# Unlimited Range Creek Bison Hunt



## TrackNBucks (Jul 17, 2020)

Anyone know what is going on with this hunt. 

It looks like the hunt planner rules have been taken down and it says they are pending approval of changes. 

I have added a pdf attachment to what the old rules looked like. 

Anyone know how many tags have been sold?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

In my opinion this hunt started off as a cluster *(** and ended up as a cluster *(**

Access is and always will be a major factor with it. Perhaps the DWR finally realized it.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> Access is and always will be a major factor with it. Perhaps the DWR finally realized it.


This is a very confusing statement to me. From the moment this hunt was proposed the DWR was very transparent about access issues and the what the difficulty level of this hunt would be. Go watch the presentation to the board about this hunt and then come back and claim the DWR didn't realize access would be a major factor.

Again, very confusing comment Critter. Have you actually followed this anywhere other than just on this forum?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Yes I have, I have also worked out there in Nine Mile and knew the owner of the ranch in Range Creek before he gave it away.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

By the way, tags are still available for the hunt. 

I doubt that you will find out how many have been sold or how many are sold once they get done. I guess that you could file a request for that info once all of it is done. 

I have also heard four or five different stories as far as access through Range Creek.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I cannot see how somebody could have watched the DWR's presentation, the discussion at the WB, reviewed the materials produced, etc. and come to any conclusion other than, "Yep, the DWR has been very clear from the get go that this is a tough SOB and access is going to be incredibly challenging"


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> Yes I have, I have also worked out there in Nine Mile and knew the owner of the ranch in Range Creek before he gave it away.


So if you've been following it, how on earth is your best answer the following? "Access is and always be a major factor with it. Perhaps the DWR finally realized it."

Like I said, they have been completely transparent about that from the first second that access will be tough to impossible, and success would be very low. Which you know they've said that from the beginning, since you've been following it, like you said. So how is that your answer?

Just a very confusing comment.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

From what I have read there are those that think rafting down the Green will work, from what I understand that is a 3-4 day trip, just on the water not to mention hunting and bringing out up to 700 lbs meat.

Then there is the question of when do you do it or ride into the area on horseback or even hike in with your buddies? These bison cross the Green at will. One day they are on the west side and that afternoon they are back on Tribal lands. Then there is the possibility of them hazing them back onto Tribal lands with helicopters again, just as you get into the area.

Don't get me wrong, I looked at the hunt and I have even contacted a couple of outfitters with poor results. The question always comes down to when do you schedule your hunt? Even with me being retired and able to go on a days notice there are problems with getting everything to align just right. 

There will be some who purchase a tag and some might even be successful but a lot of stars and the moon have to line up just right to get this hunt to work out. 

So with loosing what points I have accumulated and it being just one chance at a bison unless they have the same hunt again count me out 

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

But again, all of that was pretty clearly acknowledged by the DWR, so why would the disappearance of the info on the hunt planner be indicative of your post saying "Access is and always will be a major factor with it. Perhaps the DWR finally realized it"? 

It's ok to admit you were wrong


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Here is the same info that the OP is asking about, it is still on the hunt planner. Just go to the hunt planner and put in B16525 in the hunt. Then add the layers that you want, just don't close down the information box on the right.

https://dwrapps.utah.gov/huntboundary/hbstart


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Translation:

I was wrong saying the DWR didn’t realize this. They have been very open about all these challenges.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It's just that I am sure that there are going to be people that go into this hunt without really looking at anything about it. 

Then we will start getting post on here that start out that I have a Nine Mile/Range Creek bison tag and while I don't want anyone's honey holes I would like some information. 

I still believe that the DWR came up with this hunt to try and put pressure on the Ute Nation to keep their bison on their property. I could be wrong but that is what I think.


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

Critter said:


> I still believe that the DWR came up with this hunt to try and put pressure on the Ute Nation to keep their bison on their property. I could be wrong but that is what I think.


Of course that's why they implemented this hunt. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. They are tired of the bison leaving the non-America areas and going to the America areas and causing problems.

You'll always have the "hey, I have a tag for xxxx unit, don't want your honey holes, but I need your honey holes" or "got this tag but the DWR screwed me and now I don't have anywhere to go, and I'm too lazy to do the work for myself prior to or during the hunt, so someone tell me where to go" posts. I've actually already seen 2 on Facebook about this exact hunt, in the last week. The one guy was pissed that it counted as his OIL hunt and he wasn't told that before they got the tag. The other guy was mad that towards the end of the hunt, the only way in there will be on foot. And no one told him that prior to purchasing the tag and he's looking for contact info for the land owner to see if he can get access or if anyone had contact info for the tribe members to see if he could use their access road to get into the area. There will be a handful of guys who know what they are up against and will figure out a way to get into the area and be successful. But the majority with go stupid when they see an OTC bison tag, buy it, then get mad when they really understand there's a lot more to this hunt that just driving down a road and shooting one when they see it.

I won't be surprised if 3 years from now this "opportunity" is nothing more than a memory.


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## OriginalOscar (Sep 5, 2016)

Unlimited best strategy to keep bison out of private ranches.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I remember around 15 years ago and a old bull bison wandered up Nine Mile all the way almost to HWY 191 and was standing outside of one of my brother in laws cabins when he walked out in the morning. A few days later I saw a couple of DWR officers down on the Plateau checking sage grouse hunters and I asked them about feral animals and if it was legal to shoot them if I saw one. One officer asked what kind of feral animal that I was talking about? I just told him that the animal that I planned on shooting was not suppose to be where it was at and that the DWR had no records of any of them being in the area and that it quite likely came from a herd a number of miles away. Then I told him that it was a bison and they just looked at me with a big question mark on their face and said that they would have to get back to me on it. Then never did. 

Now fast forward to around 5 years ago. My nieces husband had a South Book Cliffs deer tag in hand and was looking for bucks above the Westwater turn off. He came across 5 bison down in the flats. That February I was talking to a friend who lives in Grand Junction and he said that he saw them up off of 2 Road in Colorado north of I-70. He thought that they were some that got away from a rancher, he had no idea that they wandered in from Utah. We went up into that area a few times but never did find them ourselves but I have talked to gas field workers who have seen them in Colorado. I talked to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and they want nothing to do with them and said that I could shoot them on sight if I wanted. I also called the bison biologist out in Vernal to tell them what was happening. He just said that Colorado wants nothing to do with them and that he would refer them to the officer out of the Price office that deals with the south side of the Book Cliffs. 

Rumor has it that they are still wandering around here in Colorado but up a private canyon, but if I do find them I'll have a great story to tell.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> It's just that I am sure that there are going to be people that go into this hunt without really looking at anything about it.
> 
> Then we will start getting post on here that start out that I have a Nine Mile/Range Creek bison tag and while I don't want anyone's honey holes I would like some information.
> 
> I still believe that the DWR came up with this hunt to try and put pressure on the Ute Nation to keep their bison on their property. I could be wrong but that is what I think.


And again, you fail to explain how any of this falls on the DWR like you at least implied, if not expressly stated in your original post. Not going to let you off the hook critter! I'm like a pit bull, you're going to have to kill me to get me to let go. :grin:


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

In 2015, I came across a feral sheep of some kind while muzzy deer hunting. After a half hour of tracking down phone numbers, I finally got ahold of the biologist for the area and he told me to kill it, bring a lung and his head down to the road and he would meet me there. While I was talking to him about feral animals, the topic of bison came up. About 5 years prior, I came across a big bull bison hanging out with cattle, while I was checking trail cams. I didn’t have a rifle with me and wasn’t sure of the legality of it, but I knew it wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near that area. Anyways, he told me that if I come across a bison outside of an area they are intentionally managed, I could kill it. At that point they are considered feral live stock and are fair game. Same goes with other weird animals that are in places they shouldn’t be. I found another one last spring in the same unit. Again, no rifle on me at the time. I hope someday I do find another one while hunting. That would be the ultimate bonus round!


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I would make sure you have written law that gives you the ability to do that in hand when you do hit the jackpot and kill that bison. I somehow suspect that you won’t get the same courtesy as Wade Lemon based upon “a division employee told me I could.”


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

Vanilla said:


> I would make sure you have written law that gives you the ability to do that in hand when you do hit the jackpot and kill that bison. I somehow suspect that you won't get the same courtesy as Wade Lemon based upon "a division employee told me I could."


I have the proper documentation that I'll need and I'll be sure to call biologist and get up to date approval before pulling the trigger. That's assuming I'll ever cross paths with one again. I doubt I will.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

That's all well and good, but let's not lose sight of the fact that Critter still isn't acknowledging that he incorrectly maligned the DWR implicitly or directly.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

johnnycake said:


> That's all well and good, but let's not lose sight of the fact that Critter still isn't acknowledging that he incorrectly maligned the DWR implicitly or directly.


And I won't...


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> And I won't...


Not exactly an endearing quality there, Critter. It's one thing to have strong opinions, but to refuse to admit it when you're factually incorrect, even when you know you are?

Yikes. Oh well.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

A lot of this forum and post in it is based on opinions, I have mine and you have yours.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Can't imagine they didn't front load that one thoroughly. That's a difficult hunt.

One clarification...at 2-3,000 cfs Deso would be a very tiring 3-4 day float. And drops lower come late September. Top 20 miles is wicked flat and can take 1-2 days on its own. The winds on the last 20 miles are often strong enough to blow you back upstream, without exaggeration. Beautiful country with some phenomenal wildlife but the rafting hunt logistics in there aren't simple, the least of which is how do you handle that much meat as the river is often bathtub warm until September. Through the end of September it wasn't unusual for us to float in the river next to our rafts because of the heat. 

I can see how people would be tempted and then quicky realize they got into an expedition level hunt.

Big question: how do you even scout for bison on that hunt? There is just so much terrain.


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## TrackNBucks (Jul 17, 2020)

Critter said:


> Here is the same info that the OP is asking about, it is still on the hunt planner. Just go to the hunt planner and put in B16525 in the hunt. Then add the layers that you want, just don't close down the information box on the right.
> 
> https://dwrapps.utah.gov/huntboundary/hbstart


Critter, I was asking about the last line in the image you posted. How can it be possible that a hunt is being changed after it has started. The whole thing seems like a real cluster. 
"Information about this hunt has been changed and is pending approval. Please check back later for updated information."


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

No hunt is set in stone until it starts and even then they can change rules. It is just harder to inform hunters if they wait until then.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Just looking and you can spend 9 days in the corridor. Motors are allowed at wake-less speed. I don't see any restrictions on staying at camp sites. So if you get a permit it would not be that big of deal getting in that way on the river. 

I can't believe how many river miles I've rowed against the wind. I say go for it. 

That being said I think the DWR has been pretty up front with the challenge.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I always forget about motors in there as we always rowed. That would definitely shave time off. 

The "W" is an ever present frenemy on rivers. Too many memories to count. Deso (guess the hunt is mostly in Gray's actually) is up there though on toughness, along with the row out on a high lake level year on Cataract. 

And doing a little research made it clear the region they hang out in. Still big country but brought the scope down. 

The camps are less common between those two canyons but the ones at the mouth of Range Creek are gorgeous. 

I've looked at the management bear hunts in there for years. Bison would be a phenomenal adventure if it didn't align with so many big life events in 2020; I've always wanted to do a November trip in there. I hope someone posts up a trip report as it would be fun to live vicariously live through it. 

*If anybody does choose to float hunt it feel free to message me. Its an area I know well and can recommend camps to use and avoid. Now I'm really missing those trips.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

Had I not already bought a multi-season elk tag for myself, plan on taking my wife out for her first ever hunt (archery elk), and plan on taking both my step kids out for their first ever hunt (antlerless elk), and possibly getting pregnant, trying to make it back to Illinois in November for my family whitetail hunt, and wanting to find a new career path..... I'm not sure if I can buy one of these tags and convince myself it's not a stupid decision. On the other hand, I'm 34 and have 2 bison points.


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## RemingtonCountry (Feb 17, 2016)

Well, I heard through a close friend that talked to a guy who showed him pictures of 4 bison being smoked last weekend. Used horses. I guess it's not impossible!


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## PHall (Oct 12, 2013)

I heard 5 bulls killed on the opening weekend.


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

I heard they also killed 2 Sasquatches


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## RemingtonCountry (Feb 17, 2016)

MooseMeat said:


> I heard they also killed 2 Sasquatches


I only heard about one....


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

RemingtonCountry said:


> I only heard about one....


The 2nd one was a young female. The squatch squad would be pissed to hear a female was killed so no one is really talking about it


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

MooseMeat said:


> The 2nd one was a young female. The squatch squad would be pissed to hear a female was killed so no one is really talking about it


Yeah, it was young and a female, but did you see her coat? I'd be hard pressed not to punch my tag on that. Just stunning.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Pics or didn't happen!


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

johnnycake said:


> Yeah, it was young and a female, but did you see her coat? I'd be hard pressed not to punch my tag on that. Just stunning.


I'm not saying I wouldn't have shot her as well. Her feet measured close to 18"! I just understand why no one is talking about her. You think the riots are bad now. Wait until people find out a young female, in her reproductive prime was killed, in a species that's already endangered. They'd burn that poor ******* at the stake


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

MooseMeat said:


> I'm not saying I wouldn't have shot her as well. Her feet measured close to 18"! I just understand why no one is talking about her. You think the riots are bad now. Wait until people find out a young female, in her reproductive prime was killed, in a species that's already endangered. They'd burn that poor ******* at the stake


Maybe, maybe not. Pretty sure it was taken by a mentored youth.


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

johnnycake said:


> Maybe, maybe not. Pretty sure it was taken by a mentored youth.


Next you'll have guys pissed that their kid didn't have a chance to go bigfoot hunting and it's everyone else's fault!


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## Bookcliffs07 (Aug 11, 2020)

Hunters did kill 5-6 bison opening weekend. Most of them were on private land. 

If anyone takes the orientation course required to buy the tag and then complains about it they are beyond stupid. I took the orientation course just to see what it was like. If you take that course and still buy the tag, you are either - 1). a complete moron, 2). have a line on a bison on private land, or 3). you are an extreme athlete and interested in an impossible challenge because ultra marathons are too easy.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

My family.floated the river 7 day trip and came out with a nice bull and cow. Would've have been anither huge bull, but one member of group lost his mind.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Huge29 said:


> My family.floated the river 7 day trip and came out with a nice bull and cow. Would've have been anither huge bull, but one member of group lost his mind.


I’d be interested in hearing more about this. Sounds like an incredible adventure.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

Is anyone here tackling this hunt this year?

I was going to do it this year after kicking myself for not doing it last year, but the history museum day passes into range Creek were sold out within a couple of days of going on sale!! That and I haven't spent any time down there before. So having a newborn and trying to scout enough outside of range Creek's boundaries and finding a few people to commit to help pack out, is too much for this year. 

Maybe next year....


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## jewbacca (Jan 27, 2020)

rtockstein said:


> Is anyone here tackling this hunt this year?
> 
> I was going to do it this year after kicking myself for not doing it last year, but the history museum day passes into range Creek were sold out within a couple of days of going on sale!! That and I haven't spent any time down there before. So having a newborn and trying to scout enough outside of range Creek's boundaries and finding a few people to commit to help pack out, is too much for this year.
> 
> Maybe next year....


I'm talking to my brothers about possibly coming down for the hunt next year if I can secure one of the day passes. If so, you're welcome along. Think we can pack out 2 bison between 6 guys?


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

jewbacca said:


> I'm talking to my brothers about possibly coming down for the hunt next year if I can secure one of the day passes. If so, you're welcome along. Think we can pack out 2 bison between 6 guys?


Not in one trip and not if you aren’t anywhere near a road


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

I was thinking I'd shoot one with spots to make it easier... And tastier haha

I'm actually split on that. I'd like to go for a young one for those reasons, but I'd also want as much meat as possible so it would last me as long as possible


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## jewbacca (Jan 27, 2020)

rtockstein said:


> I was thinking I'd shoot one with spots to make it easier... And tastier haha
> 
> I'm actually split on that. I'd like to go for a young one for those reasons, but I'd also want as much meat as possible so it would last me as long as possible


Once in a lifetime opportunity to eat a baby bison? Hard to pass up.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

jewbacca said:


> Once in a lifetime opportunity to eat a baby bison? Hard to pass up.


I like your style rookie, but y'all got some learning to do about baby shooting. Bison calves don't have spots, but instead have this alluring reddish coat. A nice red calf is a serious trophy.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

johnnycake said:


> I like your style rookie, but y'all got some learning to do about baby shooting. Bison calves don't have spots, but instead have this alluring reddish coat. A nice red calf is a serious trophy.


Yea I was referring to metaphorical spots haha. I'd like to get one of those mythical white bufflers in calf form


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