Trying to elk hunt in Utah

Mr. FFB,

This was the year that I was going to do the same thing your describing. My friends and family hunt deer but not elk. I had a cow tag when I was 16 that went unfilled if thats any indication of how novice we are when it comes to elk. I got insanely lucky and drew a quality LE elk tag at the expo so I'll be doing my learning with the added pressure of lots of potential good bulls around.

You don't have that pressure. If it were me (and it would have been without this tag) I'd consider either a spike tag so you can go to an area with lots of elk and learn elk behavior while having a chance at a harvest, or if you want to go any bull look at the areas up near flaming gorge. I know thats a drive but the any-bull chances of a harvest will be much better up that way.

No matter how you decide to go, tell yourself that the $65 over the counter elk tag is cheap for having the opportunity to be in the country with elk running around and the chance to harvest one. I don't know why I waited so long. I sure wish I had a few years of "learning" under my belt.

Best of luck to you. Let us know what you decide to do.

Thanks for the info! I'm not 100% sure yet what I'm going to do yet. I will definetly take your advice though and hopefully at least learn some more about the big guys and how they live. Cause I know they're a lot different than deer and that's all I've ever hunted before. So we'll see when June 17th rolls around and see what I end up doing. :)

As far as hunting the west desert the elk have been pretty much eliminated from there your best bet for starting out would be to buy a spike tag and go to one of the LE hunting areas.

personally i hate spike hunts. but i think it would be your best bet. get on the l.e. units hunting spike and you will see more elk and learn about them. should give you a bit more experience in hunting elk. you may not get to shoot any but you'll at least learn some habits and the way they act while having the opportunity at getting a crack at the spikes. if you do achery you can kill a cow or spike and also hunt on the anybull units with the same tag.

Thanks for the help and advice guys. I guess I got about another month to decide which hunt I am going to do.....looking at the areas now and trying to see where I would go if I do end buying a tag. The only thing I was looking at was possibly going with rifle or muzzleloader for it cause I got a deer archery tag and defintely want to fill that tag with some of the ones I was chasing last year and this is my third year going after the same bucks. So I don't want to mess up my deer hunt if I feel like I need to get out after the elk in the same time period. But maybe you guys could answer one more question I had. Is the extended archery hunt for elk in the same area as deer? Like is Big Cottonwood in the area for elk extended or no? Cause I went up there last year for the extended deer hunt.

i'm going to go against the grain here-- you dont want to LEARN how to elk hunt on a L.E. unit were elk aren't "NORMAL" elk.


in anyone's life, chances are you will hunt 10 ( or way more) "normal" hunts , to every 1 l.E. hunt.
i believe thats what is the problem with alot of the complaining about utahs general hunts. you just cant even begin to put them on the same level of elk hunting. when you have to go hunt a "general " unit, guess what? THAT IS WHAT NORMAL ELK HUNTING IS LIKE.

IMO, you need to cut your teeth in a realistic elk hunt, then when you draw out for a great tag- you WILL be able to make it all come together.

quik story[ as if my post isn't already getting long....]

one of the only guys i will hunt with here in oregon moved to utah 3 yrs ago for work. we hunted a ton together before and guided in new mexico for a few yrs together.

well after he got back we have had lots of conversations about this topic and "utahs" hunting. in his opinion-- those general "any bull tags" in utah are just as good as the hunt we get all stoked about to go one each and every year here in oregon. you have a chance at killing a 300" bull, lots of younger bulls, most everyone is "unsuccseful" [sp?], but you see elk and if your good enough, can usually put a decent hunt together.

but why do you hear all the negativity?

because you are trying to compare it to your L.E. units. . they just cannot be even close! the reason they are that good is because it takes 12+ yrs to draw! if you want to be an elk hunter, your not going to wait that long to hunt.

go draw a "general" montana tag, a "general" idAho tag, oregon, wyoming, colorado, new mexico, AND UTAH! that is what elk hunting is normally like.

it's not that the utah "general" tags are EXTRA bad, the utah "l.e." tags are "EXTRA"good.


hope that makes any sence, my spelling sucks- and i dont worry about it:)

killerbee, what you're saying makes sense and I've never really thought of it that way. Like I said I've never even accompanied anyone on an elk hunt so I'm a total greenhorn when it comes to it and am glad that there are guys out there willing to share their opinion and its helping me out. Like you said there are those big bulls out in the general area but few and far but still are there. I'm not looking at harvesting a huge trophy but just a nice 5 or 6 point would be awesome. I'm thinking of doing the "any bull" hunt and that way if I happen to luck into one of those then I can attempt to take him. But if not then at least I'm out on the mountain loving the time up there!

That is what I am all about too. I bought my first Utah archery "Hunters choice" Tag for Elk today and I dont expect to get a big Bull. I hope to see some Bulls and maybe call something in, but It would be nice to tag a decent Bull. I like how there is an extended archery season too.

"killerbee" wrote:i'm going to go against the grain here-- you dont want to LEARN how to elk hunt on a L.E. unit were elk aren't "NORMAL" elk.


in anyone's life, chances are you will hunt 10 ( or way more) "normal" hunts , to every 1 l.E. hunt.
i believe thats what is the problem with alot of the complaining about utahs general hunts. you just cant even begin to put them on the same level of elk hunting. when you have to go hunt a "general " unit, guess what? THAT IS WHAT NORMAL ELK HUNTING IS LIKE.

IMO, you need to cut your teeth in a realistic elk hunt, then when you draw out for a great tag- you WILL be able to make it all come together.

quik story[ as if my post isn't already getting long....]

one of the only guys i will hunt with here in oregon moved to utah 3 yrs ago for work. we hunted a ton together before and guided in new mexico for a few yrs together.

well after he got back we have had lots of conversations about this topic and "utahs" hunting. in his opinion-- those general "any bull tags" in utah are just as good as the hunt we get all stoked about to go one each and every year here in oregon. you have a chance at killing a 300" bull, lots of younger bulls, most everyone is "unsuccseful" [sp?], but you see elk and if your good enough, can usually put a decent hunt together.

but why do you hear all the negativity?

because you are trying to compare it to your L.E. units. . they just cannot be even close! the reason they are that good is because it takes 12+ yrs to draw! if you want to be an elk hunter, your not going to wait that long to hunt.

go draw a "general" montana tag, a "general" idAho tag, oregon, wyoming, colorado, new mexico, AND UTAH! that is what elk hunting is normally like.

it's not that the utah "general" tags are EXTRA bad, the utah "l.e." tags are "EXTRA"good.


hope that makes any sence, my spelling sucks- and i dont worry about it:)

excellant advise killerbee getting on the utah le entry units is good to see elk and get a general feel of how they act. but i would highly suggest getting an open bull tag and jump into it full force. the elk on the general units that i hunt are very smart and alot more spooked when comes to humans it is a differant ball game. you need good cut off points when it comes to hunting pressure a big majority of the any bull hunters dont walk far at all let them put the pressure on the elk and you be in the position to intercept the bulls.find some areas and stick with them throughout the years if you are seeing elk and elk sign learn the land the best you can you would be amazed where some elk will hold up two years ago we downed a bull that was real close to another hunters camp he was shocked we pulled the bull out of his back yard.the biggest advice i can give is never think there couldn't be an elk in any area

Thanks for all the input. Looks like I'll be arhcery hunting but mainly have to do it on the extended archery time since I ended up getting a Archery deer tag again and hoping to finish the deal this year on one of the 3 big bucks I have been chasing for the last 3 years. But nonetheless, I'm excited to get out there and hunt!! Just about a month left!! Been out scouting a couple times and just got the trail camera up 2 weeks ago. Going to check it maybe this weekend. I'll post some pics if I got any on it!