Wyoming Moose Input - Unit #26 or Unit #2

[rmanwill]

I have been putting in for moose points for years now and have 14 NR points. I have been researching area #26 for several years. I have read articals and talked/contacted numerous people that have hunted this unit in the past.

Now that I am in the ball park of possibly drawing I would like any input or first hand knowledge from anyone willing to help.

I know 26 is a great (fun)area with a high population of moose. However, there is alot of 3-4 year old bulls (35-40 inch antlers) with a few bigger. Last year they raised the tags issued by 10 tags. That is a total of 50 tags issued yearly.

Unit 2 has been hunted and talked about by several on this site and a couple of the magizines. Information I have gethered is that it produces bulls over 40 inches and it only has five tags issued a year with the habitat being a smaller area where hunter have found and bagged in an avarage of around four days.

Even after several years of research on 26, I have to consider unit #2 with the information I have been able to get to this point. This will be my only moose tag in Wyoming and possibly my only moose tag in my lifetime (want to make the best of it). The deadline is the end of this month and trying to make up my mind and get put in for the best tag available with my points. I am aware that 14 is in the ball park of both units, but we all know there is the dreaded point creep. 14 points drew the one NR tag in unit #2 last year and there was 4 left with 15 points where 8 tags are given to non residence, which could drop into my point pool this year. Both are possible this year, but should generate a tag for me within the next couple years.

Thanks in advance for any input/information. PM's would be great. Rick.

 

[30Hart]

26 is a great moose hunt as several on this site have hunted it. The average width of moose taken (that the biologist has access to) shows a slightly wider spread than Area 2. 26 is great as you have stated as it has a lot of moose in it and you'll see plenty of bulls. If you can be patient and get the help of some of locals on this site, you can do real well as most will tell you the north half of unit hardly gets hunted for moose. As far as Area 2 goes, the magazine was wrong as Area 2 is a huge area and a moose can be found anywhere in the unit and I mean anywhere...from all the wilderness in Area 2, to all the dense non-wilderness forest, to even the rivers out in the open cow country. The problem with Area 2 is the moose density is very, very low and can be like finding a needle in a haystack at times. I even know of a pour outfitted guy that went home empty after a 10 day hunt without a moose ($6,500 hunt). Look back in the Fish and Game archives when they had raised the tags to 10...success dropped and guys went home empty. Like Area 26, Area 2 is a great hunt for a local resident as the residents tend to get some slammer bulls out of both, but they hunt elk and deer every year in that country so they already know the homes of a couple big bulls before they draw. That's the best advice I can give on both as they both have major pros and cons.