Finding yourself and youre wife in NO MANS LAND

notrace

Active Member
Messages
284
Well once again we are om the verge of starting are applications here in Utah for most likely the unsuccessful text that will come slowly afterwards.

I've been putting in for San Juan elk and once again will be doing so with 25 points.

My wife will be applying for Henry mountains deer with 22 points.

As you can see we have found both of us in no man's land as we are not at max points so won't be in the max pool and just in limbo land with high hopes and low expectations.

My question is if you had these points would you change units or stay the course!!!
 
I guess it depends on your age and situation. If you are still healthy then keep chasing your dream. If the clock is ticking you have the points for a great hunt now. I do not consider 25/22 points no mans land. I have 14/15 for most everything, I live smack dab in the middle of no mans land.
 
Really depends on what you are looking for. If San Juan has some mystique or sentimental ties for you and you are only open to hunting with a rifle, then by all means stay the course at 25 points.

If you are open to killing a big bull on other units, I would look at the following for both muzzleloader and rifle and see if your odds are better to draw this next fall and and go hunt:

Boulder
Beaver
Pahvant
Mt Dutton

All of these units will give you a very reasonable chance at a 350"+ bull if you scout and hunt hard (or hire a guide) and in my opinion, the muzzy hunt is a better hunt than the rifle hunt typically.

I was in your same boat in 2020 trying to draw Boulder muzzy and kept getting squashed by point creep and higher point holders jumping over. I finally decided to hunt a different unit, drew the tag in 2020 and killed a great bull and had an amazing experience.

My feeling is hunt now as you never know what tomorrow might bring!! Good luck with whatever you decide on! (y)
 
Lol thanks for the reply

It's kinda funny I am 50 years young so that means that I've been putting in for half my life .

I feel bad for most people as I atleast have a shot at the tag but most starting do not.

Sadly I remember when they was shooting a lot of 380+ bulls on many of the units so I got excited about the opportunity of a 400 class bull and started applying yet those days are slowly going away and I honestly wish I could trade my elk points for deer points as im sure I will be hard pressed to pass on a 350 bull now and I've shot 330 class bulls already but I've never broke that 180 plus mark on a buck.

I'm in average shape for a fat guy but I get around good and don't mind hiking but I've got a cousin that would put me to shame that's the same age so maybe I'm not as good of shape as I think!!! Lol ?

Any other ideas would be great.

Thanks again !!
 
Well, it depends on what you are waiting for.? If you're waiting to hunt a particular unit, then there is no way you'll feel good about jumping.

However, if you're waiting for a bigger scoring bull or buck, I say draw the best unit you can, right now. There's no guarantee you'll kill a bigger bull or a bigger buck. And there's no guarantee you or your wife will be around 'next season' if you don't draw.

And I'm not sure if any deer or elk hunt is worth a lifetime of waiting...
 
Well once again we are om the verge of starting are applications here in Utah for most likely the unsuccessful text that will come slowly afterwards.

I've been putting in for San Juan elk and once again will be doing so with 25 points.

My wife will be applying for Henry mountains deer with 22 points.

As you can see we have found both of us in no man's land as we are not at max points so won't be in the max pool and just in limbo land with high hopes and low expectations.

My question is if you had these points would you change units or stay the course!!!
Stay the course This is your year
 
Id say your odds for a Rifle tag are excellent!. I believe if you applied for the muzzy tag you would be 100%. These muzzleloader are basically rifles anyway... go for it.
 
Why put in for a hunt for 25 years when it was good 25 years ago? But I guess for my sake, keep putting in for that unit. It’s one less that I have to compete with lol.
 
As long as you draw that San Juan, and let Bess know you did, keep putting in for that.


I can't imagine waiting 25yrs, or 22. By now I'd have been done with my Manti, Wasatch, nebo hunt, and finishing the wait.

As for the Mrs, if reports from the Henries are true, I'd change
 
As long as you draw that San Juan, and let Bess know you did, keep putting in for that.


I can't imagine waiting 25yrs, or 22. By now I'd have been done with my Manti, Wasatch, nebo hunt, and finishing the wait.

As for the Mrs, if reports from the Henries are true, I'd change
For me I think it’s turned into “let me see how many years I can put in for a UT elk tag without drawing one!? LOL!
 
I didn't hear of any monsters coming from the SJ this year. Every bull of any size seemed to be tied up and surrounded by outfitters. Lots of 330-350 bulls out there but few monsters, so if you are happy with that then keep applying.
The same is true with the Henry's deer.
I think Utah's trophy unit "hay day" has come and gone for now with just about every species. Too much pressure on big animals. That seems to be a pattern everywhere and I'm pretty sure hunting social media and forums don't help.
There are still good hunts out there if you have the right attitude and expectations. I'd say just keep putting in and when you draw, go plan on having fun, regardless of the outcome.
 
