# Wasatch Archery Elk



## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

Hey all,

Well, i'm lucky enough to have two buddies that got hits on the cc for the Wasatch Archery tag this year. They're both great guys and I couldn't be more excited to help them out! They'll both be going at it with the ole stick bows so it should be an awesome hunt! Were still trying to fill some turkey tags but once June rolls around well be hitting the hills hard in search of some bulls to put a tag on. My summer looks to be fairly open so ill be doing as much scouting as possible for these guys. Any and all advice and hunting tips for the early archery hunt would be greatly appreciated!

For those of you who have hunted this unit in the past... How did you fill your mapping needs? I have TOPO Explorer but haven't been too pleased with it. Is there other mapping software you would recommend? In terms of paper maps... I'm thinking Utah-Idaho Map Supply is the best option for quality maps. Is there somewhere else that someone would recommend for good maps? 

In searching past threads on the Wasatch it seems that the area around Strawberry and Currant Creek gets the most pressure... Is this true? The tag holders have access to horses so getting a bull out of those nasty hard to reach areas shouldn't be an issue. We would love to be able to get away from the crowds and find some secluded pockets. It sounds like that is very possible in some areas of the unit...

While my friends and I would welcome any pointers on areas we shouldn't overlook, we would really just love to hear success stories from those who have made it happen in the past. Were really looking forward to this hunt and anything to help pass the time and get the blood pumping would be awesome! I already sent them the link to TEX-O-BOB's hunt last year. Great read!

Good luck to everyone this year! Only a few more months :grin:


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## bds (Sep 20, 2007)

I have ordered a number of custom sized maps from MyTopo http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/mytopo/ and have been very happy with them. You can order them with different papers, scales etc. so you can get coverage for the area you want.


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

I usally make my maps off of google.I can plot GPS cordinates at areas that I want to check out and then print the map.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I saw a young bull standing right off the South side of Hwy.40 yesterday afternoon. About 3/4 mile East of the Soldier Creek turn off.

Go get 'em!


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

I pulled that tag as well. Should have lots of company on the mnts with the number of LE tags and general spike/deer hunters chasing critters. 

Good luck!


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

gdog said:


> I pulled that tag as well. Should have lots of company on the mnts with the number of LE tags and general spike/deer hunters chasing critters.
> 
> Good luck!


Last year there were only two of us in the area I hunt spikes in... With the removal of the statewide archery last year it was a sure change as to pressure moving the animals around. I would imagine the same thing this year.


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

The best map combo I have found is good old USGS topo maps and google earth. Past that is all boot leather and saddle sores to do your final scouting. Tell both yer buddies I'd be glad to give em a hand getting to know the country. That place is an elk petting zoo, but your best hunting for the biggest bulls in in the steep nasty stuff. Go figure eh?


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## goforbroke (Jan 4, 2009)

I order online as always get newest maps and don't have to drive to a store to find they don't have it. Search plic on google and it will pull up site to order from. Look in my old threads and there is a short write up on my 2010 wasatch archery 333" bull. Lots of fun. I think a 340" or bigger bull has come out of every canyon at one time or another, but a lot more 280" bulls. Good luck and have fun.


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

Thank you all for the responses! 

@bds - Thanks for the link. It looks like that might be a good option.

@roosterkiller - I am familiar with Google Earth, and Bing Maps. Does google have a topo setting I am missing out on? I have heard you can find topo overlays but have never messed around with that much. I love using satellite imagery but it can only get you so far. Using topo maps in conjunction with GE is where it's at 


@kinekilla - Noted, thanks 

@gdog - Good luck to you as well! Keep in touch as the season approaches. 

@tallbuck - You make a good point... I had never thought about how the deer plan could affect the elk hunting pressure. I hope you're right :grin:

@TEX-O-BOB - Thanks for the offer TEX. Ill let them know they'd be stupid not to take you up on that. Gotta love the steep n nasty  

@goforbroke - Thanks for the response. Ill check out the website and your thread as well! I think i'm more excited about this hunt as a tag a long than any other hunt I actually have a tag for. Should be a good time! 

