Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Wyoming Recommendations & Suggestions

All:

I would greatly appreciate any guidance, suggestions, or watch-outs the Wyoming cognoscenti may have in regards to putting together an Elk hunt this Fall.

As a non-resident, I submitted my application for the general tag and have 2 preference points so I think the odds are pretty good I will draw. Now I have to sort out where, when, etc. Perhaps I should have had a better handle on that before I applied, but such is life...

I realize it may be a stretch as I think they get booked up well in advance, but the Units that offer an option to rifle hunt during September seem like a very attractive option. In general, I would like to try to find a "wilderness hunt" opportunity so have been calling some outfitters and getting info/references. Any suggestions on outfitters would be very appreciated as well.

I was talking to a fellow from Wyoming at the Harrisburg show this past weekend and he cautioned me to stay out of the Thoroughfare area due to a lot of hunting pressure, so that area is off my list.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

Bob

Wolverine Creek Outfitters
Ryan Lakovitch
307-654-8827
wolverinecreek.com

These guys do the old school pack hunts into wilderness just south of Yellowstone Park. I and my sons have hunted with Ryan and have been very pleased with the operation, and were successful on our hunts.

This area does not have the 350+ class bulls some other areas do (although they are some there). This is in one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 and in addition to elk the sighting of grizzly, moose, and wolves is a very real possibility.

I don't think you will be disappointed with them.

Lee Livingston out of Cody. I believe he is booked for this year but he may have had a cancellation since I talked to him at DSC.

Thank you, guys! I will look into these guys.

What is the throughfare area. Put in for unit 94 this year.

The thoroughfare is the area at the south east corner of Yellowstone. It's pretty remote. I think the park service dumps it's problem grizzlies in that area. I've been told that it is the largest unroaded area in the lower 48. 94 is a long ways from there.

Plenty of Grizz in the thourofare!

I have not hunted with either of these, but have talked to both on the phone and chased down some internet references, both seem ok and I am considering hunting with them for my next elk hunt:

Wolverine Creek (mentioned above): Ryan says 2 points will do it, he has two camps "upper" which is a 25 mile/6 hour horseback ride in/out, and "lower" which I think you can drive to, but hunt out on horse.

Triple3: Buffalo WY, has multiple places for elk, need 2 or 5 points. 5 points gets you on a ranch with big bulls and is a 1-1 hunt.

As I said, I've never hunted with either and have no connection other than I've done my research on them and talked to both on the phone.

I'm not saying you couldn't run into a bad hunt in the thorofare, but there is still some very nice hunting in there.

Each of the camps have their strengths and weaknesses in there. Some I'd want to hunt the first hunt and some I'd want to be there in the snow.

Contact Jay Reynolds with Open Creek outfitters. I have lots of references you can contact.

Open Creek Looks cool on the web site, though this made my butt hurt "32 mile horseback ride..." OUCH. :-)

Another option, not mentioned here, is a booking agent. I have a friend who has been using Hunting Consultants Unlimited for 20 years and swears by them and has never had a bad hunt when going through them.

The booking agent concept is interesting, they do your homework on outfitters, usually doesn't cost you anything extra. Worth considering.

My son know's Ryan and has a working relationship with him. He runs a first rate operation. I have backpacked in the area he hunts, beautiful country, great elk sign, grizzly too. If I were in the mind to book an outfitted hunt he would be on my short list of candidates.

I'll bet you could have a great hunt in Open Creek. However, Open Creek flows into the Thorofare, so if you are dead set against the Thorofare you don't want it.