# Pauns Cactus buck hunt



## kdinkel (Oct 29, 2014)

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Are there enough cactus bucks to make it worth it? Will they have migrated out by Nov. How many points to draw if you were to bet on it?


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll probably drop my ten points on this hunt.











...............NOT!
I don't think I'd use more than one or two points.
I seem to find plenty of cactus bucks on the general seasons.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

kdinkel said:


> What are everyone's thoughts on this? Are there enough cactus bucks to make it worth it? Will they have migrated out by Nov. How many points to draw if you were to bet on it?


I'm going to guess that they offer 10-20 tags with bonus tags drawing at 7-9 points. Honestly, though, I don't have a clue. Hard to make a guess when nothing like it has been tried before.

I'd apply if I were retired and could afford to spend a couple of weeks down there looking at tons of different bucks. I think that's what would be necessary to find them, especially if you're looking for a bigger one.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Wasn’t one of the selling points on this hunt that help was going to be provided to ensure the cactus bucks get killed? I could be crazy, but I swear I remember discussions about this.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Vanilla said:


> Wasn't one of the selling points on this hunt that help was going to be provided to ensure the cactus bucks get killed? I could be crazy, but I swear I remember discussions about this.


What kind of help are you talking about? It could be a fun hunt. I'd love to hear down there that time of year.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

The first year the UDWR biologists (or someone designated by a biologist) took public hunters and told them which bucks to shoot. This was done as part of a study of cactus bucks. The new Cactus buck hunt will not be "helped" or guided. The hunters must make sure the buck qualifies as a cactus buck-- similar to the Management hunts.

I wouldn't spend many points on it if I wanted to shoot a large antlered buck. But if a guy was looking for the excuse of experiencing a Pauns hunt then maybe it is worth more to him.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Yep, I was definitely confusing the cactus buck study hunt with this hunt. While confused (Which is pretty normal for me) I’m at least comforted that I’m not 100% nuts.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Vanilla said:


> Yep, I was definitely confusing the cactus buck study hunt with this hunt. While confused (Which is pretty normal for me) I'm at least comforted that I'm not 100% nuts.


I too take some solace in you not being 100% nuts, since I agree with more than half of what you post here, and that would make me a little less nuts than what I too thought.:mrgreen:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

In all my decades of big game hunting, I've never seen a cactus buck in Utah. I've seen and killed several normal bucks on normal hunts with scraps of velvet still remaining on them, but nothing to even remotely make me think it was abnormal.

Just how common do people think cactus are? 10 tags on a single unit seems crazy to me, 20 would be insane, people just throwing their points away. 


-DallanC


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> In all my decades of big game hunting, I've never seen a cactus buck in Utah. I've seen and killed several normal bucks on normal hunts with scraps of velvet still remaining on them, but nothing to even remotely make me think it was abnormal.
> 
> Just how common do people think cactus are? 10 tags on a single unit seems crazy to me, 20 would be insane, people just throwing their points away.
> 
> -DallanC


I've seen at least 10, maybe closer to 15, in the last five years but I agree, it would be hard to pass on any during that hunt in hopes of seeing another one that might be a little better.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

DallanC said:


> Just how common do people think cactus are? 10 tags on a single unit seems crazy to me, 20 would be insane, people just throwing their points away.


My comment was based off of the discussion in the September 28, 2017 wildlife board meeting (starting at 16:19). One of the board members asks how many permits they're anticipating. 10? 100? I thought I remembered Covy saying it would be more than 10 and less than 100. Turns out he just said it was less than 100, so that's my bad there. He was reluctant to put a number to it. With that mistake realized, I can't even begin to guess at how many permits they'll offer.

He did say they counted 20 in Johnson Canyon. I'm not familiar enough with the unit to know what that means for numbers across the entire unit, though. I'd be interested to hear about the prevalence of cactus bucks on the Paunsaugunt from someone who spends a lot of time down there.

I'd happily throw 0-4 points at that hunt while on an elk waiting period. I'd go in with low expectations, but I think I'd have fun whether I found one or not. I'll bet there's going to be a decent interest from low point holders, the type that are more concerned with the experience than the antlers.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

The interesting thing about this is they can really give as many tags as they want. Realistically (in my mind), to get 5 killed they’ll probably need to issue at least 10 tags. Like was mentioned, they are not super prevalent, even on the Pauns where it appears they happen more frequently maybe? But what is stopping them from issuing 30? They want ALL cactus bucks killed on the Pauns, right? So issue as many tags as you want, if every one is filled, then great. If not, you just cleared more guys out of the deer pool.

stillhunterman, might I suggest getting that ratio to below 50% just to be safe?


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

I'm feeling fairly comfy at around 50% and inching upwards, thank you... I agree with your assessment above on tag numbers, solid point. BTW, you/someone know what information came out of that cactus buck study completed down there? I would be curious to find out what the study entailed.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I did a muzzle paunsy deer hunt 5 years ago. 
I hunted 8 days before I took my deer. 
I never saw a single cactus buck.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

I shot this stag buck down on Pine Valley a couple years ago. I have seen several on the Pauns and around the Salt lake valley the last few years.

People I know that spend time on the Pauns say there are enough to warrant this hunt.


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## robiland (Jan 20, 2008)

I was helping my bro in law several years ago when he had the late Muzzy hunt in Nov tag. WE were separate at the time looking for deer. I came around a corner and about 100 yards off the road was one of the coolest bucks I had ever seen. It was named Black Magic. I had seen pics of him before. A giant 2x2, basically, that was as big around as big barrel baseball bats. MASS and almost black fuzz. Such a neat buck for sure.


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