As of right now, I really like the looks of things down around the southern end of the unit. The Indian Head area looks like some good stuff with the chance to get away from the crowds. I believe that's close to the Indian lands too though... that's why we need some good maps. Anyone have any experience down in that area?

I also like the looks of the area around Gremo Hill... anyone with experience out that way?

There is a long list of areas to check out! Gotta love the preseason!

Thanks again for the replies!


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

ARCHER11 said:


> Thank you all for the responses!
> 
> @tallbuck - You make a good point... I had never thought about how the deer plan could affect the elk hunting pressure. I hope you're right :grin:
> 
> Thanks again for the replies!


It HURT us last year by not having the animals move around as much, but the elk were less pressured without all the excess noise from the pesky deer hunters...HA HA!

But on the other hand the elk kept there summer movements which did make it easier for planning what and when they were going to be moving around. Just note NOT to hunt with the moon because it does screw a-lot of things up with Coyotes yipping and there are a lot bears milling around.

Also, they were moving sheep off the end of Aug from several of the areas I scouted pre season and that made for a mess after getting to the area I had hope to hunt. 
The Dept of Ag was in doing coyote control and also had several signs in the area warning of the traps and asking to please stay out.

Make sure to keep us posted on your hunt!


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

Archer 11, I like the google becuase I can look at places in detail and get a general Idea of the area. I have found that no matter what map I use I eventually need to get out there and look for myself.I have a Utah Almanac and National forest maps as well,but I'll ptint out detail maps of specific canyons and other trails I want to inspect more closly.I will create a map and on it I will put gps cords of where I plan to park where I intend to hike. I'll know the elevations by mousing over the area.I can plot whatever info I think I need and then have it with me. It works great for me.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

my advice to you would be.... I had a tag in 2010 for the wasatch, I shot a 340 bull, on day 17. the year before my hunt, my buddy shot a 370, both shot 300 yards apart... on my hunt (2010) it was a hot year, it seems like that time of the year is fairly warm, I shot mine off a water hole, elk were buggling here, and there, but from my experience, I wouldn't really start being effective with calls untill the last week, if you do call, get in on them CLOSE, before you start working it, i'v had alot of success calling in reluctant bulls, walking away from the bull as I call.. that unit can be freakin awesome, or a bust.. theirs some monsters in that unit, but they hide real good, thiers alot of other hunters too. I think thats why those big bulls dont get seen by many people, their smart!.... get OFF THE ROAD. find a water source off the beaten path, put a trail cam in a few key spots, if you get into a spot where elk are regular, maybe hang out there for a few days on the hunt, thats what I did some times... I made a blind, and I would sit in them from dawn to dusk, . its not elk action all the time, but your looking for that one moment.I ran trail cams on a water hole for 3 years in a row, same bulls year after year came back, and throughout summer those bulls would come to water in a cycle "pattern" certain times of the day.. get in early, and stay out late... HIKE, VENTURE, EXPLORE. be ready for a hard hunt, because it can be, I don't know what you'll settle for, but holding out for the "big one" can take a toll on the brain.. most importantly, go out and have a great time!!.... p.s. I hunted south of strawberry


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## ut1031 (Sep 13, 2007)

nice post Goose!!!!! Get out and look around, this is a VERY FUN unit, especially the last few days!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

tallbuck said:


> It HURT us last year by not having the animals move around as much, but the elk were less pressured without all the excess noise from the pesky deer hunters...HA HA!
> 
> But on the other hand the elk kept there summer movements which did make it easier for planning what and when they were going to be moving around. Just note NOT to hunt with the moon because it does screw a-lot of things up with Coyotes yipping and there are a lot bears milling around.
> 
> ...


Makes sense... thanks for the info! There are a lot of variables to consider, that's for sure!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

RoosterKiller said:


> Archer 11, I like the google becuase I can look at places in detail and get a general Idea of the area. I have found that no matter what map I use I eventually need to get out there and look for myself.I have a Utah Almanac and National forest maps as well,but I'll ptint out detail maps of specific canyons and other trails I want to inspect more closly.I will create a map and on it I will put gps cords of where I plan to park where I intend to hike. I'll know the elevations by mousing over the area.I can plot whatever info I think I need and then have it with me. It works great for me.


