Well Utah is the first to respond to my tag applications. Bonus points across the board. This was the first year Utah allowed multiple species applications in the Once-in-a-Lifetime tags.

So now I have a Hunting license in Utah, wonder what I could do with it?

Thank you for your recent applications for the Big Game Drawing. Your results are:

Appl # Hunt # Result

———————————————————————————————————

787273 DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP BONUS POINT DESERTBonus Point Earned

787276 ROCKY MTN SHEEP BONUS POINT ROCKY MOUNTBonus Point Earned

787271 DEER BONUS POINT BUCK DEER Bonus Point Earned

787272 ELK BONUS POINT ELK BULL Bonus Point Earned

787275 ROCKY MTN GOAT BONUS POINT ROCKY MOUNTABonus Point Earned

787274 MOOSE BONUS POINT BULL MOOSE Bonus Point Earned

—————————————————————————–

If you’ve ever tried to obtain a Utah big game hunting permit-and you don’t live in Utah-you know how difficult it can be to get one.

Most of Utah’s big game permits are reserved for Utah residents, which doesn’t leave many permits for nonresidents.

The Utah Wildlife Board recently made a change, however, that could increase the chance you draw a permit.

There ’s no longer a limit on the number of limited entry and once-in-a-lifetime species you can apply for.

For example, if you wanted to hunt bull moose and bighorn sheep, in the past you could apply for only one of the two species. In 2009, you can apply for both, along with any other limited entry and once-in-a-lifetime species you’d like to apply for.

“You can obtain only one limited entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit a year, but you’ll receive a bonus point for every species you don’t obtain a permit for,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “Those points increase the chance that you’ll draw a permit in the future.”

The UDWR is accepting applications for permits from Jan. 22 through Feb. 26, until 11:00 p m. You can apply for a permit at www.wildlife.utah.gov.

Also, even if you’re not going to hunt in Utah in 2009, you can still apply for a bonus point or a preference point. Your application for a point must be received through www.wildlife.utah.gov no later than 11 p.m. on March 9.

Please remember that you must have a nonresident Utah hunting license or a nonresident Utah combination license to apply for a point or a hunting permit.

It’s official!  The Boone and Crockettt club has an official score on the famous “Spider Bull” from Utah.  On January 2nd, the club announced that the Nontypical bull had a B&C final score of 478 5/8 inches. 

The hunter, Denny Austad, pursued the bull for 13 days in the Monroe Mountain district in South Central Utah.  The bull survived the General archery seasons and disappeared for nearly nine days before scouts were able to relocate him.    

For more information about the bull, and Boone and Crockett Scoring , check out the News Release HERE.

Ok, I’m really trying not to laugh…..But over the years I have enjoyed watching my friend Marc Smith, of Wild Country Outdoors, have success after success with archery equipment across the West. When he left with a bighorn sheep tag in his pocket I just KNEW he was gonna have another trophy. 

I didn’t expect him to tell us THIS story…

Mon Aug 25, 2008

Well,

I’ve been sheep hunting since Aug 2nd. Season ends tomorrow I’ll be up for one last outing. I have lost 22 pounds so far in the month of August. Bighorn sheep are the toughest animals I have ever hunted. It looks doubtful… but I am going to give it one more try.

Dude, I went through a [Wilderness Athlete]10 day extreme pack and halfway through my 5 day pack. I literally lived on WA on the sheep hunt. My clothes don’t even fit anymore. But I feel good… strong. Deer and elk here in CO are gonna suffer from the Hell the sheep have put me through.

“Hard Like Hanes” that’s my motto!  I ain’t gonna run no freakin Ultra but I will jog up a trail to cut off a big bull or Muley

Oh yea, I got tree’d by a big Cow Moose! Scariest thing I’ve ever encountered. I did not know she was in the willows. I was trying to snap pics of her calf and BAM! …She came flying out of the willows and ran me up a Spruce tree. Mean %^&*!!!! If I would have had my bear spray I would have hosed her down good! She stomped my bow and pack into the mud, I tore the crap out of my clothes and legs getting up that tree.

But Marc did not let that wildlife encounter deter him from his hunting this fall.  He took a break from the sheep hunt to pursue a Utah muley. 

Took a break from Sheep last week and headed over to Utah. I saw a ton of bucks, I passed up 41 4×4 bucks inside 40 yards the biggest was about 155 inches. I could not find anything big. I was feeling the pressure to get back to sheep hunting so I whacked a 23 inch wide 3×3.
I saw this buck and four other bed up at 10:30. I crawled out into the sage and got as close as I could before an unseen forky busted me. He jumped up and startled the other deer. “My” buck stood up and began to trott off. I whistled and he stopped to look back, 62 yard shot and he stumbled about 20 yards and piled up.

 Beautiful Shot Marc.  It just goes to show that perhaps the greatest thing we take away from a hunt where we don’t punch a tag is greater strength, both mental and physical.  Archery hunting for sheep is not an easy task by any means.  Your 22 pound drop in weight attests to the effort you put forth.  You certainly have my respect and admiration.

Thanks to the informatiton Highway, I’m receiving back results from the Western states on my draw results…

First up…Utah 

Thank you for your recent applications for the Big Game Draw. Your results are:Appl # Hunt Result
———————————————————————————————————
627138 10-008, 10-014 BUCK DEER UNSUCCESSFUL
627140 12-950 DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP UNSUCCESSFUL
———————————————————————————————————

Well maybe next year….

The next longshot is Wyoming Mule deer.  Since I’m already headed there for elk, a deer tag would be a nice bonus.

My training runs are usually pretty uneventful. Sometimes in the spring I’ll see a flock of turkeys or a deer grazing by the road, but I have never had anything remotely close to this happen to me:
The story was broadcast by KUTV-2 in Utah. Here is a Link to the Story
Thanks to my friend, Emily, who brought this to my attention!

The video is below: