Utah bugles

Servehim

Very Active Member
Messages
1,954
Good Evening guys, new to posting at MM but have read for years. Recently retired and now have time to figure out how to post. Love being retired!! Have 14 elk pts (NR) and want to spend them wisely. I'm from NM and hunt the Gila where we can get the bugles starting up 1st week in Sept normally but curious about getting local info on when on average bugles start in SE Utah. Looking at La Sal or if I can wait Boulder for an archery hunt. Was up scouting last year in that area Mid August and nothing yet. Appreciate the help. Jim
 
TARDS Start Educating Our Elk Herds about the 1st of August with Bugles!

With 'GLOBAL WARMING' the last few years Bugles have been stretching in to the start of the General Rifle Hunt!

Most Limited Entry Hunts I'd say on Average the Serious Bugles are the Last part of the LE Archery Hunts & first part of the Rifles Hunts!

I've actually seen the SMOKEPOLE Hunt with the most Bugles on certain years!

Good Luck!








[font color="redhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMsueOnu0kY
 
This year the Utah archery elk END's September 11th!

Totaly SUCKS!

Even the rifle guys are early this year-----Sept 12th-20th.

Bess is right, best rut hunt this year will be muzzy for sure.
Sepember 21st thru Oct 2nd.




4aec49a65c565954.jpg
 
Thx Guys, not what I was hoping to here. Not enough points for a Muzzy tag in those units. Any feel for future hunt dates ? I love Colo putting out a 5 yr plan that is extremely helpful . Appreciate any and all words of wisdom. Jim
 
Actually, I stand corrected. Checking Huntertrailhead looks like I would have a good shot on La Sal Muzzy this year. Have a 340 bull on the wall and would love to better that. As for all of us in the point chase it will be a once in a lifetime so love words of wisdom on my pulling the trigger so to speak. Thx
 
You would work damn hard on the lasals to better 340". Not to say they don't exist here. It's a small unit and been sliding for 4 years now. Good luck in your tag pursuit.
 
Thx Bluejay, just considering La Sals as easy for me to scout from NM. Was scouting last summer and ran into some hunters getting gas and they were singing praise about big Bulls in La Sal. As is so often the case probably saw a 320 and were convinced it was every bit of 350
 
Scouting to learn roads and country is good prior to a rut hunt in Ut. But bulls often move from summer to rut areas in Sept. I would rather have a good tag, with better trophy quality. Both units would be fun. A 340 plus bull may be a tall order even though they exist on those units. Good luck.
 
I had bulls bugling a little around me on August 28th on the SWD archery hunt last year. It seemed like a little cooler weather triggered it and then it got warm again and it stopped. Shot my bull on Aug 30th and didn't hear a thing on that day.
 
Usually on the Beaver and fishlake units, they start sounding off around the 1st of the year. Not a lot, but you will hear a little bit.
 
Thx MM guys, pretty much what I expected Sept 1 hearing a few. Looks like dates in 2016 much better for a bow. Wait till Wyo draw to see if I luck out up there to make final decision in Utah. Be happy to help any of you with NM info as I know how hard it is for a NR to draw. Time in the woods enjoying His creation with my brother is where my true Joy comes from.....chance at Big Bull is simply icing on the cake
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-22-15 AT 11:10PM (MST)[p]>I had bulls bugling a little
>around me on August 28th
>on the SWD archery hunt
>last year. It seemed
>like a little cooler weather
>triggered it and then it
>got warm again and it
>stopped. Shot my bull
>on Aug 30th and didn't
>hear a thing on that
>day.


Congrats on your bull 4x4, how big and is SWD a unit I should consider? Huntin Fool etc sing praise.
 
1st of the year????????????????????????

>Usually on the Beaver and fishlake
>units, they start sounding off
>around the 1st of the
>year. Not a lot, but
>you will hear a little
>bit.










[font color="redhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMsueOnu0kY
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-15 AT 09:17PM (MST)[p]>1st of the year????????????????????????
>
>>Usually on the Beaver and fishlake
>>units, they start sounding off
>>around the 1st of the
>>year. Not a lot, but
>>you will hear a little
>>bit.
>
[font
>color="redhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMsueOnu0kY

I meant sept
 
I knew that 3blade. After all Sept 1 IS the first of the year for most hunters especially those who use the stick/string
 
Fyi, Gila looks to be getting decent moisture this winter, good winter/spring moisture = Big Antlers. Be happy to help for those fortunate to draw. Appreciate any solid help in Utah. I'm an out of stater so it's a ones shot deal for me. Thx Jim
 
Have you check into the Bookcliff hunts.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Not seriously. I'm under the impression it would require horses/ outfitter. I really enjoy DIY as I love studying topos and finding areas that most would overlook so to speak. Am I wrong about needing outside help to hunt Bookcliffs?
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-15 AT 03:28PM (MST)[p]>LAST EDITED ON Jan-22-15
>AT 11:10?PM (MST)

>
>>I had bulls bugling a little
>>around me on August 28th
>>on the SWD archery hunt
>>last year. It seemed
>>like a little cooler weather
>>triggered it and then it
>>got warm again and it
>>stopped. Shot my bull
>>on Aug 30th and didn't
>>hear a thing on that
>>day.
>
>
>Congrats on your bull 4x4, how
>big and is SWD a
>unit I should consider?
>Huntin Fool etc sing praise.
>

Servehim,

I didn't shoot all that big of a bull, but for a NR that hunted it without a guide I'm pretty happy. I passed on a bull slightly bigger a couple of days before, but ended up shooting the bull I shot because I had a buddy in NV at the same time on an archery elk hunt that was struggling. I was afraid he was going to shoot a raghorn so I shot the bull I did after passing him a couple of nights before so I could run over and help him out.

