Grass Valley/clark Canyon CWMU

fishnut · Jun 4, 2023

I drew an elk tag for this CWMU and am hoping someone has some insight to help me out. I do have realistic expecttions for the hunt and not looking for a 400' bull on the unit. I have friends that have hunted cows on it but not bulls so thats about what info I have. Its a little tough when they wont let you scout. We are just looking to have fun and enjoy the mountain for a week or so but filling a freezer is always the goal.

MrShane · Jun 4, 2023

You should have fun up there and should not have a problem killing a bull.
I am trying to draw my Moose tag there.

CFMuley · Jun 4, 2023

Lots of elk, but very, very few over 300”.

D_Hoyt · Jun 4, 2023

CFMuley is correct. 330 would be a phenomenal bull. It should be a fun hunt. Lots of elk that don't get a lot of pressure.

BrowningRage · Jun 4, 2023

You should be able to ask all of this info from the operator... good luck to ya.!!

CFMuley · Jun 4, 2023

I guided some hunts there last year. I can tell you, the biggest bull that came off of there last year didn’t break 320”. R&K’s other CWMU, Weber Florence, is where they kill their better elk.

Western Outdoorsman · Jun 5, 2023

Hunted it last year with a friend who had the tag in November. The huge majority of bulls we saw were all raghorns and spikes. The biggest bull we turned up was a 270" 6pt, and that was a one-time sighting.

Almost all of the elk we found were in about a 5-mile stretch, and once that first shot rang out about 90% of them left the area/ranch.

If you message me I can point you in the direction of where we found elk. Hope you didn't burn a lot of points.

MrShane · Jun 5, 2023

Western Outdoorsman said:
Hunted it last year with a friend who had the tag in November. The huge majority of bulls we saw were all raghorns and spikes. The biggest bull we turned up was a 270" 6pt, and that was a one-time sighting.

Almost all of the elk we found were in about a 5-mile stretch, and once that first shot rang out about 90% of them left the area/ranch.

If you message me I can point you in the direction of where we found elk. Hope you didn't burn a lot of points.

See many Moose?

Western Outdoorsman · Jun 5, 2023

MrShane said:
See many Moose?

One, it was a cow.

MrShane · Jun 5, 2023

Western Outdoorsman said:
One, it was a cow.

Ouch.

fullthrottle · Jun 5, 2023

Lots of elk, lots of 5's and small 6's. IMO, I wouldn't pass any 6 point.

Western Outdoorsman · Jun 5, 2023

fullthrottle said:
I wouldn't pass any 6 point.

2x this.

elkhunterUT · Jun 5, 2023

MrShane said:
Ouch.

My Dad drew a moose tag on this CWMU two years ago. I wouldn't personally do that hunt or recommend it to others. He did kill a bull, but it was a small one and very few moose seen overall. I think you may stumble onto a good bull now and then, but the fact that you can't scout it and are locked in to specific dates and really have no control over your own OIL hunt is a HARD pass for me.

MrShane · Jun 5, 2023

elkhunterUT said:
My Dad drew a moose tag on this CWMU two years ago. I wouldn't personally do that hunt or recommend it to others. He did kill a bull, but it was a small one and very few moose seen overall. I think you may stumble onto a good bull now and then, but the fact that you can't scout it and are locked in to specific dates and really have no control over your own OIL hunt is a HARD pass for me.

Dang it, I don’t want to hear that.
I am getting closer to drawing but have to choose my area very carefully as I only have one hand and getting an animal out without spoilage is getting harder on me every year.
A smaller bull does not bother me, I am sick of the Moose ‘game’.

elkhunterUT · Jun 5, 2023

MrShane said:
Dang it, I don’t want to hear that.
I am getting closer to drawing but have to choose my area very carefully as I only have one hand and getting an animal out without spoilage is getting harder on me every year.
A smaller bull does not bother me, I am sick of the Moose ‘game’.

I hear you on the moose game-so few tags so it is tough. Based on your situation as you described, this CWMU might actually not be a bad option. My Dad was getting too old to hunt and couldn’t draw some of the better units with the points he had so we did the CWMU for him

I don’t know if they offer services to help handle your animal once it is down, but I am sure like everything, money talks. Maybe you have already talked to the operator about that?

I will say the operator and the people running the CWMU were all great and very helpful at the orientation. I wasn’t able to join my Dad and Bro on the hunt because my wife had an emergency appendectomy the day we were supposed to leave so I don’t have firsthand experience with the hunt itself.
I just personally don’t like having little control over my own hunt and the no scouting is a tough one for me.

fullthrottle · Jun 5, 2023

As far as CWMU operations and the way they treat the public hunters. I would say this is one of the better ones.

Muleman1 · Jun 6, 2023

One of the better Cwmu’s my buddy got a moose last year didn’t see many elk

fishnut · Jun 6, 2023

Western Outdoorsman said:
Hunted it last year with a friend who had the tag in November. The huge majority of bulls we saw were all raghorns and spikes. The biggest bull we turned up was a 270" 6pt, and that was a one-time sighting.

Almost all of the elk we found were in about a 5-mile stretch, and once that first shot rang out about 90% of them left the area/ranch.

If you message me I can point you in the direction of where we found elk. Hope you didn't burn a lot of points.

Tried to message you and it didn't work. Burned 10 points as i'm getting old enough I need to get on with it on elk and can't wait a lot longer health wise. If you could dm me I'd appretiate the help. I am realistic on what size animals I can expect but just want to have fun and find a bull thats bigger than anything I've killed which wont be hard.

Western Outdoorsman · Jun 7, 2023

fishnut said:
Tried to message you and it didn't work. Burned 10 points as i'm getting old enough I need to get on with it on elk and can't wait a lot longer health wise. If you could dm me I'd appretiate the help. I am realistic on what size animals I can expect but just want to have fun and find a bull thats bigger than anything I've killed which wont be hard.

Sent you a message.

Elknut33 · Jun 7, 2023

CF how is that CWMU for deer?

CFMuley · Jun 7, 2023

Elknut33 said:
CF how is that CWMU for deer?

They kill a few really good deer a year, but the average buck is 130-150 including paying clients.

swing4thefence · Sep 21, 2024

elkhunterUT said:
My Dad drew a moose tag on this CWMU two years ago. I wouldn't personally do that hunt or recommend it to others. He did kill a bull, but it was a small one and very few moose seen overall. I think you may stumble onto a good bull now and then, but the fact that you can't scout it and are locked in to specific dates and really have no control over your own OIL hunt is a HARD pass for me.

Did you get him in the Branch Creek drainage? I remember helping some guys cut one up there a couple years ago. Even a small moose looks huge when you're used to hunting deer.

elkhunterUT · Sep 21, 2024

swing4thefence said:
Did you get him in the Branch Creek drainage? I remember helping some guys cut one up there a couple years ago. Even a small moose looks huge when you're used to hunting deer.

I wasn’t able to be there (wife had emergency surgery the day before his hunt opened) so not sure where exactly they were when he shot the moose. It was my Dad and brother there and it seems like they did mention some guys helping out so maybe it was you guys?

If so, thanks for your help!!