General Elk around Kemmerer

RidgeRebel · Feb 1, 2012

I am hoping to be hunting general elk in WY this year provided I draw a tag and I was hoping someone could point me in a good direction. I am planning on hunting near Kemmerer in units 102,103,104. I have spoken to the game warden and the biologist in the area and it sounds like a good area to try. I will be hunting during the archery season with my brother. We have not been to this area before but we will be comming up to do some scouting in the summer. Has anybody hunted this area and might be willing to point us in a good direction? Not that anybody who lives in WY would want to hunt in UT but if your interested I could trade info for some decent deer and elk hunting here in UT. Anyway any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

RidgeRebel

mulecreek · Feb 2, 2012

Try following Hobble creek to the north. Take this road until it ends at the gate. Hunt to the east over the ridge towards Lake Alice. There is a chunk of private in the Nat. Forest land so make sure you work around this. The drainge that runs into Lake Alice and further to the east towards Commisary can be good. Godd luck. Lots of good ground to hunt in 102.

GntShedz · Feb 2, 2012

the 102 (kemmerer area) is a joke anymore. used to hold good bulls and numbers but now holds more orange hats than anything. if your wanting to hunt 102 be prepared for tons of ppl and goodluck even finding a place to camp.

BuzzH · Feb 2, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-12 AT 02:26PM (MST)[p]I got an idea...how about we make every elk area LQ in Wyoming. The elk herds are suffering and we cant find bulls to shoot in general areas. There are no quality hunts to be had and elk are scarce.

General elk areas are just no good...most of these bulls were shot in one day of hunting, some in less than a half day, and none took more than 3 days...all in general areas.

I dont even like to hunt elk much...but if you cant find a bull elk and quality hunt in a General area in Wyoming...you're not even remotely trying. Any easier and there would be a law against it.

Time to quite whining and start hunting...good grief.

TOPGUN · Feb 2, 2012

BuzzH---The trouble is that none of your bulls approach 400", so why should they hunt on a General Tag, LOL!!! It's really amazing how many people just don't know what true hunting is all about and that's to have fun even if you don't tag out or see a B&C animal!

bucklover · Feb 2, 2012

That second to the last is a dandy!

mulecreek · Feb 2, 2012

Not sure where GntShedz is hunting but tht has not been my experience at all. Lots of camps particulary on the lower elevation areas like Miller Mnt. But that makes sense to most since that area is littered with roads. Walk awhile and you will find solitude and elk. There is a good mix of areas to hunt on the south end of the Wyoming Range. Below are the last two bulls I took in Wyo General Areas just North of 102. And the area I hunt even has the dreaded wolf. Somehow, by the grace of god, even I was able to find a bull to shoot.

BuzzH · Feb 2, 2012

Mulecreek,

I dont believe it...there is nothing but orange hats in general elk areas.

Nice work!

Murphy · Feb 2, 2012

I hope my orange-hatted head is out there come October. I love the idea of that general tag. Lots of options.

mulecreek · Feb 2, 2012

Buzz,

It is hard to believe. Just dumbass luck I suppose. No place to camp during hunting season either.

Darn nice bulls yourself. That six is a fine bull!

Cornhusker · Feb 2, 2012

"Attitude Is Everything" Which is probably why you fellas have done so well.

RidgeRebel · Feb 3, 2012

Thanks Mulecreek and BuzzH,
You guys seem to have figured it out, I hope I have similar results. Thanks for the advice.

RidgeRebel

TOPGUN · Feb 3, 2012

Yep; I keep telling BuzzH that for somebody who keeps saying he doesn't much care for elk hunting, he sure knocks the he** out of em, LOL! Maybe it's just too easy for him,,but you do really need to know an area and then bust your buns to have that kind of success most of the time!

beech18 · Feb 3, 2012

Have fun and dont worry about what others are saying negitive comments. If theres alot of hunters, dont worry about them, hunt harder, hunt smarter and you'll have a good time reguardless of the outcome. Ive hunted the high country of region G some for deer, always saw elk and some nice ones. Hunted last year unit 26 moose, saw some elk north of Kemmerer even when we werent looking for them. Alot of good looking elk country around there. Enjoy.

wyowill · Feb 3, 2012

Would help just a little to know how you are equipped to hunt. Do you have horses? Will you be packing in? Back packing in? Are you in good shape yet? There are some areas that have good looking elk in them in these areas but you have to be able to walk straight up and straight down to get to them. That being said, the last 6 point (335) I tagged was near the head of Fontenelle Creek but I have not been back in this particular area for awhile.

RidgeRebel · Feb 4, 2012

Thanks for the info Wyowill. We will be hunting on foot out of a base camp. I am in okay shape right now but I will be in pretty good shape by September thanks to Crossfit. We hunted Colorado in 2010 and di pretty good. We were averaging 8 miles a day over there but it was thick country and you had move slow. We also packed out the bull I shot here in UT last year 2.5 miles on our backs. I am no athelete but I am willing to work. Also we will be focusing on the archery season ( last part of September) but if we are unsuccessful, we will return for the rifle hunt.

Thanks
RidgeRebel

GntShedz · Feb 5, 2012

holy cow buzz, you could atleast whipe the milk off the lips before you take a picture. that one bull is a decent elk. there is alot of good country but they never get age on them, most get shot to young, its a shame.. i.e. look above. this area is starting to remind me of the snowy range. elk are getting call shy and too many ppl whoring it out on the internet

PleaseDear · Feb 5, 2012

So----'GntShedz'....

Ya want to show all of us your 5-6 huge bulls that aint got milk on the lips? from your General Elk unit harvests??

You are the man.

Robb

TOPGUN · Feb 5, 2012

+1 Robb! Why can't some people just STFU if they can't post anything positive!

Whiterock · Feb 5, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-12 AT 07:35PM (MST)[p]Nice pictures ! I would be excited and proud as h--- of any one of them !

beech18 · Feb 5, 2012

Any elk is a good elk, esp otc or general unit hunts

mmwb · Feb 5, 2012

"there is alot of good country but they never get age on them, most get shot to young, its a shame.."

If your meat hunting, it doesn't get much better!

If your in a heavily hunted area, make it work for you. The elk will concentrate where the hunters aren't. That is often down some steep, thick, hell hole, but it also might be a patch of timber of 50 acres close to the road. If you notice isolated areas where the orange army does not seem to hit, check them out. If your not sure where they are at, look at likely funnels that other hunters will be pushing them through. Be willing to cover a lot of ground if necessary, but watch for sign and slow way down once you find where they are at. WATCH THE WIND when still hunting, whether covering ground quickly or very meticulously picking your way through the timber. If you spook a group and they haven't scented you, they will not go as far. If they scent you they are likely to cover some serious ground. If there are elk in the general area, there will be a few in the thick stuff regardless of pressure, even if not herded. Some elk remain fairly independent even during and post rut--not just bulls either.

piper · Feb 5, 2012

Buzz is trying to be a smart allec because a lot of us would like to see some controls put on deer tag numbers. The differences between elk and deer are many, for one thing the elk herds are doing quite well, and they like the heavy timber more than deer do, which is also nice because you can get away from the people, or so it seems anyway . The areas around Alice lake can get a little crowded from what I have seen as you can drive within a short hike from the lake, and there will be camps all along Hobble creek.

BuzzH · Feb 5, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-05-12 AT 09:30PM (MST)[p]GntShedz,

I dont like to hunt elk that much...so I dont really try that hard to kill them. I rarely spend more than a day or two hunting elk. Elk = Freezer filler for me. I may decide to take it serious some day, when I get tired of hunting mule deer and antelope.

Shot these two bulls on the General Hunts in Arizona, warm milk for bait: