# Help with Boulder Mountain LE Archery Elk



## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

So...after many years of trying to decide when to pull the plug and use my points for my "once in a lifetime" Utah LE archery elk hunt, I have decided this year to put in for the Boulders. While I will hunt with any weapon, I killed my first deer and my first elk with a bow and I really would like to take a large bull with my bow. I am a bow hunter at heart and I love the Boulders. I was going to burn my points last year but my 79 year old uncle, pacemaker and all, asked me to help him use his points to get his first nice bull elk on the Wasatch muzzleloader hunt as this might have been the last year his health would permit him to get out and hike the high country after elk. My uncle has taken me fishing and hunting since I was a boy so there was no way I would have missed this hunt. I included a pic from my uncle's hunt last fall and it was a joy to be able to help him get this bull. He wouldn't have been any happier if the bull had scored 400"!

Based on last years draw results, I should draw a tag this year. I grew up fishing, hiking and camping on the Boulders and I have several locations where I have seen elk but it has been several years since I have hunted on the Boulders for elk and I am not sure where the big ones are hanging out these days. 

I am not requesting anyone's specific honey hole but I would greatly appreciate any advice or guidance that you fellow die hard elk hunters might be willing to share regarding the best locations to start scouting for my upcoming archery hunt. I plan to do a lot of scouting and I am not looking for a 400" bull (but I would obviously shoot him if I can find him) but I would really like to get a nice bull to hang on the wall for my boys to admire so that they will have something to dream about hunting when they get a little older.

I have hunted deer and elk all over the west and in several other states and I would be more than willing to share any information I have with others on this site regarding my knowledge of these hunting areas.

I look forward to any suggestions or guidance you folks might be willing to offer up.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Coming onto any forum and asking for "help" on post 1 usually dosnt fly well.

Make a few posts, get the tag in hand, you'll have better luck.

welcome to the forum though.,


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Fishhuntthendie said:


> Based on last years draw results, I should draw a tag this year. ..


spill the beans. How many points do you have?


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## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

11, which according to the draw odds I have seen, should be 100 percent unless a bunch others jump on the Boulder archery list.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Wouldn't count that as a gauranteed bonus tag this year with 11 points....

There could be some serious shifting in applicates because of declining
quality of bulls on several units ..... Boulder could become a higher demand tag..


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## berrysblaster (Nov 27, 2013)

Whilst I can't speak for the boulders just some general points about the LE archery hunt.

#1 the first two weeks are the best chance at harvesting a trophy bull. Before the rut, big bulls are patternable and will habitually hit the same water holes making them easy to hunt. The struggle with this is locating the water. If you find a seep or two that look likely then bingo! Personally I prefer the first two weeks too the latter half. If I know where the water is.

#2 the second two weeks are the easiest parts of the hunt to harvest A bull, as the rut kicks in, the smaller bulls will get more and more vocal. Chasing the bugals around usually amounts to a whole lot of fun but not much success if you have standards. If you don't have water or are unfamiliar with the terrain then the latter half of the hunt is the one you want to focus on.

Next time maybe goofy won't be so cantankerous and try and offer up a rid bit of knowledge or two! ;-)


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## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

Goofy, I agree that people may now jump on the Boulder archery application list based on other units going down in quality and I mentioned this when I stated how many points I have. However, this is a game we all play every year and all we can go on is last year's odds and hope they don't change too much. I jumped off the list last year to help an uncle get his bull and with my limited leave from work, there was no way I could do my hunt plus help on his. I like to do a lot of scouting and plan as far out as I can when I believe I have a reasonably good chance of drawing a tag which hopefully I will have this year and that is all I am trying to do currently.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Seen some nice bulls on the trail into Mcgath. Of course this was a few years ago and I was bear hunting but for may they had quite a bit of growth already. If I had a tag that's where I would start anyway.


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## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

Mike, thanks for the info. I have fished McGath several times and I love this area. Do you mind if I ask whether you saw them coming in on the road from the north (trail that goes up and around Jacob's, Black and Dry Lakes or on the main road that comes in from the south?

Trent


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Fishhuntthendie said:


> 11, which according to the draw odds I have seen, should be 100 percent _unless a bunch others jump on the Boulder archery list._





Fishhuntthendie said:


> Goofy, I agree that people may now jump on the Boulder archery application list...


Others. As in yourself.