It sounds like we have a lot of the same research methods. You seem to keep a lot better record of your findings right there on the map. Ill have to try that this year. Thanks for the tip. I agree that it is a very helpful tool when scouting new areas and getting to know them in detail. You're right though, nothing beats boots on the ground knowledge. I like to use a combination of Satellite Imagery from GE and Bing Bird's Eye View, Google Maps Terrain view, and 7.5 Minute Topo maps. The topo helps me determine distance from roads and trails and also helps me get a better idea of how steep an area might be. I've got a few areas that look great in Google Earth but it would be nice to know where the nearest roads and trails are located. There are some great resources out there to help make the most of the down time. Thanks for your comments!


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

ARCHER11 said:


> It sounds like we have a lot of the same research methods. You seem to keep a lot better record of your findings right there on the map. Ill have to try that this year. Thanks for the tip. I agree that it is a very helpful tool when scouting new areas and getting to know them in detail. You're right though, nothing beats boots on the ground knowledge. I like to use a combination of Satellite Imagery from GE and Bing Bird's Eye View, Google Maps Terrain view, and 7.5 Minute Topo maps. The topo helps me determine distance from roads and trails and also helps me get a better idea of how steep an area might be. I've got a few areas that look great in Google Earth but it would be nice to know where the nearest roads and trails are located. There are some great resources out there to help make the most of the down time. Thanks for your comments!


I am able to get distances off of GE as well as the steepness of the terrain.
I take the gps readings off of GE that I want to measure and plug them into an Excel formula and it gives me the distance.On GE the more you zoom in on an area the more detail shows up. Also when I take other people out I give them a map with various gps cords so if we are seperated we can communicate via radio and hook up at one of the spots on the map. Works real good to keep track of each other.


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

goosefreak said:


> my advice to you would be.... I had a tag in 2010 for the wasatch, I shot a 340 bull, on day 17. the year before my hunt, my buddy shot a 370, both shot 300 yards apart... on my hunt (2010) it was a hot year, it seems like that time of the year is fairly warm, I shot mine off a water hole, elk were buggling here, and there, but from my experience, I wouldn't really start being effective with calls untill the last week, if you do call, get in on them CLOSE, before you start working it, i'v had alot of success calling in reluctant bulls, walking away from the bull as I call.. that unit can be freakin awesome, or a bust.. theirs some monsters in that unit, but they hide real good, thiers alot of other hunters too. I think thats why those big bulls dont get seen by many people, their smart!.... get OFF THE ROAD. find a water source off the beaten path, put a trail cam in a few key spots, if you get into a spot where elk are regular, maybe hang out there for a few days on the hunt, thats what I did some times... I made a blind, and I would sit in them from dawn to dusk, . its not elk action all the time, but your looking for that one moment.I ran trail cams on a water hole for 3 years in a row, same bulls year after year came back, and throughout summer those bulls would come to water in a cycle "pattern" certain times of the day.. get in early, and stay out late... HIKE, VENTURE, EXPLORE. be ready for a hard hunt, because it can be, I don't know what you'll settle for, but holding out for the "big one" can take a toll on the brain.. most importantly, go out and have a great time!!.... p.s. I hunted south of strawberry


Great post goose! Thanks a lot for the tips. I don't have the tag, it's my buddies that will be flinging arrows but I know one of them would be very happy with a 320 bull. I know elk hunting isn't always easy but well make it a fun hunt. Thanks again for your response!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

RoosterKiller said:


> I am able to get distances off of GE as well as the steepness of the terrain.
> I take the gps readings off of GE that I want to measure and plug them into an Excel formula and it gives me the distance.On GE the more you zoom in on an area the more detail shows up. Also when I take other people out I give them a map with various gps cords so if we are seperated we can communicate via radio and hook up at one of the spots on the map. Works real good to keep track of each other.


interesting, sounds like more trouble than im willing to deal with haha. its not that i cant get distances and elevation off of GE, I just can't see all roads and trails so getting distances from those trails to certain points of interest is impossible without a topo map showing me their location. I know there's a way to get topo maps to overlay over GE I just haven't done the research to figure it all out. That would be nice though!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

A quick evaluation of contour lines on a topo map can get me the info I need to make decisions on areas to scout. I may be old fashioned but there's just something I like about a paper topo map in my hands.


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## dank80 (Oct 31, 2007)

I bought an app for iPad/iPhone that I really like called Gaia GPS. I believe it was $10. You can toggle between google maps, topo maps, forest service maps and a few others. The GPS feature works well to guide you when you're out in the boonies with your phone, even when you are far out of cellular service. You have to download a map of the area beforehand though if you're going out of your coverage area.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I have a topo for that area, what I like to do is get a place of interest, and get on google earth, then i'll check it out in person, because its never what you pictured it as on the computer screen, then once i'v looked it over in person, with some hiking, i like to go back to google earth, becaues i can vision the area more accurately, i'll even print spots off on google earth of places of interest, and keep them with my topo while in the field, i print them off because i get a better detailed image of trails or draws, ect. while i use my topo to navigate.. thats just what I like to do..


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

This is the GE topo overlay that I use: http://www.gelib.com/ng-topo.htm. It's put out there by National Geographic.
It will show up in your "Temporary Places" folder, but if you move it from there to the "My Places" folder it will save for you. When you first open it up it zooms you way out and rotates to Africa... don't rush it, let it load and rotate/zoom in slowly to where you want to be looking. Pay attention to the little status "wheel" at the bottom right of the screen in GE, I find if I try to hurry it along I end up having to zoom out to where it last loaded completely and start zooming slowly again.


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

dank80 said:


> I bought an app for iPad/iPhone that I really like called Gaia GPS. I believe it was $10. You can toggle between google maps, topo maps, forest service maps and a few others. The GPS feature works well to guide you when you're out in the boonies with your phone, even when you are far out of cellular service. You have to download a map of the area beforehand though if you're going out of your coverage area.


Thanks for the recommendation dank, i'll be sure to check it out!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

goosefreak said:


> I have a topo for that area, what I like to do is get a place of interest, and get on google earth, then i'll check it out in person, because its never what you pictured it as on the computer screen, then once i'v looked it over in person, with some hiking, i like to go back to google earth, becaues i can vision the area more accurately, i'll even print spots off on google earth of places of interest, and keep them with my topo while in the field, i print them off because i get a better detailed image of trails or draws, ect. while i use my topo to navigate.. thats just what I like to do..


I think that's a great way to do things! It really is crazy how different things can be in person as compared to the computer screen. GE is nice but nothing beats first hand, boot's on the ground, knowledge. I spent 8 days in the Uintas hunting elk last year and no matter how much time I spent behind maps and the computer screen before the hunt, I never would have understood the area without visiting it. The preseason scouting trips we made were crucial to understanding the area. Like you said too, after visiting the area the satellite imagery was more clear and it was easier to recognize those little areas that deserve more attention. While I have done quite a few backpacking trips in the Uintas, i'm always taken back by how expansive those drainage's are. It's a huge area with lot's of little nooks and crannies for critters to hide. GE make's everything seem so small and easy to navigate.

I think that every navigation resource has its place. Thanks for your thoughts goose!


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

derekp1999 said:


> This is the GE topo overlay that I use: http://www.gelib.com/ng-topo.htm. It's put out there by National Geographic.
> It will show up in your "Temporary Places" folder, but if you move it from there to the "My Places" folder it will save for you. When you first open it up it zooms you way out and rotates to Africa... don't rush it, let it load and rotate/zoom in slowly to where you want to be looking. Pay attention to the little status "wheel" at the bottom right of the screen in GE, I find if I try to hurry it along I end up having to zoom out to where it last loaded completely and start zooming slowly again.


Thanks for the link! I'll be sure to check it out.


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