# East Canyon North Salt Lake Cow Tag Questions



## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

Good evening! I have a cow tag for the east canyon north salt lake unit. This is basically little Dell up to big mountain then west to the 15 all the way up past bountiful. 

I was wondering if anyone has seen the herd or had any tips for getting in?

The last few times I hiked in off lambs canyon up the railroad trail but didn’t see anything but extended archery hunters.

I heard I could possibly drag my 4 wheeler up and go around the gate on 65, is that true?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Pray for snow! Without that, the elk don't really come over from the Summit Co side. Sure, there will be a few here or there, but numbers will remain low until there are a couple feet of white stuff on the ground. Even then, most elk will be located at the back of the unit close to the County line.

Yes, you can take a 4-wheeker around the gate above Little Dell. Just don't park your rig in front of the gate or risk getting a ticket.

Your best bet to find elk now? Glass, glass, glass, and then when you find them, be prepared for a long hike. Parking lots at the golf course, Little Dell reservoir and Little Mtn pretty much cover most the territory you can hunt on the N side of I-80. 

Best of luck to you! My observations the past 5-6 years are that the herd has been down. Extra private lands tags and lack of snow are the main culprits. There will be lots of competition when the snow does get here, so pressure is a real factor too.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

What MWScott72 said.

I've had that tag a couple times and will add that you can't really see what's there without doing some serious hiking. Your ATV will get you up 65 (make sure you stay on the road), but it's a steep climb from there. Best access is ATV to Big Mountain, hike the trail south then drop back down to 65 where another ATV is waiting.

Good luck!


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Yup! Pray for snow or bust your ass! I have a few family members with tags this year and have been up a few times this season including this morning. The herds are chilling at 8500 feet + with no reason to drop down so far. It’s shaping up to be a tough hunt again with the 3 week shorter season. 


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

3arabians said:


> Yup! Pray for snow or bust your ass! I have a few family members with tags this year and have been up a few times this season including this morning. The herds are chilling at 8500 feet + with no reason to drop down so far. It's shaping up to be a tough hunt again with the 3 week shorter season.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Even when the snow hits better be prepared to bust your ass!!! This ain't an easy hunt for cows where you can drive a wheeler right up to your cow by the road...

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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Kwalk3 said:


> Even when the snow hits better be prepared to bust your ass!!! This ain't an easy hunt for cows where you can drive a wheeler right up to your cow by the road...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ha! Exactly. It's a 2 mile packout minimum on your back or in a sled in my experiences with success there even when you get good snow. Kinda fun in a sick way though. 

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## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

Hey guys, thanks so much for your replies and advice. As the days go by I’m thinking that this may not be my year to punch the tag. I’m limited to the weekends mostly until the last week of the year and there’s so much dang pressure up there on the one side where the herd comes in.

I’m not afraid of the hike in and pack out! On Saturday I did 2.5 miles in and 2.5 back out on the Bountiful side of the unit (only to find out later that the elk are NEVER on that side). 

Are there entry points or trail heads you would recommend? I’ve done the Mormon trail south west from the big mountain trail head and I’ve done the switchbacks up to big mountain and that meadow at the top.


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## percheye (Jan 15, 2008)

It's been years since I've hunted elk up that way. We use to find them in Killyon Canyon but that's now closed to rifle hunting. I'd walk in near Affleck Park and head to the back side of Lookout peak. If nothing there you could try one of the Hatch canyons.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

As Percheye said, Afleck to the top of Lookout and the Hatch Canyons (pick your access point - Big Mountain or Little Dell), or the golf course up Alexander. Little Mtn too over to Lookout or back south towards I-80. If u can, find a herd the night before and then hike in to be in position at first light. We have had more success that way than any other. It's just too **** hard to catch up to them if you're not hiking in until first light. Let us know how you do!


