Cache North Archery Limited Entry

[Huntelk]

Well, I've done it now. Drew a limited entry archery tag for the Cache North area (hunt 302) literally by mistake. Having said that, I am looking for any advice on this area. I hunted the Franklin basin in Idaho years ago as a youngster, but now I'm 55. Seems like the hills are a little steeper these days, but I can still hike with the young guys (if they don't mind waiting!!) I would appreciate any advice/guidance on the area. Definitely not looking for your honey hole; you earned that place and deserve to keep it quiet.

 

[10000plusft]

I love this area. My uncle drew a south Cache rifle ELk tag. Franklin Basin holds some elk but I never seen any big ones come out of there. If I was you I'd try up by Swan flats area.

 

[liecabucks]

I know this area fairly well and could help you out if you would like. I will be going on some trail rides to get my horses in shape in that area in the next couple of months. Your welcome to tag along

 

[Ticks N Tines]

Unless you got some good PMs and great guys helping you, I would turn the tag back in.
That unit is hard to hunt for Archery. Last year the success rate was 15%. Out of the 15 tags issued, only 2 hunters killed bulls and the average age of the ones killed was 3 years old.

just my opinion, but there are definitely bulls all over and big bulls too. I think you just need to know where to go and how to get them big boys in range.
Good Luck whatever you do

 

[Longbow6360]

I beleive I can help! North Cache is my old stomping grounds. My buddy drew a tag three years ago and killed a 411 bull there. He hiked into this canyon and scouted all through the bow season and into the rifle. He said they were thick in there during the bowhunt but he didn't have a bow tag. He knows where the springs are and most of the trails.
I'll see him when I go to work tonight and get as much from his as I can.

 

[apollosmith]

411? On the North Cache? I've never heard of this bull. Details? Pics?

 

[Ticks N Tines]

Good point.
There's not too many bulls over 400 that don't get noticed. I think we need some pics of this bad boy.

 

[liecabucks]

I never seen this bull or a picture of it but that was the word a couple years back. I think if I remember right it was 06 or 07? The rumor was it had been killed up bunchgrass.....but who knows

 

[grizzly]

There was a 400 bull killed up bunchgrass in about 05 with a rifle.

I know a guy from Logan who bought a tag at an auction to get that one bull. He put the bull to bed planning to find the herd the next morning. Well as the sun came up, he shot at the biggest bull in the herd. Turns out, he shot too early and killed a brush bull that was standing with the cows. The big bull was separated, but the hunter couldn't tell in his scope that early in the dawn.

Another hunter got the 400 bull that afternoon.

I laugh every time I think about it.

Grizzly

 

[eyecrazy]

I know of a 415 shot on private land in clarkston last year I even seen the pics great bull you can email me if you would like more info on lease holder

 

[UGAhunter]

There was a 400+ bull taken up there during the rifle season a few years back...I saw the antlers at the BOC banquet.

The north cache is a rough hunt. Several friends have eaten rifle tag soup up there recently. Good luck.

 

[tageater]

I have to say i hunt that area too. For deer(elk and elk hunters just get in my way =) ) but i've seen enough 350 bulls to think that if a hunter was to put ANY effort into scouting, and with a LE tag why wouldn't you, the number could go up.

It wont be an easy hunt, so if you're not looking to work your arse off, maybe turning the tag in now(so next on the list can get some scouting time)would be the next option.

I'll be up there this week scouting, should i see anything, i'll fire you a PM!




http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/User_files/48696fc97cd60c01.jpg

 

[apollosmith]

These claims of 400+ bulls are worthless without pics!

 

[UGAhunter]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-09 AT 01:12PM (MST)[p]Here he is:

 

[Ticks N Tines]

That one was shot like 10 years ago, it's on Kings outdoor world.
The one in question was shot just recently (2-3 years), where is that one???

 

[apollosmith]

The Winward bull above was taken opening morning in 2004. He goes 402 1/8 gross, 389 1/8 net. A nice pic of the bull on the hoof at http://www.kingsoutdoorworld.com/167/2006-bull-elk-august/

But this bull is NOT the bunchgrass or the Clarkston bull mentioned above. I know the guy with the conservation tag was after the Clarkston bull last year, but I heard it skipped the border to Idaho and that he ended up getting a 360ish bull. I didn't hear of anybody else catching up to him and know of almost all the bulls that were shot last year. So...

 

[Ticks N Tines]

Here's one I found, not sure about score.

