# Uintas



## TIMBO (Dec 18, 2007)

Anyone ever chased elk near the east fork of the blacks fork? I have been doing it for a few years now without even as much as a peek at one in that area. I know its harder on the north slope (fewer elk, more vegetation/terrain etc.) Any pointers?


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## north slope (Sep 8, 2007)

No elk on the north slope, I would look on the south slope.


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## TIMBO (Dec 18, 2007)

I would but then I would find other hunters.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Keep looking, eventually you'll find northslopes camp and then you can just hunt with him.


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## utfireman (Sep 7, 2007)

To many people started to flood into that area and then to make matters worse, the Wyoming residents started killing off the elk when they started wintered in Wyoming heavily. Utah was asked to help out with the issue, and Utah pretty much gave Wyoming the bird. So the Wyoming people get a late hunt there for control. 

You are honestly better to go on the South Slope, the herd size there is alot bigger then that which is on the North Slope.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

utfireman said:


> To many people started to flood into that area and then to make matters worse, the Wyoming residents started killing off the elk when they started wintered in Wyoming heavily. Utah was asked to help out with the issue, and Utah pretty much gave Wyoming the bird. So the Wyoming people get a late hunt there for control.
> 
> You are honestly better to go on the South Slope, the herd size there is alot bigger then that which is on the North Slope.


Pretty much dead on about the matter.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

utfireman said:


> To many people started to flood into that area and then to make matters worse, the Wyoming residents started killing off the elk when they started wintered in Wyoming heavily. Utah was asked to help out with the issue, and Utah pretty much gave Wyoming the bird. So the Wyoming people get a late hunt there for control.
> 
> You are honestly better to go on the South Slope, the herd size there is alot bigger then that which is on the North Slope.


hit it right on the head the biologists for the north slope will tell you there simply is not enough winter ground for the north slope herd.that is only because they winter in wyoming plenty of winter range but utah and wyoming WILL NOT work together on this matter.save yourself some heartache and hunt the south slope there are a ton of more elk you will find more people but alot of them are weekend warriors gone by tuesday also use the high hunting pressure to your advantage


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## TIMBO (Dec 18, 2007)

If only there were as many elk on the north slope, it seems that every time I look at a different drainage I say "Theres got to be elk in there". I guess I'll focus on some new territory some where on the south slope. Thanks


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

utfireman said:


> To many people started to flood into that area and then to make matters worse, the Wyoming residents started killing off the elk when they started wintered in Wyoming heavily. Utah was asked to help out with the issue, and Utah pretty much gave Wyoming the bird. So the Wyoming people get a late hunt there for control.
> 
> You are honestly better to go on the South Slope, the herd size there is alot bigger then that which is on the North Slope.


For years Utah's and Wyoming's elk hunt was at the same time. The elk kept moving back and forth across the border and were harvested by both sides. Then in about '84 Wyoming changed to an elk hunt that was after Utah's elk hunt.

So now it goes like this: You guys push all the elk into Wyoming, the elk get a little rest and then our hunt starts. We hunt them for awhile and push them back to Utah. By then your season(s) is closed or you have a diminished number of hunters with tags on the North Slope. The snow starts to pile up and the elk end up out in Wyomings sage brush. We have cow and calf hunts that go on until Jan 31 out there. I have one, in addition to my General Elk license

Yes, there are some philisophical, maybe even cultural, differences between Cheyenne and Salt Lake. I wish Wyoming would adopt some of Utah's trophy elk management practices.

I've seen fair numbers of elk on the North Slope, scattered throughout.


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## Yahtahay (Jul 3, 2008)

> Anyone ever chased elk near the east fork of the blacks fork? I have been doing it for a few years now without even as much as a peek at one in that area. I know its harder on the north slope (fewer elk, more vegetation/terrain etc.) Any pointers?


Bah, I hunt the north slope and I have no issues finding elk! My best advice, scout, scout, scout and do not just show up opening day wondering where they are at as the north slope is quite vast and the terrain is sometimes rough as hell if you don't know where your headed. Additional advice would be to use Google Earth and then scout the various drainages until you locate a herd and then follow them with at the very least, weekend scouting trips until opening day. Sure your wife will hate you but oh well, you were born (on earth let me remind you, not venus) to hunt!


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## Riverlution (Sep 23, 2008)

I spoke with the Forest service in Mountain View and he said that sure some elk die in Wyoming after the hunt but it isn't as many as the Utah guy thinks it is. There are some elk on the North Slope. I have hunted there for the past 3 years. With f ive guys on the mountain we have shot 1 cow. We are not good though. Now, I am thinking about a switch to the Soapstone area after a scouting trip yesterday. It was very nice. I was really impressed. It is also closer than my trip to the north east side every year and would allow me to scout more.


