Pauns, vernon or book cliffs???

pauns08 · Jan 24, 2023

Ok I got to thinking at work tonight what unit and hunt I may want to apply for this year with 13 LE points. I think I've narrowed it down to 3 different units either the paunsagunt management archery tag, the Vernon muzzleloader tag, or the book cliffs archery or muzzleloader tag. I think I have a realistic chance to draw any of those hunts but also know that with point creep I could be a year or two away from any of them. I've been on the paunsagunt archery hunt with a tag once (shot a 180 buck) and with friends and family a half a dozen times, i hunted the Vernon muzzleloader last year with my wife (killed a 170 buck) and I've never set foot on the book cliffs. So what's anyone think of these options? Obviously I'll decide on my own what to apply for but I'd love to hear what others might do?

bucks · Jan 24, 2023

Hands down the Pauns.

legacy · Jan 24, 2023

Pauns would be a fun hunt for sure and you know the unit well. You know what you have with Vernon. IMO Vernon wouldn't be a bad option if you could drum up another 170"+ buck. Especially considering it's close to home.

Twobellyjake · Jan 24, 2023

I would recommend the Pauns. This is why. The Bookcliffs deer herd is a fourth of what is once was 10 years ago and it's become really tough to find that next level buck. The Vernon can product nice deer but doesn't have the quality of buck throughout the unit. Your best bet is the Pauns but might take you a few more years to draw.
I've got 16 now and have been trying to draw that tag for the past seven years and my odds are getting worse. All the guys with more points that haven't been applying for a hunt are jumping in the application pool. This is where the point creak is happening. Oh well, its what I would do if I were them. There is always a chance you'll draw with the random though.
Pauns Archery would be my choice.

pauns08 · Jan 24, 2023

Twobellyjake said:
I would recommend the Pauns. This is why. The Bookcliffs deer herd is a fourth of what is once was 10 years ago and it's become really tough to find that next level buck. The Vernon can product nice deer but doesn't have the quality of buck throughout the unit. Your best bet is the Pauns but might take you a few more years to draw.
I've got 16 now and have been trying to draw that tag for the past seven years and my odds are getting worse. All the guys with more points that haven't been applying for a hunt are jumping in the application pool. This is where the point creak is happening. Oh well, its what I would do if I were them. There is always a chance you'll draw with the random though.
Pauns Archery would be my choice.

That's basically what I'm leaning towards and you are spot on on my reason why but it would be the pauns management archery tag which should hopefully take 14ish points not the regular pauns archery tag that is up to roughly 20 points plus point creep. I've been putting in for the regular archery tag for the last 13 years but I don't think I'll ever draw it so I was looking for other options. I'm still trying to decide if i have a better chance at killing a 170-180" 4x3 on the pauns than I do a 170+ 4x4 on the Vernon or book cliffs?

legacy · Jan 24, 2023

I would say you'd have a better chance killing a 170-180 4X3 on the Pauns then you would a 170 on Vernon.

pauns08 · Jan 24, 2023

legacy said:
Pauns would be a fun hunt for sure and you know the unit well. You know what you have with Vernon. IMO Vernon wouldn't be a bad option if you could drum up another 170"+ buck. Especially considering it's close to home.

Vernon was tough in the areas I looked and I looked over alot of areas and only legitimately saw one buck over 180, for a LE unit I was kind of disappointed in the quality of deer I saw. I did see plenty of deer but not the size quality I thought I should for the amount of country I covered and for being a 15 point unit.

pauns08 · Jan 24, 2023

legacy said:
I would say you'd have a better chance killing a 170-180 4X3 on the Pauns then you would a 170 on Vernon.

I'm thinking the same thing I'm just not sure if I want a bow or a gun in my hands lol

Blank · Jan 24, 2023

Having hunted the Pauns last year, I would love to go down again, even with a management tag. I would not choose the smoke pole again tho, especially if I was just focusing on a big deer. That choice was based on my 24 points invested, and the chance to draw a tag as a NR.

Hunting archery while they were still grouped up, and the big ones hadn't split off would be amazing, they would be concentrated on the upper half of the unit, and the season is twice as long. That would be my first choice. Having a rifle that would reach out to another zip code would be second choice, but would still be amazing!!

Hawkeye · Jan 24, 2023

I love the Paunsaugunt but I would not be thrilled with a management tag. It would be fun to see the big bucks but you cannot hunt them with the management tag. Therefore, I would probably put in for the Vernon unit. You can always go camp for a weekend on the Paunsaugunt to take in the scenery and look for big bucks.