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## PHall (Oct 12, 2013)

I have a buddy who's been hunting up there hard, hasn't seen much yet but I'm hoping that the weather tonight/tomorrow helps out. If I were hunting that tag, I would be out first thing Sunday morning, probably high up one of the ridges mentioned above before legal shooting to try to catch them moving after the storm.


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## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

Awesome! I’ll head up tomorrow morning early and start glassing then, and hope we find them. My dang wife filled up the trailer with crap for a dump run anyway so I won’t be able to drag my machine around the gate and up to big mountain anyway until I empty the trailer.


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## bluffdalehuntr (Sep 13, 2019)

Was up there today took my side by side. Looks like they aren’t allowing 4 wheelers or side by sides this year. There is a giant flashing sign at the gate that says road closed no wheelers or sxs. Ended up hiking the road in a ways.


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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

bluffdalehuntr said:


> Was up there today took my side by side. Looks like they aren't allowing 4 wheelers or side by sides this year. There is a giant flashing sign at the gate that says road closed no wheelers or sxs. Ended up hiking the road in a ways.


Any luck or see anything? I'm headed out in the morning anyone interested in making a game plan.

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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

I think they all just laid down and let the snow cover them, couldn’t even glass one up this morning lol. 


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## bluffdalehuntr (Sep 13, 2019)

Saw a nice bull that looked like had been wounded. While we were looking at him saw two cows within range but couldn’t get a shot, too thick. Tried catching up After they went over a ridge, but no luck. Lots of deer but just the three elk. And lots of archers with no orange lol!


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Still need more snow. Hopefully, the storms rolling thru this week will drop a couple feet up there. If that happens, there will be more brown to look at. Just not enough to really push them over yet.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

MWScott72 said:


> Still need more snow. Hopefully, the storms rolling thru this week will drop a couple feet up there. If that happens, there will be more brown to look at. Just not enough to really push them over yet.


Yep. Need feet, not inches. The only elk I've seen recently were pretty high still, and they all had antlers.

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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

MWScott72 said:


> Still need more snow. Hopefully, the storms rolling thru this week will drop a couple feet up there. If that happens, there will be more brown to look at. Just not enough to really push them over yet.


Agree. They're still not close to winter grounds where I hunt. Even the year round residents seem to have disappeared. I'm crossing my fingers for a few feet above 7500' in the very near future.

Fwiw, there are plenty of deer moving into the winter grounds but I'm still seeing them up above 9000' which is odd for this time of year.


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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

Anyone head out this morning after last nights snow? Think I’m giving it one last shot in the morning just trying to decide where. 


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

bluffdalehuntr said:


> Was up there today took my side by side. Looks like they aren't allowing 4 wheelers or side by sides this year. There is a giant flashing sign at the gate that says road closed no wheelers or sxs. Ended up hiking the road in a ways.


Were you at the upper end of Little Dell where the highway is gated off? I was just there this morning and saw no signs closing the road off to wheelers or sleds. Just have to be able to fit your machine around the right side of the gate. Looks no different than it has been for the last 10 years.

And no, no cows sighted. We need ALOT more snow. 4 bulls were the only brown I saw.


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## bluffdalehuntr (Sep 13, 2019)

MWScott72 said:


> Were you at the upper end of Little Dell where the highway is gated off? I was just there this morning and saw no signs closing the road off to wheelers or sleds. Just have to be able to fit your machine around the right side of the gate. Looks no different than it has been for the last 10 years.
> 
> And no, no cows sighted. We need ALOT more snow. 4 bulls were the only brown I saw.


Yes, there was a unified PD trailer sign behind the gate on the right hand side right where you can usually go around the gate that was flashing "road closed no atvs or side by sides"

There were guys that had a snowmobile up there that had been up Friday and saw the sign, they were also planning on taking wheelers, but saw the sign and brought up there snow mobiles instead.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

bluffdalehuntr said:


> Yes, there was a unified PD trailer sign behind the gate on the right hand side right where you can usually go around the gate that was flashing "road closed no atvs or side by sides"
> 
> There were guys that had a snowmobile up there that had been up Friday and saw the sign, they were also planning on taking wheelers, but saw the sign and brought up there snow mobiles instead.


