Trad Gang

I got word from the biologist that the snow levels have been lower than normal and the deer kept decent fat stores, so they should experience average to better than average winter survival, which is good news for me.

I plan to hunt the NW corner of the state. If you are interested, PM me for details.

Application deadline for general season tags is March 3rd, 2011 (yes you have to apply for general season tags).

Non-resident License $65.00

Application fee is $10.00

Tag is $263.00

If you have questions or are interested in sharing camp, shoot me a pm with your phone number.

It will be camping in the National Forest and very primitive. I don't have a big truck to hall things like a huge stove or wall tent. It will be me and my crappy little GEO Tracker, a couple of coolers with dry ice, and a weeks worth of pre-cooked sealed meals, a small cook stove for heating food and boiling water for coffee.

Tents would be individual with sleeping pads and sleeping bags.

Eat, Sleep, and hunt is what this hunt is all about.

Uop's

I read from guys who live in Utah that the snows were bad and the deer and elk were down low and getting into rancher's hay. Some ranchers were shooting them...damage control thing...?

Snag,

That is why I am going to the NW CORNER. Here is what the biologists say for THIS AREA. The rest of the state experiences different survivla rates. I am going with what looks like the best survival rates.

Cut and pasted from my email records:

Here is what the bio says for this year typos and all:

"We have had below normal snow with 10 weeks of normal temps. (4 weeks to go).  Since the deer went into winter with good to exc. fat reserves it appears that will will experience normal or slightly lower winter losses".

Here is what another bio said when I inquired in 2009:

"Coming from Oregon, you may want to consider hunting in the Northwest
corner of the state in the Raft River Mountains.  The area has had the
least amount of winter losses in the past few years and the harvest of
mature bucks consistent.  It is high desert country with some pines and
aspens in the higher elevations.  There is a combination of public and
private lands".

Don't know where you got your info but state snow pack is at 175%. The biologists here are salesmen as well  ;)  They want the non res money. I personally would look in to CO. If I had the money I would be hunting CO  :)  The deer and elk are low, but should be good horn growth. Our wettest 2 months are still yet to come! Come on out, expect a lot of atv's. If you need some info let me know. The deer tags are not otc, just the left overs are otc, no left overs last year. Good luck!!

QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
Don't know where you got your info but state snow pack is at 175%. The deer and elk are low, but should be good horn growth. Our wettest 2 months are still yet to come! Come on out, expect a lot of atv's. If you need some info let me know. The deer tags are not otc, just the left overs are otc, no left overs last year. Good luck!!

The biologists first names are Phil and Kirt.

Hopefully, I pull a tag then and yes, I can use all the help I can get  :bigsmyl:

Just a fair warning, our deer herds are not doing well. Not saying you won't have a good hunt though. In 10 days of hunting last year I saw a total of 13 bucks! I usually see that opening morning. Hope this year is better. If you put archery tag as your first choice you will get the tag, at least this year. Let me know!

QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
Just a fair warning, our deer herds are not doing well. Not saying you won't have a good hunt though. In 10 days of hunting last year I saw a total of 13 bucks! I usually see that opening morning. Hope this year is better. If you put archery tag as your first choice you will get the tag, at least this year. Let me know!

This is extra opportunity for me as I don't hunt mulies in Oregon because deer season overlaps our elk season and then I focus on Blacktails in the late hunt.

This is all about fun, seeing some new country, and having a good time.

Archery is all that I would put in for. They allocate 10% of a regions tags to non-residents and draw that 10% off of the top and left overs go into the resident draw.

I thought that is was a guarantee, but you are right, it is not. However, I think with bow only, I have a decent chance. I drew in 2009 and hunted the Southern unit and we not only had a blast, but we harvested deer with our wheelie bow. Leaving the compound at home this year.

Thanks and I will be in touch.

Paul

When are you planning your hunt?

I plan to hunt the NE area of Utah. A buddy of mine got a nice 4 point Whitetail buck there a couple of years ago. So maybe with luck if not a mule deer, maybe a whitetail. Most hunters here do not like the idea of whitetails coming into Utah. With the mule deer herds in trouble they may have to hunt whitetails.

I'm always up for hunting new areas. PM on its way

I'm a mule deer fanatic, have never hunted Utah, would like to meet a fellow Tradganger. What month are you planning? I may be really interested. I am hard core, you won't catch me at camp at all during the daylight.