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## TIMBO (Dec 18, 2007)

Scout, scout, scout is not the issue like I said it is getting a glimpse at anything that isnt a moose or a sheep, but I guess thats why they call them the "Elusive" Rocky Mountain Elk."


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## BROWN BAGGER (Sep 13, 2007)

"Ghost's of the Forest" is what I call them. I have hunted the north slope for 6 years. they are there, but after opening day good luck. I would tell you were they go , but I would have to pull a spy move on ya. We have hearvested out a spike and 5 pointer.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

I've run into the elk pretty frequently in that drainage and both of the drainages on either side of the Blacks. They're there. I think the thing that catches a lot of people off guard is that they are often higher up that you would reasonably want to pack them out without a horse. There are some that are more accessible, but you will probably never see them in the open after the first shot is fired. Every elk I've seen up there has been in the thick, dark timber, and would be best hunted with a fast, open sight, lever action than anything else. 

You can do very well with the archery hunt there as well, providing you don't mind walking your a$$ off. Because there are plenty of elk in there, but they aren't pushovers, and they sure aren't going easy. These animals deal with people all summer long before we show up, they've got us all figured out. 

One sure fire way I can think of to find elk there would be to take a topo map. Look on there and find the LAST place you would ever want to have to pack an elk out of.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

WasatchOutdoors said:


> One sure fire way I can think of to find elk there would be to take a topo map. Look on there and find the LAST place you would ever want to have to pack an elk out of.


That pretty much defines elk hunting as I know it. The elk will always be where no one wants to go. Its no secret!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Good info from all. The north slope is a very large area with a few elk. They have miles of area to hide in when they want to. I have hunted most of the drainages around there and found elk in most at one time or the other. They can be in one area and get bumped and travel for miles before stopping. The ones I have found seen to be singles or vwery small groups. Good Luck!


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## 3D4ME (Sep 24, 2008)

Riverlution said:


> I spoke with the Forest service in Mountain View and he said that sure some elk die in Wyoming after the hunt but it isn't as many as the Utah guy thinks it is. There are some elk on the North Slope. I have hunted there for the past 3 years. With f ive guys on the mountain we have shot 1 cow. We are not good though. *Now, I am thinking about a switch to the Soapstone area after a scouting trip yesterday.* It was very nice. I was really impressed. It is also closer than my trip to the north east side every year and would allow me to scout more.


 :lol: good luck bro. Been there done that along with everyone from salt lake valley. If you don't get your elk opening morning chances are you won't. But I wish you luck.


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## Riverlution (Sep 23, 2008)

3D4ME said:


> good luck bro. Been there done that along with everyone from salt lake valley. If you don't get your elk opening morning chances are you won't. But I wish you luck.


Even during the Archery, I can understand that on the Rifle but there can't be that much pressure on the archery.


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## TIMBO (Dec 18, 2007)

WasatchOutdoors said:


> I've run into the elk pretty frequently in that drainage and both of the drainages on either side of the Blacks. They're there. I think the thing that catches a lot of people off guard is that they are often higher up that you would reasonably want to pack them out without a horse. There are some that are more accessible, but you will probably never see them in the open after the first shot is fired. Every elk I've seen up there has been in the thick, dark timber, and would be best hunted with a fast, open sight, lever action than anything else.
> 
> You can do very well with the archery hunt there as well, providing you don't mind walking your **** off. Because there are plenty of elk in there, but they aren't pushovers, and they sure aren't going easy. These animals deal with people all summer long before we show up, they've got us all figured out.
> 
> One sure fire way I can think of to find elk there would be to take a topo map. Look on there and find the LAST place you would ever want to have to pack an elk out of.


Are you talking higher in elevation, or deeper into the forest, or both? I am thinking both, I would love to do a couple of days backpacking trip in to some areas just need to scout them a little more, and they would all be the last place I would want to pack an elk out of.


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## inbowrange (Sep 11, 2007)

RIVERLUTION: I've done the Soapstone thing, its not just elk hunters there is a ton of deer hunters up there as well.


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## Riverlution (Sep 23, 2008)

Are you guys going NORTHSLOPE on me (Always claiming there are no elk so no one else will go there) or is it really a giant debacle. I will probably make a run over there some time during the month of archery season to check it out during the hunt. I have invested some serious time into where I am at but haven't had the success I was hoping for. It is probably more me than the area. But I have to blame something, Right?


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2009)

+1 about the elk staying really high in Uintas. I do a lot of backpacking in the Uintas and have seen them at 12,000 feet around Red Knob and Porcupine passes in September. I suspect they go back and forth between north and south slopes feeding above timber line all summer long. Then when the first big snowstorm hits the high country they fly down the mountain into Wyoming to winter over in the sage brush country. I doubt they spend much time in the timber country that is in between. If I were going to hunt elk on the north slope I would want to have horses, and I wouldn't spend much time below timberline. If there was already snow in the high country then I would hunt somewhere else because the elk are probably already in Wyoming.


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