Well well, my business partner called me today to inform me that he shot a rough-scored 217 gross non-typ 198 net typ mulie in Northern Utah!! Naturally, I am back in the office in SFBay area, while he hunts with the guide who I've hunted with the last 3 years, and shoots a gagger on the first day, such is hunting; After some minor cajoling, my wife (7 1/2 pregnant with our first...) told me to hop a plane and go, so I'm flying out 10/28 evening, and will return on Halloween night with reports...

FYI- the outfitter had a cancellation on this CWMU, which is how I'm able to get a tag at last minute...


Craig

I cant honestly say I hope you get skunked. Happy hunting! Bring back pictures of the big one.

Ski+3

AWESOME DEER! I cant wait to see a pic. Tell your bud congrats.

Drummond

I'm looking forward to the pics. Which outfitter are you using?

CRaig:

Where abouts in "northern Utah". I don't need the grid coordinates, but was it east of Cache Valley [Bear Lake area] or east of Salt Lake or neither. The whole Wasatch range gets tremendous hunting pressure for mulies, but it seems every now and again someone pulls a monster out of there. 'Bout 10 years ago a high schooler in the Logan area shot a +40" buck in the mountains east of Logan. It can happen. Please, post photos if you can.

Jordan

craig;

who is the outfitter and how $ ?

cold zero

Results from Utah Mule Deer Hunt; saw over a hundred bucks, the (2) largest being 185-type bucks that we couldn't get onto. I passed up a 3 x 5 that ended up having a 4th pt. that we didn't see, he scored 181 gross after my buddy's dad shot him. Probably should have shot him, my guide and I guessed him to be 28" wide and around 180", which was exactly what he was. The huge buck my business partner shot rough-scored between 213-217" gross, netted around 197", 33" outside spread, he is an awesome buck. My buddy and his dad will be featured in Eastman's in the near future, as our outfitter was going to mail the story and pictures as I flew out on Friday night. As to my 3-day hunt, it snowed heavily the last 2 days, which eliminated the long-distance glassing required on this ranch. I still saw probably 20-30 23" - 26" 4x4 or better bucks, 160-170 type bucks. I've shot pretty nice bucks the last couple years in Utah, and am holding out for a 185" + buck, so maybe next year.

Information on the hunt location and outfitter; this ranch is the Big Mountain CWMU, near East Canyon Reservoir north of I-80, only about 35 minutes from Salt Lake. The outfitter used to be Big Dutch Outfitters, owned by partners Jed Wayment and Mike MacFarlane, both great guys who ran a great outfit. I have hunted with them the last (3) years, 2 of which were at this same ranch and the other year I hunted at Scofield West CWMU which is east of Spanish Fork near Scofield Reservoir. Unfortunately, the 2 partners had a falling out this past offseason, and there went Big Dutch Outfitters. Each partner started his own company; Mike MacFarlane started Big Mountain Outfitters, and will run most of his hunts at the aforementioned Big Mountain CWMU, the reason being that Mike's family, along with another family, own 8,000 acres of the approx. 20,000 acre Big Mountain CWMU, including the bunkhouse and guest quarters at the ranch entrance. The other partner, Jed Wayment, also a great guy, started J & J Outfitters (with wife Jenny, great lady), who will run Deer/Elk/Moose hunts at various other CWMU's around the state, such as the aforementioned Scofield West CWMU, and also the Lost Creek Ranch. My hunt at Scofield West in 2001 cost $4,500.00, and I shot a 27" buck on the last day; this year I understand they shot several 170-180 bucks off of this ranch, as well as bull elk in the 330-340 range. Our hunt this and last year at Big Mountain cost around $6,000.00, for a 5-day hunt. The price is relatively steep as compared to public-land type wilderness hunts, but these ranches are chock-full of deer, and Big Mountain this year took something like 5-7 bucks over 180", and the chance for a 190" + buck (2 shot this year) is certainly there. I can not recommend one outfitter over the other, as I have hunted with and like both guys, but obviously only Mike MacFarlane will run hunts at Big Mountain CWMU, and Jed will run his elsewhere. I can not say enough about this ranch, where else do you pass up 25" 4 x 4 's , and see hundreds of elk and several moose every day? Incidentally, this ranch produced the #2 Utah (pending) state record Shiras moose this year, something like 53" wide, and has bull elk up to 320-330 (not huge compared to some of J & J Outfitters CWMU's and ranches).

I can go on and on about this particular ranch, as it is true paradise, so feel free to PM me with any questions about either of the above outfitters. I will likely go back in 2004 to hunt with Big Mountain Outfitters at this same Big Mountain CWMU, not because I don't want to hunt with Jed and J & J, but primarly because of this ranch. I can't imagine a better ranch for the possibility of a huge mulie ( the camp cook has a buddy who hunted at the Alton CWMU in the legendary Paunsaguant unit, who said Big Mountain is as good or better, at several thousand dollars less)

I will post pictures when I get them from my buddy, and it will also be in a future Eastman's .

Regards,
Craig

FYI- websites as follows:

Bigmountainoutfitters.net

JandJOutfitters.com