Central Manti's or La Sal Elk

63Badger · Feb 3, 2020

Hi All!

I am looking at cashing in my 20 NR Elk Points and it looks like I could possibly draw the Manti's or La Sal Early Tag depending on point creep. I would be interested in hearing from some of you that have knowledge of either area and why you would or wouldn't want the tag. I will be retiring in May and will have some time to scout prior to the season.

My expectations of the hunt is to find a nice bull. I am not at all planning on a 400" bull but would hope that I could find one north of 300 with a little leg work. I don't have horses but I am in good physical condition and am willing to go where others won't.

Any pictures of bulls that have been harvested in either area would be great as well.

Thanks 63 Badger

Vanilla · Feb 3, 2020

Manti.

And yes, with some effort you should have plenty of chances at bulls bigger than 300”.

roadrunner · Feb 3, 2020

Manti's will have no issues giving you a 330" bull. The La Sal's may be a little more "tricky" but a solid 350" is very doable.

Either unit will give you a solid 300" bull.

63Badger · Feb 3, 2020

Vanilla said:
Manti.

And yes, with some effort you should have plenty of chances at bulls bigger than 300”.

Thank you for responding to my post. I appreciate your thoughts. I have been looking at the Manti’s for a couple of years now and have a few thoughts of where to begin so hopefully if I draw the tag I can find some elk!
63Badger

63Badger · Feb 3, 2020

roadrunner said:
Manti's will have no issues giving you a 330" bull. The La Sal's may be a little more "tricky" but a solid 350" is very doable.

Either unit will give you a solid 300" bull.

Thank you for the input Roadrunner! When you say “tricky” what do you mean? I am not as familiar with the LaSal’s as the Manti so just trying to learn more about it.
Thanks again! 63Badger

Hunt4more · Feb 3, 2020

20 years to hunt a north of 300”? You can go hunt a 300” + inch bull every year or two In Idaho or Wyoming or New Mexico. Did I miss something

63Badger · Feb 4, 2020

BeastN said:
20 years to hunt a north of 300”? You can go hunt a 300” + inch bull every year or two In Idaho or Wyoming or New Mexico. Did I miss something

I understand what you are saying and like everyone I would love to place a tag on a 375"- 400" bull but if at the end of the hunt I have covered the ground and put in my time and the best that I can find is a 300" bull or one with some great character that may not score even that well I will happily put my tag on it. Hunting for me is really about the whole experience with only a small portion of it about the inches. I am thinking that either of these units will fit that.

Vanilla · Feb 4, 2020

I like your style, Badger. I like it a lot!

63Badger · Feb 4, 2020

Vanilla said:
I like your style, Badger. I like it a lot!

Thanks!

goofyelk · Feb 4, 2020

Not even close.
Manti

Robiland · Feb 4, 2020

I would do the Manti like all the others have said. IT is a BIG unit. And with a big unit its hard to cover North and South ends and the middle. Hopefully with a little help from us residents, we can point you into the right direction. I spend time there. I have had 2 archery bull tags there. I love the place. For a non resident, I am always willing to help where I can. Because I am in those same shoes often, since I try and hunt other states when ever possible.

If you draw, dont hesitate to hit me up. Good luck in the draws.

elkmo41 · Feb 4, 2020

BeastN said:
20 years to hunt a north of 300”? You can go hunt a 300” + inch bull every year or two In Idaho or Wyoming or New Mexico. Did I miss something

ya, doubt he'll have a posse of 10.

63Badger · Feb 4, 2020

Robiland said:
I would do the Manti like all the others have said. IT is a BIG unit. And with a big unit its hard to cover North and South ends and the middle. Hopefully with a little help from us residents, we can point you into the right direction. I spend time there. I have had 2 archery bull tags there. I love the place. For a non resident, I am always willing to help where I can. Because I am in those same shoes often, since I try and hunt other states when ever possible.

If you draw, dont hesitate to hit me up. Good luck in the draws.

Thank you so much for offering to share your knowledge of the unit. If I am fortunate to draw I will certainly reach out to you. Likewise if I can ever help you out on an area you are looking at applying for I would be happy to share with you any information that I have collected.

