# Rank your current top 5 Utah LE elk units.



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I don't have enough LE elk hunting experience to have any kind of an opinion at all, and I know things are always changing. Based on forum talk, however, I would imagine it might look something like this:

1) San Juan
2) Pahvant
3) Beaver
4) Boulder
5) Monroe

How'd I do? What changes would you make?


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I don't have any experience on these top end units (and likely never will), but here's the order they are in by the 2015 drawing results:

Archery: Monroe, San Juan, Beaver, Boulder, Pahvant
Early Rifle: Monroe, Pahvant, San Juan, Beaver, SW Desert
Late Rifle: Monroe, Pahvant, Beaver, San Juan, Boulder
Muzzleloader: Monroe, San Juan, Beaver, Boulder, Pahvant


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm glad neither of you mentioned my favorite. 

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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

JuddCT said:


> I'm glad neither of you mentioned my favorite.


I think everyone should put in for Cache, North ;-)


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Yep, those 5-6 are it. Crazy thing is that you can have a stellar hunt on the next tier of units down, yet there are those that will put in until retirement age to hunt one of the top 5 or 6 units. Oh well, better odds for the rest of us on the "lesser" units!


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## littlebighorn (Feb 14, 2009)

derekp1999 said:


> I don't have any experience on these top end units (and likely never will), but here's the order they are in by the 2015 drawing results:
> 
> Archery: Monroe, San Juan, Beaver, Boulder, Pahvant
> Early Rifle: Monroe, Pahvant, San Juan, Beaver, SW Desert
> ...


Interesting Monroe is top on all those. 
Spider bull residue??


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I don't know how derekp figured those ranks, but if it is on difficulty of draw the Monroe just doesn't have that many tags anymore. That would impact it a lot.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

The 2016 Anecdotal ranks of LE Elk

1. Pahvant

2. San Juan

3. Book Cliffs Roadless

4. Beaver

5. Boulder

6. Book Cliffs Bitter Creek

7. Southwest Desert

8. Monroe

9. Panguitch Lake

10. Dutton

11. Fish Lake

12. Manti 

13. Wasatch

14. Cache South

15. La Sal

16. Nebo

17. Stansbury

18. Three Corners

19. Deep Creek

20. Anthro

21. Pilot Mountain

22. Diamond Mountain

23. Cache North

24. Grouse Creek

25. Cache Meadowville

26. Paunsaugunt 

All of the above rankings were made up on the spot. :mrgreen:


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

Vanilla said:


> I don't know how derekp figured those ranks, but if it is on difficulty of draw the Monroe just doesn't have that many tags anymore. That would impact it a lot.


I based it off difficulty to draw because that to me seems like a good indication of popularity... which in turn means reputation of quality. I have no first hand experience otherwise.

Monroe and Beaver both offer about the same number of tags... very few.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I don't know every single unit out there, but the ones I do know here's how I'd rank my ability to have a shot at a +360" bull:

1. **** Sorry guys, I'll spill the beans after the application period is over! My guide (with the move, no time to scout) has some AWESOME bulls that he's watched after the seasons ended this year.
2. La Sal (if you know where to go, what to do, it is simply amazing)
3. Beaver
4. Manti
5. Southwest Desert


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

My top 5 for 2016-----Best shot at a DIY 360+ bull.

1) San Juan

2) Boulder

3) Beaver

4) Pahvant

5) Book cliffs

The quality on units do change,
For many years Monroe and the Book Cliffs were the top dogs..

Both the Dutton and Fishlake were in that top mix for a few years....

Nebo was a sleeper, then got knocked down for a few years, now recovering nicely.

The Wasatch was awesome for over a decade, not so much any more...

The Manti is a unit that comes to mind as being verily steady over the years.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Oaker/Standsberry should be somewhere near the top.;-)


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

North Slope is a SLEEPER!


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

No love for the SW Desert? If I were in the LE elk game That's the direction I would be going. ------SS


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## Blackie6 (Jul 7, 2014)

I'm with you SS. SW desert top 3 without a doubt.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

You guys that like the SW Desert need to figure out how to get the ranchers
under control that are responsible for the huge increase in cow permits.

If they continue, the SWD unit will be headed down the same road as the Wasatch .


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

MuscleWhitefish said:


> The 2016 Anecdotal ranks of LE Elk
> 
> 1. Pahvant
> 
> ...


Pine Valley didn't even make the list.


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

johnnycake said:


> I don't know every single unit out there, but the ones I do know here's how I'd rank my ability to have a shot at a +360" bull:
> 
> 1. **** Sorry guys, I'll spill the beans after the application period is over! My guide (with the move, no time to scout) has some AWESOME bulls that he's watched after the seasons ended this year.
> 2. La Sal (if you know where to go, what to do, it is simply amazing)
> ...


That's easy. your # 1 is San Juan.:grin:


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

RoosterKiller said:


> That's easy. your # 1 is San Juan.:grin:


Nope! ;-)


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

ridgetop said:


> Oaker/Standsberry should be somewhere near the top.;-)


Nobody gets my sense of humor!:sad: 
For the record, the DWR flew the Stansburys a few weeks ago and found 37 elk on the mountain range.
I'd be putting that area down at the bottom of any LE elk list.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

ridgetop said:


> For the record, the DWR flew the Stansburys a few weeks ago and found 37 elk on the mountain range.


37?!?! That's pretty sad.

Are you sure those aren't Wasatch numbers by mistake?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

1. San Juan
2. Boulder
3. SW Desert
4. Bookcliffs Roadless
5. Pahvant

I think there are 5 or 6 units that could go at number 5


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## rockroller (Dec 7, 2008)

Ok ridge here's a 2005 Stansbury bull of my sons, it's been downhill since!


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

rockroller said:


> Ok ridge here's a 2005 Stansbury bull of my sons, it's been downhill since!


Nice bull. Swwet to get em in the flat lands!! Looks like a sw desert bull. I know a guy that lives in milford and it isnt rare to drop your tailgate above your bull.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

rockroller said:


> Ok ridge here's a 2005 Stansbury bull of my sons, it's been downhill since!


Very nice bull. That rush valley herd has taken a beating over the past ten years.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

One thing that I have always noticed about the bulls on the Stansbury unit is that they don't have strong thirds. Certainly some some good bulls up there and it has declined for sure but even in the best of years if one is looking for a truly high scoring bull it will often be hurt by the thirds. I have yet to see a bull there that has thirds are very impressive compared To other parts of the state.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm seeing a lot of support for the SW Desert. If I would have said top 6 instead of top 5 that probably would have been the 6th in my little unscientific rankings. My dad got lucky and drew that unit this year and had a heck of a time finding anything. He ended up eating his tag. Could have shot a 320-330 bull on the second to last day, but he didn't want it. All the other hunters he ran into had about the same luck and he said many of them took smallish 6 points just to fill their tags. I don't why that unit was so unproductive this year. My brother said it was super hot and after about 9am you were down to T-shirt and sweating your juevos off. I'm sure the heat and the early season dates didn't help at all. The muzzy guys didn't seem to have much luck either though from what I heard.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

rockroller said:


> Ok ridge here's a 2005 Stansbury bull of my sons, it's been downhill since!


 Great looking bull! If I had that tag, I surely wouldn't be hunting the Stansbury side. Quality has taken a nose dive unit wide though. Unless you have good info or ALOT of time to scout, I think a bull in the 300-320 range is about tops for most folks anymore.


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