# Bountiful Elk?



## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

I ran into a horse hunter last week while scouting for deer. We got to talking about Elk and he told me the biggest herd in the state is above Bountiful??? I think he is either wrong or pulling my leg. He did say they stay on the morgan side in private land for the most part.
Just woundering because I've never herd of many Elk in that area.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

There are a ton of elk on the other side of the ridge and it is a CWMU. Biggest herd in the state? I don't know about that. The DWR says the biggest herd in the state is in the Uinta's but that is a much bigger area that the area you're talking about.


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

according to the DWR the biggest herd in the state is on the Manti...I think that horse hunter was spending a little too much time behind the horse cause the fumes were definitely affecting his thinking!
I challenge you to take a snowmobile up above the "B" in Bountiful for every day for a week in January and tell me how many elk you see! Or you can just give me the gas you would've used to do that and I'll use it to cut my lawn next summer and we can both save on time and energy


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

I thought the biggest herd in the state was Fishlake.


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

It for sure is not in Davis/Salt Lake/Morgan county!


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

jahan said:


> I thought the biggest herd in the state was Fishlake.


<opens can of worms> Used to be...until the cow tag slaughter of 2009 and 2010. :roll:


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## ut1031 (Sep 13, 2007)

I would LOVE to find an elk so close to home....having grown up in Morgan, I can attest to the amount of private land on the 'other side'.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

stablebuck said:


> according to the DWR the biggest herd in the state is on the Manti...


You're right. That must have changed in the last few years. Used to be the Uinta mountains.


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## DR_DEATH (Sep 10, 2007)

Nope not the Manti... It's the Wasatch Unit..


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## Deuce (Oct 18, 2007)

How do you find out the DWR's count numbers per unit? Or is this a hunter's best guess about the rumors they've heard and the animals they haven't seen??


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

Deuce said:


> How do you find out the DWR's count numbers per unit? Or is this a hunter's best guess about the rumors they've heard and the animals they haven't seen??


Haha, _most_ seem to be "I've been out three times and haven't seen S$%#, **** THE DIVISION!


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

I counted everyone one of them, LOL. It is just what I have heard, I don't have any evidence.


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

DR_DEATH said:


> Nope not the Manti... It's the Wasatch Unit..


says who???


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## Mountain Time (Sep 24, 2007)

Elk population estimates and objectives by management unit/subunit, Utah 2008.


Wasatch Mountains, Currant Creek 1500
Wasatch Mountains, Avintaquin 1400
Wasatch Mountains, Central Region 3000

Central Mountains, Manti 10600
Central Mountains, Nebo 1550

Plateau, Fish Lake / Thousand Lakes 5100


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

Deuce said:


> How do you find out the DWR's count numbers per unit? Or is this a hunter's best guess about the rumors they've heard and the animals they haven't seen??


The numbers can be found here on page 23.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggam ... k_plan.pdf


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

stablebuck said:


> according to the DWR the biggest herd in the state is on the Manti...I think that horse hunter was spending a little too much time behind the horse cause the fumes were definitely affecting his thinking!
> I challenge you to take a snowmobile up above the "B" in Bountiful for every day for a week in January and tell me how many elk you see! Or you can just give me the gas you would've used to do that and I'll use it to cut my lawn next summer and we can both save on time and energy


Don't know, I saw some while deer hunting!!


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

hoghunter011583 said:


> stablebuck said:
> 
> 
> > according to the DWR the biggest herd in the state is on the Manti...I think that horse hunter was spending a little too much time behind the horse cause the fumes were definitely affecting his thinking!
> ...


That's a rare sight indeed if you saw elk on the public side. I grew up hunting above the B in Bountiful. Took a few deer out of there too with my first ever rifle, a 30-30 with open sights. I have seen exactly 2 elk in roughly 10+ years of deer hunting that area on the public side. Aww the memories. Too bad somebody spoiled it about 10 years ago when they took a deer from me at GUNPOINT! I heard shots in the next canyon. 15 minutes later a nice buck came into my canyon. I watched him for a while and decided he wasn't wounded. I dropped him as we worked his way to 50 yards in front of me. One shot and he was done. I started to clean him and he only had one hole in him. About 10 minutes later I was surrounded by 9 guys swearing it was their deer. I stood my ground and tried to discuss the facts. Finally one guy raised his rifle at his hip and said, "we can do this the hard way or the easy way but that is our deer." Earlier in the morning I had to dodge large rocks someone was rolling down the mountain trying to kick up deer. I switched to archery the next year. I have rifle hunted the last two years but only because I am a dedicated hunter. I've never hunted since up there.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

Yeah I'll archery hunt next year, your story is total insanity!!! I can't get over some of the things I've heard about the gen. rifle hunt!! I won't do it next year, plus I think I'd rather hunt deer during the extended season on the front, I love the snow!!


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## GSPonPoint (Sep 24, 2008)

There are a few elk above Bountiful, however, they primarily are on the back side on the Hardscrabble CWMU, even at that the CWMU is not very good hunting for elk. I've talked with people who have had the tag and it's a very difficult hunt, not many elk. Honestly, you'd be wasting your time hunting above Bountiful for elk. I've lived and hunted those mountains my whole life and the only elk I've seen were back 25+ years ago when the DWR had a herd fenced in on Farmington Flats.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

Yeah I have my sights set on a little spot around salt lake, hope it works out!!


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