Well I've spent the last 3 weekends and one day a week up on the Manti unit looking for a good bull, and they are far and few between. I know its a heat thing and by 8:30 in the mourning their down and they don't make it out tell late at night but wow its tough scouting.. Trail cameras are producing 310-320 type bulls.. So question for you all who've had the tag or know the area, will these bulls start showing up when the velvet comes off and it starts to cool off a bit or they going to stay down in the deep canyons.
Manti Limited Archery Elk tag
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Right now bulls are in bachelor groups putting on weight for the rut. They will rub soon and split up. The smaller bulls typically join the cows first then as cows come into estrus the big boys will get fire up and take over the herds. The bow hunt can be a very tough hunt with real hot and cold rut action. Hunt them like deer early on. Spot/stalk, ambush, etc. IMO a 320 bull on the manti is not too bad of a bull.
Good luck on your hunt!
Good luck on your hunt!
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I'm very familiar with the Manti. My brother has a tag this year and we're finding plenty of elk. We spend more time looking for sign than we do glassing and we don't use trail cameras, but we're still seeing mature bulls daily - usually in the last hour of daylight and usually on or near the ridge tops. When bowhunt starts, they'll be harder to see and very reluctant to leave the timber during daylight, even if pressured.
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The average "Mature" bull on the Manti is around 300-330. If you are banking on something better, you best be putting in some major time! I grew hunting on this unit and I'm down there nearly every week. Have I seen 350-370 bulls? Sure! But they are the exception! My only advice is find the deepest nastiest canyon you can find. The thicker the better. That's where those big boys will be. They are big for a reason.
That's where I'm at in the ugliest canyon and for sure seeing sign, just not seeing the elk.. It's funny how when you talk to people and they say my buddy has 380 sheds and they've seen 370 bulls on here all the time.. I've put in my work and I'm not afraid to go into any hell home because I will get him out but I'm not seeing them type of bulls.. I'm not looking or holding out for a monster, I've already killed a 335 bull before and I'll do it again, just need to see some elk.. By Labor Day they will be bugling and easy to find so I'm not to worried
most people lie or it's funny how quickly a 320 bull turns into a 370 bull when they start talking to other people. I have the ML tag on the unit this year and a 320-330 bull is a good bull.
Same as UtahGolf, I have the ML tag this year. Most people can't score a bull on the hoof. I have tried and it is truly hard. I have guessed 320 and they were 305 and I have also guessed 350 and they were 370. At the end of the day, 320 is a great bull. After waiting for 14 years to pull this tag, I sure wont fill my tag in the first few days unless it's 340 plus. Every Year Manti produces some great bulls over the 360 mark and some over the 380. 400 is super rare but they are out there. They are just not grazing on a open hill side at 6pm in the evening for everyone to scout. They are super nocturnal and big for a reason. Hunt hard, practice harder and just have fun and don't pass on a 320 bull with a bow. At least I wouldn't. Best of luck.
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If you are within range and have a shot at any good 6 point bull on the manti with archery equipment I would take it. Especially with the hunt dates this year. We have been seeing a lot of bulls and some good ones too but they tend to disappear in the next couple weeks until the rut starts. Field judging is definitely a challenge. there is really not a big difference in say a 320 vs 340 bull an extra inch per tine makes a big difference so it is easy to misjudge. Jay Scott Outdoors just put out part 1 of a 2 part podcast about field judging elk and he makes some good points It is a good listen if you have the time.
Brendo is right on the money. Those links on youtube from Scott and Colburn are awesome. That would be my recommendation also. One thing about Judging bull is that most of the time we are looking through our spotting scope. In AZ they are much closer, but it's all about tine length and beam length. Everything else is minimal when it come so scoring a bull. Ruger, If I have the archery tag this year, I would sit water as much as I can and wait for them. It seems like they always have a good few days of bugling around the 1st of September and then it can be hit and miss, but they always need water. Tricky thing is that there is a lot of water this year too. Great for antler growth, but hard for sitting water holes. Best of luck..
My plan is to sit water from the opener to Labor Day then Run and Gun after that.. I've always enjoyed hunting the water around noon tell dark it always seems the mature Bulls like to water and wallow around 3.. For you ML hunters good luck not sure where your hunting but I will be on the North end so if you have any questions closer to your hunt contact me
I thought it was an archery hunt? ;-):grin:
I spent a day on the Manti Scouting and saw 9 bulls. 2 were about 320 and the rest, small rags. Saw 3 cows and set up the trail cams. I did get some trail cam pics of several shooter bulls. 2 bulls over 340 and one that will go about 355-360. NO Kidding! I wish I could share the pics, but they are not my trail cam pics and was asked to not share, but these are some good bulls out this year along with a lot of 300-320 bulls. Keep looking guys! It's starting to get really exciting for those with tags. This toke me 14 years to draw and with a 6 year waiting period, it might as well be 20, so I am going all out. I have been hiking and running and most of all lunges and squats. If you want your knees to survive, then it's a must. I hurt my knees about 10 years about at 27 and it was so bad I couldn't hike. It was my IT band. Lunges and Squats to strengthen those kneed. Good luck archery hunters. Be Safe, but leave some bulle for us;-)
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Don't know what y'all are seeing, but I'm seeing elk everywhere. The majority of the bulls I've seen in the past couple weeks haven't been down in the deep and nasty (been there) but up on the knolls and ridgetops. Saw a great 8X8 on the terraces of Mt. Pleasant just 2 days ago. (I don't do scores, so don't even ask.) I don't mind announcing their location because that isn't where they'll be come the 15th.
Meantime, I know several good bulls have been spotted much lower. I've seen photos of some mature bulls just above Ephraim and a couple more in the fields south of Marysvale.
I figure if you see several bulls together, it doesn't mean squat. These bulls are going to split up soon. How soon is anybody's guess, but I'm thinking everything will change in the next 2-3 weeks.
Sure wish I had a deer tag on the Manti. Never saw so many big bucks up there for many years.
Meantime, I know several good bulls have been spotted much lower. I've seen photos of some mature bulls just above Ephraim and a couple more in the fields south of Marysvale.
I figure if you see several bulls together, it doesn't mean squat. These bulls are going to split up soon. How soon is anybody's guess, but I'm thinking everything will change in the next 2-3 weeks.
Sure wish I had a deer tag on the Manti. Never saw so many big bucks up there for many years.
I have been in the Central part of the Unit. It is true that the bulls stay in the thick stuff in the velvet. It's surprising what they live in. Some are happy to just feed out in the open for all to see. Just sit and glass, glass, glass. That is the key. They will definitely do some moving during the hunts, but you would also be surprised to find the same bulls in the same canyons they have been in all summer. The old saying "you find elk where they are at" is simple but true. That is why every year random guys get it done on huge bulls. It's great. Nice to see that they all don't get shot but the outfitters... not that they don't have their place.. they work hard also.
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