# Let's see em...



## USMARINEhuntinfool

Well for the sake of some of us poor suckers, how bout you guys share some pic's/stories about todays opener. I'd love to hear/see some good ones.


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## APD

no good stories for me. deer were scarce where i was and i only got within 30 yards of a small bull elk in a spike unit. Hopefully others had better luck.


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## Finnegan

Not a good story, but...

Woke up this morning, buck spotted, strategy planned. Gathering everything together, I discover my wallet is gone. Tear camp apart. Nope, it's lost. Oh, well, let's go hunt and worry about it later. No, wait...I have credit cards in that wallet. Better call somebody. No, wait...my permits are in that wallet!!! I've got no tags! 9:00 am, I was headed home, hoping I had enough gas to get back.

Pretty sure it fell out of my pocket when I was riding ATV Friday night. Several guys rode that trail before I retraced my route. So c'mon, brothers of the bow, don't let me down.

Shortest opener ever.


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## mikevanwilder

I had scouted an area for the past month and had 2 bucks picked out that I was going after. Went up last night just to put them to bed and make my plan for the morning. Got there and there was like 500 head of sheep on the same hill side. I searched till dark looking for those bucks and nothing. So I figured I would still go into that area and hunt it in the morning thinking maybe the deer either moved up higher or are in an area I couldn't see from my location. 
This morning got on the mountain at 445 and got to where I was going to hike from by 5. Turned out everyone else had the same plan, as I hiked up and looked back at my atv there were 6 other atvs and 2 trucks pulling in. 
Ended up hiking all over the ridge and down in a valley never saw a deer. 
Lots of people out this year though atleast where I was. Talking with another guy that hunts the same area he also thought there where more people. 
I guess it didn't hurt that they graded skyline rd from potters canyon north either. Seen a lot of cars up there. I even saw a mini cooper!
Oh well had to work graves tonight so I will have the middle of the week to hit the hills hopefully with less people.


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## goofy elk

Here ya go-----Nice buck.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID6/25178.html


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## colorcountrygunner

Saw a nice buck tonight. No arrow in him yet. Maybe tomorrow. Saw a branch antlered bull with ghost-white, freshly stripped antlers. This is an open bull unit, but I do not have an archery elk tag. I'll tip him over in October.


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## utjer

Saw some cow elk and one small buck. There were masses of people everywhere hunting. Normally I might see 1 or 2 other hunters.


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## archeryobsession

had a great opening morning! Saw plenty of does, 3 nice bucks 1 great buck, 5 cows, 1 nice bull and even a mama and baby moose with only 1 other hunter! Passed on all the easy shots I had on the smaller animals but looking to be a great year im excited and good luck to everyone this season


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## spork40

*awesome opening morning*

i decided to take my little girl with me in hopes of her seeing some deer or elk really close. man did they deliver after watching a group of cow elk walk by just out of range the fun started. a spike elk was walking the same path as the cows but after a few churps on my cow call he wirled around and can to see what we were. at less then ten yards, on the side my daughter was on, he came in and i let it fly. my daughter was awesome, she did not move a muscle and she was amazed at how close he got. i could not have asked for a better way to get my first kill with my bow.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

Way to go Spork, thats awesome. My all time favorite hunt was one very similar to that. I had my two boys with me and killed a cow in almost the same exact kind of scenario. I love it, really wish I hadn't thrown my bow away. Glad everyone is getting out and having fun. Went out to look around today. Saw a great big bull moose. Love this time of year.


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## delement87

ehhh


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## PBH

delement87 said:


> spent a month and a half scouting. opening morning had four hunters walk through the basin like they were "brushing" hunt ruined. seen 15 other hunters walking around opening morning. went back to camp packed up and left. i will return during the middle of the week when all the **** people are working. 17b/17c unit is a joke. 7 weeks of scouting down the drain. means nothing now. LE tag opening morning=waste of time and money


makes me feel like we should have asked your permission before hunting that area.

I feel really bad for some of you guys that spend that much time scouting an area only to find out that other hunters also hunt. LE tag does NOT = special exception.

FWIW -- we hunted an area on Saturday looking for elk. We never saw another hunter. We only saw 1 cow elk, but found lots of sign. We decided to go back Sunday afternoon. Again, other hunters were few and far between (1 truck spotted on a point, 1 other truck driving around that did not appear to be hunters). We made it home by midnight with a cow elk in the back of the truck. Not a bad little hunt.


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## delement87

ehhh.


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## Fowlmouth

Sunday evening my buddy shot this cow elk using the Rage broadheads. I have never been a fan of any mechanical broadhead until seeing the damage these Rages do. Clean pass through.


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## lunkerhunter2

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> Way to go Spork, thats awesome. My all time favorite hunt was one very similar to that. I had my two boys with me and killed a cow in almost the same exact kind of scenario. I love it, really wish I hadn't thrown my bow away. Glad everyone is getting out and having fun. Went out to look around today. Saw a great big bull moose. Love this time of year.


So did you end up borrowing someone's bow then?


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

I didn't. I decided to forgo this archery season. I intend to purchase a new bow in about a month when I have some money scrounged together and hit the extended if I don't get my buck on the muzzy or rifle. My dad insisted I get a spike tag and hunt with him so that took the archery elk out of the picture. I do appreciate all the offers. You guys are all stand up folks.


