# Mt. Rock Dutton



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

So... I drew this early rifle tag from the expo and would greatly appreciate any and all info on this unit.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on yous draw.

Can you be more specific on what you are asking for help with? You likely can get some good info here, but it wont be spoon fed either.


----------



## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Well here's the map: http://wildlife.utah.gov/maps/public/de ... ary_id=125 
I've personally never hunted it but you can tell that the water source is pretty centralized in the area. I'd start there. Pick one of the main drainage's, get up high, and start glassing. I'm sure there's elk in just about every drainage. Or feel free to send me a few hundos and I'll go find em for you


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

I have horses and atvs, but right now i would not even know which side to unload on to even begin. Can anyone give me a snow report, so I know when I will be able to have access to the roads? I hope to make several trips down through the summer to familiarize myself as much as possible.


----------



## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

"Can anyone give me a snow report, so I know when I will be able to have access to the roads?"

There is only one road taking you along the top of that rock. All others ar in the lower lands. Had a muzzy tag in '10. Get in shape, glass, glass, glass and find the bull you want before diving in those canyons.

Good luck!


----------



## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Bax* said:


> Welcome to the forum and congratulations on yous draw.
> 
> Can you be more specific on what you are asking for help with? You likely can get some good info here, but it wont be spoon fed either.


I'm actually shocked that he's gotten the amount of information that has been given. The people on here are usually MUCH more tight-lipped than this... Often times, being quite A-hole-ish about it.

Myself, I have no info on this mountain... Sorry. Good luck on your hunt!


----------



## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

still 40 inches of snow up on top at jones corral ranger station...
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/reportGene ... AVG::value

has not begun to melt yet. access road - only one, from antimony up and down cottonwood creek or from cottonwood creek (south end) to antimony. there is another road on the south end that makes a loop but elk dont get in there till later in the year. no real side roads off the main one. elk winter on both the west and east sides and move up and around. snow density at the jones corral site is at 29% right now, needs to get to about 40% to start melt - you are several weeks away from that, then it will take a few weeks to a month to melt off and then you will still have drifts in the shaded areas. so, in late may, early june you will likely be able to make the complete loop.

last year jones melted out at the beginning of may, see here for comparison graph
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/wyg ... L&state=UT

this will show you last year compared to this year.


----------



## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

can anyone give me a snow report... sheesh. of course. the snownerd is alive and well. 
head down now, do some fishing at otter creek, do some glassing in the pinyon juniper, hike up some of the side canyons to the snow line, see the winter grounds, find the bachelor bulls lying in the sun on the south slopes, select the one you want, tag him with some pink ribbon (around the neck, not on the antlers) and go back this fall and pick him up.


----------



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

We'll bust out your horses because this mountain is very limited access. It has 2 main roads up it and besides that there is almost no other roads. Cool unit but you be walking or riding most the time.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

But why pink ribbon? LMAO! How is the elk herd doing? I have heard and read mixed reviews of the last few years. How long does it take to drive the loop?


----------



## TopofUtahArcher (Sep 9, 2009)

PM me about it and we'll have a good ol chat. I am not tight lipped, but I don't like people flaming on a forum just because they think they own the specific place on a public piece of ground I might suggest you hunt. :0 Good tag to have.


----------



## Dweeker10 (Dec 10, 2012)

I hunted it archery 5 years ago there is elk everywhere you go make sure you buy yourself a good pair of hiking boots you will need them super rugged country I hunted the south side burned area lots of elk but good bulls were few and far between I didn't spend much time up high but you would be wise to check it out I hunted around Han**** peak and pretty much covered the whole south side I the unit It was ideal for rifle because it was really open when everything burned I haven't been back so I don't know how much it has grown in but there were tons of elk it was hot and dry and the elk didn't get into the rut until way late in my hunt if you have the time to go scout it you will find a good spot there is a road that takes you from one end to the other hardest hunt I've ever been on period good luck hope this helps


----------



## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

Mt Dutton is my favorite rock on the planet. Lots of great country, and plenty of good bulls if you are willing/able to go get them. The loop takes about two hours to complete if you don't stop along the way. If your able to, get into areas off the roads, which can be on any/all sides. The top areas along the loop get hit by the masses, so I would stay away from them. I find the better bulls down in the cedars, mostly on the edges of the burns or where there are natural seeps. You would be wise to invest in not only a rugged pair of boots, but the best optics you can get your hands on, get to look out areas early and glass, and then glass some more. You can cover far more country behind glass than you can on a horse or foot.


----------



## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

use pink because purple is typically used on sheep....


