Bull elk permits almost gone

If you'd like to hunt bull elk during this fall's rifle hunt — or you're a muzzleloader hunter who hasn't bought his permit yet — you need to buy it fast.

Permits to hunt on spike only units are sold out, but on the morning of Oct. 11, a total of 843 any bull elk unit permits were still available.

You can purchase permits at the DWR's Web site (wildlife.utah.gov), at DWR offices and from more than 340 license agents across the state.

Utah's general bull elk rifle hunt ends Oct. 19 on the state's any bull units. The general muzzleloader hunt runs Nov. 1 – 9.

At least one report from a DWR wildlife manager indicates the rifle hunt has gone well so far. With the nice weather that's forecast for the weekend of Oct. 14 and 15, it should be a perfect weekend to get out and hunt elk.

"I think the harvest on the South Slope [of the Uintas] has gone very well in some areas this year," says Boyde Blackwell, wildlife manager in the DWR's Northeastern Region. "Areas where populations have been good in the past are producing higher than normal bull numbers and more branch antlered bulls too."

Blackwell says the opening weekend of this season went really well for hunters, but the elk often seem to scatter out a bit after the first days of the hunt. There are plenty of elk to pursue, however.

"Last year, I checked three elk at my check station [at the beginning of the hunt]," Blackwell says. "This year we put people out on the mountain, going into camps and checking, and I estimate that we checked five to six times more bulls. I checked 18 bulls this year vs. three last year, and I know the other folks also checked a lot more."

If you'll be hunting on an any bull unit that has private property, consider purchasing a 1:100,000 scale BLM Edition Surface Management Status map. These maps will show you private and public land in various areas across the state.

Fifty different maps are available. You can purchase them at the DNR Map & Bookstore at 1594 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City and from Bureau of Land Management offices across Utah.