The nice thing about you having 11 points is that we have more! So, like you already know, your chances are not 100%.

FWIW -- my brother has been putting in for this hunt for longer than 11 years. He would have drawn it last year, but opted for a bonus point due to a fishing trip to Canada that conflicted with the archery hunt -- so, he has more points than you, and has applied for this hunt for this year. We hunt this unit exclusively. Two of us have already drawn this tag, and are currently building points again -- It's not a "once-in-a-lifetime" hunt!

Further, that big bull that has been shown at the SFW banquet is certain to draw additional hunters to this unit this year again. I'm guessing it is going to be more like 13 points to draw it this year -- however, luck always plays a part.

fishuntdie -- I wish you good luck. If you do draw the tag, then I'm sure that there will be many people (including myself) willing to share information with you to help you have a successful hunt.


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## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

PBH, I am happy that you have personally had a chance to get a tag on the Boulder and experience a good quality elk hunt in Utah. Hopefully, your brother will get his tag...and bull... this year, I just hope to be joining you all on the mountain. Like your brother, I too had my own reason last year for just getting a point. I don't begrudge anyone else getting a tag who has been applying and waiting for a great hunt like this or any other LE hunt as they obviously have the same goals and interests I do. If I don't draw this year, then I will be applying again next year and the year after til I eventually draw. Most limited entry units in Utah still have good quality elk every year, I just happen to have grown up fishing, hiking and hunting on the Boulder and I love this particular type of country. In my opinion, not a lot of places on earth more beautiful to spend your fall chasing bucks and bulls than on the Boulders. Just my personal preference.

Good luck to your brother and if he happens to get a big bull down and I am in the area, I hope I can help carry one of the quarters off the mountain for him.


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## Archin (Oct 5, 2013)

I've been putting in for this tag for 13 years this year will be 14 where is my tag if it's 100% Just kidding no elk there try wasatch boulders old news


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## 5pointbull (Mar 4, 2014)

I took this bull on the early rifle Boulder in 2012, but called in plenty close enough to dust with a bow. I hate to tell you this, but last year the unit probably jumped to #2 in the state. While allot of others dropped significantly. That means allot of people who think they'll draw this year, very well may not. But if you do, let me know and I'll give you all the help I can. If it weren't for help from folks on forums like this one, I don't know what my success would have been.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Great bull 5-Point!


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

5 point--- Your spot on here ...

Boulder right now could be #2 ....

And with the significant fall off in quality on several other units
there will be alot of switching around with the higher end points holders.


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## 5pointbull (Mar 4, 2014)

goofy elk said:


> 5 point--- Your spot on here ...
> 
> Boulder right now could be #2 ....
> 
> ...


At least we can agree on something;-)


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## Fishhuntthendie (Feb 27, 2014)

5PointBull, Congrats on the awesome bull. I am pretty sure I saw this bull at the taxidermy show at the Expo this year. Is this possible or did his brother happen to get taken and placed in the show? I remember the mass and how nice it looked, nice taxidermy job if it is the same bull from the show. I realize the Boulder Unit is becoming better known...and thus more popular....and there is obviously a chance of getting jumped for a few years by people switching units. However, I am going to keep applying til I draw and I would be ecstatic to find a nice bull like the one you got in the pic. Congrats! I am going to keep my head up and hope to still draw 
this year..but if not, I will have fun chasing deer on the Boulder with my bow and wait til I have the archery elk tag in hand.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

You guys down at McGath please concentrate on the elk and leave my brook trout alone, please.;-)


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## 5pointbull (Mar 4, 2014)

Yep that was it, just wrote a post about it, and I was trying to help your trout last year, by finding the notorious blonde giant black bear that frequents that lake, but he apparently made it through another year.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> You guys down at McGath please concentrate on the elk and leave my brook trout alone, please.;-)





5pointbull said:


> I was trying to help your trout last year, by finding the notorious blonde giant black bear that frequents that lake, but he apparently made it through another year.


wouldn't killing the bear be counterproductive?? Right now, there are too many fish in McGath. The best thing to get brookieboy a big brook trout from McGath would be to have the big-breasted blonde bear eating more fish from the lake!!

(see what happens when you try to protect something that doesn't need protecting? Open the lake back up to winter fishing, and the size of fish will increase again....)

sorry -- couldn't help it.