----------



## Bucksnbulls08 (Sep 18, 2008)

It will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do the loop if you just drive it, add in classing time. Carry a chain saw as there is always trees across the road in early season. Trees usually get cleared by travelers by early July. I have had trees across the road through July 4th. South end of the unit is best for bigger bulls. Bulls bigger than 340 are getting few and far between but do exist. I didn't even find and big bulls on the winter range this year. Some of the best places are difficult to get horses into because oh the steep country and blow down form the 2002 fire. Not many places for an ATV that you can't take a truck. Forest Creek to top of Dutton could easily remain impassible till mid June. Get some topic maps to learn the area. The west side will be more accessible.
Get good boots! Good luck.


----------



## Bucksnbulls08 (Sep 18, 2008)

Additional information. There usually is a large herd of sheep on the mountain for the summer. They normally begin at the south end and work there way north through the summer. They should be off the mountain by rifle but will disrupt your early scouting efforts. These sheep usually move the elk out of their drainage until sometime after the sheep have left.


----------



## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

was on monroe mtn today just north of antimony, - you can drive clear to the clay mine by lower box creek reservoir i would assume you can get at least that high up the antimony access...


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

How is the elk population doing there? I have heard and read that the average age of bulls harvested in recent years has dropped a bit. Big thanks to all who have posted information on this thread!


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I ran into, and talked with one of the Sweetwater Ranch hands yesterday ...

Folks down there are attainment about how the Dutton trophy quality is destroyed ...

I got an ear full yesterday of the local ' Dutton ' perspectives,,,,, They were pizzed.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

I may be opening a can of worms here but..... What is going on with the quality? Over harvesting, over grazing, draught...?


----------



## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Donk50cal said:


> I may be opening a can of worms here but..... What is going on with the quality? Over harvesting, over grazing, draught...?


Coyotes


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Donk50cal said:


> I may be opening a can of worms here but..... What is going on with the quality? Over harvesting, over grazing, draught...?


well the dutton was first an archery only unit and it grew big bulls no doubt. Then the rifle guys wanted that pie and turned it into a LE unit. The herd kept growing big bulls because it was under objective and allowed to grow while not increasing the tags much. The herd grew out of control and needed to be cut back so the dwr issued cow tags and allowed repressed the bull cows until the bull to cow ratio got to high. They then gave all the tags to rifle rut hunts, and late rifle hunts. Thus killing all the quality out.

Dont believe lonetree when he said its coyotes WTF








. Its because the dwr and wildlife board has to manage everything in Utah with a rifle during the most vulnerable time of the year for an elk. You allow a guy a rifle hunt with a 90% success rate on a three day hunt at those times and he will kill the largest bull he sees and the quality will fall.

Its called piss poor managment o-||


----------



## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Not coyotes? come on, that's what all the cool kids told me.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

Could just add more sheep to feed the coyotes?


----------



## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

MMMM! Gyros


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

Special thanks to those that are willing to help a fellow sportsman out! I was fortunate to harvest my Dutty bull on day 4 and saw some beautiful country and elk, and associated with some great individuals and some real a-holes 2. Funny how some people have the time and nerve to comment on nearly every post on this forum isn't it? Again, I sincerely thank those who truly care


----------



## N8ON (Oct 7, 2010)

Lets see your bull, and give us the story.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

The whole story would probably bore everyone to death! And the condensed version would never capture the excitement and frustrations! So which should it be:-?? Also... Been trying to figure out how to post pix any pointers in that area?


----------



## yak4fish (Nov 16, 2007)

Whole story from getting the tag to freezer.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

