Antelope island anyone hear

[boneaddict]

Has anyone seen or heard what Jimmy got out on Antelope Island this year.   Assuming he hunted of course.  I haven’t  been watching social media.  I heard he beat the record at half a million for the tag.   Reports are horrible from there this year, but with that tag, he can get a little better access.

[92xj]

He shot a giant.   Super wide.    Clearly same genes as the photos you posted years ago of the wide sticker deer

41.5 wide
262”

[boneaddict]

Oh snap!   I’m glad he got a good one.  Half a million is quite a price tag.   I hope they use it to fix things out there.  Thanks for the update

[jackelope]

[furbearer365]

Oh snap!   I’m glad he got a good one.  Half a million is quite a price tag.   I hope they use it to fix things out there.  Thanks for the update

What's the issue needing fixed??

[boneaddict]

Thanks for the pic!    Oh wow, what a beast

[boneaddict]

Oh snap!   I’m glad he got a good one.  Half a million is quite a price tag.   I hope they use it to fix things out there.  Thanks for the update

What's the issue needing fixed??

Not sure!    Population “seems” way down.   I’d wack a bunch of coyotes to help with recruitment.   I think they did that.   

Rumor was they captured a bunch of deer off the island and moved them to neighboring herds to enhance genetics (. I think that was crazy)

They have done a lot for people, like better facilities, added campground, added cabins, promoted electric bikes.    There is a huge surge of bikers out there and I think that pushes the animals back.   

I have no real facts.   I just camped there with the wife for a couple days, it was real nice.  I listened to a lot of disgruntled deer enthusiasts.   Honestly there is a huge portion of the island that there is no access, until you have that tag.  If I was a giant deer, that’s where I would be.   Historically there are usually a bunch of deer down low near where the people are and those deer if not a big buck like Double D, then they attract the big bucks during the rut.  Since the big influx of electric bikes which really trigger the deer, that hasn’t been the case. 

I was watching a batch of unattended doe assuming a buck would show sooner or later.  They were located just below where this buck is pictured.   If I was there a day or two later I might/I wish I’d have seen him. Lol. 

The lake water was up this year, but was real low the last couple.    They added a bunch of fence, I assume it was to keep domestics from getting in, or from wilds mixing and then returning (sheep loss).  I’m not sure where they are at at re establishing the sheep out there.

[Alchase]

Wow, what a buck! 

[bearhunter99]

What dreams are made of!  What a buck!

[boneaddict]

Indeed, if I sold sandwiches I’d do the exact same thing. 

That thing bangs right up there with the one at Arsenal.  Unreal

[Boss .300 winmag]

Indeed, if I sold sandwiches I’d do the exact same thing. 

That thing bangs right up there with the one at Arsenal.  Unreal

That’s a lot of sandwiches.🤣

[baldopepper]

You could walk to island without getting your feet wet a couple years ago, and many beieive a lot of the deer walked over to the mainland. Brother lives in sight of the island and knows a couple of the rangers out there. One of em shares he saw one of the island bucks in the nearby town.  Rangers have names for most of the big boys on the island.

[boneaddict]

I was happy to see the lake with a little water in it this time.     Yeah, that probably doesn’t help with population either.    They probably get sick of the bugs and want to get the heck out of their.  That might be one place that rivals Alaska with biting flies and skeeters.

[baldopepper]

I was happy to see the lake with a little water in it this time.     Yeah, that probably doesn’t help with population either.    They probably get sick of the bugs and want to get the heck out of their.  That might be one place that rivals Alaska with biting flies and skeeters.
[/quote
Yea, airboat hunted ducks all around there in my youth and those darnn bugs seemed to hang around until it snowed.   For years they literally dumped raw sewage in the lake and when there was a good south wind the smell was worse than the bugs. 

[bigmacc]

  Well hell, that’s a nice buck👍




HOLY CRAPOLA!  That’s a beaut

[dilleytech]

Man I wish I could afford half a million dollar tags to shoot giant animals that other people find like he can. Idk if I would be buying governor tags but I sure would enjoy hunting those private ranches like Hanes and rogen hunts. Must be so much fun. Like hunting before hunting. That bucks awesome.

[go4steelhd]

What a great buck.

[baldopepper]

That is a great buck, but this is not a hunt-its a shoot. (Not just my opinion, but also that of many of the locals familiar with the island and its deer)  Raises a lot of money for the island maintenance and other uses, so most don't really have a problem with it, nor do I.  Honestly, personally wouldn't be to proud of a trophy taken in this manner, just not what many of us would call a hunt.

[LDennis24]

I would spend the money on a big buck from a ranch that breeds them and just let him live out his life and collect his sheds each year for mounts or decor. 

[boneaddict]

It’s more of a hunt than flying in and shooting one in someone’s yard for 25k.   I for one am glad he puts money towards wildlife, versus say anti hunting like most billionaires. 

[LDennis24]

I would still donate to conservation, don't get me wrong, but I would just have my own deer and elk farm if I had the money to throw at it.

[mburrows]

 

It’s more of a hunt than flying in and shooting one in someone’s yard for 25k.   I for one am glad he puts money towards wildlife, versus say anti hunting like most billionaires.

