My son had this hunt about 10 years ago. Great time.
No LE units BUT you get to hunt in the rut. Not a trophy hunt but in Utah you're always dangerous.
We packed into the Unitas with horses blindly. He passed on a spike opening day. Packed out someone elses bull the second day. Third day we came across fresh tracks of a herd in about 3" of fresh snow but not knowing the country they gave us the slip.
We packed out, thinking for just one day but got into elk near our camp, and near roads and hunted those for 4 more days.
He had one shot opportunity. We played cat and mouse with a raghorn for about 2 hours. I could have killed the bull twice but once my son was 6 feet to my right and couldn't see the bull. Bull was 90 yards away, looking at me. I grabbed my son and put him in my lap so he'd have a shooting lane. Bull saw the movement, turned and walked directly away with timber between us.
As soon as the bull topped out, we ran up the hill, caught our breath before topping out. I peaked over the top and he was quartering away @ 100 yards. I moved back and told my son to step up. He did, raised his gun and after 30 seconds, lowered it again. I asked what happened and he said he could see the whole body except the head. Not knowing for sure it was a bull, he passed. Great ethical decision but I knew the only elk on that hill we'd seen 3 times the last hour was a bull and may have taken the shot. Don't know for sure cause I didn't see what he he saw.
We played with bulls every hunt, AM and PM but he never had a clear shot, or it would get dark before we could close on the bull.
IMO opinion, a great hunt for youth since there is vertually no pressure, bulls are rutting and weather in nice.
PM me if you want to know where we hunted from the truck.
Man...I'm pumped!! When do draw results come out so we can see which tag he drew?
