san juan unit

[kgrack79]

I can't decide between puting in for archery or muzzleloader for san juan my friends are telling me archery but i'm a muzzledoader freak i have 10 points. Please help.

 

[carbonnation]

That is a tough call. The archery hunt runs until the 17th this year, which puts you closer to the peak of the rut than any other utah archery hunt that I can remember. If you focused your attention on the last two weeks of the hunt, I think archery would be the way to go.

The ML hunt doesn't start util the 27th or so of september. Bulls will still be screaming, but they will be starting to cool off, and the rifle hunters would have had there pick by then. I hunted with a ML down there last year and had a blast. I shot my bull on the 27th and they were still rutting, but the bigger bulls were starting to become harder to find, more nocturnal.
Odds are that you will not draw a ML tag this year, but you have a decent chance at an archery tag. If they change the hunting dates next year, I think next year will be a better ML year.....and a decent archery year as well. If you really want to hunt this year, do archery. If you want to use your loader, try you luck, but you probably won't draw for a couple of years, but that might work in your favor.

If it were me, I would do archery and dedicate myself to the last two weeks. They keep increasing tag numbers and are letting gerneral season archers kill cows and spikes. I think the glory days of San Juan are over. It is big country with a lot of good bulls, but the days of 380s around every corner are gone. Good luck.

 

[c3]

This year will be much tougher to draw the San Juan with 10 points. I know there are at least 4 people moving from premium to archery due to the preferable dates this year (2010). Muzzleloader is 15 points and archery will be 12 or 13. Pick the one you would prefer to hunt and hope the roll of the dice goes your way. In either case I highly doubt you will be on the bonus side.

If you draw, let me know as I'll most likely draw archery with my 14 points this year and plan on being on the mountain a ton this spring and summer.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[Blanding_Boy]

I agree with Pete, I seriously doubt you will draw either one with 10 points so why not put in for the one you really enjoy and hope for a little luck. The bulls will still be rutting during the ML hunt and there will still be big bulls then as well.

Todd Black
BTO

 

[Gator]

I would pick ML season hands down, Everytime I have been there during the season we have seen and heard bulls bugling up a storm. Good Luck in The draw.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[c3]

Just saw your post in the mule deer forum! Sorry I've got elk on the brain these days

I can't help on the deer. The little bucks hang out in your camp over there, but I haven't had much luck spotting any monsters. Too many huge pines to glass easily.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[3X4]

So was this a Deer, or an Elk question.

 

[carbonnation]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-20-10 AT 10:28PM (MST)[p]My bad, I started the elk thing......I have elk on the brain as well.
I have heard that the archery hunt is a better hunt, but that is second hand. I have not hunted the elk ridge side for deer. They always take some good ones, but most people seem to pop the first 20-24 inch buck they see out there truck window.
PM Blanding boy , he and his brothers know that unit as well as anyone can.