Utah Henry Mountains Bison - I'M GOING!!

[rastaman]

i would listen strongly to your friends advice and see if you can find out if it is truth or rumor that you are getting close to being drawn with a regular tag. If it is "truth" i would hold out.  Good luck and take us along either way!

[Wiley Coyote]

Go for it, you only live once!!  

[pamike]

absolutely GO FOR IT!

[Firstarrow]

Joe, contact Larry! of you haven't.  As you may have discovered already  the Henry Mountain hunt can be challenging and the Utah DNR don't understand the challenge of tradbow hunting during a circus.  

best of luck!

[Walt Francis]

Joe,
I have a friend who done it.  PM sent.

[ChuckC]

Joe   that updated information may be a game changer.  So, in other words. . .  go on out and run around with the mob during the last two weeks of the season. .  whatever.

This may not be the hunt you are dreaming of after all.

Maybe holding another year or two is the smart move after all.
ChuckC

[Hud]

Low success ratio, rifle hunters    if ya wait, you have time to do the research, your name will come up.    Good luck.

[elkken]

Put on your analyst hat for this one ... the facts will lead you to the best decision. Good luck      

Go Packers .....

[Geezer]

I drove by the Henry Mountains last month and knowing there are buffalo on that peak thought about what a tough hunt it would be (but aren't they all?!).  

Pete Shepley, the guy who makes bows we don't speak of here has a video of his hunt there from some years past.  Good luck.

[twitchstick]

My brother drew a hunter's choice tag a few years ago. He had also been a helper once before. He considerd it to be a tough hunt but did take a nice bull(rifle). I'm sure if you had any questions he would help and I would help you any way I could. P.M me if there is anything I can do.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Joe,

The advice here and what you have received sounds good.  Maybe you would be able to pass and go along on another hunt to get an idea of what you are in for?  Just a thought anyway.

BTW nice buck      

[GRINCH]

Joe it's a last minute hunt that you haven't had time to prepare for,you already know that it will require an extensive outfitter with horses with a small success rate,I'd pass for know but it is your decision.

[Robhood23]

How many points do you have built up? I have a few myself and am asking myself what I would do if I had gotten the letter. I think I would pass on it for many of the reasons mentioned above.Besides I am in my early 30's and hopefully have many more years to hunt. You didn't pay play for so many years to not deserve a quality hunt. Not to say you couldn't but it might cost you alot more! On the flip side 10-20 years down the road you may never get this opportunity again! Good luck!

[hunt it]

I'd wait for the Bull tag Joe. This is the hunt of a life time, don't get rushed into some free for all deal. Better to plan and enjoy the bull tag when it comes.

[wildwilderness]

TAKE THE TAG! if you want hunt wild free range bison that is.

Most Easteners have no idea how the draw system works out west, especially for non-residents.

The odds of you ever drawing another tag are very slim- 0.5% for a bull or 5% for a a cow tag. they have only given out 1 tag for NonResidents for bull and 1 tag for cow.  that means there is no guranteed bonus tag for the person with the max points (assuming you have max points- how many do you Have?)

but with only 1 tag it doesn't really matter how many points you have everyone is in the pot.  So for drawing another cow tag the odds the last few years has been 1 in 104 and 1 in 69. (best odds I have seen three years ago they gave out 3 cow tags and the odds were close to 1 in 21, but still no guarantee)

Forget it for a bull tag, last year it was 1 in 800 chance of drawing! That's 800 other people putting in for the same tag, so say in 20years only 20 out of the 800 will ever draw.  How old will you be in 20 years? 78? will you still go on a tough bison hunt @ that age?

Of course you could be lucky and draw again but the odds are greatly against you. The only guarantee thing you have now is a tag!

PS- the hunt will never get cheaper, and you will never get younger, and never be guaranteed a tag again.

[Homebru]

Hey Joe,
My wife's cousin is a guide in Utah.  He's taken a great uncle and a cousin buffalo hunting in the Henry's.

These are not "your uncle's bison" walking around on the farm. They are wary animals and can climb a cliff like a goat or sheep.  They are amazing animals.

IF it were me, I think I'd enlist a guide as it's a once in a lifetime deal.  Nothing like having a mule under your butt to get you where you need to go.  Walking and carrying a stickbow would be tough, at best.  It has been done.

In addition, if they called you, you're close.  Next year you might get the call for an earlier hunt.  The Henry's in December can be brutally cold.  

As far as bull vs cow, I wouldn't worry about that.  They look the same unless you're doing a full body mount and a 10+ year old free range bison is far from "tender vittles".

You have a great opportunity.  Only you can choose.  Good luck whatever you choose.
homebru

[Whip]

It's amazing how much you can learn in a day!  And much of the advice here is spot on.

wildwilderness is right - this might very well be my only opportunity to ever hunt free range bison.  I have 7 points right now, so not a huge pile.  But once used they are of course gone forever. I know all about the tough draw odds, and have been putting in for the cow hunt all along.  To me, a cow bison would be a real trophy.

But I am a little bull headed.  If I do this, I would only do it with a traditional bow.  Naturally that cuts my chance of success dramatically, and I'm perfectly ok with that.  

I have nothing at all against rifle hunters, but it's just not something I am interested in.  If I am going to compete with them during the same season the only realistic option is to be able to pack back far enough to get away from the majority of the crowds.  

From what I have found, there are 30+ tags available for this hunt.  People that have done it before have all said that for each tag holder you can multiply by 5 or 10 to get and idea of how many people will be in the mountains looking for and chasing bison.  Most of the hunters are residents of course, and they tend to enlist every friend and relative they can to come and help spot bison for their hunt.  These tags are rare, and they do everything they can to put them to good use.

So that leads me to the conclusion Nathan suggests - hunting with an outfitter. Horses for sure, probably a wall tent and stove - the works.  

Normally I much prefer doing hunts on my own, and I even have pretty much all the gear that might be needed.  But I don't have horses.  Everything I have been hearing says the hayburners are about the only way to go to accomplish what I would want to do.  So an outfitter might be the only option, whether this year or in the future.  Problem is, I don't have much time this year.  I need a final decision by Friday.  And I'm leaving for Kansas tomorrow.  I do have one phone call out to a guy, but haven't heard back from him yet, so don't know if it is a possibility or not.  Nathan, I'll send you a PM.

[wildwilderness]

7 points definately helps for a cow bison hunt.  Your odds of drawing in the future with that many points puts you close.  You just have to hope they give out multiple tags.  I heard Utah is giving out extra tags  because the drought this year really impacted the winter range feed?

We will have to see how this winter goes.  If the herd is down it may be a few years before they give out multiple cow tags to Non Residents, but with your points you may be in a decent spot to draw in a few years. The last couple years they only gave out 1 tag (because they transplanted a bunch of bison to the book cliffs herd)

The hunt will be the same though with rifle hunters etc. this year or any future hunt.

good luck

[Sharpend60]

I dunno if it would help, but I am only few hours from there.
If ya need a grunt lemme know... Id be willing to help any way I can. I got lotsa free time...

[Tatonka17]

I'd be willing to help point you in the right direction too if you decide to get the tag.