[baldopepper]

As stated. I don't have a problem with this hunt personally, but a well published "hunt" like this gives the antis folder to paint an unreal picture of hunting.  It's kind of like some of the outdoor shows where a guide drives hunters out to a heated, elevated blind then tells them exactly what animal to shoot.  They shoot then go back to their 5 star accommodation and brag about their exciting hunt to fellow guests who've done the same thing. For those who aren't familiar with hunting this doesn't appear to be a sport.  A rich man paying that kind of money to shoot a deer on a state park within sight of tall buildings in Salt Lake certainly gives some the wrong perception of hunters.

[hunter399]

I would still donate to conservation, don't get me wrong, but I would just have my own deer and elk farm if I had the money to throw at it.

I agree.
That's why God won't let me win mega millions.
Cause I'd own a ton of good hunting ground, probably only allow youth hunting.

[dilleytech]

I would spend the money on a big buck from a ranch that breeds them and just let him live out his life and collect his sheds each year for mounts or decor. 

Idk how hard those sheds would be to find but a day of shed hunting that place would be more fun then getting the call that my buck has been located, flying in and shooting it from 800 yards. But if all the sheds are just laying at the corn pile idk maybe not. Spending millions on killer property that you and all your friends could hunt seems ideal.

[boneaddict]

Of course for a measly quarter million more, you could have bought the Kiabab permit this year, and had the hunt of a lifetime and the possibility of tag soup. LOL

[boneaddict]

Next quest, the photo of the lucky winner of the draw tag for Antelope.    I'm guessing no one here would have liked to have drawn that tag.

[LDennis24]

You have a point Bone, I would rather hunt the Kaibab or the strip if it was just about huge mule deer. This tag is clearly more about conservation than anything else. I've truly never even considered a fantasy of hunting Antelope Island but I have dreamt of Kaibab mule deer!

[LDennis24]

Anyone see a pic of the other tag holders animal yet?

[jackelope]

Anyone see a pic of the other tag holders animal yet?

[boneaddict]

THis one would be a conspiracy theory in the making on Huntwa.    According to the gossip, the hunt was open for like two days prior to the kid even knowing he drew the tag.   Lots of rumors of course but apparently the UDWR made a mistake and the kid didnt get his hunt packet until the hunt had been going a couple days.   It will be interesting when all the deets come out

[jackelope]

THis one would be a conspiracy theory in the making on Huntwa.    According to the gossip, the hunt was open for like two days prior to the kid even knowing he drew the tag.   Lots of rumors of course but apparently the UDWR made a mistake and the kid didnt get his hunt packet until the hunt had been going a couple days.   It will be interesting when all the deets come out

That’s what the post I saw on FB indicated as well. Some outfitters pulled through and helped the kid last minute.

[boneaddict]

They were probably wondering where the kid was when Jimmie was out there. LOL    I'm not sure how the outfitters "get the island" for the year, if its hunters choice or what.   Lots of changes to Utah law this year as well which toned that way down out there.  I'd think theyd be after whoever drew something fierce.   

[JakeLand]

They were probably wondering where the kid was when Jimmie was out there. LOL    I'm not sure how the outfitters "get the island" for the year, if its hunters choice or what.   Lots of changes to Utah law this year as well which toned that way down out there.  I'd think theyd be after whoever drew something fierce.   

do you have to have a outfitter or can you do it solo ?

[boneaddict]

I believe you can solo it.

[baldopepper]

Utah big game regs are very heavily influenced by sfw and they are not the friend of the basic hunter.  They compare big game hunting to logging and mineral rights on public ground.  The rights to logging or mineral exploratuion go.to the highest bidder, and the rights to hunt big game in specific units should also go to the highest bidder.  Hunters flock to their big convention and wish they had the money to participate in auctions or throw money at the various lotteries and only encourage them to pressure game departments to restrict more areas for limted hunting. A close look at areas they've poured money into and you'll see most of it went to areas benefiting the various cwmu"s and restricted units. Imagine if they can get $$500,000 for the right to shoot one deer in an area what it would be like if they could establish several such units.  It's big.money if you get 10% of the pie. They've managed to get pretty much all deer hunting to draw permit only and, if you notice. Every year they push for fewer and fewer permits. Finance pressured game departments are hard pressed to turn down their donations in trade for their influence on decision making. I'm to old for it to effect me, but younger hunters should take a hard look at the direction we're going.

[boneaddict]

I wonder if that had anything to do with the gimmick of relocating deer off the island to enhance genetics in other Utah units.   

[baldopepper]

I wonder if that had anything to do with the gimmick of relocating deer off the island to enhance genetics in other Utah units.

Certainly.wouldnt surprise me.  They brag about cwmu units opening over 2 million acres to public hunting, yet only 384 total public tags were available on these units.  Much of this acreage used to be open to hunting or required a fairly reasonable trespass fee. We saw an example of sfws enhancement work. Used to hunt a large tracts of school trust land wedged between 3 large cwmu units. Perfect deer and elk habitat.  Under the guise of habitat improvement they completely cleared most of it, leaving the areas only good habitat on the cwmu"s.

[LDennis24]

I believe baldopepper really has a point here. Paying big money for exclusive rights to hunt an area is going to help push out public OTC hunting because the WDFW will get revenue from drawings and auction tags. Antis will even buy tags just so a hunter can't have them. It's coming to a state VERY near you I believe... somewhere near the grizzly habitat to the Okanogan River and South to lake Chelan is my guess. Millions would be payed to be one of a handful of hunters I'm sure.

[idaho guy]

wow great buck! I would love to have that tag even if its not a "real" hunt.(i have no idea if it is or not) Just to be able to look over bucks like that with a rifle in hand would be awesome. I would probaby short out and shoot a dink for the area ha ha.