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Has anyone bow hunted the Wasatch Front in Utah for Deer? I live close to salt Lake and have spent a lot of time hiking and biking the mountains but have never hunted there. If you have, what method was successful, i.e. Spot & stalk, Still hunting, Stand. I know at the lower elevations in the scrub oak it can be hard to see much farther than 20 yd. would this be better than higher up in the open?
Posts: 117 | From: Utah | Registered: Apr 2010
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Spencer I've hunted it a little. Early is good for spot and stalk. Late is good if you know where the deer hang out, ie the rut. Prepare for a lot of people. There are some big bucks on the front. Good luck!
-------------------- " Just concentrate and don't freak out next time" my son Tyler(age 7) giving advise after watching me miss a big mulie.
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Thanks for the advice Steadman. Are there still alot of people if you go in deeper (i.e. 3-5 miles) or overnight it?
Posts: 117 | From: Utah | Registered: Apr 2010
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Been curious to know this myself. I would like to hunt these areas but my dad and I have never been there and aren't sure about the unfamiliar territory...
-------------------- 50" Shakespeare Cascade
Proud owner of "Bill" the recurve Posts: 1009 | From: Utah | Registered: Aug 2009
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I have hunted the Wasatch Extended--first be sure to do the orientation course on the DWR website--required to hunt it. I have hunted it a handful of times so take this for what it is worth--I killed a doe there last December during the Doe only time of the hunt to fill the freezer. I have never taken a buck there but did miss a 4 point once. I have several compound friends who have killed there and I know some of the area fairly well so here is my take:
The area is good to hunt any time of year--no matter how far in you go it will usually be crowded with mountain bikers, hikers, hippies and hunters. It's so close to a large population base (SLC)it is just something that you have to get used to. There are many great bucks on the unit as there is no rifle hunting aloud. The early season gets hit pretty hard with hunters but is doable, scout it and learn deer patterns, ambush works well here as their summer patterns are still going. Really good optics are a must for the wasatch, the best way to scout is with your eyes--get high on a peak and sit for the morning, try to learn patterns or bed one, maybe try to stalk it, but it will usually be too far to get to, so get closer for the next morning and hopefully luck into the deer again. Late Sep and Oct you will see the least amount of people on the mountian and is my favorite time to hunt it. November is the rut and you will have major competition, the deer move down at this time and you will see guys along Wasatch BLVD scoping deer like crazy. The stalking sucks at this time (also Oct) but the bucks are moving and breading so you have that advantage--just major competion with hunters can be a problem also snow. The country is steep and you must be in good shape with good boots.
Traits of people that are successful on the Wasatch are as follows: spend a ton of time on it--scout the hell out of it, they are in great shape and love to hike, they have great optics (Swaro, Zeiss) and a major part of it is if you want to consistently kill deer you need to be able to shoot well out to 60 or 70 yards, compounds do well at this, not so much with the Trad gear. Your shots will be long if you want to kill, or you need some ace in the hole like private land or a honey hole. Also know your shot angles as everything is steep. I killed my doe there at 37 yards at a 35 degree down hill slope, the 4 point I missed was at 45 yards about 40 degree slope down hill.
To sum it up the Wasatch is tough for us trad guys (hell anybody), but if you put in the time it can be done--its just hard, but there are some nice deer up there.
Posts: 138 | From: UT | Registered: May 2006
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I have to disagree about the long range shots on the "extended" the last deer I killed there with my recurve was at 11 yards, on the ground. I think that it is just like hunting anywhere else, you have just put together a good stalk. I have a few treestands that I have on the wasatch but do most of my hunting on the ground. I have taken a few nice bucks with a compound on the extended and a few doe with traditional gear, it is a bowhunters paradise!
Posts: 338 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2008
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