I didn't hear of any monsters coming from the SJ this year. Every bull of any size seemed to be tied up and surrounded by outfitters. Lots of 330-350 bulls out there but few monsters, so if you are happy with that then keep applying.
The same is true with the Henry's deer.
I think Utah's trophy unit "hay day" has come and gone for now with just about every species. Too much pressure on big animals. That seems to be a pattern everywhere and I'm pretty sure hunting social media and forums don't help.
There are still good hunts out there if you have the right attitude and expectations. I'd say just keep putting in and when you draw, go plan on having fun, regardless of the outcome.
This is exactly we really need to push for some extreme regulations for guides and their high school minions. It is literally ruining other peoples hunts.
 
This is exactly we really need to push for some extreme regulations for guides and their high school minions. It is literally ruining other peoples hunts.
I don't blame outfitters. The rest of us "other's people's hunts" can also go out with a dozen friends and relatives and do the same thing. So in my opinion, no amount of "extreme regulation" is going to change human nature. Ultimately we are all to blame. We love these animals to death...literally.
 
I don't blame outfitters. The rest of us "other's people's hunts" can also go out with a dozen friends and relatives and do the same thing. So in my opinion, no amount of "extreme regulation" is going to change human nature. Ultimately we are all to blame. We love these animals to death...literally.
I know you have used outfitters in the past, so your reply is expected.
I don't begrudge outfitters from making a living but when they get to the point that they are out of control like they are now something has to give. You know as well as I do that the all-mighty dollar will cause outfitters to do whatever they have to do, including screwing another hunter, to get their clients the biggest buck possible.
I have had three "good" Utah tags in my life. Two of those I had issues with outfitters. On My Pronghorn hunt a Cowboy hat wearing Dips#it tried to block a road with a truck and some high school minions and then proceeded to threaten me when I went around. Luckily, I knew the law and was not one bit intimidated by him and basically told his to stuff it up his arse. The DWR came and had a talk with him and made him remove the truck. Three days later I killed the 89" buck that was in the area.
On The Pausaugunt I was told I better not hunt a particular area by a guide that lives in the area. He got the same speech as the other Dips#it.
So Ya, Something needs to be done to reign them in.
 
I know you have used outfitters in the past, so your reply is expected.
I don't begrudge outfitters from making a living but when they get to the point that they are out of control like they are now something has to give. You know as well as I do that the all-mighty dollar will cause outfitters to do whatever they have to do, including screwing another hunter, to get their clients the biggest buck possible.
I have had three "good" Utah tags in my life. Two of those I had issues with outfitters. On My Pronghorn hunt a Cowboy hat wearing Dips#it tried to block a road with a truck and some high school minions and then proceeded to threaten me when I went around. Luckily, I knew the law and was not one bit intimidated by him and basically told his to stuff it up his arse. The DWR came and had a talk with him and made him remove the truck. Three days later I killed the 89" buck that was in the area.
On The Pausaugunt I was told I better not hunt a particular area by a guide that lives in the area. He got the same speech as the other Dips#it.
So Ya, Something needs to be done to reign them in.
Hey Elk. It sounds like you have good reason to be upset with the experiences you have had and I can totally understand your feelings about that kind of "outfitter behavior". I don't wish those experiences on anyone, especially when they have a limited entry tag in their pocket.
From my experience, a jasshonk is a jasshonk, whether he has an outfitter title or he's just another posse of "dips#its" in the unit you have a tag in.
You are right. I have engaged two different outfitters. Both demonstrated total respectful/ethical behavior including walking away from trophies that another hunter appeared to have an eye on. Neither outfitted for the money, so I hate that they get painted with that broad brush.
On the other hand I have experienced "Joe Blow" hunters who thought they owned the mountain and acted like you just described.
I'm with you. I'd love to legislate against stupid , but I'm afraid we would have to "reign in" everyone in order to be totally effective.
(killer muzzy bull on your avatar!)
 
I finally have the points for the NR Paunsagunt archery deer tag (26) but my 4Runner just fried a motor and I’m too cheap to invest in the used car market fiasco going on right now to replace it. Like lighting $10-15k on fire. What a joke.
 
I don't blame outfitters. The rest of us "other's people's hunts" can also go out with a dozen friends and relatives and do the same thing. So in my opinion, no amount of "extreme regulation" is going to change human nature. Ultimately we are all to blame. We love these animals to death...literally.
The Utah model of bringing an entire football team on every tag has definitely had an impact.
 
I finally have the points for the NR Paunsagunt archery deer tag (26) but my 4Runner just fried a motor and I’m too cheap to invest in the used car market fiasco going on right now to replace it. Like lighting $10-15k on fire. What a joke.
Lets combine points and we can take my rig (y) :)

Sorry to hear about your vehicle, but I would still go for the tag. There are many options to make it work and time is always working against you. With 26 points, it is time to git'r done!!
 
elkhunterUT,
I’ve drawn many great hunts while saving these. And it began after drawing a Book Cliff elk tag with no points first appl. pre-SFW of course. I’ve also not been looking forward to the bounty hunters I expect to see there. Heard some putrid stories of their behavior on these primo hunts. Hell back in 97 I had no less than 7 tracking my bull, two glassing me from 2 miles away across the canyon as I made my final stalk! Who knows how bad it is in the Pauns?
 

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