Henrys Bison

hoss

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Just wondering how the hunts have been this year on the Henrys? I should be getting close to drawing a tag in the next couple years. Hows the success for bison been this year?
 
a few weeks ago I got a call from the DWR my son was an alternate for the upcoming cow hunt which started six days later. I said I'd take it but then thought about it for a minute and decided there is no way I'd be able to get ready in six days or less. I called them back and declined the tag. I wonder who took the tag and if they had a hard time getting rid of it that close to the season.
 
Well!

It Wasn't REDDOG That Turned It Back!

He Turns Them Back The Night Before Season with Just Minutes to do so!

Or At Least He Use To!



a few weeks ago I got a call from the DWR my son was an alternate for the upcoming cow hunt which started six days later. I said I'd take it but then thought about it for a minute and decided there is no way I'd be able to get ready in six days or less. I called them back and declined the tag. I wonder who took the tag and if they had a hard time getting rid of it that close to the season.
 
I have 25 nonres bison pts and still may be many years out from drawing a tag even though there are only a hand full of nonres in front of me. There are quite a few years that Utah doesn't offer any nonres high bonus pt pool tags in most units and seasons. It's also impossible to know whether they will offer 1 tag in the high bonus pt until after the nonres draw deadline. It seems wise to have an application deadline after seasons and tags are known or the option to change unit/season choices so nonres can figure out where they have a chance to draw a tag?
 
Hopefully the wild bison continue to prosper in Utah. It seems like every time bison numbers start increasing either an additional season is added or they cut tags after trapping and transplanting them to new areas. New seasons and new units are ok but they cut back to 0 tags that may have been available in the nonres pool with high bonus pts. Kind of a bummer for the few nonres that are left twiddling their thumbs with gobs of pts.

On a positive note, more seasons and units mean more opportunity for the few lucky tag holders that beat the odds in the general pool.
 
You all should thank SFW for buying grazing permits on the Henries and the Bookcliffs, they have been buying them up so that the herd size could be increased and started on the books.

The Henries could support more but the BLM and Forest Service won’t allow that due to carrying capacity. Right now the cattle on those ranges are the priority, if you want more buffalo then start buying up those grazing permits.
 
I have thanked them alot over the years for all the tags that are stolen out of the state draws! Those could of helped a bunch for the max point pools especially the Buffalo permits!!!
I probably would have already drawn a tag if it wasn't for the con show!
 
Was out there the week before Christmas and a crew had one
hung up on a front end loader, processing. Right next to the road.
Looked to be a pretty good bull.
Around or about the 12th.
That would be one of the management tags issued after the draw to cull out the bulls that really serve no purpose aside from being old and cranky. They usually sort out 5 or 6 each year to remove and the lucky hunter can have his pick. Those bulls are huge.
 
That would be one of the management tags issued after the draw to cull out the bulls that really serve no purpose aside from being old and cranky. They usually sort out 5 or 6 each year to remove and the lucky hunter can have his pick. Those bulls are huge.
If you're going to hold out 25 years for a bull tag, might as well kill a big old retired bull, right?
 
I drew a NR 1st season tag a few years ago with 14 points. I couldn’t believe how many people were there. Felt more like a race to the bulls than a hunt. Came down to who could run the fastest and not burn out before you got in range.

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Good for you guys with large amounts of points for buff,I have spent a lot of time down on the henrys looking at deer but have not seen many bison,In all of my time on the unit I have only seen 3 cows and one calf,I for sure do not know how to hunt bison,I do wish anyone that draws a tag in the future the best of luck.
 
My wife drew the December first season Bison cow tag last year for the Henry's. It was truly a hunt of a life time. Other years may have been different but this was my experience.

I had a preconceived notion that we would have a chance at a slam dunk killing a cow Bison near a road. Looking back, that is a laughable thought. By that time the Bison had been pressured so hard they were no where near a road.

Seemed like there were 5-7 SxS per every tag holder cruising the roads. After the first couple hours of opening morning, we quickly learned we needed to ditch the Nascar track and use our horses. We logged 60 miles on horse back over 3 days to get'r done.

The Henry's cow Bison hunts average something like a 60% success rate. If you are thinking about doing this hunt be prepared for a tough hunt.
 
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Back in 2008 my brother decided to dump his points on a Henry’s cow tag… if I remember right opening day of his hunt was also opening day of the rifle deer hunt that year…
This was right before everyone had a SXS’s and it had rained/snowed for two days before the opener… Opening morning came and for the most part everyone was stuck or helping someone get unstuck, it was quite a show… I had a 2002 Cummins all 4’s chained and off we went to get his cow… We had mud springs all to ourselves… we got his cow and used a chain fall to get her as high up a cedar as we could then backed my truck up as close as we could and 4 of us manhandled her into the bed… we were back at camp by noon drinking Coors while most everyone else was just starting to get around..,
Had it not been for the weather, that hunt would’ve been a complete sh!t show…
 
I am a NR and getting close to pulling some cow bison tags. Any suggestion as to what units to look at? I have 13 points.
 
I am a NR and getting close to pulling some cow bison tags. Any suggestion as to what units to look at? I have 13 points.
Given there are very few tags for NR for Buffalo.... and one bonus permit is given for Cow and 2 given for a Bulls... then 11 random draw tags

Book cliffs little creek roadless Cow a bonus permit was drawn with 22 points last year..... I would not say your close to drawing at all..... You will never be guaranteed to draw a tag

In all reality you got to be one lucky SOB to draw a NR buffalo tag in Utah. I wouldn't get my hopes up saying I'm close to draw one if I was you. But that's just me.

I was never going to be guaranteed a moose tag but I was one of the lucky SOB's for once in my life and drew one of those. So I guess with a lot of luck you may get a NR buffalo tag.
 
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Yes I checked, a few years ago it looked "better" it could vary from year to year and even a slight increase in tags could make a huge difference, especially in a couple years. Not may guys are going to burn over 15 points to hunt cow bison. I think it will take at least 3 more years.
 
Yes I checked, a few years ago it looked "better" it could vary from year to year and even a slight increase in tags could make a huge difference, especially in a couple years. Not may guys are going to burn over 15 points to hunt cow bison. I think it will take at least 3 more years.
Maybe you will get lucky and no one that puts in for the bull permits jump over to hunt a cow.... idk....
 
Just reading some of these posts, any updates on how hunter success has been down there, the seasons are winding down now, except for the archery which starts in a few days...
 

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