky driving the roads, but we decided that was not our way. We wanted to get into the bison hideouts, and the thick pinion/juniper is where they were hiding.

Bison hunt eve, we spotted a small herd for a fleeting couple of minutes and decided to track them opening morning.

This is bison chip turd and circular track
66272tracknscat.jpg


Bison move, alot. After 8 hours of tracking them hill over hill, through the thick trees, the tracks were lost and we were exausted. Probably 5-6 miles later. After deciding to hike back to camp, which was closer than the truck, we saw some goofy horned, bearded critters staring at us through the trees at 50 yrds. Realizing it was bison, we were too late as they disappeared into the thick trees. Desperate for a shot, maybe through an opening in the trees, we came running into a hidden open valley and to our surprise, a herd of bison feeding about 400 yrds. Falling to the ground we waited 20 minutes for them to feed close enough for a perfect 109 yard shot!

My daughter, the one-shot-wonder, dropped a perfect cow bison! The coolest thing was sitting still after the shot and watching the bison's herd instinct, as they surrounded the dead cow and watched over her, nudging, licking, and pawing her for 10 minutes before we stood up, the last one to leave, turning back and checking its buddy one last time! My daughter was way excited, as the long day seemed over and as if we would never find the bison, it all changed just like that, and she killed a free-range Book Cliffs Bison!
79322bisonhorn.jpg


You definitely want help cutting one of these beasts up. We skinned hide for a rug, quartered and butchered meat off of carcass, taking liver, tounge.
24991abbisonsideways.jpg

70779abjustfullbison.jpg

70823crew.jpg


Get the bison skinned soon as possible so that meat will cool down!
794abscottskinning.jpg

80653skinkillsite.jpg


We finished just as the sun went down, about 300 lbs of meat plus hide and head at 150 lbs!
99626meattrees.jpg


We enjoyed tenderloin roasted on the grill and stayed a few days after exploring the surrounding canyons, watching rutting deer, wildhorses and enjoying company of few family and friends who helped out. Was an awesome hunt with my daughter who is becoming an accomplished huntress!

Fleshing the hide took me 8 hours, skull two hours to clean. Butchered meat my self took 12 hours from start to cleanup!
71988hidefleshing.jpg


Cheers, JW
 
Fantastic memory and experience with your daughter- congrats on a great trophy and family time!
 
Congratulations to you and your daughter on a great Book Cliffs bison.
A lot of work when you get one those on the ground
 
Great story and pics! congrats to daughter and thanks for sharing.

>>====Hostess Donettes Pro Staff=====>
 
My daughter drew a Nov.2019 Book cliffs bison cow hunt for this year. Hoping they will be reasonable to find before snow comes. Anyone out there have experience with this area and bison? Will be an adventure for us, she is excited.
Hey man just wondering if you had success , if so my wife drew cow bison this year 2022 any tips would be much appreciated!
 
Send me a message. My dad had this tag last year. 9:00 opening morning we were done
deerkiller

Seen your post in MM forum about your dads Book Cliffs Bison hunt. I have the tag this year. would you be willing to share info about the area, and his hunt?
With fuel prices what they are I want get as much info as I can to make the most of my scouting/ hunt trips!

Hope you don't mind me reaching out to you.

Thanks, Steve
 
If you are a nonres there sometimes are 0 tags issued in the high bonus pt pool. That means you virtually have 0 draw odds with max bonus pts. I’ve been. Complaining for years that the nonres draw deadline is before tag quotas are available. I’m pretty sure they are changing that this coming year.
 
If you are a nonres there sometimes are 0 tags issued in the high bonus pt pool. That means you virtually have 0 draw odds with max bonus pts. I’ve been. Complaining for years that the nonres draw deadline is before tag quotas are available. I’m pretty sure they are changing that this coming year.
That is scheduled to change for the 2023 season.
 
oh cool. I think I only have 8 points but only want a meat hunt. and yes, I'm a NR as well so doesn't sound like I have a chance anyways. Hopefully they do change it.
 
Send me a message. My dad had this tag last year. 9:00 opening morning we were done
I saw you had hunted bison in the books. I drew the cow tag this year. Have done lots of escouting, talked to the biologist and a couple previous tag holders but any advice you’d be willing to share would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom