like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
My first post... Life time hunter, with lots of tree stand experience. But never a saddle. Want to change that and give it a try this year. Just hoping to connect with a few locals.
-
The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
-
We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules
Any saddle hunters in Utah?
- Thread starter like.2.fly
- Start date
Deltahuntr
Well-Known Member
Welcome from Louisiana. Use the site search at the top right of page for Saddle Hunter Google Map by G2 outdoors . Their will be a map of saddlehunter.com members in your area.
Amarty734
Active Member
Welcome from a midwest guy! How's the hunting in Utah?
Iowabucksnbass
Active Member
Welcome from Iowa!
Here is a. Bull from the Uintahs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here is a. Bull from the Uintahs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
Nice bull! Love the Uintahs. I pretty much grew up there.
UT is definitely a beautiful state with some great places to hunt. But the seasons are early and short (archery starting mid Aug, ending early-mid Sept). Resident general deer tags are limited and take 2 or 3 years to draw in the area I hunt. Resident general elk is over the counter, which is nice. But limited deer & elk take many years to draw (15-20 for the premium areas). So not a lot of opportunities for the best hunts, or anything during the rut season for either species (except for the very small and limited "extended" archery areas along the Wasatch front, plus Uintah basin and Sanpete county lowlands which are mostly private land). At least I can chase general elk every year, for now. I'm truly envious of the states that have 3 - 5 month deer seasons, and multiple bag limits with multiple weapons.
UT is definitely a beautiful state with some great places to hunt. But the seasons are early and short (archery starting mid Aug, ending early-mid Sept). Resident general deer tags are limited and take 2 or 3 years to draw in the area I hunt. Resident general elk is over the counter, which is nice. But limited deer & elk take many years to draw (15-20 for the premium areas). So not a lot of opportunities for the best hunts, or anything during the rut season for either species (except for the very small and limited "extended" archery areas along the Wasatch front, plus Uintah basin and Sanpete county lowlands which are mostly private land). At least I can chase general elk every year, for now. I'm truly envious of the states that have 3 - 5 month deer seasons, and multiple bag limits with multiple weapons.
Last edited:
Lacky
Active Member
Didn't realize Utah was so different from Idaho. Our archery season runs the entire month of September almost everywhere, so definitely in rut the last half. Rifle starts my area Oct 15 so sometimes catches the last of the bugling. I haven't applied for a controlled hunt in 20 years at least, but I'm sure some are hard to get. I haven't felt the need. Plenty of good general areas, and haven't felt a big enough desire to try and draw moose/bighorn/mountain goat.
like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
I drew a UT moose tag a few years ago. But it's a once-in-a-lifetime permit here, so can't ever do that again. I did bag a bull and cut/wrapped 66 roasts out of it. That lasted a while... 
Would love to try Idaho deer & elk, but not a lot of funds left in hunting budget for anything out of state.
Would love to try Idaho deer & elk, but not a lot of funds left in hunting budget for anything out of state.
KYHunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2018
- Messages
- 1,113
Welcome! One of my best friends is from Vernal and will be practicing dentistry on a nearby Rez. I’ve almost got him talked into a saddle.
He primarily hunts the Uintahs and I plan on coming out every year to hunt. Incredibly beautiful and underrated!!
What part are you in?
He primarily hunts the Uintahs and I plan on coming out every year to hunt. Incredibly beautiful and underrated!!
What part are you in?
Iowabucksnbass
Active Member
I have 9 points for premium elk and 9 for OIL moose.
I hunted the extended wasatch front one year, a tough hunt very steep glassed more moose than Elk not a lot of public access.
My favorite western state, very scenic.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Iowabucksnbass
Active Member
I hunted the north slope one year after Labor Day weekend and in the middle of the week was craving to sit down for a nature calls went to China meadows trail head, when pulling in I thought it was strange that there was horses in the corral but it wasn’t horses it was a cow and calf moose eating alfalfa left in the corral, I videoed it with my phone. I need to find it and post it . Pretty neat!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
I'm in Liberty, a little mountain town on the "Wasatch Back" about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City. Yes, the Uintahs are vast and remote. I spent a lot of my childhood backpacking up there and fishing many of those remote lakes. Never hunted there, but seems like it would be tough on foot. So many miles to cover, and 10,000+ feet in elevation. Horses would be great, but I've never had that opportunity. Yes, most of the extended Wasatch area is super vertical and rugged, but there are definitely some good bucks & bulls up there for the diehards. They are also very educated living within easy view of a major population center.
9 points for premium elk and OIL moose? That's a good healthy start. Approaching half way there, unless you get extremely lucky. I drew my moose tag with only 4 points. Never heard of anyone doing that... Wish I could get that lucky on limited entry elk. I have 13 points for limited entry deer now, and still trying. Oh for the bygone era when all tags in this state were unlimited and over the counter for residents, and you could hunt all 3 seasons (archery, muzzleloader, rifle) and anywhere you wanted to. The state would actually close public schools back then for the deer opener, because at least half the kids were out hunting with their dads. Things are so much more restricted now, and the herds managed for better quality. Tags are only valid for certain small geographical units and you can't hunt anywhere else. It keeps the hunters evenly spread out. I must admit the quality of hunting is definitely better now, and far fewer hunters afield. But the areas I grew up hunting every fall with my uncles and cousins, and that I know like the back of my hand, are now all limited entry and I only get to hunt deer there about once every 8 - 10 years, or double that for elk. So I'm stuck with general season for the most part, and public land. I have a cabin down at Fish Lake in central UT, and can only get a general deer tag every 2 or 3 years on that unit. Luckily general archery elk is still over the counter, so that keeps me going. But it's spike bull or antlerless only, unless you draw a limited entry any bull tag once every 20 years. Crazy stuff...
Wish I could afford to apply and hunt out of state...
9 points for premium elk and OIL moose? That's a good healthy start. Approaching half way there, unless you get extremely lucky. I drew my moose tag with only 4 points. Never heard of anyone doing that... Wish I could get that lucky on limited entry elk. I have 13 points for limited entry deer now, and still trying. Oh for the bygone era when all tags in this state were unlimited and over the counter for residents, and you could hunt all 3 seasons (archery, muzzleloader, rifle) and anywhere you wanted to. The state would actually close public schools back then for the deer opener, because at least half the kids were out hunting with their dads. Things are so much more restricted now, and the herds managed for better quality. Tags are only valid for certain small geographical units and you can't hunt anywhere else. It keeps the hunters evenly spread out. I must admit the quality of hunting is definitely better now, and far fewer hunters afield. But the areas I grew up hunting every fall with my uncles and cousins, and that I know like the back of my hand, are now all limited entry and I only get to hunt deer there about once every 8 - 10 years, or double that for elk. So I'm stuck with general season for the most part, and public land. I have a cabin down at Fish Lake in central UT, and can only get a general deer tag every 2 or 3 years on that unit. Luckily general archery elk is still over the counter, so that keeps me going. But it's spike bull or antlerless only, unless you draw a limited entry any bull tag once every 20 years. Crazy stuff...
Wish I could afford to apply and hunt out of state...
Lacky
Active Member
Idaho definitely sounds less restrictive than what your describing. I do miss the general elk tag where you could hunt all seasons wherever you wanted (other than the controlled areas). We have to choose one season and one spot for elk now too. Deer is still general for the most part though.
I have a daughter in Vermont, so I could see myself heading there for a few weeks to visit/hunt after retirement. I don't have enough free time to hunt everything I want in Idaho each year now, so can't see giving up my elk vacation days to hunt somewhere/something else.
I have a daughter in Vermont, so I could see myself heading there for a few weeks to visit/hunt after retirement. I don't have enough free time to hunt everything I want in Idaho each year now, so can't see giving up my elk vacation days to hunt somewhere/something else.
I am a Utah hunter (though currently residing in central Mexico) and definitely plan on taking the saddle out with me this coming year (coming home for 2 weeks late august / early september). Last year both my elk and buck were taken from tree stands, so i like the idea of hunting high. BU this year i plan to hunt using a mobile spike camp, so the saddle will be a good option for weight but still have the option of a tree in case I come across a wallow or water source. Plus, I am a vetran rock climber, so I have half the equipment already, just had to get a sitdrag really... Anyways, best of luck everyone!
like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
@shmcleod - What type of trees have you climbed in Utah? Anything other than aspens? I have WE steps and Helium sticks, and the steps really dig in DEEP on those soft aspen trunks, and they are so soft that the steps want to move even when they're in deep. Haven't tried the sticks yet, but it seems they might work a bit better?
I have climbed Aspens, Ponderosa Pines, Scrub Oak, and a few other trees that I don't know the species but I would describe as similar to scrub oak, meaning medium in size with lots of branches. I come from a rock climbing and tree trimming background, so I am pretty comfortable moving around in trees. I do not own sticks, and have generally climbed trees using branches, and when i have no other options, a screw in step, but VERY FEW. I was not really familiar with climbing sticks until I found this site. Seems like in Utah, even on public land, most people just use screw ins, too many of them in my opinion, but given how wide spread they are, I assume it is legal on public land. They are also heavy for mobile hunting, so I don't plan on bringing them. I wish i had a better recommendation. It is totally true that aspens have soft bark...
like.2.fly
Well-Known Member
Most public land in Utah is National Forest or BLM. My understanding is you can't put in nails or screws, or remove limbs on National Forest trees. I'm not 100% sure, but that's what I recall. Don't know about BLM land...