Tips for a first time WY ELK hunt?

[Chuck_Delsandro]

I am kicking around hunting Wyoming this year for elk. I have three points and have no idea if I should burn them or hold out a few more years. Just wondering if I can draw a good archery unit with this amount of pts. I am not opposed to any info. I am capable of doing a wilderness hunt on my own. Also have the gear for a base camp, but I am open to suggestions on outfitters. I have hunted CO three times and I'm still Elkless. Would really like to see some success if I burn my points. Again any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chuck

[Brad Arnett]

Good luck Chuck! I'm saving points too. I was there last year on a DIY pronghorn hunt with my wife, we knew nobody and just bought some maps and rolled the dice, south of Casper on BLM land. We couldn't close the deal with Bows and had to break out the rifle at theend of the hunt. Looking at the Elk maps that would be areas 16 and 7. We were into Elk once we got back in off the roads. I was surprised at how few locals get off the roads there, LOTS of road hunting (at least for pronghorn). I'm looking forward to the info you get on this post!

[old_goat2]

Just for info sake, you are not legally allowed to hunt a wilderness area without a guide in Wyoming if you are not a resident. You can hike, fish, backpack in the wilderness to your hearts content as a non resident but you can't hunt without a licensed guide or a resident with a big game license I think.

[Tedd]

Chuck,
I'm buying WY elk points also. I'd like to be able to hunk elk on my own. That would be the ultimate! But as a working man with limited time and funds and less knowledge of how to do it, I'll be using an outfitter to maximize time being where the elk are.
I guess you have to go a few times to learn the routine. Then do it yourself.
I have been to northeastern wy hunting deer about 6-7 times. Love it there!
Tedd

[centaur]

Originally posted by old_goat2:
Just for info sake, you are not legally allowed to hunt a wilderness area without a guide in Wyoming if you are not a resident. You can hike, fish, backpack in the wilderness to your hearts content as a non resident but you can't hunt without a licensed guide or a resident with a big game license I think.

That is true. There are lots on non designated wilderness that are very good elk areas, however. 67, 68, 69 out of Dubois has a lot of non wilderness ground that hold elk, but also a fair amount of grizzlies. An archery tag there is easy to obtain, and you can carry a sidearm for bear protection if you desire.
I don't know how many points it would take, but there is a hidden jewel west of Casper; area 22. Wild country, good elk numbers, and remote. One of my favorite areas in Wyoming, but drawing a tag is tough.
Lots of good hunting out of wilderness in the Bighorns, some tags are hard, but area 36 and 37 are general, and the elk numbers are good.
Get in shape, get in shape, get in shape for any of the places mentioned.

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Ok so I have to hunt NON wilderness areas unless I get a guide. Guess I need to find a map that designates the wilderness areas. Ill hit the WY website for that info. That is kind of silly rule if a non res can access the land for everything but hunting. Tells me the outfitters got some stroke in that state. IMHO opinion that makes the wilderness areas private land! BUT I understand it costs to hunt. Centaur, I agree on the conditioning. Thanks thus far on the info.

[old_goat2]

Yeah Chuck, outfitters lobbyists has some stroke as you say, getting that way in Colorado these days too!

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Thanks, I have made some great progress over the last few days.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Chuck, if you have hunted elk before, you do can do a good DIY elk hunt in Wyoming.  I have been on 4 such elk hunts in WY and have had good chances to fill my tags each time, finally getting it done this past September...

 

Several things:

1.  Your 3 pref points should allow you to hunt a good unit, but not the best units.  The current Eastmans bowhunting magazine has a feature on WY elk in the MSR section, which shows which unit you can draw with 3 points.

2.  You can greatly increase your draw odds if you apply for the special tag, which is more expensive; in some units it will double your draw odds.

3.  Try to get on a HMA; some are open to any elk tag holder and others require a drawing.

4.  Join the Bowhunters of Wyoming; then your fellow members might help point you to the good spots (they did for me) and their quarterly magazine has good info on where to hunt.

