Draw Option WY... Please help...

[elks96]

So I am in a hard spot. I moved to WY this Summer, I have one under max points. My wife has points as well. I have a fall break every year that allows me hunt the last week of September and the first 2 weeks of Oct. I am looking at options for my points and not sure where to go or what to do.

I have looked at a bunch of units and have a short list of hunts I can make...

My Short list is Unit 11 split points with wife, Unit 24 Unit 25/27 split points with Wife, Unit 24 me only, UNit 111 and pray for luck...

Unit 1 - Would get the last week of Sept. for archery and then a week at thanksgiving. I like this option because I have never been in the area and think I would like the unit. However it sounds like the majority of elk are taken early and not late...

Unit 11 - Has good access, smaller unit, but the archery and rifle are back to back. Gives me 21 days of nonstop hunting. I have heard that a 300" bull is reasonable and there are some bigger

Unit 19 - would give a lot of time to hunt, but difficult access

Unit 23 - Really long season but noted as difficult access

Unit 24 - Close to home, would give full break off for hunting, bull quality is not great, told 280 is a good bull

Unit 25/27 - Close to home, full break off, 300" bulls is a decent goal.

Unit 51 type 1 or 2 - Over break but have no idea about the unit at all

Unit 53 type 2 - Late hunt would have entire week of Thanksgiving to hunt

Unit 55 type 1 - Last week of Sept Archery then 2 weeks rifle. Will be a resident by hunt so I can hunt the wilderness areas

Unit 111 - Would be my dream tag from my list, but it is not 100% with 1 under max. Has been 50-75% for the last 3 years with 1 under max.

Unit 118 - Would need access and bulls do not sound very big


Anyone willing to help me narrow down units, please feel free to chime in. If I do not draw I can always get a general tag as a resident.


Also I am looking for a hunt not necessarily for the biggest bull, but one that will allow me lots of action. I am totally fine hunting wide open sage, or timber. Prefer open ground to timber. Really like aspens and the transition habitats. Mahognany, sage etc. Not too afraid of bears, but also am not set up to do a true back pack wilderness hunt. Prefer places where I can leave the truck an hour before daylight, hunt all day and return to base camp.

Again not needing a 350' bull but would like to have opportunity at decent 6x6 in the 300ish range.

 

[Katoom]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-19 AT 07:21PM (MST)[p]I might be wrong here, and hoping I am, but I have read other places that you might wish you had used those points before you became a resident...

Edit: Just read some of the details and I think I get it now. You wont be a resident YET at time of draw. Sorry I didnt catch that before. Good luck with your "problem" ha ha!

 

[elks96]

>LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-19
>AT 07:21?PM (MST)
>
>I might be wrong here, and
>hoping I am, but I
>have read other places that
>you might wish you had
>used those points before you
>became a resident...
>
>Edit: Just read some of
>the details and I think
>I get it now.
>You wont be a resident
>YET at time of draw.
> Sorry I didnt catch
>that before. Good luck
>with your "problem" ha ha!
>

Yeah. I will not be a resident for the draw but will be by hunting season!

 

[BigChiefJ]

If you have a bunch of points banked, is there any reason you can't keep applying as a nonresident until you use them?

I assume Wyoming would be willing to accept the extra money.

 

[jm77]

>If you have a bunch of
>points banked, is there any
>reason you can't keep applying
>as a nonresident until you
>use them?
>
>I assume Wyoming would be willing
>to accept the extra money.
>


No, it is illegal for a resident to apply as a nonresident, and vice versa.

 

[nfh]

Elks96

I have zero info on most your of the units on your list.

But I have some knowledge of the units 51,53 55.

I have a couple of questions. since your still considered a non-resident do you plan on hunting the non-wilderness or will you have a resident to access the wilderness areas?

also for these units would you back-pack? I suggest horses/mules. with horses you could cover much more ground and be able to get on bulls over the 300" range.

I know for area 53 I would never hunt without horses/mules. Its a good ride in to get to the good hunting spots. When you spot the elk they are so darn far away you are usually trotting as fast as you can to cover ground for it gets to dark to legally shoot. I hunted this unit back when it was area 121 back in 2013 with the late season tag.

 

[mightyhunter]

I wouldn't waste points on 53-2 if you don't have horses. 51-1 is a good unit but 51-2 isn't all that great. I have taken bulls in 51-1. All of the units mentioned do have grizzly bear issues.

just sayin...mh

 

[Chesterwyo]

24. Utilize the proximity to home to find and kill a bull bigger than the running average.

 

[treedagain]

I agree that 24 is a good choice.....300 bull is very doable.



How to start an argument online:
1. Express an opinion
2. Wait

 

[Broomer]

19 there is access don't be afraid of access! Also next year you can apply as a resident for any unit and have WAY better odds in any of those units you've mentioned. I would also look at any of those units that have an October 1 opener. 25/27, 11 I know open then.

 

[BrianID]

If I were you I would try to spend a little time in 24 this winter to see the quality of the bulls yourself before the draw. I've only driven through 24 a few times and don't have any first hand information about elk in the unit. I do know there are some good bulls to be found in the low country of central Wyoming. I would rather have a tag in a mediocre unit that I could scout than a good unit that I couldn't scout.

 

[rocky2track]

Welcome to Wyoming! Decisions, decisions... You've got some time. If I've followed along correctly I believe you're in Lander over the mountain from me. Fill the gas tank up and take a drive every weekend and drive by/up to some of the areas you're thinking about. Some of those areas you list may be a real eye opener for you. I'd omit Area 1, too far away. Find an area closer so you can concentrate more time in. You're living within good elk areas all around you with not having to drive more that 2.5 hours. With that many points you have an opportunity to hunt some areas that are difficult for residents to draw. There's not much difference in an elk area that takes 6-11 non resident points to draw. If you only wanted to chase 300" bulls then you could have went on 5-6 hunts already. I'd also look at 64 & 63. Talk to the biologists. I'd take a good mountain/foothills area hunt over a sagebrush hunt, but that's just me. Take a look at some of the areas to the west of you on the west side of the Wind River range. There's a few that would meet your criteria in the way you like to hunt. Most areas go right from bowhunting to rifle season in Wyoming. There's not many staggered seasons. I wouldn't make that part of your criteria. We're not like Colorado. And habitats, we don't have those endless sea of aspens like down in Colorado. The amount of 'action' you may find will totally depend on you being able to find the concentrations of elk in that particular area. Again, you should take a few drives. You certainly won't be able to access the mountains much this time of year or either the drifted sagebrush country, but many hwy and county roads will still be open so you can at least get a feel of the countryside in front of you.