Ut LE Rifle tag

Hey guys Im new to the forum but Ive been impressed by what ive seen. I moved away from ny native home of Utah about 7 years ago but I continued to put in for bonus pts. Ive got the maxium. Im trying to nail down where I want to go.. Pahvant, San Juan, Monroe or other. Give me your opinion.. If you could go anywhere in Ut on a limited entry for a real chance at a monster where would you go?
12,678
DeadI
Monroe or Pahvant would be my choice. Good luck to you. And welcome to the site.
23
MuleyMadness
Max points, wow great job. Should be a fun year. :)

All units are good you mentioned. I take Pahvant or San Juan over Monroe likely, but all good hunts.

Pahvant #1 choice.

Beaver Mtns. has picked up lately. Boulder Mtns good also.
23
proutdoors
With max points I would look at Pahvant, Boulder, and San Juan. Don't burn max points on the Monroe unless you already know the area and just like being there. The unit is NOT on the same level as at least 8 LE units. Good luck!

PRO
23
MULEY7MM
San juan all the way if you draw it i could help you out if you dont know the area :thumb
23
Buckmaster
I would take Pahvant or San Juan, It looks like we will have a good winter and that should carrie us into a wet spring ... great for antler growth
[-o<
23
Default Avatar
If this picture works you can see a couple of bulls that our new friends took this year on the pahvant.
She was hunting with crutches and a broken foot.
If you draw a tag around here I'll be happy to use my magic pointy finger to show you what I know of this unit. Good luck where ever you go. Later treetop

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/mgander/100_0023.jpg" alt="" />
23
Default Avatar
I must have done something stupid with the picture it cut of half of Cindy's bull.
any way you get the idea. They had a great time and saw a ton of bulls.
23
MuleyMadness
I must have done something stupid with the picture it cut of half of Cindy's bull.
any way you get the idea. They had a great time and saw a ton of bulls.
Not your fault, it's the new forum. Not sure why it's doing that, haven't figured it out yet. Will keep trying.
23
The Ox
so did you put in for something already?? i would say if your familiar with any of the le units at all that would be a good choice but seeing how its been 7 years i think ya said that may be difficult. i know sw desert produces some awesome bulls and several 400's were taken this past year. id say sw desert,pahvant,monroe,beaver. any of those would give you the oppurtunity to see some huge bulls
23
Hiker
I plan on applying again this year for a LE tag, though my chances are slim. My wife doesn't want to stay in the Utah draw any longer. The license fee and the point fees aren't that bad but when you look at Non-Resident draw odds, which is horrible on LE elk tags and the 20 years of applying, just to have a chance of drawing, it's not worth the money and time to stay at it for her. After the convention tags are taken out, we NR's only get 7.5% of the the LE tags. Which IMO is to low.
23
NH Hunter
Hi Fellas,

I'm new to this site also. I'm also trying to research possible elk hunting areas. I've been looking around the site a time or two before but just signed up today. I was looking at the Wasatch area around Strawberry Reservoir. I am guessing that there would be bulls around there but maybe not the number or size that I might find elsewhere in UT. I have 8 NR preference points and have applied almost every year. I have hunted northwestern CO for about 13 years. DIY hunts on public land with my buddy. I used to look in on the forum at the state (Utah) website but it's gone. Hiker says quite a few of you hang out over here. As a NR I may never get enough points/luck to hunt the very best areas but I don't want to waste my points on a poor area either. I may buy points for a couple more years but, with the rule changes, they're getting expensive. By then my oldest boy would be old enough to go with me....if I draw.

Thanks.
23
MuleyMadness
NH Hunter

::wel to MuleyMadness! Glad to have you aboard.
23
NH Hunter
Thanks MM! Glad to be here. Hope I can contribute something and not be totally useless! :)
23
bigbuck92
"NH Hunter" wrote:Hope I can contribute something and not be totally useless! :)

Ya you have to contribute cause being useless is my job here :) Just ask anybody.
23
killerbee
"bigbuck92" wrote:
NH Hunter wrote:Hope I can contribute something and not be totally useless! :)

Ya you have to contribute cause being useless is my job here :) Just ask anybody.
yup, i'll back that up :)) :)) j/k BB
NH HUNTER welcome to the madness! i cant help to much with your utah info, i'm not from there but i'm sure theres someone who can help out. i put in for wasatch also, but i only have 4 points ](*,) ](*,) wanna trade?
23
Default Avatar
I've been looking at this myself, Trying to decide which unit to put in for. I've been putting in for the San Juan.
Looking at last years draw, Even max point ( which was 14 last year and will be 15 this year) The San Juan was a 1:3.2 for the regular hunt and 1:8 for the Premium. So even having max points doesn't guarantee you a tag in that area. I could be another 3-4 years before I draw a tag in that unit.

