OK here we go.
Stage 1 - Planning:
I decided at the end of 2008 that I wanted to hunt moose in WY in 2009, and that I might as well hunt elk too. I had 8 moose preference points, which might seem like a lot of points, but in reality would only assure me of a tag in a good or fair unit in western WY. I wanted to hunt elk somewhere nearby, so that I could switch from elk to moose hunting without too much driving. Since the elk drawing would come first, I began researching to the best unit for apply for. I had the maximum preference points (3) so I wanted the best possible unit for bowhunting in western WY.
Here is a quick summary of info for a NR elk hunter interested in WY, which is a little complicated: No OTC tags; application deadline is 1/31 with the drawing held shortly thereafer; you can apply for either a general or unit-specific tag; you must decide on either archery-only (type 9) or the rifle (type 1) tag; and you can pay the regular ($591) or special ($1071) tag fee. In general the rifle season begins on Oct. 1 but you can buy an archery tag and bowhunt the month of September. Also, paying the higher tag fee usually increases your drawing odds, but not always. Finally, NRs can't hunt big game in wilderness areas without a guide or a qualified resident, so that eliminated some units for me.
The WY Game and Fish web site (
http://gf.state.wy.us/) provides a lot of information, as well as magazines like Eastmans' Bowhunting Journal. I have been a BOW member for years and subscribe to Wyoming Wildlife, which provided useful info. I had bowhunted elk in unit 97 with a WY resident in 2004 with a left-over tag, had spent a little time in the area close to the Idaho border above Kemerer, and visited the areas around the Grand Teton and Yellowstone NPs, so I had a idea of the type of area I wanted to hunt. After talking with several bowhunters who had hunted western WY, as well as some Game and Fish wildlife biologists and game wardens, I chose units 63/64. There was a some variety of terrain to choose from, including some big rugged country. The 2 biggest challenges seem to be getting the elk meat back to my truck if successfuk and avoiding a grizzly confrontation. The game warden for unit 63, where I'll probably hunt, told me pretty much the same things as STICKDP, and strongly suggested that I don't even hunt in the evenings because getting an elk down then would most likely result in a grizzly bear problem - either I'd lose the meat or worse if they found me while I was cutting up the elk in the dark.
Since I REALLY wanted this tag, I dished out the extra money for the special tag, which should almost double my draw odds. I never thought that I'd pay over $1000 for an elk tag, but I'm not getting any younger at age 43 and WY does have some pretty good elk hunting. I'm expecting pretty low bowhunting pressure, because I'm told that most people holding this same tag will be gun hunting rather than bowhunting. I'll learn soon enough if this is true.
Topic: Wyoming 09 elk and moose adventure (Read 3934 times)
