---

Bighorn sheep scouting trip goes well

Tim Pilling and I scouted one weekend in July in the Utah unit where I drew a bighorn sheep tag for this November. We saw several rams but did not find the big boy we wanted to photograph. Still, I learned a lot about the country. Tim and I found 10 or 12 shed mule deer antlers, too. Tim, who is licensed as an outfitter in this region, has room for mule deer hunters in 2009 as well as cow elk hunters this fall. The

cow elk tags in this region are available over the counter beginning today, July 22. Call for details. This unit is composed of huge mesas and ridges and is known for producing some great muleys as well as some big elk. The deer tags are easy to draw. The elk are quite inaccessible during the September rifle hunt, and there are no non-resident tags for the November rifle bull hunt. You do not have to draw a tag for this particular cow elk hunt. Tim can still buy antleress permits for his customers. As for deer Tim has personally killed bucks to about 190 B&C and has seen some much bigger bucks. Judging from the sheds we found, a hunter has a good chance of taking a mature muley in the 25 to 28-inch range, and then there is always a possibility of running into a monster, such as the 200-plus typical killed there last year by a hunter Tim knows. You must apply for mule deer tags by the end of January. He wants to take four hunters in 2009, and the price is $2,500 a person for a party of two willing to share a guide or $4,500 1x1. You must be in excellent physical shape to enjoy the deer hunt. The cow elk hunt could be much easier, depending on the weather. The September rifle bull elk hunt is physically difficult. Tim uses llamas to get into the buck and bull areas. He can use horses, ATVs, snowmobiles or hike to hunt the cow elk. The price of the cow elk hunt depends on whether you want to use horses, ranging from $1,250 for a hiking hunter to $2,000 a person for a horseback hunt. -- Rich LaRocco.