The crazy thing about this tag is that I am still on the waiting period from my 2010 wasatch tag, but certainly not the best thing about it! Say what you want about convention tags, but as a lucky recipiant of one, I think that they are a great way for average joes like myself to have an added oportunity to hunt the LE units without waiting 15+ years or have to pay big bucks to hunt private land. I am also fully aware of the fact that not all of these tags go to the average DIY hunter and that many of back pockets are well padded in the efforts to "improve wildlife and habitat." Hunting has always been a passion of mine, but it is a lot more than the thrill of a chase and the need to punch a tag. It has nothing to do with a score, how many points, or how wide. Family, friends, and memories drive the passion for the true trophies that we are searching for! In 2010 I was excited as could be to see the "hit" on my card, only to have my glory crushed by a call from my brother that his card had been "hit" as well and his first choice was the premium pavauhnt! Unbelievable! We have hunted together our entire lives and now we have tags in totally different regions of the state. To complicate things even more, I ended up spending the entire summer and early fall working out of state, hindering all scouting excursions. In the end I loaded up with some long time friends and started burning some boot leather. It took 3 1/2 days to learn where not to be and on day four I connected with the biggest bull of my life (which isn't saying much considering I have only harvested a couple of spikes and a little rag 5!) My brother, along with my dad and other friends, also ended up taking a very respectible bull from the pavauhnt despite having to race the outfitter that pretty well runs the mountains from the wasatch to Panguitch!
The glory this spring however, belonged only to me! Dutton elk! $5 tags all day long! A mountain that up until the 4th of July I had never stepped foot on. After reading some replies that were posted to my help wanted ad, and visiting this magnificent mountain in person, I decided I needed to get my a** in some serious shape (besides round) and started a daily workout program, boy did this ever pay off! 
September 14th came all to soon. After only two trips down, and hours on google earth, and hours looking at maps, and some great pm's from the forum, and..... Anyway it was go time and I found myself on a gorgeous mountain with my brother and another good buddy that was with me in 2010. Once again we set of with one direction in mind DOWN! We burned some good boot leather, burned some great mornings and evenings behind glass, and saw alot of elk and big country. Opening day we spotted 10 bulls and apparently p***ed a lion off that was screaming and growling ahead of us on the ridge. Day 2 more bulls and a couple of close encounters with bugling bulls but just never could get our eyes on them. Day 3 just me and my bro now, back to where we had been into them thick the day before. Well, apparently we didn't get the memo that the elk would be moving out that night! The drainage was suddenly dead, not an elk to be had, heard, or seen all day long, anywhere, gone... Day 4. Sleep in ahhh. Started a late hike to go and glass and try to devise a plan to go off of for the next day. About a mile and a half from the top we spotted elk. We set up the scopes and immediately identified a beautiful bull in the heard. We were exactly 800 yds and I told my brother to sit tight and keep an eye on him I was going to close some distance and get him. So down I went for what seemed like a mile and ranged again. 700yds. Guess it wasn't a mile after all! Off I went again, the next time I would see him would be at 374yds and no chance of getting closer. So I lay Maggie (my trusty 300 Win) across a log and let her roar! THWAAK! The unmistakeable sound of bullet meeting flesh! The bull humped up and went 10yds and stopped exposing only a small patch of yellow, I let Maggie roar again, no thwaak this time, not even sure if I hit the mountain I was shaking so severely! The bull jumped forward and out of sight. I radioed back to my brother who had been watching it all unfold from 800yds through the scope. He talked me into where we had last seen him and there laying just yards away was my Dutton bull! What a magnificent animal, what a small back pack! When my brother got down to the crime scene we had some high fives and a quick photo shoot, then fun packed up and left us there to deal with the consequence of pulling the trigger on Maggie, while she sat back and smoked a cigarette! We were able to get the cape/head, and back straps out that afternoon. Then back the next day with bigger packs for the quarters. What a dig coming 2 miles up out of that hole! Special thanks to my bro who made the trecks in and out with two artificial hips and all, what a stud, what an inspiration, and what a time we had! Thanks again for those that took the time to respond to this thread


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for posting your story Donk. I'm up there in points and will likely draw a Dutton bull tag next year. The part about Maggie sitting back and smoking a cigarette while you guys packed the elk out was pure gold!


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Donk50cal said:


> Now some pointers for posting pix. Please!


 ...and while you guys are at it please give him some pointers on paragraphs! Just kidding Donk...but not really


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Here are a few photos from my father in laws dutton muzzy hunt from this year.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

VERY NICE pics SW ..:!:..8)..

Makes me 'almost' want that tag!


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Thanks goofy
Here's a video of his his hunt. I filmed it with my cell phone. If I would have thought the video would have turned out half as good as it did I would have been filming from day one and packing out ect. The cell phone may have even saved my life lol. I got so turned around hiking out after we put the meat in game bags. I actually thought east was was west ect. It was so dark and cold and I think I may have been delusional from lack of food and water. I used the compass and was able to navigate myself out. My father in law has never herd an elk bugle in the wild until his hunt. Well he got to see it all. Good thing it didnt take long because his knee blew up about two times the size of normal and he had a hard time walking after it was all said and done. I'm glad I was able to be there as well.

My kids were also able to come down and my oldest saw a sow and two cubs coming off the carcass the day after we packed the meat out. It amazes me how fast the critters find stuff like that. Its almost like their there watching you.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)




----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)




----------



## Bow hunter mojo (Oct 12, 2013)

Sounds like a great hunt and experience. Thanks for sharing your story.


----------



## Donk50cal (Mar 22, 2013)

Time spent hunting cannot be deducted from ones life! We had a great time. None of the pix that were taken capture the true size and mass of Dutty.


----------