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## Finnegan

PBH said:


> I feel really bad for some of you guys that spend that much time scouting an area only to find out that other hunters also hunt. LE tag does NOT = special exception.


Agreed. None the less, when I had a PLE elk tag on the Manti a couple years ago, several hunters gave me special consideration. I was impressed, and a little uncomfortable, with the efforts these guys made to stay out of my way. I was most impressed with how eager these hunters were to provide information, just like they were on my "team". There was even a couple deer hunters who taped messages on my RV door - "We saw a bull today..." etc. I never did kill that bull, but my faith in my "brothers of the hunt" was definitely restored.


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## Fowlmouth

My buddies son spotted this buck Saturday afternoon. I pulled the rangefinder out, gave him the range and he let the arrow fly. This buck went 25 yards and piled up stone dead. I'm telling you these rage broadheads are some bad a$$ heads. The arrow went through the front right shoulder, through the chest cavity (heart) and out the other side into the left front leg above the hoof. Again I have never been a fan of mechanical broadheads, but after seeing what these do this year on elk and deer, I'm sold on them. (smallest bodied 3x4 I have ever seen)


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## PBH

Finnegan said:


> Agreed. None the less, when I had a PLE elk tag on the Manti a couple years ago, several hunters gave me special consideration. I was impressed, and a little uncomfortable, with the efforts these guys made to stay out of my way. I was most impressed with how eager these hunters were to provide information, just like they were on my "team". There was even a couple deer hunters who taped messages on my RV door - "We saw a bull today..." etc. I never did kill that bull, but my faith in my "brothers of the hunt" was definitely restored.


This is the way hunting should be. Hunters need to be respectful of each other. I don't believe by the posts made by delement that he was respectful of the other hunters, and thus they weren't respectful to him.

I think it's fantastic for "general" hunters to help out those with LE tags. At the same time, those with LE tags need to work with the general hunters too.

It doesn't matter if it's turkey hunters vs. shed hunters, or LE vs. general vs. grouse vs. Labor Day Recrationists. We're all in this together and we need to be respectful of each other.

We all do this to make memories. It's up to *YOU* whether or not the memories are good.


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## montero

No one I know but "Tines Up" posted on their site this bull that was taken on the Wasatch front on the opener this year. It's pretty impressive.


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## delement87

PHB i was more then respectful to the deer hunters i ran in to, stopping when deer were spotted and helping spot deer for the people that i ran in to, pointing out deer across basins.. i did way more then i had to for the other hunters. way more respect was givin from me then ever should be needed. other hunters thou.... ill leave it alone.


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## Bowdacious

Nice bull....wasatch front or wasatch LE?


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## montero

Bowdacious, it was on the wasatch front over the counter tag.


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## kzkammo

Montero that is an awesome bull congrats. I wish I was able to bow hunt this year.


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## montero

kzkammo this was not mine. Just one I saw posted somewhere else.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

Thats a gnarly bull. Even more so if it was taken on the OTC unit.


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## Bowdacious

That would be sweet if it was OTC....sometimes the problem with the internet is deciphering truth from fiction/hunting stories. Can't always believe what you see online. gnarly bull regardless!


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3

It was an OTC Wasatch front bull. Shot by David DeAustin.


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## Jrdnmoore3

OTC bull on the wasatch front?? On a limited entry or spike only unit? I think not specially since thats where i have been hunting and as of monday i havent seen a bull without velvet. story just doesnt add up.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3

The majority of the Wasatch front is anybull dude. Check out the map. If you haven't see a bull without velvet your in the wrong place. I haven't seen a bull WITH velvet for weeks.


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## kstorrs

From my understanding the elk control permits were antlerless only on the Wasatch:









Other than that the Wasatch is LE Bull and Spike only, right?


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## Jrdnmoore3

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> The majority of the Wasatch front is anybull dude. Check out the map. If you haven't see a bull without velvet your in the wrong place. I haven't seen a bull WITH velvet for weeks.


From I-80 south and I-15 east all the way to Cedar City all LE units and spike only currently until the extended archery hunt. The only any bull unit thats close is East Canyon unit which I am hunting almost everyday nothing out of velvet yet. That bull is slicked clean with ivory tips starting.


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## montero

bowhunt3r4l1f3 you are right. Tines up congratulated the shooter by that name. It was posted on their instagram page.


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## c3hammer

Jrdnmoore3 said:


> From I-80 south and I-15 east all the way to Cedar City all LE units and spike only currently until the extended archery hunt. The only any bull unit thats close is East Canyon unit which I am hunting almost everyday nothing out of velvet yet. That bull is slicked clean with ivory tips starting.


Jrdnmoore3, that is incorrect. The Wasatch Front Extended area is any bull from the Aug 16th opener. There was a mistake in the wording in this years proc that was corrected the week before the opener and posted all over the place.

Here's the link to the notice.
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/13-archery/88890-urgent-wasatch-front-archery-elk-info-update.html

Cheers,
Pete


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## Jrdnmoore3

So the wasatch is no longer an le unit for archery is what it comes down to


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