The mountain range that I live by is at 193% of normal for snowpack. I agree with steadman you are getting a sales pitch. However you can have a good hunt and a good time just do some homework and get away from the roads. The application period just started so you need to keep a eye on that. The state is cutting tags starting in 12 but I am not sure how it will affect archery.

While winter snows do play a role in numbers, the green up in the spring usually has a larger effect, a slow green up is good, a fast one and deer numbers drop far and fast.

I agree with steadman. Sounds like a sales pitch. I live east of SLC in a mountain valley and deer numbers have been down for quite a while. I have been seeing more lions though. Gary

I may be in the minority here in UT but I hope the whitetail move in, at least we might have some deer to hunt    :rolleyes:  Don't get me wrong, muleys are on the top as far as the funnest animal to hunt, but it's no fun when there are no deer.

QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
I may be in the minority here in UT but I hope the whitetail move in, at least we might have some deer to hunt     :rolleyes:   Don't get me wrong, muleys are on the top as far as the funnest animal to hunt, but it's no fun when there are no deer.

Aman on that.

QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
I may be in the minority here in UT but I hope the whitetail move in, at least we might have some deer to hunt     :rolleyes:   Don't get me wrong, muleys are on the top as far as the funnest animal to hunt, but it's no fun when there are no deer.

I agree. Even if Utah's numbers are down, they are better than what Oregon has to offer these days.

We don't meet management objectives in any units in Oregon. At least Utah has some Limited Entry units where the buck to doe ratio is estimated 30 bucks per 100 does.

This is an extra opportunity hunt for me, so I will enjoy even poor deer hunting  :goldtooth:

Paul, I can't say how your hunt will be, but I hunted southern Utah for mulies with an otc tag a few years ago.  Saw lots of deer and some monster elk.  Didn't shoot anything, but had several opportunities.  At the time I was in school and living in  a small apt. in Chicago.  Couldn't bring the meat home, had no room for it, so I was only going to shoot a big buck if given the chance.  Never had a chance at a big one, but saw and could have shot several 3x3 and forkies.  This was just hunting off the road system too.  I'm sure if you put in your time you'll have a good hunt.  Good luck, Sam

Sounds like a fun hunting trip if nothing more than seeing new country......

Paul is a great guy and hunts hard-----he'll go all day--so be ready if you go!  Had a great time hunting elk in Oregon with him for a couple days in '08!

Good Luck!  :campfire:    :archer2:

I will agree with everyone else our states snow levels have beeen way above normal. In the southern part state we have hardly had a storm since December and we are still at 150%+ of normal. The northern part of the state has been pounded snow even harder. I would expect to see a loss of deer in the northern units this year IMO.
I am not a deer authority on deer but I think the deer have faired better in the south than the north this year. We have had alot of our moisture in the south has been rain and not snow except at higher elevations. Our biggest storm it was raining @ 8000 ft,some places as much as 14" in one strom. After the rut this year the weather became dry and the snow pack has been low on the winter ranges. If this keeps up the deer counts may rebound from beeing way down in 2010 in the So unit. Like steadman said our wettest months are still to come so only time will tell.

QuoteOriginally posted by sam barrett:
Paul, I can't say how your hunt will be, but I hunted southern Utah for mulies with an otc tag a few years ago.  Saw lots of deer and some monster elk.  Didn't shoot anything, but had several opportunities.  At the time I was in school and living in  a small apt. in Chicago.  Couldn't bring the meat home, had no room for it, so I was only going to shoot a big buck if given the chance.  Never had a chance at a big one, but saw and could have shot several 3x3 and forkies.  This was just hunting off the road system too.  I'm sure if you put in your time you'll have a good hunt.  Good luck, Sam

Sam,

I hunted the Fish Lake Ntnl. Forest in 09 and we had good success with the training wheels.

I promised to NOT take anyone back to that spot and since going trad, my wheelie buddies have not yet decided to return, so I am looking for other guys to hunt an area a little closer to home.

Paul

quote:

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Originally posted by BEN:
Sounds like a fun hunting trip if nothing more than seeing new country......

Paul is a great guy and hunts hard-----he'll go all day--so be ready if you go!  Had a great time hunting elk in Oregon with him for a couple days in '08!

Good Luck!    :campfire:        :biglaugh:   I hope you can get back out here someday. You were a great hunting partner. That small 6 point bull we called in is probably about 320 by now too   :archer2:  

This won't be labor intensive as I plan to still hunt the first day or so and then set up tree stands for ambush. I did this in the Southern Unit in 09 and it worked quite well.