Through the years I have been fortunate to be able to hunt Wyoming, Colorado and Montana all multiple times and all do it yourself hunts. Not all have went how I hoped but I have enjoyed everyone one of them and I can certainly relate to your comment on "loving the place" as I have a handful of them scattered around the west that just thinking about make me smile!

Thanks Again!---------63Badger

roadrunner · Feb 4, 2020

BeastN said:
20 years to hunt a north of 300”? You can go hunt a 300” + inch bull every year or two In Idaho or Wyoming or New Mexico. Did I miss something

Yep. Because as a NR with 20 points you're pretty much guaranteed the Manti tag, NM it's a crap-shoot every year. You may apply in NM every year until you die and never draw a tag.

Badger, by "tricky" I mean there are parcels of private where elk like to hang out and finding the bull you want may be a bust. Also a lot of people traffic as weel, but most people that go there seem to pull it off with a good bull.

FWIW, I'd go Manti.

63Badger · Feb 5, 2020

Thanks Roadrunner for the clarification. I thought it might be something like that. I have not researched the La Sal as much and have been leaning towards the Manti tag the last couple of years hoping that I could draw it this year. I guess will see!

I appreciate your input and that of all of those here on the MM site.

Thanks Again!---------63Badger

Rmhely · Feb 5, 2020

Badger: I drew a Manti-Central non-res tag last year with 19 points and really screwed up. Got anxious and killed a 330 bull early in the week. Within 30 seconds of the 330 bull hitting the ground, a 380 bull stepped out. I'd go Manti.

63Badger · Feb 5, 2020

Rmhely said:
Badger: I drew a Manti-Central non-res tag last year with 19 points and really screwed up. Got anxious and killed a 330 bull early in the week. Within 30 seconds of the 330 bull hitting the ground, a 380 bull stepped out. I'd go Manti.

Thank you Rmhely for the advice on being anxious. I am use to trying to shoot the first legal bull that I see and have taken a couple cows way too early. (I am already coaching myself to not even chamber a bullet until I am sure) I can't imagine how it felt when something like that happens but to be honest based on what I have harvested in the past I can only hope that at the end of the hunt I consider a 330" bull a screwup!

If I am lucky enough to draw I would love to talk to you more about your hunt. Curious of the rutting activity, if you camped or stayed somewhere ect.

Congratulations on what sounds like a great hunt and a super bull to boot!

63Badger

roadrunner · Feb 5, 2020

Hunted Manti late season in 2015 and knocked down a 320 bull. Saw a 380ish a couple days earlier as well so they are there and very realistic to get the bull you'd want.

Vanilla · Feb 5, 2020

My avatar is a Manti bull from 2015. I wish I had kill picks of it. He is much bigger than the 358 bull that ended up being killed. And the 358 bull was awesome!

hossblur · Feb 6, 2020

ATV traffic can be brutal. Sanpete is a huge ATV/Sxs mecca so be prepared for that. I grew up hunting there, still do. But it's huge. You can spend a lot of time travelling if you don't have a plan.

Last 5-6 years for whatever reason(Al Gore) the mtns have had big storms roll in towards end of that hunt, right before muzzy deer. 2 years ago it made travel virtually impossible up high. Might serve you to have a few lower elevation areas as well.

Their are roads from every town, and into most every basin. There is no rock in the road, it the nastiest black mud on the planet. It will turn your tires purple.

Sheep. Sheep generally come off the end of Sept. They start moving them about your hunt time to stage them. Each town has a "sheep trail", where they herd tgem down. Might want to know where those trails are and avoid later in your season.

Cows are in rotations that vary year to year, vs/BLM can tell you.

Sanpetes search and rescue are phenomenal. No one plans it, but be able to get a hold of them. Cell service is spotty.

First fish on Manti, first deer, first elk. I love the place. No doubt in my mind where I'm hunting if given the chance.

I'll be down a bunch this year, feel free to get a hold of me for info.

Rmhely · Feb 6, 2020

63Badger said:
Thank you Rmhely for the advice on being anxious. I am use to trying to shoot the first legal bull that I see and have taken a couple cows way too early. (I am already coaching myself to not even chamber a bullet until I am sure) I can't imagine how it felt when something like that happens but to be honest based on what I have harvested in the past I can only hope that at the end of the hunt I consider a 330" bull a screwup!

