1st timer to Wyoming for elk

NorthDakotaELKhunter · Oct 10, 2016

Hello all,

Hope everyone had a great fall so far. Myself, friends and I have had some great goose hunting here in North Dakota.

Now, we are getting ready to head west to try for a cow elk in unit 36 in Wyoming. I have never been to Wyoming before and was hoping to get some general ideas on what to expect.
I don't need any GPS coordinates or anything like that,
Just would like to know what to expect so I can prepare a little better. I have called the game and fish department and also the wildlife biologist I will be out the second weekend as the biologist advised against coming out opening weekend. Hope everyone has a good opening weekend.
Thanks in advance,
Dale

missalot · Oct 10, 2016

Shoot me a PM with specific questions and I'll try to help. I just spent most of Sept in 45, just over the hill and was through that area a number of times. On the surface, expect a lot of timber, not much long range visibility. It snowed a couple of times in Sept, but I don't know what has happened since the first. Most of the campgrounds in 45 have closed for the year and I expect the same in all those zones. 8,000 to 11,000 ft elevations. The top is wilderness so non-res need guides or locals. I looked for small, out of the way basins that would be over looked or tougher to get to and found elk.

NorthDakotaELKhunter · Oct 10, 2016

I will send you a PM tomorrow, at work right now and the firewalls we have won't let me send a PM. Thanks for the offer. Hope you had a great hunt.,
Dale

chipc · Oct 11, 2016

I'm curious as to why the Bio would tell you to come the second week ? There will be less pressure for sure but that unit gets hunted pretty heavily (everyone from Buffalo that doesn't draw an LE tag) and the Elk get chased around pretty fast. I'm no expert but a friend hunted it and said that lots of Elk move into unit 35 or down onto private when the shooting starts. If it was me I'd be there opening day, find a good funnel to sit on and let someone else chase the Elk to me. Hopefully you get some better intel than I can provide and you have a great hunt. GOOD LUCK. Chip

NorthDakotaELKhunter · Oct 11, 2016

Chip,

thanks for taking the time to reply. Hopefully with just a cow tag I will have some luck. I am not real worried about getting an elk. Just having a chance to hunt a new place is awesome. If I get lucky and get an elk, that is great. Hopefully I can find a private landowner that would allow cow hunting if nothing else. Hope you have a great fall and an awesome hunt. I will post pics if I get luck enough to get one.
Not sure why the biologist would tell us that either. Maybe just want to spread out the influx of dollars to their economy? Hard to say.

chipc · Oct 11, 2016

Yep, its some beautiful country so you'll definitely enjoy that. Perhaps by going later you can find a private landowner that will allow you to hunt - probably with a trespass fee. I hope you have a great hunt !!

ClearCreek · Oct 11, 2016

For cow hunting the last week of the season would probably be the best.

Finding a landowner that will let you kill a cow may be difficult in area 36 for a non-resident.

ClearCreek

NorthDakotaELKhunter · Oct 14, 2016

Thanks for all the replies. Hope everyone has a great, successful season and no one has any bad accidents.
Thanks again,

ND elkhunter

NorthDakotaELKhunter · Oct 31, 2016

Well,
just returned from our hunt in Wyoming. Found it exactly as Chip stated. Hunted hard opening weekend and the elk mostly all moved over to unit 35. All the locals we talked to said the same thing. Did see 18 one night right next to public land but there was only 2 minutes left of legal shooting time and they didn't cross the fence. Oh well. A great learning experience for $300! Beautiful country and met lots of great people from both Wyoming and other states, including fellow residents from North Dakota. Hope everyone has a successful and fun fall, back to goose hunting for me! and Maybe a little bowhunting for some whitetails.