# Elk Which is a Better unit?



## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

My Question is this.... FOR ARCHERY I have looked at odds of drawing and I am fairly close to drawing. Which is a better unit to put in for? Wasatch (which I know very well), Manti or Nebo? 

I would love to have some input? I don't have an atv, or horses but willing to hike in. 

Thanks for advice.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

Toss up in my mind between Manti and Wasatch. You can't beat the knowledge you already have so I would do Wasatch.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Manti


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## rsb_924 (May 30, 2014)

tallbuck said:


> My Question is this.... FOR ARCHERY I have looked at odds of drawing and I am fairly close to drawing. Which is a better unit to put in for? Wasatch (which I know very well), Manti or Nebo?
> 
> I would love to have some input? I don't have an atv, or horses but willing to hike in.
> 
> Thanks for advice.


if it was me i would go for the wasatch. Nebo will kick your @@s i have hunted both of those units. hunted Nebo for 21+ years the elk are there if you know where to go. i can't say anything about Manti unit because im not familiar with it, although i have hunted it.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

95% of the people on this forum will either say Wasatch or Manti. They can both kick out the same caliber of bulls. If you're doing an archery hunt, i'd stick with what you know (Wasatch).


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

Personally I would do the manti .the elk on the wasatch have been pounded the last few years. Quality is down numbers are down. These basically turn into a once in a lifetime hunt if you have alot of points I would hands down do the manti There are still some elk on the Wasatch but the manti seams to be trending up while wasatch is on a fast pace trending down


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## blazingsaddle (Mar 11, 2008)

Just one more thing for you to chew on, the Manti has the states largest elk herd by quite a ways.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Just pull up all the threads on the Wasatch. That unit is innthe toilet and should be closed. Ask around.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Tallbuck,

I'm in the same boat with elk points....

I'm setting out 2015 Utah LE archery because of the hunt dates,
Ends September 11th this year.

And, all kidding aside on the Wasatch elk-------No dought, It's in trouble!
Woudn't touch it with a ten foot pole right now..

But if your dead set to hunt archery elk 2015-------Manti hands down.


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## stevedcarlson (Apr 19, 2011)

Manti for sure. For me I have spent the most time in that unit hunting hunt elk and deer so that's my vote!


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I have participated on LE muzzy hunts on the Wasatch the last 2 years. If you know the Wasatch, I would not hesitate to hunt it, even for a second. As much as the herd may be down, and as much as the future may be bleak for the unit, the present, for LE bulls, is pretty good. There have been some absolute stud bulls killed on the Wasatch the last few years. It may not be what it was in the "glory days", but there are plenty of nice bulls to be had. You might have the potential slightly higher on another unit you are considering, but none of those other units are the San Juan. The difference in quality of bulls, in my opinion (which is worth what you paid for it) is not that much to worry about. 

Let's be honest, no matter where you hunt...you're looking at an archery tag. The deck is stacked against you. Killing any animal with a bow is no easy task. So why not hunt the unit that you know well, and also has really good bulls still? 

From what I have seen the last 2 years, I would not hesitate to hunt the Wasatch next year if I was in that point range for a tag.


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## sdchargers (Aug 29, 2011)

Wasatch 2014. Still good Bulls if you know where to look. Good luck ..


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## hawkeye (Feb 18, 2008)

i have spent time on both units and there are plenty of good bulls on either unit. I would hunt whichever unit you know the best.

hawkeye


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

I appreciate all the comments. Just a little background I have hunted the wasatch unit for a few years as a spike / cow hunter and harvested cows and seen some good bulls. last year my friend had the early rifle tag and we spotted several good bulls and he pulled the trigger on a less than average bull due to a miss spot by another friend. I was just planning on doing some additional camping and would like to get in some new areas this upcoming summer and thought the manti or nebo looked like some good area's to explore and try out. But I think I will just go with the wasatch unit since I know it the best and play from there. Thanks again for all the great comments and knowledge!


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

Another vote for Manti, not only because the bigger herd but also better fishing if you feel the urge or want to break up the day with morning hunting and afternoon fishing.