Well, there was nothing like that today.


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## mtgreenheads (Nov 29, 2020)

I've been up in that neighborhood quite a bit this season. I have not seen a cow yet. Hope the next couple weeks get more productive.


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## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

I’m gonna head up before sunrise tomorrow morning, then hunt hard every day next week.


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## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

Went up this morning and nothing, though there were quite a few guys hiking in. Did see a moose across the reservoir. 

FYI the no ATV sign is gone.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Itmustbeslim said:


> Went up this morning and nothing, though there were quite a few guys hiking in. Did see a moose across the reservoir.
> 
> FYI the no ATV sign is gone.


Thanks for the update. Cows are still doing their obi-one I guess










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## mtgreenheads (Nov 29, 2020)

I've been up hunting the past couple days. A few bulls around on the highest ridges, a handful of cows in some very difficult terrain. Plenty of frustrated hunters.


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

A couple things to add to this thread. 


There are some elk up there (above Little Dell). My cousin and I shot ours early Saturday morning. We have been hitting it hard for since the first snow and have been close one other time. We saw a herd go up over the top into Jeremy ranch area last Thursday. It seems they are heading into north facing heavy cover soon after sunrise. 


The road!! 


After we shot the cows, I called the wife for reinforcements and wheels. 
She pulled into the parking lot with the Commander on the trailer and a public utilities employee told her that she couldn't drive it up there. 
Her and the reinforcements walked up the road to our rendezvous point and she sledded a couple quarters and our extra gear out while we went back up to get more. When she got down there the police were now in the parking lot and informed her that despite what was allowed years past they weren't letting atv's or utv's this year. Only snowmobiles. The DWR showed up too. Must have made them awful nervous to have that side by side sitting on that trailer like that. At any rate, there are still people going in on fourwheelers but who knows what happens if you get caught. IF it is not allowed they need to do a better job informing people. 


Get there early and hike your butt off!


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

mtgreenheads said:


> I've been up hunting the past couple days. A few bulls around on the highest ridges, a handful of cows in some very difficult terrain. Plenty of frustrated hunters.


Sounds about right for the conditions right now.


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## Itmustbeslim (Dec 5, 2020)

I know I may get a polite “pound sand” but Where about did you shoot your cow? When I have been up there I have been concentrating on the hatch canyons. 

Also how early did you head up and in?


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

They're up there, but not in great numbers with the snow situation. My experience, if you are not on a ridgeline early, you will be playing catch up...and usually lose. If you can find them the night before, most of the time they won't be far from that location in the morning. Right now though, the finding part is difficult.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I wished I wasn't tied up in a major home improvement project right now. I'd be willing to go out and look around with you. You can PM anytime and I'll tell you where I've seen them in the past.


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## t_wolfer (Jul 16, 2009)

Any body know if you can still take a snow Machine past the gate and up the highway. Or are they banned this year also? Been looking in other areas with no luck. Thinking of giving this side a try.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

You can take them up. Was there last week and a couple guys came down on them.


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## t_wolfer (Jul 16, 2009)

MWScott72 said:


> You can take them up. Was there last week and a couple guys came down on them.


Thanks, went up this morning. Just hiked didn't see any elk. Some deer and moose.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Anybody finding success on this hunt this year? My wife and daughter have tags and we have been out a handful of times. I’ve spotted 2 different herds of cows with around 10 in em but both herds were well out of the range I’m willing to chase em. I was hoping the good snow in December would bring them lower and in higher numbers. I saw the first herd above little dell right before Xmas but it’s been pretty quiet up there the couple times I’ve been up since. We where wanting to go this weekend but life is getting in the way it looks like so I’m hoping we can get a last ditch effort in during the final weekend. 


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

Only info I have to offer is there were a few nice bulls in the median of i80 two nights ago, right above the golf course. I'd imagine the cows have been down low too.


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