January cow elk, southwest desert, northwest part.

[neb]

We have some cow tags for late Januaty in this unit. Will be going up for 5 days next week to scout Nevada antelope across the line and make some runs into the Utah side to learn the country and roads some. Any suggestions on camping areas, gas, etc. I'm assuming some elk cross from the Great Basin that time of year to winter. We hunted cows by Ely 2 years ago and had a lot of snow and cold.
ThanksNB

 

[ruger1022]

The closest gas station would be in Garrison, but it's really expensive. I would suggest filling up on your way and taking extra with you. Take an extra spare, chains, etc. It can be super cold and snowy that time of year. You can basically camp anywhere in the unit, you won't have a hard time finding a spot.

 

[deadibob]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-19 AT 00:42AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-19 AT 00:41?AM (MST)

Garrison or Milford is the closest place for gas, food & hotel. My kids had three cow elk tags this past January and the elk can be scarce after several months of being hunted. By then the best thing is to hope for fresh snow. One of my sons has a Pronghorn muzzy hunt there this year and I have a December cow tag as well.

I love the unit and have hunted it many times in the past. Several Pronghorn tags, One Archery any bull tag, and quite a few cow tags. On my Archery bull elk hunt which was clear back in '99 I shot a big pig up by Mountain Home. Not a pig of a bull but a domestic white/pink pig. It weighed a couple hundred pounds. The story from the locals was that years before one of the property owners there had pigs that escaped. I'm pretty sure the one I killed was the last one left.

Good luck and pm me if you have questions. Sharp rocks there. I've had more blowouts there than all other places combined. One trip we had two blowouts and two more times we had two per trip. A couple other trips I had single blowouts. Take two spares, a 12 volt compressor and tire plugs. It's better to have it and not need it and if you do get stranded services are a good distance away.

I just re-read your post and saw you are hunting the northwest part. That is where my kids tags were for and my upcoming tag. I had a cow tag previously for that sub-unit. It's much smaller than the rest of the unit and Garrison is definitely closer. The gas station/diner/casino(just slots) building straddles the Utah/Nevada border with the slots on the Nevada side of the border and the gas station on the Utah side.

I spent a lot of time there last January and gas wasn't much more there than other places. It was really cold on a 4 wheeler and we went through lots of hand warmers.

 

[neb]

Thanks for the info. Every bit is appreciated. We'll keep an eye out for antelope also. I have a Nevada tag across the line this year so we will be looking along the boundary. I think we'll camp south of the park and scout around with the side by side.

 

[deadibob]

There are lots of sheep out there that time of year. The sheepherders can be pretty helpful with info but they will ask you to kill every coyote you see. Not that that's a bad thing ;-)

 

[Zeke]

Deadi pretty well summed it up. He obviously knows the place well.
BIG country, scattered elk. They're pretty wary that time of year.

My first trip into the unit was back in 1971 and I've been there, for one reason or the other, at least once most every year since.

I too will be in the big unit again this December and can pass along relevant info once we've "been there, done that" again.

Zeke

#livelikezac

 

[nelsonccc]

While I was in the southern portion for my Cow tag last year I will say it was a fun hunt. I saw a few others on opening day but did not see a soul for many days after. I'll be on the 231 side of Nevada for the cow hunt this year but I'm sure it'll be just as fun!

 

[deadibob]

>Deadi pretty well summed it up.
>He obviously knows the place
>well.
>BIG country, scattered elk. They're pretty
>wary that time of year.
>
>
>My first trip into the unit
>was back in 1971 and
>I've been there, for one
>reason or the other, at
>least once most every year
>since.
>
>I too will be in the
>big unit again this December
>and can pass along relevant
>info once we've "been there,
>done that" again.
>
>Zeke
>
>#livelikezac


Zeke if we're out there the same time in December we ought to get together. Do you have a cow tag? Besides sheep herders, really the only other people I saw that time of year were hound guys. There were lots of paired up coyote tracks. I'm thinking about letting one of my kids shoot my cow on the mentor program.

 

[Zeke]

>>Deadi pretty well summed it up.
>>He obviously knows the place
>>well.
>>BIG country, scattered elk. They're pretty
>>wary that time of year.
>>
>>
>>My first trip into the unit
>>was back in 1971 and
>>I've been there, for one
>>reason or the other, at
>>least once most every year
>>since.
>>
>>I too will be in the
>>big unit again this December
>>and can pass along relevant
>>info once we've "been there,
>>done that" again.
>>
>>Zeke
>>
>>#livelikezac
>
>
>Zeke if we're out there the
>same time in December we
>ought to get together. Do
>you have a cow tag?
>Besides sheep herders, really the
>only other people I saw
>that time of year were
>hound guys. There were lots
>of paired up coyote tracks.
>I'm thinking about letting one
>of my kids shoot my
>cow on the mentor program.
>

I do have a cow tag, along with my wife and one of my sons-in-law. We're headed into the country probably on Christmas night or maybe the following day. Depending on where we land, we should meet-up.

I'm almost able to take advantage of the mentor program with the grand kids so that will be pretty special for my wife and I... starting next year.

I'll PM you my contact info so feel free to reach out.

Zeke

#livelikezac

 

[Crndgs8]

There is no gas in Garrison. However, The Border Inn is 8 miles north of garrison.
The elk will probably be scattered that time of year. The lower portions of the Indian peaks rage should have plenty of elk. Drive around and glass the foothills.

 

[deadibob]

You are right about the border Inn and that's what I was thinking of when I said Garrison. I have a friend who has a place in Garrison (abandoned like everything else there) and I would leave my four wheeler trailer there when I drove back and forth.

 

[WOODROW12]

I had this tag this last January. I hunted the Northern part of the unit and only saw bulls the whole time. Which wasn't a bad thing just couldn't find any cows. You can easily get stuck on the trails if there is a lot of snow. I spent a day on the southern part of the unit and saw a few bulls as well. Not sure where the cows go.

 

[Crndgs8]

>You are right about the border
>Inn and that's what I
>was thinking of when I
>said Garrison. I have a
>friend who has a place
>in Garrison (abandoned like everything
>else there) and I would
>leave my four wheeler trailer
>there when I drove back
>and forth.


Garrison is my second home away from home. There?s deff not much there. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Haha