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## Blackie6 (Jul 7, 2014)

Wasatch can be a lot of fun. If your trying to just kill the biggest bull possible and don't care where it is, the SW desert is a great one to look at for archery.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Manti is a good unit.
Wasatch is a good unit.
Nebo is a good unit.

Grab a dice.

If you roll a 1 or 4 Manti
If you roll a 2 or 5 Wasatch
If you roll a 3 or 6 Nebo

It's a game of chance anyway.


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

Ill go and grab the dice then muscle! Question is where to even start looking on the manti! LOL Its big country and sitting at desk armchair scouting sucks!


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

tallbuck said:


> Question is where to even start looking on the manti! LOL Its big country and sitting at desk armchair scouting sucks!


If you do go with the Manti let me know, I spent several days down there last fall with my grandfather on the early rifle hunt. We didn't cover too much ground but I can at least give you a couple ideas.
We selected that unit for the simple reason that the unit has the highest population of elk in the state. We were inexperienced with the unit and the first time we laid eyes on it scouting was in August (the Monday after the archery opened & we talked to many archery deer hunters and none had seen an elk in a couple days of hunting). We honestly though we would see more elk because it has such a high population. We ended up seeing 30 or so elk over the course of six days hunting & came home empty handed. We saw a couple bulls that were very nice.

I saw many more elk (200+) on my general hunt in an area with a much lower estimated population and I attribute that to already having a good knowledge of the area.


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## berrysblaster (Nov 27, 2013)

TS hit it on the nose.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

tallbuck said:


> Ill go and grab the dice then muscle! Question is where to even start looking on the manti! LOL Its big country and sitting at desk armchair scouting sucks!


You can take a trip or two up there and fish in the morning and scout in the afternoon.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

I would recommend what I tell all my buddies. Put in and hunt the unit you know the very best. As has been mentioned, they all have great bulls. Especially for an archery hunter. If you are going unguided it is my belief that knowledge and experience trumps the overall quality of a unit. It is much easier to kill the best bull in a unit you know well vs. Trying to kill the best bull in a unit you don't know very well. Good luck in the draws and on your hunt!


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

silentstalker said:


> I would recommend what I tell all my buddies. Put in and hunt the unit you know the very best. As has been mentioned, they all have great bulls. Especially for an archery hunter. If you are going unguided it is my belief that knowledge and experience trumps the overall quality of a unit. It is much easier to kill the best bull in a unit you know well vs. Trying to kill the best bull in a unit you don't know very well. Good luck in the draws and on your hunt!


Very true, I fish a lot on the Manti but never hunted it, I hunt the same area east of Kamas because I know where the elk are and have several friends who know it if I ever have an emergency. If I ever put in for an LE tag I would likely scout the Manti, it's just such a beautiful area to be in no matter what you are doing.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

I enjoy learning a new unit and scouting new areas sometimes just as much as the hunt. And it usually starts as soon as I draw the tag.its pretty cool state we live and there are some awesome animals in every part of it .


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

Always hunt where you know the area. That way you are spending your time hunting not spending time scouting. If you have the time during the summer to scout, then go to a new area if that is what you want to do. Keep in mind, Elk are nomadic and where you find them in the summer is not where you find them in the fall. One of the things I have learned over the years is the anticipation of the hunt, the dreaming of the hunt, the scouting of the hunt area and all the preparation that goes into the hunt are a lot more fun than the actual hunt itself. So, for that reason, hunting a new area can be a fun time. If you can spare the family time away from home, the expense (travel etc), then go for the new area.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

bow_dude said:


> Always hunt where you know the area. That way you are spending your time hunting not spending time scouting. If you have the time during the summer to scout, then go to a new area if that is what you want to do. Keep in mind, Elk are nomadic and where you find them in the summer is not where you find them in the fall. One of the things I have learned over the years is the anticipation of the hunt, the dreaming of the hunt, the scouting of the hunt area and all the preparation that goes into the hunt are a lot more fun than the actual hunt itself. So, for that reason, hunting a new area can be a fun time. If you can spare the family time away from home, the expense (travel etc), then go for the new area.


So true, it's just a fun camping and hiking trip with friends until you shoot one, then the real work begins.


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