Hawkeye

Muley_73 · Jan 24, 2023

Pauns is a blast and one of my favorite places on earth...but are you really wanting to shoot a management but or a "big buck". If you are willing to put in time you can turn up a 180 plus and possibly bigger, on Vernon... Not sure you'll be chasing that class on the Pauns management.

pauns08 · Jan 24, 2023

Muley_73 said:
Pauns is a blast and one of my favorite places on earth...but are you really wanting to shoot a management but or a "big buck". If you are willing to put in time you can turn up a 180 plus and possibly bigger, on Vernon... Not sure you'll be chasing that class on the Pauns management.

You know the Vernon a lot better than I do, it was a struggle last year for us to kill my boys 170 buck, i feel like we got lucky as hell to kill it.

elkhunterUT · Jan 24, 2023

I agree with Hawkeye - I think the Paunsaugunt mgmt hunt would be more frustrating than anything for me personally. It is one of my favorite places on earth, but I would hate having to sort through all the big bucks to try and find a management buck (don't get me wrong, seeing those deer would be fun, but not so much with a tag in hand).

I wouldn't even consider the Book Cliffs based on how bad that unit has been struggling the past couple years, so I would say Vernon along with some serious scouting efforts to find the buck you are after.

JakeH · Jan 24, 2023

Out of the 3 no way I am doing a management hunt unless I already knew of something special that would qualify. I don't know the pauns or Vernon so can't really speak to them.

The bookcliffs has been in a struggle for quite a few years, but could be on a bit of an uptick in quality. Numbers are still low though so it's a crap shoot.

I sent you a PM.

Bigwiffy · Jan 25, 2023

Pauns management would be like a fat kid going into a cake shop and can only eat a carrot cake. I would do Vernon or the Books hands down, both kick out 180-200+ bucks every year. You would be able to hunt for the biggest buck, not the biggest management buck.

HORNhunter7 · Jan 25, 2023

Bigwiffy said:
Pauns management would be like a fat kid going into a cake shop and can only eat a carrot cake. I would do Vernon or the Books hands down, both kick out 180-200+ bucks every year. You would be able to hunt for the biggest buck, not the biggest management buck.

So you had to eat carrot cake in a cake shop when your were a kid and you never got over it?!?

Bigwiffy · Jan 25, 2023

HORNhunter7 said:
So you had to eat carrot cake in a cake shop when your were a kid and you never got over it?!?

I wanted all of them, and it was a week ago.

cannonball · Jan 26, 2023

Unless you're old like me add points and go for the Pauns. regular season. Management hunts are always a disappointment unless your going to run out of years. Just maybe the Wildlife Board will be brave enough come up with a partial solution to the point creep. It's there, but no one wants to be selective. Hunt every year, no chance for a draw or sit home for a few years for a limited entry draw.

elkassassin · Jan 27, 2023

Hey pauns!

Just Make it More Challenging & Hunt The Book Cliffs!

pauns08 · Jan 27, 2023

elkassassin said:
Hey pauns!

Just Make it More Challenging & Hunt The Book Cliffs!

You know I have never been to the book cliffs and I've always wanted to but everything I hear is that it's gone way downhill over the last 5-10 years so if I do anything but the pauns I might try my luck again on the Vernon

elkassassin · Jan 27, 2023

Smart Move!

pauns08 said:
You know I have never been to the book cliffs and I've always wanted to but everything I hear is that it's gone way downhill over the last 5-10 years so if I do anything but the pauns I might try my luck again on the Vernon

BrowningRage · Jan 27, 2023

If you like tan capes and velvet antlers, the answer is clear.

Muley_73 · Jan 27, 2023

BrowningRage said:
If you like tan capes and velvet antlers, the answer is clear.

Vernon Archery!

pauns08 · Jan 27, 2023

Muley_73 said:
Vernon Archery!

I ain't got big enough balls to try the Vernon archery lol

legacy · Jan 27, 2023

I had a Vernon archery tag clear back in 2000. It was a super fun hunt and It would be fun to do it again. The unit isn't what it was back then, but still a super fun hunt with the potential of a great deer.

legacy · Jan 27, 2023

pauns08 said:
I ain't got big enough balls to try the Vernon archery lol

I don't trust myself anywhere with a bow.

pauns08 · Jan 27, 2023

legacy said:
I had a Vernon archery tag clear back in 2000. It was a super fun hunt and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The unit isn't what it was back then, but still a super fun hunt with the potential of a great deer.

Did you kill a buck let's see it if so?

legacy · Jan 27, 2023

pauns08 said:
Did you kill a buck let's see it if so?

I chased a lot of big bucks around. And I missed a couple of bruisers. I ended up killing a little dinky 3 point on the last day. I was young and dumb. Now I'm just dumb. lol It was crazy fun though and had some really fun experiences there.