Successful Utah Limited Entry Elk Hunt

Big congrats to our hunter last fall. Jim, from California. Smacked this nice bull on an archery hunt here in Utah! 

Here's the quick story of his limited entry archery hunt. 

"Thanks Adam, hopefully I will need your help in the future. We stayed on the mountain for a few days after that and saw no other hunters take an elk. Several stopped buy and everyone was having trouble. Real fortunate to get that bull!  Don't know if I ever told you what happened. Here is how it went down. Lucky me!

On day two I was at the wallow again and called him and 6 cows off the mountain across the canyon he was bugling on. I was pretty shook when I saw he was a shooter and cows all around. Missed him low at 37 yards!! So mad at myself! He regrouped across the canyon so I kept throwing various cow calls at him intermittently. Then I quit calling thinking he might get curious. After about an hour of messing around like that he came out 95 yard below me in the bottom and was just feeding, head down broadside. I was able to get 82 yards from him. Held my 80 yard pin just under his back and got him through both lungs. It was a really great experience and I can't believe I got a second chance at him

I have you to thank for that trophy bull that's for sure.

Jim"

News For Utahs Big Game Hutners

The Utah Division of Wildlife has come out with new data on Utah's big game herds. Things are mostly looking up for the deer population according to Utah biologists. You can read the latest news release on the data here.

The bad news is that the Biologists have recommended fewer total general deer permits for Utah hunters. As well as fewer limited entry deer permits. The major reason for this is the declining buck population on the North side of the Book Cliffs unit. If you have ever hunted or scouted this area of the unit you know that it is not only fairly accessible, but it has large open spaces that make it a prime location for rifle hunters. For whatever reason the deer in the area haven't been able to keep up with substantial fawn production to replace the lost bucks. If these guys were only willing to put a little sweat into their hunts, they might locate a lot nicer bucks a couple miles away from the roads. That's the benefit of this hunt though. You can shoot a real decent four point buck just off of the road. Than again, this is why we will see a decline in permits and possibility continuing decline in the buck/doe ratio for the area.

If you feel strongly about the issues at hand it is important local hunters make their voices heard. There will be local RAC meetings to discuss these and other issues. Info on how, where, and when to attend can be found on the divisions website. We recommend attending these meetings and making your opinions known to the board. Nothing will ever change unless you are willing to stand up for yourself and the wildlife.

-UtahScoutingServices

Camo

Camo, an ultra-important aspect to maintaining your invisibility to big game in the woods. In my opinion the type of camo doesn't matter as much as the simple part that you have some period. Wearing camo is a game changer. It can be the difference between being successful or not.
My advice to you... get some camo! The pattern doesn't matter that much. Really wearing earth tones and rubbing some dirt on the clothes to break up the pattern would be better than nothing.
Obviously the high end stuff such as Sitka and King's would be great! But not everyone has the money for those brands. Personally I've bought plenty of shirts at the local K-Mart and been pleasantly satisfied. The biggest part is making sure you silhouette is broken up.

Scent Control

One of the biggest factors that comes into play while hunting and scouting big game animals is scent control. Now I'm not just talking about spraying yourself with a sent cover up. There is a whole lot more that goes into this than that. In my opinion the biggest part of this is paying close attention to wind direction. Out back east this might be an easier task, but in the Rocky Mountains this requires consistent diligence. One second the wind is perfectly in your face and calling in a large six point bull. The next, the wind is blowing the smell of your sweaty face and all you see is his monstrous antlers disappearing into the distance.

Now there are products out there that most definitely make your job easier. There are plenty of people that will tell you that scent cover ups don't work, in my opinion that's just hogwash. They most definitely work, but you can't rely on scent cover ups alone. I even have my own recipe for a pretty good home made scent cover that I plan on posting up later.

As far as manufactures there are countless. But which ones actually do the job? Well from my experience there are a couple of big dawgs leading the pack. The one at the top of my list is Primos Silver XP. There have been multiple times I experience a horrible shift of wind with a trophy elk within bow range and was able to maintain the proximity. The silver in their mix really seems to help with total scent and bacteria control.

There are other simple options such as sage or pine oil which do a half decent job as well. As I mentioned before I have a home made recipe that works wonders. When I get some more time I plan on posting the instructions on making this DIY option in your own kitchen or garage.

Scout My Utah-Big Game Scouting Advice and Help

This page is dedicated to helping others learn the way of the outdoors. Whether it be survival skills, hunting, trapping, fishing, or trapping we will cover it. I have literally spent thousands upon thousands of hours of my time growing up in the Utah mountains. During that time I have made many mistakes, and learned countless things. I would like to share some of that information with you. I also want to spend time reviewing products that I have personally used in the field, products which make your hunt that much easier and sometimes that much worse (those are the ones to avoid!).

The other reason I am creating this page is to give people a location to go to when they need to know about specific areas. I have covered so much land in my life and so many areas spanning across Utah's big game areas. If you have drawn a specific tag for some of Utah's big game please feel free to contact me regarding your tag. I will give you as much free information as possible. In case you aren't already aware people hoard their knowledge regarding their "honey holes" and secret mountain places to find big game. I have built up a large knowledge of lesser known areas that I am willing to share with people wanting to learn. If you have any questions regarding any aspect of hunting or scouting please contact me: scoutmyutah@gmail.com

Now if the free information I have available just isn't enough for you, there are more options. I am willing to put in the time to scout for your specific tag and animal in Utah's wilderness. For instance if you are an out of state DIY hunter who just doesn't have the time or money to do the pre-scouting needed, I will scout your tag for you. This will include maps of the area, photos of trophy big game in your area, gps locations of  where they are hiding, and recommendations for your specific hunt. The pricing on this really depends on the amount of time you are wanting me to spend in your area. Either way it is only a fraction of the costs generally associated with big game hunting. Nothing that comes close to the tens of thousands of dollars you would spend on a guided hunt. Plus you have the pride associated with a DIY hunt and knowing it was you that put the animal down on public land!

Here is a video of a bull I called in fall of 2012:

 

Please contact me with any thoughts, recommendations, and questions you have regarding Scout My Utah!