 

[Bucks4brains]

The Clarkston Bull from last year was not a 400 class bull, like it was mentioned he was in the 360s, a nice bull never the less, the other bull probably would not have gone 400" niether.

My daughter had a muzzel loader tag up there last year, she had opertunities @ small bulls and missed a herd bull that was in the 330 range, it was a great time hunting with her but we eat tag soup, IT IS A VERY TOUGH ARCHERY HUNT WITH LOW SUCCESS RATES LIKE BEFORE MENTIONED.

With that said I applyed and drew with 2 points only becouse the odds were great and I love to Archery hunt, not becouse its a great unit.

I will help any that I can without jepardizing my own hunt. I will send you a PM.

 

[Longbow6360]

The pictures are on the web somewhere. I tried to google Louis Windward and nothing came up. The pics are on some other hunting site. When I go to work Tuesday, I'll ask him where they are. I talked to him a bit last week and he said there are other big bulls up there and he would be willing to help out with some info. I'll get the skinny and help you out. Chuck.

 

[weatherby25]

Ahhhh the wonderful North Cache unit. The BEST unit in the state. I had that wonderful archery tag last year. I hope that in about 10 years I will have it again. I have none people for the last 5 years to have tags up there. I also know and am helping 2 guys with the tags this year up there. I spent a lot of time scouting last year found many bulls NONE over 400. I saw trail cam pics of the "cottonwood bull" it might have been 400 but no one put that bull on the ground unless it turned out to be travis bull. Now as far as the archery hunt goes. I put in the time and effort and came home with out a bull. Still the best hunt I have ever done. I know there was one guy who took a good bull from close to me in the steep canyon area opening morning ( still have not seen the pics or the bull) and I heard one other archery took a small bull but other then that none got any thing. AS far as my scouting goes this year. I have found lots of bulls in diffrent areas then I did last year. I am thinking the weather has a lot to do with it.

Listen to appllo he knows what he is talking about.

The pic of the elk in the snow was taken 10+ years ago and the bull was taken low in bunchgrass during a early rifle hunt. I used to live next door to him and have seen that bull up close.

 

[HUNTER231]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-07-09 AT 04:15PM (MST)[p]2008 clarkston

2008 clarkston

And neither one of these bulls score 400

 

[REDDOG]

is that Mark Thompson with the first clarkston bull ?

 

[smokin_joe]

Yes thats thompson and that is a great bull

 

[apollosmith]

I'd heard about Thompson's bull, but had never seen pictures. Thanks for posting them up. AMAZING fronts!

From the elk I've seen thus far, it could be another great year for elk on the N. Cache. Good luck all!

 

[weatherby25]

Could be??? It is !!!!

 

[hhunter23]

i hunt with marks boy and that bull he shot in clarkston last year scored 378 and some change. i was standing there when they took that picture in front of his business the day he killed him. dandy bull





"Shoot Strait"

 

[tmbr_hntr]

So why is this archery hunt so bad? Low elk numbers, terrain, private property etc...

 

[apollosmith]

Nasty terrain, thick/steep country, limited motorized access, and dang smart elk are part of it. There are quite a few elk on the unit, but they are just wily and hard to get onto. They get a ton of pressure all summer and fall (spike, cow, general deer, etc. hunts), rarely respond to calls, start and finish the rut in what seems like the same day, and just have a tendency to be difficult to find, let alone get into shooting range.

The Cache is beautiful and it's a fun, challenging hunt, but the numbers show that your odds are pretty long if you want to get a bull, let alone a good bull, on the archery (or any other) hunt. With that said, there have been some great bulls taken over the years on a unit that is relatively easy to draw.

 

[Ticks N Tines]

So what ever happened to the guy who started this post??? Did he get a bull? Anybody know?

 

[tmbr_hntr]

When you say limited motorized access, are there road closures in there or is it wilderness? Asking cuz I like to bike in 5-10 miles to hunt.

 

[apollosmith]

There are few roads and where many of the elk are is wilderness. There are quite a few trails and your bike would work outside the wilderness. For the most part, if you split the Bear River range down the middle at the highest point, the west side is wilderness and the east side is not. So Logan Canyon, Tony Grove, and Franklin Basin areas are generally OK for your bike (though there are few roads) and the west side (above Logan, Hyde Park, Smithfield, Richmond) is non-motorized (and even fewer roads). Most of the Wellsvilles are wilderness and above Clarkston is all private. A good map of the wilderness at http://www.sangres.com/utah/wilderness/mount-naomi.htm