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| Rich LaRocco 801-451-6755 or text 801-709-9280 |
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Cy Partington of Denver said his cow elk hunt was one of the most enjoyable hunts he had ever experienced. These are free-ranging elk (no high fences).
This is an inexpensive and fun hunt on three parcels of private land in the elk-rich Manti Range of central Utah. The ranch receives eight depredation cow elk tags a year, and we still have six available this year due to cancellations. The tags are good during the entire months of November, December and January.
If you can walk a couple of miles in steep mountains, and if you can shoot well in field conditions, you stand a very good chance of taking home a good supply of elk venison, and there's no game meat better than prime cow elk in the opinion of most people who have tried it.
You can select between a guided hunt or an unguided hunt. The unguided hunt includes a trespass permit, a key to the gate, and a photocopied map of the ranch. If you opt for the self-guided hunt, we suggest having a local man who knows the ranch well show you around for half a day. He can show you how to get on each of the three parcels that comprise the ranch as well as give you rough boundaries and tell you where he has been seeing elk. He charges $100 for that service.
The ranch is about two hours south of Salt Lake City. You'll almost surely see some bulls and nice mule deer bucks, so bring your camera or camcorder. The price includes a landowner depredation voucher that allows you to buy the hunting license directly from the state.
No cattle grazing has been allowed on the property for the past two years. We've seldom gone a day without seeing elk on this ranch. However, keep in mind that these are 100% wild elk and will run or hide if they see or smell you or your vehicle. Hunt EK99MACOW.
Rich LaRocco of AHC, left, and Wyatt Martinez with a cow Rich shot.
| Hunt EK99MACOW | |
|---|---|
| Hunt | Price per person |
| Self-guided | $750 Nov.'05-Jan. '06 ($150 discount for a party of four) |
| Guided, three days | $1,250 Nov. '05-Jan. 06 |
| Hunter success | Season |
| Typically 75 to 85%. Most hunters in shape and who could shoot well have scored. | All of November, December and January. |
| Travel | License |
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You'll be met in Price, Utah. Guided hunters who need transportation from Salt Lake City International Airport about 2 1/2 hours away can be picked up and taken back to the airport for $200 extra per party. Unguided hunters will need to bring a four-wheel-drive vehicle with chains and should be prepared to rent snowmobiles if snowfall is heavy. You can rent snowmobiles at Golden Wave Watercraft and Snowmobile Rentals, 705 W. Center St., Provo, UT 84601 (Phone: 801-373-7144) or White Knuckle Rentals 2, 735 W 500 S, Orem, UT 84058 (Phone: 801-358-8299). |
License is not included in the price of the hunt. Price was $213 for cow elk and $333 for spike elk. No drawing needed for either permit. Click here for updated prices. Price of cow elk hunt includes landowner depredation permit (DWR asks for 14 days to process and send license, but some offices will process immediately if you stop by). You can hunt coyotes and jackrabbits on nearby public land with no license. |
| Lodging | Weather |
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Lodging and meals are not included. However, you may stay in a double-wide mobile home on the property at no extra charge. It is heated by woodstove and lighted by generator-supplied electricity and propane lamps. There is no running water, so plan to bring some 5-gallon water jugs to wash dishes. For those who prefer a less rustic experience, several motels are half an hour or less from the ranch. Prices are commensurate with quality. Click here for details. You also may camp on the property. Local motels vary from about $30 to $75 per night. Lunches are typically $5 to $8 and dinners $8 to $15. |
Can vary from sunshine in the 70s to drifting snow below zero. Sometimes there is too much snow for four-wheel-driving and not enough for snowmobiling. In that event, you must hike a mile or so up the ranch road to the main ridge, and then you can walk on a gradually climbing road that provides access down to several finger canyons. This is an all-day adventure that should be undertaken only if you're in very good physical condition and can debone and pack out an animal. We have icefishing sleds that make it easier to get meat from the ridge down to the ranch headquarters. |
| Notes on unguided hunts |
Notes |
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Unguided hunters get a photocopied topo map and a key to the gate and mobile home. We suggest that unguided hunters hire a local man for $100 to show them around for half a day. He usually knows where the elk have been hanging out. Hunters in excellent physical condition can walk from the mobile home up a road to a main ridge and hunt on foot, and we have had several hunters do that successfully, but it's not for the hunter who wants an easy hunt. |
Don't plan to fly to Utah and rent a 4WD for an unguided hunt; you're a lot better off just taking the guided hunt. On guided hunts, we get the meat out, but we expect a little help from hunters in good shape if an animal must be deboned and packed to the road. Rich LaRocco of AHC leases this ranch and has spent about 30 days on it in the past five years, seeing elk all but two days, and one of those was foggy. Hunter safety required of hunters born after 12/31/65. |