Bull Elk, GMU 1 Early Rifle

[Seamonkey]

Shooter used 15 preference points for GMU1. The rest of us were there as camp cooks and pack mules. Shot at about 150 yards with a Savage Arms 30-06 that's at least 30 years old.
Swinging bridge is out so I carried the antlers/head/cape across so they wouldn't get damaged on the hour drive to Utah and double back. For size comparison I'm 6'2 lol
300 pounds of meat to the processor. Doing a shoulder mount, taxidermist said he'd get it scored, estimated 380+ on this 7*7


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[Robb]

What a bunch of blockheads. :P
Just kidding! Nice trophy!!

300 lbs of meat is all you got out of that guy?

[Irving]

That's a good looking bull.

[SamuraiCO]

Thank you for harvesting before age caught up to that big boy. Well done.

[sniper7]

Nicely done!

[buffalobo]

Always some big bulls in unit 1, good hunt.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[blm28]

I have been saving points to hunt that same area (18 at present). Did you hunt on public or private land? Would appreciate any details you would be willing o provide. Greate bull !!

[Seamonkey]

We camped on the north side of swinging bridge since no camping on the south side. To get a vehicle across you have to go into Utah and cross at John Jarvie ranch then come back on the south side.
We watch the elk and deer feed at the hay meadows at the end of the road that parallels the river on the south side. We set up with our backs to the Dinosaur NP land and let them come to us as they follow the river back to safety.

[Seamonkey]

Wanted to add some more info

For GMU 1 you have to camp at the campground since its mostly the National Wildlife Refuge. In this case we camped on the North shore of the Green River.
Swinging bridge is out and there's a metal plate for pedestrian traffic. Metal bars prevent ATV. To get a vehicle across you have to drive over to Utah and cross at the John Jarvie ranch and double back on the South shore. Takes about an hour and 15min to about 1.5 hours depending on your vehicle to get back to the swinging bridge.
There's only one road from the bridge to the end so all the traffic. There are several draws but you can't drive too far up the slope. Chokecherry draw and Warren draw for example.

Opening day there were three groups of hunters eyeballing the same hay field that is at the end of the road and waiting for the animals to move towards us. Both mornings we saw the animals cross the river into GMU 201 and return to the hay field at night.
It's hard to see on site but you can see the tracks on google maps. At the end of the road is a fence and private property of the hay fields. if you look south you can see faint tracks so back up a little and you should see the trail that follows the fence and leads to the fence of Dinosaur NP. The path branches off and heading West it's a very steep climb but we didn't go to far that way as some other hunters were up there.
We jumped a nice 6*6 and several deer in the thickets along the river between the hay field and DNP.

Opening day evening, again, three sets of hunters on the same zone. Next morning we got lucky and the bull was walking towards us. From the hay fields, along the river and not towards the cotton woods that are West of the hay field.

When we scouted the area we found that you can't go uphill very far, less than 1/2 mile I think and it's fenced off. You can drive through Utah on Crouse Creek then head East up Pitt draw or Marshall draw but the road ends at the Colorado border. Fenced off Wildness area.

Lot of points, one access road. Most people will be located around the one hay field at the end of the road....

[bboy]

Nice bull, congrats!

[blm28]

Thanks for the additional info.

[bruceleroy]

Wow, thats a nice one!