Where to elk hunt?

One thing to remember, there are reasons why there are a lot of left over tags. If you check the prospectus G & F mails out you will see an astrik by certain units, which translates to difficult or limited public access. Means lots of private land. My suggestion would be to pick a prospective area and then call the G & F regional office and talk to a biologist or warden and ask about access or suggestions from them. In the past I have found this worked well and at least gave me a starting point. I also called a local sporting goods store and got some good suggestions. This forum was a good place to start....good luck.

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Originally Posted by sigpros

I will be backpacking and or an atv. I would be rifle hunting. I am looking for an area that I could get a cow tag in for a couple years and learn the area then put in for a bull tag. I am a meat hunter, but would like to get a nice bull to put on the wall. But not looking for an area that takes 10 years to draw and holds the boone and crockett bulls. I have never been to wyoming so I have no clue on what part of the state to look at? I am trying to draw units 90-2,90-1 for antelope. Those are the antelope unit numbers not elk numbers. Anywhere around those units that would fit the criteria would be good because I am wanting to go up next summer if I draw a lope tag and look around. Just trying to get the ball in motion and put the leg work in on a couple cow hunts and then go for a bull. The guys I used to hunt with in colorado would jump all over the place and never sit still long. Seems to me a guy needs to learn an area really well and hunt it a few years and that would boost success. I also wouldn't mind taking some camping trips with the wife and kids to an area and look around. Sorry I was pretty vague in my first post sorry. Part of what I was thinking is that if I went up antelope hunting next year maybe I could run over and scout an area that had left over tags and come back in November and chase a cow around. Thanks again guys

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sigpros,

It sounds like you're thinking the exact same thing we are. I have gone to CO w/ a group that has been going for a long time. I decided pretty quickly that the pressure just wasn't for me, and they finally agree to try somewhere else. We are going to WY to hunt antelope this year in 25. This is just north of what we want to hunt for elk - 19 elk. We plan to hit 19 the next couple of years with cow tags and save up for the bull tag.

The goal this year is to fill a tag quickly on an antelope and run down to check out the area for elk next year. We're actually getting doe tags this year because they're so much cheaper and we're not too concerned with quality on the antelope. The unit for elk has quite a bit of private ground, but there is some hunting management areas that help out. I contacted the casper G&F office and they said this area has high numbers of elk. It's the central part of the state but Eastman's rates it pretty good and I was encouraged after talking to G&F.

I notice that you're from MO. What part? I am in Joplin. Shoot me a PM if you want any more details about what we're trying to do.

Sigpros: I've been hunting Wyoming on and off for 20 years as a nonresident. If you'd like a easy high success cow elk hunt look into unit 100. This is one of Wyoming's easiest elk areas, with high success. With no points you would have about a 45% chance to draw a Unit 100 Type 4 cow hunt. The success runs around 80%. I've hunted the unit for bulls before, took us two days for my wife and I to kill two bulls with a baby in the car set of my truck. Unit 100 is full of elk, and wide open sage brush terrain, plenty of public land. The antelope hunting there in unit 92 is great as well. If you'd like more info feel free to PM me.

So if I draw a cow tag does that burn my points?

I believe anytime you draw your first choice it burns your points. If you buy a point this year, next year you will have a 100% chance to draw the Unit 100 Type 4 cow tag. It really is a great elk unit, and easy to hunt, crazy good hunter success. Mostly spot and stalk in the sage and sage canyons. It would be easy to combine an antelope hunt with that tag. You'd hunt antelope first then elk hunt on October 15 I believe. Then you can take your family up to Jackson Hole or Yellowstone. Great vacation!