# Elk hunting the wasatch



## Elkaddict (Mar 24, 2009)

anyone have an opinion on were the best elk hunting is on the wasatch? The areas I have found the most elk are: strawberry, red creek, and currant creek.. I have heard trout has a lot of elk, but never been out there... what do you all think?

My father in law drew LE wasatch elk... He wants me to take him out...


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## sunshine12 (Apr 16, 2009)

congrats on the tag. the wasatch is a fun unit to hunt. what size of bull you lookin to kill


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Elkaddict said:


> anyone have an opinion on were the best elk hunting is on the wasatch? The areas I have found the most elk are: strawberry, red creek, and currant creek.. I have heard trout has a lot of elk, but never been out there... what do you all think?
> 
> My father in law drew LE wasatch elk... He wants me to take him out...


Your father-in-law is a dog! In like 20 more years i will draw me a tag!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

What hunt? Rifle?

I have hunted the Wasatch the last 2 years and I scouted it from top to bottom. I can honestly say that the whole unit is pretty good for bulls up to 330. Anything bigger is a pretty special bull and are where you find them. The drainage's you mentioned all have good solid herds with great bulls. My opinion is that the best location is the one you know the best. You not only need to know where the bigger bulls are, but also their habits and travel routes in that particular area. Scout it out and find him a dandy! Good luck to you.

Chad


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## Fishracer (Mar 2, 2009)

Nice draw. I hope one day to draw a tag for that unit. Were I deer hunt on one of those units, it seem like the elk have taken over the past couple of years. Of course i have been hunting the same place for 15 years so i know it pretty well and its a mile or so hike in. I would agree, the best place is the one you know the best. Good luck on your hunt.


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## grunt_smacker (Sep 7, 2007)

Maybe I will see ya out there.
I also drew a Wasatch rifle elk tag. :twisted: 
Kind of funny, I draw the tag with 8 points and my dad draws a blank with 12 or13 points(not sure which )
But like others have said, there are plenty of nice bulls out there with lots of places to look.
Pick out the one you know best and put in the time scouting and you will do just fine.


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## Dahlmer (Sep 12, 2007)

What season? Congrats to your father in law. All the areas you mentioned are good and you should expect to see plenty of elk. 

Define best elk hunting...numbers? size? access? Will you be hiking, walking, riding horses? 

Wasatch is a fun unit. Set your standards right (330 is a shooter) and you won't go home disappointed. Go out and have fun.


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## Guest (May 4, 2009)

Bro in law killed a 365 near Strawberry Peak a few years ago. definitely plenty of nice bulls. Congratulations to your father in law.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

Had a guy we used to hunt with get a 376 on the Archery about 6 years ago right before I left in the Corps. 330 bulls are shooters for sure. Do a lot of scouting and you wont be disapointed.


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## quinbray (Jun 17, 2009)

It is crazy you guys think a 330 bull is a shooter....18% sucess rate waiting for a 330 bull haha....My bro got a 330 bull with a general archery tag outside the wasatch unit, wich was lucky, but still....We've shot spikes/cows with a bow in the wasatch unit every year for the past 5-6 years, every year we have a few bulls 370+ in range, and many smaller ones. This year we both drew Wasatch archery, I won't shoot a 330 bull till the last weekend.


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## hockey (Nov 7, 2007)

quinbray said:


> It is crazy you guys think a 330 bull is a shooter....18% sucess rate waiting for a 330 bull haha....My bro got a 330 bull with a general archery tag outside the wasatch unit, wich was lucky, but still....We've shot spikes/cows with a bow in the wasatch unit every year for the past 5-6 years, every year we have a few bulls 370+ in range, and many smaller ones. This year we both drew Wasatch archery, I won't shoot a 330 bull till the last weekend.


Please post a picture of what you think a 370 bull is :roll: :roll:


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

I shall second the :roll: :roll: :roll: and a :shock: for good measure. He must know of a different wasatch than the rest of us know about. :mrgreen:


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Silent Stalker has got this one nailed,,,,,,,,,,,Follow his advice and you'll do fine.

Add for the record, If I were hunting a wasatch LE archery elk tag this year,,well,
A chance on a bull around 330,,day 1 ,,I'd shoot so fast your head would spin.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

For current creek and red creek. Do a ton of scouting uo there and lots of hiking. pm sent


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## dibb03 (Dec 17, 2007)

I agree with what others are saying. My brother and I had wasatch tags last year and it was extremely fun but very tough hunt. we saw tons of bulls but like most said a 330 bull is a shooter, you will be hard pressed to find many bigger, they are there but tough to find. I ended up with a 320 bull and my brother a 350 bull.


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## elkhunterUT (Jan 21, 2008)

quinbray,
I wish you the best of luck on your hunt, but hope your expectations don't ruin it for you. No doubt there are 370 class bulls on the Wasatch unit and you will likely see a few on your hunt, but seeing one and getting in range and actually getting a shot off with a bow is a whole different ball game. That is great you have lofty goals, but I would not recommend to anyone with a Wasatch archery tag to pass on a 330 bull even on the first day.

A 330 bull is an outstanding trophy no matter how you slice it, especially with a bow.

Don't get hung up on score-enjoy your hunt and take a bull that makes you happy.


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## GSPonPoint (Sep 24, 2008)

I've been archery or rifle hunting the Wasatch unit every year since 2003. In 2003 I drew a L.E. tag and hunted both archery and rifle, what an incredible experience. Since then I've seen a gradual decline each year in the quality of bulls. Last year in 2008, my brother drew a rifle tag for September. Again it was a great hunt but we had to work hard. We saw a dozen or more bulls nearly every day, however, only one that would push the 350 mark, we nickname him locomotive. He had the most unique bugle I've ever heard. It sounded just like an old fashion locomotive. We couldn't close the deal on him and ended up with a 315 bull. My bro did have a chance at a 330 class but blew it.

Anyway, in 2003 I saw at least one 350 bull everyday. In fact I saw a few bulls that would break 380 for sure and one that we watch for 2 hours that would push the 400 mark. Since then I have yet to see that many of those sized bulls. There are a lot in the 310-330 class.

It's a fun hunt but don't get caught up in the score thing, enjoy the experience. Work hard and you should have success. I will say this, it's not a sure thing, especially with a bow. 

This quinbray dude is up in the night. 5 years ago I'd agree with him but not now. As the unit stands now, I wouldn't be passing on a 330 unless you've for sure been seeing many bigger bulls in your scouting, which I highly doubt you will. Sure, you may see a few but come hunting season they disappear. Those bulls will travel a long distance.

My brother got caught up in the score thing. He was determine it was 350 or nothing. He saw one bull during the archery season that would push the 370 mark and he was fixated on that bull. We never saw it again and like I said 6 days into the hunt and looking at many bulls he shot a 315 bull. Now, I think he could have done a little better but we were running out of time, and my bro was getting nervous.


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## fletchinjig (Jun 12, 2009)

I don’t want to hi-jack the post but I was planning on trying to shoot a cow on the general archery hunt. This is my first year hunting elk, and hunting this area (wasatch) and I was wondering if anyone who knows the area well would give me some pointers on where to start my scouting efforts. I would be grateful for any help. Thanks


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

I just wish everyone would read this and understand they will not get a big bull on this unit... It is a piss poor unit that your not going to get much bigger than 300 on! Now all together everyone stop putting in for it.... It also is like 98% privite property with little to no access....
I think the last good bull was poached last year... 


Now the Manti unit is the unit! That there holds the WORLDS best and biggest bulls! :!:


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

TAK said:


> I just wish everyone would read this and understand they will not get a big bull on this unit... It is a **** poor unit that your not going to get much bigger than 300 on! Now all together everyone stop putting in for it.... It also is like 98% privite property with little to no access....
> I think the last good bull was poached last year...
> 
> Now the Manti unit is the unit! That there holds the WORLDS best and biggest bulls! :!:


Maybe some of us dont care about the score. All I want is a nice 6x6 bull and that tehunite Im poutting in for. Now inless your post is trying to get people to stop putting in for that unite good luck.


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## hunter_orange13 (Oct 11, 2008)

dkhntrdstn said:


> TAK said:
> 
> 
> > I just wish everyone would read this and understand they will not get a big bull on this unit... It is a **** poor unit that your not going to get much bigger than 300 on! Now all together everyone stop putting in for it.... It also is like 98% privite property with little to no access....
> ...


x2 any animal with a bow would be a trophy!

i have seen some big bulls up there, but idk if any would be in the 300 or above. but i also don't have a le license so i'm not searching for them... it would be a fun hunt tho!


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

MAybe Tak was yankin yer chain? :wink: 

fletchinjig, Choose a drainage around Strawberry and learn it, they all hold good #'s of elk.


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## fletchinjig (Jun 12, 2009)

Sounds good, I planning on getting up there as soon as I can after the fourth of July. Hope I can find a few, and put one in the freezer. 8) Ive always wanted to chase elk, just never took the plunge. Ive been to content chasing mulies for too long. Not getting a tag though is good motivation. :wink:


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## quinbray (Jun 17, 2009)

I don't think my expectations will ruin this hunt, It is awesome to finally have a chance to shoot a monster bull in my own back yard. Me and my fam have seen plenty of 350+ bulls just in the past 2 years, And I will show a picture of a 370 bull after the hunt is over don't worry  . I agree that (most) Elk do move a hell of a lot between now and mid aug and even during the rut. You cannot scout elk preseason and expect to see them in the same area when your hunt starts. My experience shows you have to spend years in an area and know where the elk MIGHT be when the rut starts(they are usually pretty consistant). There are many factors that can change where they could go from year to year, i.e. precip, hunt pressure. I also agree with you guys that a 330 bull is great.. especially with a bow, and if I end up with a bull that size at the end of the hunt I will definitely be happy. But, to have this a tag like this once every 10-15 years is crazy...Why not set my goals high when I know there are bigger bulls there, and we have had them close enough to take a good shot every year in the past.


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## elkhunterUT (Jan 21, 2008)

Quinbray,
Nothing wrong with high expectations and lofty goals. I hope you have a great hunt and kill a great bull!!

I was lucky enough to draw a Wasatch any weapon tag at the Expo this year, so I will be out trying to kill a 370 bull also!!  If you see any great bulls that make it through the archery hunt, give me a shout.

To get to hunt a LE elk unit in Utah is a special thing for sure that won't come around very often. I am going to soak it all in and try to take a bull that looks good to me regardless of score.

Good luck,

Cory


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

elkhunterUT said:


> Quinbray,
> Nothing wrong with high expectations and lofty goals. I hope you have a great hunt and kill a great bull!!
> 
> I was lucky enough to draw a Wasatch any weapon tag at the Expo this year, so I will be out trying to kill a 370 bull also!!  If you see any great bulls that make it through the archery hunt, give me a shout.
> ...


Me too. I'll have one next year and those are my exact sentiments.


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## Dahlmer (Sep 12, 2007)

I'm not saying that there aren't 350+ bulls on the Wasatch...just that they are few and far between. If you want a bull of that caliber you will need to be fully willing to go home empty handed. My dad had the Wasatch tag last year and the two best bulls we saw were both on the opener. I would guess both to 340 class bulls, but my dad's goal was 350 so we didn't pursue them too hard. We never found either bull again. 

We got on 330 bull two days later, and let that one walk as well. My dad ended up with a bull that scores low 300's. A nice bull, but not what he hoped for. Last year was tough. The bulls were smaller across the board and it was a really tough hunt. In previous years we have seen bigger bulls and more bulls. 

The quality on the Wasatch is in decline largely because of the number of tags they are issuing for it now. It is a great hunt, I hunted it in 2007 and had a great experience. My brother and cousin have tags this year and I look forward to hunting with them. If we see 330 though, I'll be telling them to pull the trigger.


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