[macecanuck]

Drew a Limited Entry Elk tag for 2013 in Cache, Meadowville (Randolph, UT) - any weapon, just putting a new topic out there to see if anyone can share some info about the area. I was the first resident alternate for the tag. Only had 2 points, feeling very lucky.

 

[sdchargers]

Good Luck, lots of private property with that Unit. Unless you have lots of cash, to get on Johnsons Ranch. It will be tough.

 

[nacho]

This unit does not include Johnsons ranch, and if it did you couldn't hunt it because it is a cwmu. It is the Kearls you have to pay if you want a big bull. And they have killed some BIG bulls. The majority of the elk are on their property. I don't have the money to get a good bull off this unit. I would turn in the tag and save my 2 points. Good luck.

 

[Kevin D]

Johnson's Ranch (SJ Ranch) is it's own CWMU, therefore, it would not be included in his area. However, sdchargers is right in that private landowners control nearly all of the best elk habitat in the unit. So unless you have a connection to a landowner or lots of cash to buy your way on to the private ground, the odds of filling your tag are not that great. Just saying.....

 

[sdchargers]

Thanks for the correction guys. I meant Kearl Ranch.. Big Bulls killed recently on their property. I heard a 406 bull in 2011 or 2012?

 

[rukus]

This is a tough unit to hunt if you do not have access to any of the private property. However, there are some areas of public property that you can hunt, but the down side to that is the elk are generally pressured in that area and move to the private land to escape pressure. The private ground is an elk's paradise and huge animals have been harvested there, particularly the Kearl Ranch. If you have the money to hunt their property you would not be disappointed in your experience there.

 

[outdoorser]

Sounds like all gloom and doom, macecanuck. But don't let that get you down: try your hardest and have a great hunt anyway.

 

[rukus]

PM sent.

 

[TopofUtahArcher]

I voted "Premium" simply due to the cost you'll have to incur to be able to hunt any of the private property in that unit. There is some public land with bulls on it, but the local CWMU operators make darn sure that all the elk feed and water is cow-ntaminated.

 

[Nambaster]

+1 of what topofutah says... I would probably turn that tag in and hunt general season. There is nothing less fun than hunting a unit and figuring out that you cannot hunt the majority of the unit and 90% of the productive land is closely patrolled. If you dont have the money up front to obtain private access you might end up paying it in fees if you accidentally over commit on a nice bull and realize you are not on public land.

That being said you still have until the hunt starts to ask around and see if you can get permission from some small landowners. Just make sure that you know their exact boundary.

 

[hunting777]

I love this unit. But I know some real good friends who own property. There are tons of elk, but like it's mentioned there is a bunch of private. Also from what I seen, around the private on the North end of the unit. Once the shooting begins the elk move to the forest real quick. Sometimes they move out even before the season begins. I have seen a few on the public. Make sure you take your GPS, they watch the borders closely.
Good luck :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[macecanuck]

Out of all who have posted, who has actually scouted this unit, near Birch Creek Res. It appears there is plenty of BLM land here.

Also, here's my trail camera shots. Sorry the dates in the photos are not the dates.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...358.1073741826.1279617178&type=1&l=92ab911697

 

[Theekillerbee]

There is some public land on the unit, but you will need to put in some time. I am related to the Kearls through marriage and can tell you Clint Kearl is a real special person. He runs his cows on the national forest just so he can have good habitat for the elk to hang out on. He is one that gives the cow ranchers a bad name by abusing the public land and his grazing permits. When I was much younger I took a B&C moose that had wandered off of the Kearl estates onto public land....ha, ha, silly Clint. I haven't been up there in years, but used to hunt quite a bit in that area. The prior drought really pushed the elk off a lot of that unit. We used to see a lot of animals in the Quaken Aspen Springs area, but after several years of over grazing, nothing was left. That's why I don't hunt there any more.

If you want to try getting on private property, I'd talk to the Wamsley's over in Round Valley. You might have to pay to trespass, but they have some decent property, and are much more polite than Clint.

 

[RoosterKiller]

How did this hunt end up for you?