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Brand New to Hunting/seeking permit advice and potentially even mentor

1014 Views 15 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Lone_Hunter, 
J
Hey all, my name is Joe and I am brand new to hunting. I grew up fly fishing, backpacking, and camping, however, hunting or even guns just weren't part of the family tradition (but i get the sense this forum likes black sheep). I have completed hunters ed, i am a good shot w my .22, and i can hike all day, but i am still brand new and need some guidance.

Helped a guy pack out and elk just over 7 miles this fall and absolutely loved it, even though it was brutal, so i am pretty committed to the sport. I feel like if i didnt hate myself after that, this hunting thing is for me

Should i try and start pooling points for hunts down the line? Should i try and get in field w hunts that have low success rate but high draw odds just for exposure? Do i put in for LE or Once in a lifetime hunts? I understand the value of stockpiling points but would love to get out and really hunt this fall.
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M
Learn the draw process for big game and apply away. Pick up a bow and you can hunt every year. And now with the new rules you can do it with any weapon. The learning curve will be steep and the success rate low but you can be hunting.

Small game is a great option too. You can hunt the same areas as big game for grouse and learn not only the land but all the nooks and cranny's. Then when you have a big game tag you will have your own little data bank of info as to where you have seen animals.

It's not rocket science. Walk out your front door, do a slow 360 turn and look at what is around you. There are all kinds of wild animals close to wherever you are. See if you can find them.

As for crowding , I'll be waiting for 200,000 + hunters again on opening day before I complain.
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M
Lone's not wrong. A lot of good advice.

Back in the day of analog maps I found it advantageous to draw a circle at 50 mile, 100 mile, and 300 mile circumference. I then looked at areas available within those that looked like somewhere I was interested in seeing. I've also found that most areas more than an hour or two away from where I live are much harder to learn.

Google Earth is a cheap and entertaining way to E-scout. Although something like OnX works when you need to drill down for access.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people from northern Utah head south and those from southern Utah head north when hunting season starts. Those poor confused central Utah hunters have no idea which way to go. :)

But yes you need to choose your weapon and what you actually want to hunt. Those choices really do matter. And build points. You never know when lightning will strike.
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M
I've had a lot of fun over the years exploring different units in Utah. Drawing a unknown unit ups the adventure level but can certainly be fun. I spent 2 years worth of weather related access learning the Monroe unit to help with a couple of elk tags. Ditto on the Wasatch I don't even think about the time and dollars involved. with hours driving each way. Those were half the story.

If I have a bucket list it involves visiting every LE unit in Utah. I still have a few to cross of the list.

One thing about it, there are so many amazing areas of Utah to visit. Don't limit your horizons.
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