Wy unit 128 late 2024

[Cozmo8]

For the other hunters that have this tag this year please join in. Hopefully someone hasn’t already started one. Blank, when you get there in a week or so please contribute. Pretty much like everyone told me. Lots of game tough to find an upper class buck. I’ve spent 8 days in the unit and plan on 8 more. Having an absolute blast and can’t believe how many animals are already down. The best buck I’ve seen is the first buck I ran into. He was on the border of the Wilderness. Spectacular country.

 

[Cozmo8]

Another. Anyone know how to post videos

 

[BIGOLMULEY]

So lucky! I wish I could get that tag again. Glad you are taking us along.
Upload your video to YouTube and copy the link. Paste into your post. For a video.

 

[Syncerus1]

Cozmo8 the buck you pictured is barely worth a look for that hunt in that unit in a New Normal year. Blank knows the area well, but he will tell you if you don't find what you are looking for - Keep Looking! Try south of the highway too, and west of town to the north. One of the 2 best bucks I've ever seen was on the west edge of town @ the river chasing does not 50 yards off the road. The best one was when Blnk had the tag and left to go home one morning. Wife and I found a giant, called him but he was on the pass headed west. Watched that deer for 15 minutes @ 200-250 yards then he disappeared into the river bottom... easy 200" - 205" typical... Best of luck, keep looking and moving ALL day!

 

[Bwht4x4]

Buddy and I had the tag last year. We hunted the last 9 days of the hunt thinking snow and weather would bring them down. We spent nearly all of that time hunting above 9k feet on the north side of the highway. The south side seemed too restrictive to us with only a few entry points to public and some extremely steep areas. On the 2nd evening I passed on this buck and I let my buddy shoot him. After that I passed on one more buck a bit smaller than this one. In the end we never found a big buck for me.

Before our hunt they had some super cold temps and snow, which got the deer moving. If we had arrived a week earlier we would have had a much better hunt IMO. The only thing I couldn't figure out is where the deer that moved down before our hun went once it warmed up again. Did they go back up or stay on the reservation. The one thing I noticed the the last couple of days we were there that we were seeing more deer along the steep hillsides east of the East Fork Wind River. Makes me think they pushed onto the reservation and then started to come back a bit.

 

[Syncerus1]

Good buck! Some move to the Rez, some go south of highway into the vast Ring Lake boulder country, some move west towards Horse Creek side and beyond. There is more country between Horse Creek and the East Fork than you can imagine. Dark moon, cold weather is your friend!

 

[sjhgraysage]

Thanks for the pics! I love the area. Unfortunately I did not draw, maybe next year.....

 

[Craig]

How's the weather? doesn't look like a lot of snow.

 

[Togwotee]

There are always a few good bucks taken but anyone would be misled to think it's a top end trophy hunt. don't get me wrong I love it, I've hunted it twice and with max points I'll hunt it again or die trying. but expectations need to be kept real.

I took this buck far from a road in the mid 90's and it won the big buck contest in Dubois. he's a 6x7 202 gross, the picture is terrible. but my point is this was a top end buck back then and it's not what it used to be.

Hopefully there will be some nice bucks taken this year and it will just keep getting better. I prefer hunting the south side but you're going to hunt harder and see less deer.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Had a great hunt in unit 128 back in 2012. But even then everyone told me to shoot the first 160” buck I saw. Covered a lot of ground and seen more bucks than any other hunt I had been on. Given that I only found 2 bucks that were over 180”. One was on private land and the other I took home. Would really like to hunt it again before I hang up my rifles.

 

[Blank]

Just got home late last night. Had to haul azz home with the wife from Havasu. Older son had 3 days of emergency surgeries in Sun Valley and Twin Falls, on sinuses, nose, and a ruptured artery up in his head. I will be headed over to Dubois for a week of whitetail hunting, soon as things settled down a little here. Good luck to everyone who has the tag!!!

 

[dwalton]

Blank,
Best wishes for your son's recovery. Hope he heals quickly!

 

[elkhunterUT]

Best of luck on your hunt and thanks for sharing details with us - hope to see more and a great conclusion with a big buck!

 

[Ranger1]

Great looking bucks

 

[Sierra]

For a tag that has less than a 5% chance of drawing with Max Points, one would expect better quality bucks.

 

[Cozmo8]

So lucky! I wish I could get that tag again. Glad you are taking us along.
Upload your video to YouTube and copy the link. Paste into your post. For a video.

I knew that. Sorry for the brain cramp

 

[Cozmo8]

Cozmo8 the buck you pictured is barely worth a look for that hunt in that unit in a New Normal year. Blank knows the area well, but he will tell you if you don't find what you are looking for - Keep Looking! Try south of the highway too, and west of town to the north. One of the 2 best bucks I've ever seen was on the west edge of town @ the river chasing does not 50 yards off the road. The best one was when Blnk had the tag and left to go home one morning. Wife and I found a giant, called him but he was on the pass headed west. Watched that deer for 15 minutes @ 200-250 yards then he disappeared into the river bottom... easy 200" - 205" typical... Best of luck, keep looking and moving ALL day!

Those are 5 different bucks. Sorry I wasted your time.

 

[Cozmo8]

Buddy and I had the tag last year. We hunted the last 9 days of the hunt thinking snow and weather would bring them down. We spent nearly all of that time hunting above 9k feet on the north side of the highway. The south side seemed too restrictive to us with only a few entry points to public and some extremely steep areas. On the 2nd evening I passed on this buck and I let my buddy shoot him. After that I passed on one more buck a bit smaller than this one. In the end we never found a big buck for me.

Before our hunt they had some super cold temps and snow, which got the deer moving. If we had arrived a week earlier we would have had a much better hunt IMO. The only thing I couldn't figure out is where the deer that moved down before our hun went once it warmed up again. Did they go back up or stay on the reservation. The one thing I noticed the the last couple of days we were there that we were seeing more deer along the steep hillsides east of the East Fork Wind River. Makes me think they pushed onto the reservation and then started to come back a bit.

View attachment 163336

Nice animal. Congratulations

 

[Cozmo8]

How's the weather? doesn't look like a lot of snow.

8-10 inches near Sheridan. Almost none in town and on the E Fork

 

[Cozmo8]

8-10 inches near Sheridan. Almost none in town and on the E Fork

Had a great hunt in unit 128 back in 2012. But even then everyone told me to shoot the first 160” buck I saw. Covered a lot of ground and seen more bucks than any other hunt I had been on. Given that I only found 2 bucks that were over 180”. One was on private land and the other I took home. Would really like to hunt it again before I hang up my rifles.
View attachment 163386

Nice buck

 

[Togwotee]

For a tag that has less than a 5% chance of drawing with Max Points, one would expect better quality bucks.

Agreed, that's what I'm saying. it's a fun hunt in beautiful country but it's not what I'd call a true trophy hunt.

 

[Cozmo8]

Cozmo8 the buck you pictured is barely worth a look for that hunt in that unit in a New Normal year. Blank knows the area well, but he will tell you if you don't find what you are looking for - Keep Looking! Try south of the highway too, and west of town to the north. One of the 2 best bucks I've ever seen was on the west edge of town @ the river chasing does not 50 yards off the road. The best one was when Blnk had the tag and left to go home one morning. Wife and I found a giant, called him but he was on the pass headed west. Watched that deer for 15 minutes @ 200-250 yards then he disappeared into the river bottom... easy 200" - 205" typical... Best of luck, keep looking and moving ALL day!

Any pics of that big guy so I know what to look for

 

[Cozmo8]

Good buck! Some move to the Rez, some go south of highway into the vast Ring Lake boulder country, some move west towards Horse Creek side and beyond. There is more country between Horse Creek and the East Fork than you can imagine. Dark moon, cold weather is your friend!

Doesn’t look like that will happen on either. Last week the best day was single digits. The deer moved pretty well that day

 

[Cozmo8]

I have 8 days in the unit so far. Had a family event that cut a few days out. I have 8 more planned. I can’t wait to get back tomorrow.If I can’t get it done in that amount of time then I guess I’m not a very good Hunter.

So far it is probably the most enjoyable deer hunt I’ve been on. Hunted Kaibab late last year and had a 3rd season Colo in 16.

I'm only posting public land bucks. Obviously the private fields are packed, probably 700-1000 deer but I haven’t even stopped to look at what’s there

 

[smokepoll]

Enjoy that hunt!

 

[Bowbuster]

For a tag that has less than a 5% chance of drawing with Max Points, one would expect better quality bucks.

That would be true but this isn’t the only time these deer are hunted, you have sep archery hunters and general hunters hunting the same bucks up in the wilderness just a month previous.