Wilderness area with horses.

[Edelweiss]

We (wife, pretty much) is on the fence about us moving back to Alaska in 20 months after I retire here in Australia. I told her plan B was Wyoming (since I am a Wyoming Native, and have tons of family there). Not sure where yet (Afton, Meteetse, Bighorn Valley, Cody, Clark) (I heard Pavillion and Riverton's water supply is tainted and killing people?).

I made a deal with her last night that we could stay in the lower 48 until our kids got a little older.

How crowded (honestly) is the wilderness area rifle elk hunts?

Most of my family hunted Union Pass since the 1960s, then it got opened up to four wheelers, and now it's a Minnesota, Michigan and Texas parking lot.

My uncle and cousins still hunt it, but mostly for cows or during bow season.

[Edelweiss]

Seriously? No one on this forum hunts Wyoming horseback in the wilderness areas?

[BKC]

[QUOTE=Edelweiss;23084]We (wife, pretty much) is on the fence about us moving back to Alaska in 20 months after I retire here in Australia. I told her plan B was Wyoming (since I am a Wyoming Native, and have tons of family there). Not sure where yet (Afton, Meteetse, Bighorn Valley, Cody, Clark) (I heard Pavillion and Riverton's water supply is tainted and killing people?).

I like the Star valley area (Afton) but I also really like Dayton ( above Sheridan, close to Montana border and next to the Bighorns ). The Bighorn valley is way to hot and dry for me. I do alot of work in Wyo and there are some nice places to get away.

I only hunted wyo wilderness once ( Cloud Peak, above Buffalo ). It snowed the first night and for the next two days. Every deer in the area headed for lower ground and we spent next few days trying to cut a fresh trail and it never happened.

[wileywapiti]

hey,

i do hunt the wilderness area in the Winds for elk. not sure how my area stacks up against the others, but it seams like if you get past that 4 mile radius the hunters seem to disappear. but i also only hunt archery...but did hunt this area with rifle years ago (5 or so). one of the reasons why i changed to archery, besides seeing more elk and being able to hunt the rut, was because there is NO people. we actually hunt 7 miles past the wilderness area sign, and we have seen 3 other hunters in the last 5-6 years of hunting. cant lie, its been the best hunting seasons ive ever had. lots of game and no people to speak of. well....actually last year, we saw 14 people one day, but they were backpackers....ha ha ha. they were from back east and were really surprised when we came popping out of the trees and crossed them all camoed up. im pretty sure a couple of the females thought we were going to take them hostage as we approached them on our way to the bugles in the distance. they were a little nervous for a few minutes....ha ha ha.

but anyway, the wilderness area will always have less hunters, but to really get away (and im sure you know this) you need to get further back than the rest of the horse people....or take up archery hunting. good luck and good hunting.

[Ikeepitcold]

hey,

i do hunt the wilderness area in the Winds for elk. not sure how my area stacks up against the others, but it seams like if you get past that 4 mile radius the hunters seem to disappear. but i also only hunt archery...but did hunt this area with rifle years ago (5 or so). one of the reasons why i changed to archery, besides seeing more elk and being able to hunt the rut, was because there is NO people. we actually hunt 7 miles past the wilderness area sign, and we have seen 3 other hunters in the last 5-6 years of hunting. cant lie, its been the b
est hunting seasons ive ever had. lots of game and no people to speak of. well....actually last year, we saw 14 people one day, but they were backpackers....ha ha ha. they were from back east and were really surprised when we came popping out of the trees and crossed them all camoed up. im pretty sure a couple of the females thought we were going to take them hostage as we approached them on our way to the bugles in the distance. they were a little nervous for a few minutes....ha ha ha.

but anyway, the wilderness area will always have less hunters, but to really get away (and im sure you know this) you need to get further

back than the rest of the horse people....or take up archery hunting. good luck and good hunting.

Hhah that's funny about the hostage part of your storie. It's probably the only thing they talk about when they tell their storie of the back pack trip.

[Edelweiss]

but anyway, the wilderness area will always have less hunters, but to really get away (and im sure you know this) you need to get further back than the rest of the horse people....or take up archery hunting. good luck and good hunting.

NO! I am not going to hunt with a stick. I used to shoot competetive archery when I was younger, and while I think it's an ok means of filling the freezer I feel that elk were destined for 300 grain Nosler Accubonds out of a 375.

Besides, I am a gunsmith in the military and a far gone rifle crank. A bow is about as interesting as a shovel.

I hate backpackers. Had lots of problems in Germany while hunting with backpackers. What a pain in the ass.

Thanks for the information, with the prices of horses being so good anymore, and how crowded the damn national forest is with elk hunters driving MN, CO or WI plates it's nice to have an area that keeps them out.

I had thought that 5 or 6 miles was probably enough, but your right 10 is better. When I was a kid my father guided the Hoback and they used to pack in 10 to 15. There wasn't anyone in there and most of the wildereness areas have rifle season during the rut.