# Yep, yet another request for ‘unearned’ information. Boulder



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

Well, at least it's not one of the "I just drew a LE tag, and have never been on this unit, help me out" request. Still, I'm asking for some heads-up info. I feel a little ashamed doing so. But I'll swallow my pride for a bit in hopes of getting a few tips on where I should focus my scouting this summer. Boulder is pretty big and diverse. I've searched the archives here, and been spending time on Google earth each day. I hope to convince the wife that our Valentines weekend should be spent near Capital Reef or Bryce Canyon so I can at least get some drive-by looks. I'm really itching to get out there and scout.

I've been spike hunting the BookCliffs the last couple years. Love the area. I've learned a ton about where to find the elk consistently there. I'm still many years from drawing a LE tag, so have time to learn some other units and different habitats/habits. I guess the primary driver to switch the unit I focus on and learn is the wife and youngest kid. We ice fished fish lake a couple times this winter, and the wife really likes the area. The Bookcliffs have some unique and spectacular aspects, but they just are not as conducive to taking the family out to several times over the summer. There isn't the fishing and sightseeing the wife prefers (although I'd still like to hike into the remote parts of willow creek some day). So, central/southern units are in the sights now. I've settled on Boulder.

I have a ton of questions, many of which are not congealing very well without being overly long. I usually hunt alone (had to twist the 18 year old's arm pretty hard to get him to join me a couple days last year - wife occasionally comes), and rarely use the atv except to get from camp to a trailhead. I prefer to hike in a mile or so and spend all day in the habitat. So I'm looking for some semi-remote areas to explore and focus on.
· Should I be considering some of the lower elevation pinion pine areas in addition to the higher elevation aspen areas? Or with so much aspen habitat available in the unit, do the elk stick that that? There just isn't much aspen in the Books, so I'm a bit unsure how much affinity for that habitat will be evidenced in Boulder. There are some pretty high elevation areas south of Hwy12 SW of Escalante. Are those worth considering? 
· What types of habitat/terrain do the elk retreat to when the crowds show up? The terrain is so different from the BookCliffs and where I would find the elk there that I'm a little unsure where I would look, other than the furthest points from roads I can find. 
· How crowded is the Boulder in general rifle spike hunt? 
· I'll be putting in for a cow tag as well, and have a couple points, so should get that easily. That may drive part of my decision as to where to focus (west vs east vs salt gulch. What's the deal with circle cliffs anyway? Almost all of that is in the National Park.) I'm presuming that salt gulch is primarily a wintering area, correct? And that cow hunt is meant to keep the elk away from boulder agriculture?

What else should I be considering? Any nuggets would be appreciated.


----------



## Blackie6 (Jul 7, 2014)

Can't really help with the elk, but have seen pictures of some awsome Bulls come out of there the last few years. It is some thick steep country in parts of the unit. Lakes every where that make for great fishing!


----------



## clean pass through (Nov 26, 2007)

The only way to learn the area is to go down and look around. I tried to tell a guy last year where to go and he went down there and did not see an elk. He ended up killing his 378 bull on another part of the mountain. My family and friends went down and killed 4 cows in 3 days with our Muzzys (filled our late cow tags during the Muzzy). This was in the same area I told him to go. 

Boulder is one of those areas that the elk are in the pines, quakies, pinion pines, scrub oak, and ceders. Just have to find out where you want to hunt. 

There is some really cool places down there though.


----------



## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

I Imagine locating water via google maps would be a good idea. Perhaps a river or something you can over look from a ridge and watch the traffic back and forth. After that, start looking for areas along the rivers that would be easy to cross. Perhaps between food sources? 

This is all information without experience. But just a thought. My thought processes are white-tail oriented. I'm going to look into a spike elk tag this year and try my hand at it; maybe that will change my mindset.


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

fishreaper said:


> I'm going to look into a spike elk tag this year and try my hand at it; maybe that will change my mindset.


Yes, I suspect it will. If you bump a whitetail, you can expect it to resume it's pattern tomorrow or the next day. Bump or pressure elk, and they move long distance and alter everything. Be prepared to work your tail off. Start getting in shape now if you are not already fit and conditioned.


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

Blackie6 said:


> Lakes every where that make for great fishing!


