Dreaming of Elk

[Whip]

I just returned home from a long week of camping in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.  I sold this trip to my wife as a nice little romantic getaway.  The fact that I have a coveted elk tag for the area we camped in was purely coincidental.   :rolleyes:  

She knows me better, but fortunately is very understanding and forgiving of my passions.  We had a great week, beautiful weather, and I am more pumped up about the upcoming season than I think I have ever been.

The Bighorns loom large and beckon our ascent.
 

Rugged rocky outcroppings combined with thick dark timber of spruce and pine make for some spectacular scenery.
 

 

 

 

[Whip]

Wildflowers were in full bloom everywhere, and added dazzling color to an already beautiful setting.

 

 

 


Elk hunters are generally not fond of seeing sheep in the country, thus they are often referred to by the somewhat derisive term of mountain maggots.  If you see them swarming over a hillside from a distance you quickly see where the name came from.
 

[BMG]

Wow, that is gorgeous elk country.  Good luck on the hunt.

If you need anyone to help carry the backstraps give me a call.

[jhg]

Fantastic area! And good luck!

[Whip]

I've been fortunate to have hunted elk in a lot of different places, including some very good areas.  But I have never seen anything before to compare to the amount of sign I found nearly everywhere I went here.  Trails like this were woven through nearly every drainage I checked.  And these are not cattle paths - not a cow pie to be found.  In most cases they are loaded with fresh tracks and droppings.
 

There was quite a bit of ATV and vehicle traffic, so the elk were skittish near the roads, but I did manage to get close to some during my daily hikes.
 

 

Mule deer were also just about everywhere.
 

 

This is also a highly sought after area for moose tags, and it was easy to see why.  The moose were not camera shy in the least.

 

 

 

[Whip]

Elk tags in this unit are a tough draw, and this will very possibly be the only chance I have to hunt here. During our week we saw herds in excess of 100 animals on a number of occasions, and there wasn't a day that went by without seeing some.  The bulls were even already starting some tentative bugling.  I could almost feel my neck start to swell!

The season in Wyoming runs for the entire month of September, but we are planning our trip to cover the last half of the month.  September 16th, and I will be on the road west again, this time with bows and broadheads instead of a camera.

[Bjorn]

         
Thanks for sharing this.

[T Sunstone]

Wish I was going, good luck.  Great pictures.

[Sixby]

I can sure see why you are dreaming, That is the most beautiful and looks like some of the easiest hunting I have ever seen. That isn't a quarter as tough as where I hunt. It looks like a park,. A real dream hunt (grin) Good luck and God bless, Steve

[elkbreath]

I know the area well.  You drew a good tag and will have a blast.  Get off the road more than a mile or so where you can!  there will be people buzzing around.  Thanks for all the photos, love to see them.

[Steve Clandinin]

You got me all pumped up for the 17th of Sept.Heading to northern Albeta to my sons and picking up a couple of Tradgangers from Arkansas in Edmonton.CAN'T WAIT!

[cacciatore]

Steve,I bet!!!LOL.Me too but still another Year.

[twitchstick]

That sure looks like good elk country to me. On the mountain I hunt if you find two tracks together it is considered a good herd but your trail is a highway. Good luck and keep us posted.

[wapitimike1]

Hey Whip the Big Horns are fantastic mountains. How long did it take to draw that tag? I'm thinking of starting the process.

[frassettor]

Looks great,

[kennym]

Good luck bro!!

[DWT]

Best of luck Joe, it looks like it will be success Elk or no Elk.

[ScottinPA]

Whip, you got me all worked up and I have a year to wait.  Still in the planning stages to hunt the Bighorns next Sept. IIRC, I'll have 4 points by then.

Good luck!

[Whip]

Mike, this unit took 4 preference points, which is the maximum in WY since they just started the point system for NR 4 years ago.  Based on the way things have gone in other states, I doubt I will ever draw this unit again because unless the management of it changes it will probably always be in high demand and take maximum points to have a chance.
 
To have a chance at the better units it has become a fact of life that in most states you must play the preference point game.  Get in to as many draws or point building programs as you can afford, and eventually you should start having a chance at some great hunts.  

Sixby, you're right, much of the stuff I have pictures of was pretty easy country compared to much that I have been in.  It does drop off into some extremely tough looking drainages though.  I'm hoping that there will still be elk up in the easy stuff come September, but also have some of the deep stuff picked out that we will hit if needed.  

As great as this unit is, if there is a downside it would have to be the number of ATV trails that run through it.  In much of the area we camped it was very difficult to get more than a mile away from a trail of some type.  And the things were buzzing around contiunously.  But I do think I have found some spots that will limit access, and have my hopes pinned on those to start out with.

[Whip]

Scott, last year maximum points was 3, and those with 3 points had a 50% chance of drawing.  This year with 4 points it was 58%.  So the odds are getting slightly better, but still is taking max. points to have a chance.  If you hold out you should eventually have a chance here, or you could look at unit 39 which lies just to the west.  It has more rugged country with less access (fewer ATV's)  but from what I have heard the hunting is just as good.