There are a number of other respectable units that had 100% for max points and even close to 100% for one less than max points. I've taken several friends (or their kids on youth tags ) down and gotten some 370-380 bulls off these other units. I'm begining to wonder if holding out for a San Juan and the chance of a 400 class bull is worth the wait, of if I should apply for a unit where my points would be almost a 100% draw and go get a nice 370-380 bull. Especially since the Management Bull hunt on the San Juan this year is the week before the LE.
23
MULEY7MM
That would be a hard decision :-k I would probly wait for a couple more years and then if you dont draw pick another hunt i have been on the san juan unit sevrel times and i still dream about the bulls i seen
23
NH Hunter
Do the number of max points creep up every year? With so few tags being drawn, am I going to be in the same place in line in five years with only five fewer guys in front of me? If I'm 40th in line behind the guys with more points, will I be in 35th in five years assuming I continue to accumulate points? If that's the case I may be dead before I draw.....unless the guys before me die first. :-k That'd be a heck of an advertisement..."Come to Utah for you Last Rights 400 Class Bull Hunt".
23
MuleyMadness
Yes the odds are horrific and getting worse EVERY year. A 400 class bull on the San Juan is no cake walk. I'd be happy with a 370-380 class bull on another unit myself. Just my opinion.
23
NH Hunter
Just read the reg book again so I understand Bonus points a little better. I was confused because there are also Preference points. I don't believe Preference points pertain to the hunt I'm looking for. I really regret falling asleep at the wheel in 2006. The deadline for applying came and went and I missed it. That little goof probably put me back another year...or two....or four. :>/ I think with the rule change that requires NR's to buy a license before you can apply may help me if I stick with it. I think that may weed out some of the people who were just collecting points at $5 (then $10) a pop and not really commited to doing what it takes to draw the tag and pull off the hunt. I would still like to try a DIY hunt. Time to start researching public land in the LE units. The other option for me would be a drop camp. I think I could justify the expense since it will only happen once.
23
Hiker
NH, Great to see you over here on MuleyMadness! =D> You will fit in very well around here, some great people. With 8 bonus points, you have a great chance of drawing in the next 2-4 years. Are you going to hunt Colorado again this year?
23
MuleyMadness
I think with the rule change that requires NR's to buy a license before you can apply may help me if I stick with it. I think that may weed out some of the people who were just collecting points at $5 (then $10) a pop and not really commited to doing what it takes to draw the tag and pull off the hunt.
I'm hoping this will help the odds a bit for RES and NON-RES. [-o<
23
NH Hunter
"Hiker" wrote:NH, Great to see you over here on MuleyMadness! =D> You will fit in very well around here, some great people. With 8 bonus points, you have a great chance of drawing in the next 2-4 years. Are you going to hunt Colorado again this year?
Hey Hiker!

Yeah, I plan on hunting CO again this year. Not sure where yet. Not even sure what season. I might try archery since I'm back to zero points. I burned my points last year on a MZ tag so it will either be an OTC bull, draw cow(with 0 points) or archery. We've got three areas we're thinking of trying. Still need to finalize. The year I draw UT I'll have to skip CO. Not enough vacation or goodwill left in the wife.
23
Default Avatar
NH Hunter, I relate to that comment. Last fall after 17 days in the desert looking for a Bighorn Ram, and passing on smaller rams. My wife told me. "Just kill the Beast"

Not only was the season winding down, by my wifes patience had expired.
23
NH Hunter
I once told my wife I would like to do a full blown, horseback wilderness hunt for elk. She asked me how much it costs. I told her. Her eyes bugged out and she told me I was nuts. I guess I should be happy she lets me take off for nine days every year for our DIY hunt. She's almost used to it. It's only a problem if the car craps out or the furnace goes "tango uniform", both of which have happened. My buddy had his credit stolen one year when we were out hunting. It's Murphy's Law. This will be thirteen or fourteen elk seasons in a row, I can't remember. If i wanted to do a drop camp it would probably cost me the price of the trip plus a kitchen remodel. lol
23