And that is part of the draw. The youngest is a fishing fanatic. Wife loves water. After a bit of morning fishing, I can leave them at the lake while I explore, and they will be content.



clean pass through said:


> Boulder is one of those areas that the elk are in the pines, quakies, pinion pines, scrub oak, and ceders. Just have to find out where you want to hunt.


Every year I would note people camped down below 6,000 in the Bookcliffs. I always wondered if they were crazy, or knew something that I didn't know. I suspect the latter. But whenever I looked for elk in the lower elevation juniper, I never saw any sign. So I was content with the steep terrain of the tops where I knew I could get into them daily. Still . . . I wonder how the elk make a living down where hardly any grass grows.


----------



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Charina said:


> Still . . . I wonder how the elk make a living down where hardly any grass grows.


And yet, above 6,000 ft. you have 10 bajillion cows to compete with...

You mentioned areas south of highway 12. You're looking at the Canaan. I've spent some time down in the low country of the Canaan, specifically down near Bull Flat. It amazes me that you find lots and lots and lots of juniper trees that have been completely destroyed by elk. Lots. Not just a few. Now, with that being said, it's not an area that I would target for elk unless you are willing to accept failure in killing something. It's a great area for exploring. It's beautiful country. You wouldn't have very many other hunters to contend with. But I think your success rate would be very low. But, you never know. The area between Canaan Peak and highway 12 (east of the peak) could be a nice spot to find some non-pressured elk during the rifle spike hunt...


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

The Bookcliffs are the same way as far as cows go. LOTS of them up top. Too many IMO, but that's a hunter's opinion who wishes to eat elk as opposed to beef. Still, there is more feed up high, esp in the marginal and steep areas the cattle don't go, than there is down in the junipers, or anywhere under the pinion pine monoculture. I wish more pinion pine would burn. Down low where there is not as much feed, there are also lots of horses to compete with. Too many. (There really needs to be a horse hunt on the Bookcliffs. Esp on the NW quadrant of the divide - Winter ridge and north.)

What about just north of Canaan and 12? Barney and Griffin Top? Seems pretty heavily infiltrated by roads. I would think that the traffic would push any elk there to lower elevations during the hunt.


----------



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Charina said:


> What about just north of Canaan and 12? Barney and Griffin Top? Seems pretty heavily infiltrated by roads. I would think that the traffic would push any elk there to lower elevations during the hunt.


Griffin Top is by far the most popular elk hunting area of the unit.

Barney has good numbers of elk as well.

There are elk in nearly every corner of this unit. I probably wouldn't go look out on the 50 Mile Mountain for them....but you can find them almost everywhere else.


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks PBH. That's some much appreciated intel. Now to decide if that means I'll steer clear of Griffin, or focus on the steepest nastiest areas just on the fringe of the crowds near Griffin . . . . decisions decisions.


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

Can anyone recommend a storage lot in Loa, Bicknell, or Boulder to keep a trailer over the summer? I'd rather not haul it all the way back to SLC each time I head down there this summer, but I'm not finding any places via a web search. The closest I find are in Salina, which is certainly a viable option. Suggestions?


----------



## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I can't help you on the trailer information....but, like PBH said, elk can be found across the entire unit. If'n your fam likes the water, try camping near one of the many likes on the mountain. There are good campgrounds near Lower Bowns (as well as primitive camping areas) and lots of elk in the area, Posey Lake has a nice campground, and the North Creek Lakes area also has nice camping and lots of elk. Any of those areas would be good for camping and elk hunting....


----------



## Josh (Oct 27, 2008)

I ended up leaving the trailer home. I found that a mobile tent was the best option for scouting and hunting because it let me move around and be where the elk are. If I wasn't finding them I would move on. It allowed me to see alot of that mountain that I hadn't ever experienced before. But if you need the comforts, I would just stop at one of the gas stations on the way through and see if one of the locals knows of someone who would let you park it on there north forty for a fee. Oh and for sure listen to PBH and W2U they wont lead you astray.


----------



## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

W2U- what did your bro do to go get himself banned? One day I need you boys to show me around that mountain...


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks for chiming in W2U. 

I have always just slept in the back of the pickup when scouting in the summer/early fall. But with the plans for the wife, and some of the kids to accompany my trips this year, some additional comforts are in order.


----------



## blackdog (Sep 11, 2007)

Just do what all the other inconsiderate DB squatters do. Find a nice spot and leave your trailer there all summer/fall.


----------

