I am unabashed in my love hunting out west. I spend my entire winter and spring studying the odds and trying to draw the best tag to put me in the mountains in September. And this year, I drew a big fat zero, leaving me with 13 Utah elk points. That was my cue to get out there and do some in-person investigation… a guy can only learn so much from tidbits on the internet and phone conversations with the folks at the Division of Wildlife.

I have had my eye on a few units out there. I am typically a 2^nd tier kind of guy, but putting in for that long, I am getting close to the top tier units. After a few calls, I had maps ordered and horses lined up for a 3-hour gear pack into a nice comfy camp where I had drawn a big red X on a map. From there, I had easy access to explore a half dozen drainages and find out if there really are any elk in Utah.

The terrain in this unit ranged from goat-like steep and barren to a mix of lush Aspen and dense Lodge pole Pine, all with grassy meadows in the bottoms for feed. 

It sure was nice being in elk country without the pressure of filling a tag. I used the opportunity to test some new gear, and was completely impressed by the Bivy 45 and the Merino base layer. I also confirmed there is nothing better in the mountains than the Ascent and Jetstream pieces.

In the end, the investment was well worth it. I found plenty of good rubs and wallows, some hidden springs, and some very remote feeding areas that will all come into play when I finally do draw this tag.