# Wasatch Extended Elk or Uintas Rifle Elk?



## tkjwonta (Jan 20, 2010)

I am having a dilemma in deciding how and where to hunt elk this fall. I will be hunting deer with my bow towards the southern side of Wasatch extended archery area. I can't decide if I should get an archery elk tag and try to scout/hunt the same area for both species or if I should increase my odds of success by attempting a rifle hunt in the Uintas. Kamas is the Unitas unit I am considering. Is the rifle hunt on the Kamas that much better than the extended archery area after considering the longer season and more scouting time that the extended archery affords?

I will never draw an LE hunt, and so I would rather take a chance at a branch antlered bull and be unsuccessful than hunt a higher success spike hunt.

What would you do in my situation?


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## HJB (May 22, 2008)

The Extended hunt is pretty tough for elk. If you do a lot of scouting and research you may find some elk, but I think your chances are much better in the Uintas with a rifle. Why not try the North Slope?


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## inbowrange (Sep 11, 2007)

I think both hunts are very tough. I'm a bow hunter not a rifle guy so I naturally lean to bow hunting. In the four years i've bow hunted elk i've maybe seen a total of 10 elk on the extended, but I would still recommend the bow cause of the amount of time you get. And if you start now maybe in a few years you have a little honey hole full of elk that you can rely on.


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

I would do archery...that way you have both tags and you can stick whatever walks out in front of you except for a moose, chupalcabra, or sasquatch. The moose you'll get jail time for, I'm not even sure what a chupalcabra is I just saw a show on Unsolved Mysteries about it, and the sasquatch you'll just piss off...unless you can shoot like me :lol:


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

I am also a bow guy and so obviously lean toward the extended bow hunt. There are plenty of decent areas for elk with a bow. You can hunt the same places with a bow that you could with a general season rifle elk tag. There are a lot let less people on the archery hunt, a major bonus. Plus, when the gen. archery elk season ends...you still have the extended. There are plenty of elk on the extended, you've just got to know where to look....and, just because you've got a "honey hole" on the extended that holds elk, doesn't mean you're going to harvest every year but you'll have a hell of a time trying to.

I guess I should really be trying to get you to do the rifle hunt. It's in my interest as a bowhunter to get you to do the rifle hunt so you don't clog up the mountain during bow season! :wink: Ok, the rifle hunt is 100 times better and you have a 98% chance of harvesting at least a 300 inch bull when all of your buddies on the archery have an 8% chance of harvesting ANY elk (cow, spike, branched bull, calf). :wink: The rifle hunt is cooler because you can shoot from long distances and you look cool to all of the hotties that might see you because you have a very big gun! It is also a huge benefit to be able to wear that kick a** bright orange color that all rifle hunters are proud of. :wink: Tell me, why wouldn't you want to wear a color that you can only wear once a year and have people think you are cool? Rifle hunting is way better than archery! You don't need the extended season if you go rifle because you will more than likely harvest on openeing morning, if not opening HOUR! *GO WITH THE RIFLE HUNT.......WAY BETTER!* :lol:


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

I am a little biased in my advice just because I hunt with a rifle. I have hunted the north slope of the Uintas 4 years and taken 3 elk. I go for the meat so I could care less if it's a spike or a branch. Only one of those elk has been a branch antler and it was 2x3. I did see better bulls but like I said I am a meat hunter so a spike at 75 yards looks a lot better to me than a 5x5 at 200.

I will tell you the same thing I have told a few other fellow hunters in here. It's a tough hunt. The terrain is rough and steep and the north slope looks like a pumpkin patch along the roads and atv trails. I kid you not... I counted sometimes 5 or 6 trucks per mile of road, absolutely RIDICULOUS. I hike out and away from the roads at least 2 miles and find elk all over. If you are not a road/trail hunter and are willing to pack in and pack out the Uintas will give you some good chances of success.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

There are no elk on the North Slope! :O//:


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## tkjwonta (Jan 20, 2010)

Just based on what I've gathered from this forum it sounds like the North Slope is extremely crowded and it would be at least as far or farther for me to get there than to get to the Kamas area. I am unable to take off for a week or more at a time to go set up a camp farther from home, that's why I would opt for a couple 2 or 3 day trips.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

JuddCT said:


> There are no elk on the North Slope! :O//:


Oh! yeah I just rememberd....there are no elk on the north slope. Don't go there.... it's all empty! :mrgreen: *(u)*


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

> JuddCT wrote:There are no elk on the North Slope! :O//:
> 
> Oh! yeah I just rememberd....there are no elk on the north slope. Don't go there.... it's all empty! :mrgreen: *(u)*


Very Good :O•-:


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## Mr. O (May 13, 2010)

well sounds like me and my huge camp of hunters will be hammering the north slope this year thanks for the tips guys ... should be room for a 10 trailer camp right? 20-30 hunters? 
well see ya there! ill be wearing orange and carrying a rifle so dont be shy say hi!


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Just do the opposite of what MadHunter told you. Stay on your quad and don't hike off the road at all. Leave that to me! :mrgreen:


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

JuddCT said:


> Just do the opposite of what MadHunter told you. Stay on your quad and don't hike off the road at all. Leave that to me! :mrgreen:


Judd.... I don't think we'll have a problem. Keep in mind that once they get a load of the terrain they will stay on their atv. Oh don't forget about the 2 feet of snow on Sunday of opening weekend last year. Temp was about 25 for the high and the wind was at least 15mph. Just to clarify this is actually true and not a scare tactic.



Mr. O said:


> well sounds like me and my huge camp of hunters will be hammering the north slope this year thanks for the tips guys ... should be room for a 10 trailer camp right? 20-30 hunters?
> well see ya there! ill be wearing orange and carrying a rifle so dont be shy say hi!


I've seen several camps exactly like that. Looked like mini cities with a whole clan of some surname. In case you were wondering.... I will be the little orange dot out about 3 miles out carrying a rifle and a pack full o elk! I guarantee you no one will be there to say hi.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

> Oh don't forget about the 2 feet of snow on Sunday of opening weekend last year. Temp was about 25 for the high and the wind was at least 15mph. Just to clarify this is actually true and not a scare tactic.


I pray for snow and cloudy skies on the opener every year. I love it!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

JuddCT said:


> Just do the opposite of what MadHunter told you. Stay on your quad and don't hike off the road at all. Leave that to me! :mrgreen:


I will leave that to you. Just make sure when you miss him he coming my way and i will drop him right on the road. Then there will be no packing out and all i have to do it thigh a rope on him off we go. :mrgreen:

O wait I will be sitting in my duck boat killing ducks. :mrgreen:


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

ya the north slope sucks!


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> ya the north slope sucks!


The NORTH SLOPE is a total B*tch! If you value your life, your back, your feet, your boots and every muscle in you body then you will STAY OFF the NORTH SLOPE! *IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!*


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## adamsoa (Oct 29, 2007)

I've seen tons of elk and few hunters on the North Slope. Big Big Elk up that way. 
I've also heard they cant resist that Primos hoochi mama called loud and often.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

adamsoa said:


> I've seen tons of elk and few hunters on the North Slope. Big Big Elk up that way.
> I've also heard they cant resist that Primos hoochi mama called loud and often.


*No you have not! They run away from the hoochie mama.....Read my earlier post.* *(u)*



MadHunter said:


> JuddCT said:
> 
> 
> > There are no elk on the North Slope! :O//:
> ...


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

You guys are finally getting it!


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