Founder’s 2023 Hunt Adventures

[Founder]

Finally, I’m getting my adventure thread going!! I sure hope more of you will participate, not sure I’ll have much to share.

This year I have a Wyoming deer tag and a Utah deer tag. My wife also has a Utah mid season bull tag. And my boy has a late season Utah rifle tag on the eastern border, but I’m not so sure he’ll be going.
Of course, I’ll probably waste some time on Tuesdays trying to get a Colorado reissue.

I really haven’t done much scouting this year. Spent some time on my wife’s elk unit, the Wasatch, exploring. Looked at a few bulls, but only a few.

As for Wyoming, I’m standing on a mountain now on my 3rd scouting trip. Hiked in in the dark in a down pour. Was soaked all morning hunkered down in tent. Fun ????

During my first couple scouting trips in Wyoming I looked at 50 bucks total. I’ll share video below.

Haven’t scouted Utah at all. I have a tag for a unit I’ve never hunted, but might do my first exploring with a gun in my hands. We’ll see.

Wyoming Scouting so far:

 

[Founder]

Back from a 3rd trip looking for bucks. I learned a lesson, check a better weather app than what’s on my phone.
I left home expecting a small chance of rain. Ha!!!! I ended walking in in the rain, setting up tent in the rain, a downpour throughout day and night, then fog. Everything soaked!!!
Two mornings and an evening, I looked at 11 bucks. Not a very good outing.

 

[Founder]

4th scouting trip done. 3 mornings and a couple evenings. 19 bucks total. No bucks that really excited me.
I sure wish I had some good stuff to share, but I just haven’t found it. I’ll keep after it though.

 

[Founder]

Oh, how things have changed……..

Finished up what I believe might be my last scouting trip. Maybe. A day and a half….12 bucks. Did the exact same trip last year and looked at 29 bucks. Crazy, I know.

In total this year I did 14 days and looked at 110 bucks. Didn’t find anything that really excites me much, but did find one my hunting buddy would be happy with and so we’re hoping he can score, then I’ll just have to hope for luck.

After seeing what I saw, I think the buck numbers are down 50%+. I originally wasn’t thinking it’d be that bad, but it is. It’s a big difference from what I’m used to seeing in Wyoming. Just a few years ago, I had one 3 day scouting trip where I saw 110 bucks. Took me 14 days to see that many this year.
It’s just different up there now. I hope it rebounds to what it once was, but how many places in the west have bounced back after big winter kills? Not many that I know of. I’m skeptical, but hoping for the best.

Here’s a little clip with my thoughts and a few bucks.