2024 Lasal mtns spike/cow

Firescott1 · Oct 12, 2024

So 4 of us just hunted the Lasal mtns for the Oct 5th opening. All 4 of us had cow tags and spike tags. Did not see a single elk in 4 days… what’s even more insane.. we did not hear a single gunshot for the first 3 days of the opening. How can this be?? We covered the entire east side from passes to juniper desert and in between. Guess what I read about Redds holding all the elk is sadly true. DWR should not issues tags there.

Elkslayer · Oct 13, 2024

I Used to hunt Redds, true it holds alot of elk during the hunting seasons. Theres places the elk cross onto public, but people need to actually walk and be waiting.
If the DWR didnt issue tags for the cwmu, think how elk wouldnt come off the private for sure.

johnnycake · Oct 13, 2024

Firescott1 said:
So 4 of us just hunted the Lasal mtns for the Oct 5th opening. All 4 of us had cow tags and spike tags. Did not see a single elk in 4 days… what’s even more insane.. we did not hear a single gunshot for the first 3 days of the opening. How can this be?? We covered the entire east side from passes to juniper desert and in between. Guess what I read about Redds holding all the elk is sadly true. DWR should not issues tags there.

You covered all that country super thoroughly in 4 days, huh?

Sounds like you were on the move trying to road hunt. That can work, but isn't very effective in my experience for that area of the La Sal unit. You'd have been much better off sticking to one chunk and walking, sitting, and waiting

cantkillathing · Oct 13, 2024

Ive guided on Redd Ranches for the last 17 years, the elk numbers on redds is not once what it was. Redd ranches use to have as many as 600 to 800 head of elk on it. Ill tell you the last 5 years has been a struggle to find 200 head of elk on redds. I have heard that most of the elk have been buidling more of residents on the northern portion of taylors flat on the private property around there. There has to be a lot of elk somewhere because they are not on redds anymore. The DWR says there is 2300 head of elk on Lasals and if Redds has 200-300 then there is 2000 head somewhere.

huntin50 · Oct 14, 2024

I would not agree with DWR numbers.

Betterluckythangood · Oct 14, 2024

I bear hunted there in the spring about five years ago. Saw good numbers of elk in every basin on every side of the mountain. Went back archery hunting last year and only saw a few bigger bulls. Nothing legal. Maybe the hounders chased them all into Colorado permanently?

just_a_hunter · Oct 25, 2024

I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days of hunting. To say the hunt was pathetic is a compliment. I think there are several factors that is causing this but the DWR needs to get real with their counting and management. They have completely ruined the elk hunting on the LaSal mountains. I hunted there because it is my home. I paid non resident prices for a cow and a spike tag because I love hunting my home. I grew up on that mountain. I know it as good as anyone. I highly doubt I'll ever spend another cent to elk hunt there again.

Todd

huntin50 · Oct 25, 2024

just_a_hunter said:
I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days of hunting. To say the hunt was pathetic is a compliment. I think there are several factors that is causing this but the DWR needs to get real with their counting and management. They have completely ruined the elk hunting on the LaSal mountains. I hunted there because it is my home. I paid non resident prices for a cow and a spike tag because I love hunting my home. I grew up on that mountain. I know it as good as anyone. I highly doubt I'll ever spend another cent to elk hunt there again.

Todd

Hunted Mountain goats the past 2 years down there. Heard a few bugles near private. Didn't see one elk or very much sign. A hard unit right now for elk.

TheOneRidgeRunner · Oct 25, 2024

just_a_hunter said:
I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days

Todd

Ironically you're bitchin about numbers while you kill the cows. SMH... I know,... they issue the tags. So someone's going to kill em.

just_a_hunter · Oct 25, 2024

TheOneRidgeRunner said:
Ironically you're bitchin about numbers while you kill the cows. SMH... I know,... they issue the tags. So someone's going to kill em.

While you aren’t wrong, your post is out of context. Like I stated, I hunted limited entry archery bull there last year. While it was a tough hunt, I saw it elk daily with a bit of work. And yes… if the division issues tags, someone is going to get them. It isn’t the hunters fault. We should be able to trust the DWR. Our tax dollars suggest we should be able to trust them. This is the divisions fault, not the people who hunt the tags they allocate..

Todd

yoteduster · Oct 25, 2024

just_a_hunter said:
I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days of hunting. To say the hunt was pathetic is a compliment. I think there are several factors that is causing this but the DWR needs to get real with their counting and management. They have completely ruined the elk hunting on the LaSal mountains. I hunted there because it is my home. I paid non resident prices for a cow and a spike tag because I love hunting my home. I grew up on that mountain. I know it as good as anyone. I highly doubt I'll ever spend another cent to elk hunt there again.

Todd

That's really sad to hear

BLooDTRaCKeR · Oct 25, 2024

Keep killing those cows and spikes and keep complaining no elk are around to hunt.

just_a_hunter · Oct 25, 2024

BLooDTRaCKeR said:
Keep killing those cows and spikes and keep complaining no elk are around to hunt.

Real original post bro…. It’s almost like nobody before you thought of it… almost….

Todd

BLooDTRaCKeR · Sunday at 6:49 AM

just_a_hunter said:
Real original post bro…. It’s almost like nobody before you thought of it… almost….

Todd

Keep killing those cows and spikes and keep complaining no elk are around to hunt

Gator · Sunday at 1:33 PM

I hauled hay from that ranch and saw lots of elk some on the Mtn alot more out on the flat lands. Sounds like it has dropped down to alot animals isn't there any more.

Tikka · Sunday at 4:58 PM

just_a_hunter said:
I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days of hunting. To say the hunt was pathetic is a compliment. I think there are several factors that is causing this but the DWR needs to get real with their counting and management. They have completely ruined the elk hunting on the LaSal mountains. I hunted there because it is my home. I paid non resident prices for a cow and a spike tag because I love hunting my home. I grew up on that mountain. I know it as good as anyone. I highly doubt I'll ever spend another cent to elk hunt there again.

Todd

Thank you for your post and insight on the subject… Never have hunted there and had never planned on it either…
Don’t listen to the spike/cow naysayers…

Betterluckythangood · Sunday at 5:10 PM

just_a_hunter said:
I was born and raised in Moab. When I was 16 we moved to LaSal. I've hunted my whole life on that mountain. I sent Firescott1 a PM suggesting areas to look for elk. Over the last few years its taken some work to find the elk, but always possible. I guided for Redd's in the late 90's and into the mid 2010's. They don't have to do anything to keep the elk on their property. But as stated above, there aren't near the numbers on Redd's anymore. I had a limited entry archery bull tag last year. It was a tough hunt. Way tougher than it used to be but I saw elk every day and filled my tag.

This year, for general rifle, our camp had 6 cow tags, 7 spike tags and one mid season bull tag. Again, my family has hunted the entire mountain for generations. We were killing nice elk regularly before it was a limited entry Unit. The ONLY elk our entire camp took this season was my Aunt got her mid season bull. I hunted, (not road hunted) for 12 of the 13 days and never actually saw a cow elk. In 12 days of hunting. To say the hunt was pathetic is a compliment. I think there are several factors that is causing this but the DWR needs to get real with their counting and management. They have completely ruined the elk hunting on the LaSal mountains. I hunted there because it is my home. I paid non resident prices for a cow and a spike tag because I love hunting my home. I grew up on that mountain. I know it as good as anyone. I highly doubt I'll ever spend another cent to elk hunt there again.

Todd

I would also like to thank you for that post. It sounds like you know what you are talking about and are relating facts. Last time I hunted it, a pack of hounds lit up the basin two days in a row.