Utah Southwest Desert

[fiveptbill]

I know this is crazy but I won the Southwest Desert Muzzleloadet tag at the SLC Expo. It is early so I will do as much scouting as I can but it is kind of hard from southern Wyoming. This was totally unexpected so I am using any info I can. So if anyone has any good info about this area I would appreciate it.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

Very nice. Congrats on a super tag!

 

[MtnWest]

Wish I had some info other than that's a great tag but you know that. The utah bio's I've talked with in the past have been great so I'd start there. Congrats and have a fun hunt.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

I've never been to that unit. I did apply for the unit in this years draw. From what I have read and gathered. Biggest unit in the state. Vegetation and terrian varies. Bulls scattered all over the unit. Most all advice is to "get up high and glass" and then go after the bull. That's the best that I can do..... by the way "I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night".

good luck to all
the dog

 

[lbirch]

You'll hunt the rut with that tag. It shouldn't be hard to locate bulls once that starts.

Scout the eastern side southwest of Milford. My friend's son took a nice 360 class bull with his muzzleloader somewhere over there last fall. He took a nice 340 class bull on the late rifle hunt last November on the west side of the unit near the Utah/Nevada border. Another buddy also likes the Indian Peaks Wildlife Management area but most other hunters do too. I've seen great bulls in Hamblin Valley but after the rut. I've seen great bulls east of the management area during the rut. I guess it will depend on the water, weather and the rut.

I've been putting in for the late season rifle tag and have enough bonus points to draw this year but switched to the muzzleloader tag to hunt the rut again. 2 years of late season elk in Nevada and I'm ready to hear bugles.

I'll trade you my Wyoming 63/64 elk tag I draw Monday for your SW Desert tag.

 

[ERMINE]

check monstermuleys.com

They are mostly Utah guys on that forum lots of them in the southern end of the state.

 

[bighouse]

Sent you a pm

 

[Big Sky]

That is my old stomping grounds, but I haven't been back for 20 years. So I have no idea how the big game population is doing. However, I can tell you that you will be in some absolutely beautiful and rugged country. A guy can stretch out there and not have to worry about running into other folks behind every tree. Well at least it was that way 20 years ago anyway.

 

[fiveptbill]

Thanks for the help guys. I am starting to at least get a starting point for my one and only scouting trip this summer. I am wondering what I should hold out for size wise?

 

[Don K]

Don't pass on the last day what you would should shoot on the first day.........

 

[lbirch]

Here's a good representative of the kind of bull you will see. This one was taken on the same hunt last year.

 

[fez]

What a great looking bull:hump:

Looks like you were able to get a shot threaded through all the timber too

 

[Bwht4x4]

I drew the archery tag this year for SWD and I'd be very happy to come home with a bull like the one pictured.

 

[Big Fin]

I know this is crazy but I won the Southwest Desert Muzzleloadet tag at the SLC Expo. It is early so I will do as much scouting as I can but it is kind of hard from southern Wyoming. This was totally unexpected so I am using any info I can. So if anyone has any good info about this area I would appreciate it.

I drew the archery tag this year for SWD and I'd be very happy to come home with a bull like the one pictured.

Man, reading about all the good tags Hunt Talkers have drawn this year, I am excited to see the results of this season when stories and pics start getting posted.

I am thinking that rather than a BADASS drawing this year, maybe we will have a contest of whose thread gets the most views. Or, some other manner of giving away prizes to folks who have some great stories to tell and who share them with the crowd here on Hunt Talk.

 

[Bwht4x4]

Almost 2 weeks to the day that I leave for my SWD archery elk hunt. I'm able to stay 3 weeks and hunt right up to the last day.

Should be a great hunt!

 

[Don K]

Good luck and have a great hunt!!!

Im getting real close to drawing a Utah archery tag and burning a bunch of points.

 

[Bwht4x4]

Late update, but here's a trail cam pict of the bull I ended up killing two days after this picture. I was 18 yards away from this bull when my trail cam took this picture and when I decided to pass on him. I then decided to take him a couple of days later.

Here he is on the wall.

 

[Oak]

Congrats on the bull. Lucky to get a second chance.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Thats a good strong looking bull, well done.

 

[streamer]

nice bull