5.  Call the regional biologist once you narrow down your choices to a few units - some units are great for bowhunting but not for rifle, and for others the opposite is true.  If you explain that you will only kill an elk with your bow, he or she may point you to a unit better for bowhunting.

6.  If you apply for a late season rifle tag, the odds are even better to draw, and you can still bowhunt the entire month of september in almost all units.

7.  If you fear grizzlies, you might avoid the units in western WY.  Wolves will impact your elk hunting also.  Might consider a unit with neither.

[snag]

Does anyone know when they update the preference pts on their website. Mine says 4 as of 12/19/14. Is that the total going into 2015's draw?
I think I'll hold out for another couple of years and try for one of the better units.

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Snag it is my understanding that is the total! I had two as of last Aug, purchased another one that month and now my update shows 3.

[tracker12]

I am also looking to burn my WY elk NR points.  I am sitting on 8.  I really like the idea of applying for a late season tag.  That way I can do an archery hunt then return for a gun hunt if I am not successful.  I keep telling myself I am going to retire for the second time this SEP so it may work out.  I have been setting some decent information on the Bighorns.  Keep in mind that if you join up with a resident they can take you into a Wilderness area if they secure the paperwork.  

Centaur
Thanks for the tip on 22 I'll make sure I check it out even though NR success for that unit was pretty low in 2013.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

If you intend to use a rifle if unsuccessful with your bow, the early rifle season may be a better choice because, in almost all elk units, you finish bowhunting on the last day of september and gun hunt the very next day, on elk that you should know pretty well by then.  If you wait till the late season, you will be hunting elk that have been shot at for over a month, plus  the winter weather might be bad then, and finally that would be two trips out/back.  I had absoultely no intention of rifle hunting my bull elk in the late season, it was just the best way I could draw the tag I wanted with only 4 points.

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Thanks to all you guys. I am getting more info than I could have hoped for. I haven't been to this site or any site for awhile. I have forgot how good bowhunters can be to each other. I will try to keep you guys posted on decisions concerning WY.

[buckster]

Great thread Chuck.  I am really hopine to hunt elk in Wyoming in the next few years and this gives me a starting point.

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Buckster I am spoiled. A friend of mine held my hand in CO and showed me the way. Now I am spending countless hours on the Web researching units. Reading articles, etc. I am at a the point of total confusion with the different tags, special archery seasons. Etc. Now its my understanding that if you don't draw your first choice, that you keep your Pref points even if you draw your second choice. IS THIS TRUE?? I have so much to learn, and only a few weeks to get it done. I should have started this a year ago, but my situation just changed recently. SO DO I GET TO KEEP MY POINTS IF I DON'T DRAW MY FIRST CHOICE??? This sounds odd to me!

[Chuck_Delsandro]

I am sitting here Christmas morning with a pad of paper, and pen taking notes   :D   Its kinda fun!

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Chuck, Wyoming regs can be confusing and that turns away many hunters.  Big mistake.

You need to get on the phone and confirm this with a WG&F office, but I have earned preference points in the past when I failed to draw my first choice tag.  And I have heard of hunters who earned a preference point and an elk tag in the same drawing, by failing to draw their first choice but drawing their second choice.

Also, the data I mentioned from Eastmans shows that you could draw several "excellent" and "good" units in the regular draw and even more in the "special" draw.  My bull was killed in a unit rated as "good".

[Chuck_Delsandro]

OK Jeff but its my understanding that if you don't draw your 1st choice, but draw your second you maintain (don't lose) the points you have?? I am getting my ducks in a row for some phone calls. Oh I'm not going to let the regs scare me. I'll figure it out. Going to make mistakes too! Oh well! From what I have been reading it looks like WY has a great elk heard. Hard to believe with the wolves and bears? Sure haven't found many negative posts about it.