If I am lucky enough to draw I would love to talk to you more about your hunt. Curious of the rutting activity, if you camped or stayed somewhere ect.

Congratulations on what sounds like a great hunt and a super bull to boot!

63Badger

Contact me when you draw. I'll tell you what I know, and what I'd do different.

Rmhely · Feb 6, 2020

We dealt with sheep last year on the Manti. We planned to camp on the north end of the unit just south of the burn, but moved farther south to get away from the sheep. We could see and hear them when we went back in to haul my bull out.

Ringneks · Feb 6, 2020

I agree pick the Manti, here’s a couple of bulls from the Manti as is the one in my avatar. There’s also some forest service cabins up there you can reserve/rent if you do it early.

Muleman1 · Feb 6, 2020

Manti

Vanilla · Feb 6, 2020

Dang ringnecks. Well done! That big 5 is cool as the other side of the pillow.

Ringneks · Feb 6, 2020

Thanks vanilla, he’s not my bull, I helped a guy from Washington state with some spots and he turned up that stud bull, we saw him the year before the night before my buddy’s hunt opened but never found him again. I’d love to know more about that bull in your avatar via pm, we chased a similar bull in 2014 that I’m sure survived.

63Badger · Feb 7, 2020

hossblur said:
ATV traffic can be brutal. Sanpete is a huge ATV/Sxs mecca so be prepared for that. I grew up hunting there, still do. But it's huge. You can spend a lot of time travelling if you don't have a plan.

Last 5-6 years for whatever reason(Al Gore) the mtns have had big storms roll in towards end of that hunt, right before muzzy deer. 2 years ago it made travel virtually impossible up high. Might serve you to have a few lower elevation areas as well.

Their are roads from every town, and into most every basin. There is no rock in the road, it the nastiest black mud on the planet. It will turn your tires purple.

Sheep. Sheep generally come off the end of Sept. They start moving them about your hunt time to stage them. Each town has a "sheep trail", where they herd tgem down. Might want to know where those trails are and avoid later in your season.

Cows are in rotations that vary year to year, vs/BLM can tell you.

Sanpetes search and rescue are phenomenal. No one plans it, but be able to get a hold of them. Cell service is spotty.

First fish on Manti, first deer, first elk. I love the place. No doubt in my mind where I'm hunting if given the chance.

I'll be down a bunch this year, feel free to get a hold of me for info.

Hossblur, Thank you for all of the good advice. I really appreciate the information that you have provided. I would not have thought about them moving sheep or other livestock that time of the year but I will do some more research on that once I get things narrowed down a bit on where I'll be hunting. All of my research of the Manti has been by map, google earth and talking with others that have experience there. I am retiring in May and planning my first trip to physically walk and scout the area in early June. From that I hope to get a good idea of where I will be at in September. I certainly plan on coming several days prior to the season opener to scout more.

I have quite a bit of experience with the challenges of bad road conditions when wet in the Missouri Breaks in Montana and wondering how that would compare to the wet road conditions of the Manti's?
Really appreciate your post.

63Badger

63Badger · Feb 7, 2020

Rmhely said:
Contact me when you draw. I'll tell you what I know, and what I'd do different.

Thank You Rmhely! I will look forward to speaking with you and appreciate the offer.

63Badger · Feb 7, 2020

Ringneks said:
I agree pick the Manti, here’s a couple of bulls from the Manti as is the one in my avatar. There’s also some forest service cabins up there you can reserve/rent if you do it early.

The pictures are great!

I would be very happy with any of the Bulls that you have posted. The one Bull looks incredible to me even at a distance. What would you guess a bull like that to score? I have not had the opportunity to field score a lot of big bulls but I know he is surpassing my WOW/Expectation factor by quite a bit.

Also could you tell me where I might be able to learn more about Forest Service cabins? I'm assuming the National Forest Service office in that area? The Idea of having a cabin instead of my tent or the back of my truck sounds interesting.

Thank you for the suggestions and the pictures.

63Badger