The SWD is a fun hunt, but it's not an easy hunt at all. There's a ton of thick cedars and if they're not bugling you had better have a good idea on where to look. The archery hunt is really early and I wasn't sure if the rut was going to pick up enough to make it a good hunt so I shot this bull. A couple of other things...for the most part there are no secret spots or water holes on the SWD. Every water hole I found no matter how far from the road had a camera on it. I've also used trail cameras quite a few times in a few different states and the only place I've ever had a problem was on my SWD hunt. Not sure what's in the water out there, but people felt obligated to break my cameras and take my SD cards. They were also locked in stout homemade boxes with locks. They were determined to get in to say the least.

If I had 14 pts I may hold off a couple more years and try to draw a different unit on a year with later season dates. I drew with 5 pts and worked my buns off to get it done. I know I got really lucky to draw it, but to defend myself I have 18 LE deer pts. Applying in UT isn't new to me!

Here's my bull on my trail cam a couple of days before I shot him. I was about 25 yards from him when this picture was taken.
5930my_elk_on_tail_cam_-_copy.jpg


My buddy's NV bull and my SWD UT bull (I'm on the right). We're not residents of either UT or NV and both of our hunts were 100% DIY.
58712014_elk_hunt_nv-ut_-_copy.jpg


Before anyone calls me out about how clean the skulls are...this is what we did in camp before we broke camp and came home.
842014-09-01_13.00.48.jpg
 
4x4, appreciate info on SWD. Terrain looks like stuff I'm familiar with in the Gila. And by the way.....Nice Bull
 
The southwest desert is a good hunt. It can be tough and frustrating also. I see a lot of 300-330 bulls. Quite a few 340-350 and a few 360+ bulls out there. Last few years I have seen bulls in the 370-390 range. Very hard to hunt them because if it's warm out like it usually is they are hitting the trees when the sun pokes out. You have a half hour to get on them usually before the sun comes over the hills. And night time can be rough as they don't come out til very close to dark. So it can be rough. I think lately the muzzleloader hunt has been the best it's cooled down a bit and bulls tend to bugle more if it's been warm during the archery and rifle hunts. It's really temperature dependent
 
Again , thx for help. SWD would still take several yrs to have a shot at drawing with muzzy. 17 pts drew that tag last year and 5 guys in front as I'm at 14. in reference to a prior post , am I correct in assuming that Bookcliffs would require horses and or a guide?
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-30-15 AT 01:59PM (MST)[p]If you were going into the roadless area of the books, I'd suggest horses for sure. In the normal book cliffs roaded unit, you'd be fine without them.

copple2
 
Books can be Hiked in, You might not go as far in as the horse people do, Best with a partner to help carry the load out.
It not a easy hunt, But SWD isn't a easy hunt either.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Thx MM Team, extremely valuable help. Wait to see if Wyo tag is in my future then make a choice in Utah. So many Great options up there in the near future. Hope all of your application / draw season is Blessed.
 
I have been Elk and Deer hunting the La Sal area for over 20 years. Most years I have starting scouting in mid August and have heard Elk bugle. It gets really good early in September. The LE rifle Elk hunt in the La Sal is a lot of fun. I have helped get some nice bulls out of there. Last year I guided a friend and put him on a nice 360 bull he shot from about 75 yards. If you draw the hunt let me know and ill PM you some areas I've seen the most bulls.
 
MM team is Awesome, thx and I'll put that in the bank. Same offer extends to you should you draw in NM. Know the Gila well and several other units. Thx Jim
 
Nawh, the Bookcliffs don't require horses at all. Only a small portion - the Roadless unit (separate LE draw) requires horses (or a good measure of masochism). I've hunted the non-roadless area on foot the last couple years (general season spike hunts). As far as studying topos and finding the niches where other's don't go - the Bookcliffs are really fun for that. It would be a good archery spot IMO. I was within bow range of a handful of decent bulls on my spike hunt this last year.

If you get the Books, pm me. I might have some spots you would be interested in checking out.
 
>Nawh, the Bookcliffs don't require horses
>at all. Only a
>small portion - the Roadless
>unit (separate LE draw) requires
>horses (or a good measure
>of masochism). I've hunted
>the non-roadless area on foot
>the last couple years (general
>season spike hunts). As
>far as studying topos and
>finding the niches where other's
>don't go - the Bookcliffs
>are really fun for that.
>It would be a good
>archery spot IMO. I
>was within bow range of
>a handful of decent bulls
>on my spike hunt this
>last year.
>
>If you get the Books, pm
>me. I might have some
>spots you would be interested
>in checking out.

Thank you Sir, the one guided hunt I have ever taken was 15 yrs ago with McLain Mechem before he got big into outfitting/ guiding into the Dutton. Great fun but hunting with a bow and just couldn't make it happen. His friend/ rangler had just killed a 390 bull in the Book Cliffs roadless area so that IS stuck in my mind..
Scouting last Aug in Boulder was an encouraging trip though I didn't see any monsters myself ran into a couple guys that sang praises......so don't have a clear direction for my one shot venture into Utah. You guys are Blessed with a tremendous gene pool as we are here in NM? I appreciate the offer to assist. Have a Great Weekend. Jim
 
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