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## 5pointbull (Mar 4, 2014)

PBH said:


> wouldn't killing the bear be counterproductive?? Right now, there are too many fish in McGath. The best thing to get brookieboy a big brook trout from McGath would be to have the big-breasted blonde bear eating more fish from the lake!!
> 
> (see what happens when you try to protect something that doesn't need protecting? Open the lake back up to winter fishing, and the size of fish will increase again....)
> 
> sorry -- couldn't help it.


Umm okay, it was a light hearted comment, as I finally drew a bear tag for the plateau. And that bear is legendary for McGath many have tried to find the Boulder Mountain Panda Bear, but he knows how to evade hunters. Before you go into judging legal hunting, perhaps you should look at the number of problem bears the state had to kill in the area.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

5pointbull said:


> Umm okay, it was a light hearted comment, as I finally drew a bear tag for the plateau. And that bear is legendary for McGath many have tried to find the Boulder Mountain Panda Bear, but he knows how to evade hunters. Before you go into judging legal hunting, perhaps you should look at the number of problem bears the state had to kill in the area.


I like this guy. We should keep him around.

5point -- I enjoy your Boulder expertise. I hope you stick around and continue to contribute. Good times. FWIW, I visited McGath once. Heck, I even found a couple pictures of myself there!

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fsbdev3_001673.jpg 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fsbdev3_001733.jpg


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

PBH said:


> wouldn't killing the bear be counterproductive?? Right now, there are too many fish in McGath. The best thing to get brookieboy a big brook trout from McGath would be to have the big-breasted blonde bear eating more fish from the lake!!
> 
> (see what happens when you try to protect something that doesn't need protecting? Open the lake back up to winter fishing, and the size of fish will increase again....)
> 
> sorry -- couldn't help it.


brookieBOY?!! I've got your boy, well nevermind. And by the way, I semi-agree with your perspective on allowing winter fishing again. I think I would rather see less fish stocked than the sacrilege on vulnerable spawning brook trout again though. 
And Brett, do you really thing Utah Black Bears are capable of catching live brook trout from a lake like McGath? I think not. Those bears at McGath and every other Boulder pond are simply fetching up dead mishandled or otherwise fish.
I've seen Blondie. Pretty impressive.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I watched a black bear take a brookie out of flat lake once….I was fishing on the other side when he walked on down for what I thought was a swim…!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

maybe. I've seen it elsewhere.

Personally, I don't really care which way the DWR goes with McGath. If anglers want the "feel good" rule of no winter fishing, that's fine. 

Good luck with the bear. I haven't seen this kermode bear. In fact, this is the first I've heard of it. Always wanted to see one -- statistics say I should have by now (1-in-10), but alas, all my efforts in B.C. have only produced black colored black bears. No kermode's for me.


I sure wish the DWR would give out "spot and stock" bear tags for us archery guys hunting the Boulder. Lot's of bears wandering around those hills...


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I had a guy who had a chance at that blonde bear 2 years ago. We showed up on the mountain just before dark and we told him that we should just unload the quads and head up to Mcgath before dark and see what up there. He wanted to stay and get camp set up. 
Well myself and another guy grab our poles and went by ourselves and low and behold the bear was sitting on the bank on the far side. He stayed there for quite sometime to but we couldn't get the hunter on the radio.
Needless to say he went with out a bear that year.
Oh and we saw the elk on the trail that I guess is on the south end. Come up from the Hells back bone rd.


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## 5pointbull (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm not going any where but I've been baptized in keyboard warrior fire here;-)


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## provider (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm not a bear hunter, but here's my bear experience / advice. Catch some boulder mountain brookies on a remote lake. Pull out your frying pan and fry them up. 

I did this one June day. A bear came right in. We threw rocks at him to scare him off. He was reluctant to leave, but eventually left.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Oh yes! Boulder bears love beer battered brookies! 



And bacon, and bean dip, and beer, and potato chips, and hamburger, and bread, and eggs , and oh yes, did I say beer?


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## 7remmag (Aug 5, 2011)

*PM sent*

PM Sent


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## Huntin8 (Jul 15, 2013)

That's awesome that you were able to help your uncle out! My uncle is the one that got me into hunting. He was the one that paid for all my application fees and license fees, he passed up a few nice bucks to let me have a shot at them. Next week I am going to Nevada to help him on his antelope hunt and going down a few days before he comes to try and find some decent bucks. Hopefully I can start to repay him with finding some!


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