I am determined to go elk hunting next year and I am trying to start planning on where I should go in Wyoming. I have one year preference so i figured i will be drawn for the general tag.

I have been looking a lot at the Units and I see alot start in October. I was wondering when the Elk rut generally runs in Wyoming? I plan on archery hunting mainly but might go back with a rifle if unsuccessful.

I was wondering if anyone can point me to a good unit to check out. This will be my first elk hunt and I have to avoid Wilderness areas bc i dont want to hire a guide and i plan on backpacking in.

I was kinda leaning towards 36 and 37 , 98, 102,102, 107, 128,( 129 i like the sept 1 start date.) But i honestly dont know much about these units. Any info i would greatly appreciate.
I have been telling my self next year i will go for a few years buts its time to fullfill the dream.

There are a lot more units that start archery Sept. 1st with the General Elk. I hunted in Unit 21 the first week of September. If I go again I won't go until the third week of September. The weather was way too hot this year for the elk to be talking the first week of September. There was a lot of elk sign I just wasn't able to find any elk. Mostly because I didn't know where to look and I spent a lot of time wondering around trying to learn the area.

I still haven't decided whether or not I am going to apply this year

blackraven. Don't give up. I have been up there 2 years in a row now and have yet to shoot one. Although my buddies have. Just have to be in the right place at the right time.

You won't know the area unless you scout/hunt it. I dont have the luxury to scout as I live 1000 miles away, but I have learned alot in geography in the last 2 years being up there. I WILL NOT give up and will continue to go there whether I have a tag or not each year. My buddy lives up there and I figure I can help him (he gets over the counter because he is a resident). My father in law told me once that you wont see any deer sitting at home. I am sure this is applicable to elk as well. Good luck to you.

Blackraven- i also kinda had 21 highlighted on a map to possibly check out but all the info i could find was a Oct 15 start date.

Could someone post a link if there is one to some dates, i looked all over there website and found 'Nonresident Tenative Full Price Elk Huntign Season Information" And most show a late late september or October start date.

21 has a Sept 1st start for bow season and runs the entire month of Sept. Rifle season for bulls usually starts on the 15th of October.

Always any elk during bow season and varies during rifle season from bulls only to any elk depending on the post winter counts.

Those dates you are looking at on the tentative sheet are the opening dates for rifle seasons. Almost all general elk areas have a Sept 1st opening date for bow season.

That makes more sense that iwas looking at rifle dates. Is there an archery season spreadsheet?

The actual dates and seasons are not set until after the winter counts sometime in May.

Here is something that might help. This is last years. Scroll down to section 4. These may change a little in May.

http://gf.state.wy.us/admin/regulations/pdf/Ch7_04262010.pdf

yes that what i needed to see. page 12-13 for anyone else looking.


Ok Now i have dates figured out. Anyone want to share units that are worth a look?

I have 3 general vacinities i am concentrating on SW corner 98 102 103 105 107 106. South Central 9 10 12 15 110 21, 128 (little north)

And NE closest to home for me 129 36 37. 128

Yes very general areas LOL

i am looking at units in south central and north central mainly, anyone care to atleast fill me in on a unit? iam not asking for gps coordinates or even a trailhead just a unit to get started. Just looking for good amount of public ground and decent elk numbers.

Thanks everyone.

Looks Like gas is going to be expensive for a while and i would like to do it right by scouting and a trip or two so i am leaning towasrds the Bighorns, anyone have any insight for 36 and 37?

The first thing you'll notice right away ,is it is dang near a mathmaticall impossibilty for there to be that many 4wheelers and hunters and so few elk in any othe place in the world.... Probably at least 3 atv's for every hunter, and .003 elk per hunter....
Draw a black hills unit and spend your time and money close to home with a reasonable chance of getting an elk.

Come on Ranch, there are some units in the Bighorns that produce some nice bulls if a person is willing to walk away from the atv's.

You have to walk further than it's prudent to try and get one out on your back. Horses would be a better bet. And even when you think you about got back far enough you blunder into another bunch of camps.
About the closest thing you can find to hunting in Colorado....

I didnt say it was the units he mentioned.

... and I dont hate horses enough to take them where I was hunting. That country has some boulder fields that are impressive.

No I wouldn't want to take horses up there either. To many idiots with magnum rifles......Besides who wants to go on vacation so they can get up 2 hrs earlier and do chores... Not me.
36 and 37 are fun to visit,occasional, but I wouldn't even want the price of a nonresident license riding on finding an elk in shooting range there.
Snowy's and Madres much better chance of finding elk.
Not to mention any preseason scouting on elk is for naught long before the archers get thru prickin around.

Only place I ever hunted where I called in bulls and both of you look at each other and what is between you and both of you say fug it.

Agreed on the Madres.... way too easy for a NR to find an elk.

Up on those flats north of soldier park with all those srewy little ridges that are more like boulder covered honeycombs is what made me a believer in gps...
Would like to spend some time in that country between Paradise and Firebox. Looked like it'ld be alright if you could figure out how to get one out without going in for a frying pan at atime.

Still think if I was living in SD and wanted to hunt Wy. I'ld try for a 116-117 or 1 permit. Longer season closer to home.

Some good elk in the Hills. I just hate having to check my gps with every step to make sure I was on forest circus property. That country pisses me off with landowners playing games with property signs.

Going to stick with the Madres until I can draw one of those tags up near you.

Man you sure don't want to draw one of these 3 permits any more. Those buggers have got themselves down across the river pesterin them Rooshin farmers. Betting there wasn't a 25 % kill this year.
We had about 50 head all summer munchin on hay and cleaning up all the stock salt, and then season opened and poof, they was gone. Feeding cows in the south pasture now with all this snow on the ground and there's no elk track at all.
Think the lions got populated again. The deer went out on the flats, and the elk said see ya later..
I think they need to put us in 129 for general and call it goodnuff.

Might have to find me a new spot as well. Talk among the rabbit sheriffs is that they are considering making south of 70 a draw unit. Lets just hope its all talk. They are also talking about making a certain Peak area a general tag. Would almost pay money to watch that circus the first year.

Cant be all that bad up near you. There was a certain California member of the Fire bothering the local RMEF boys down here about purchasing the free for all tag they are holding.

You'd be hard pressed to find a way to piss away your time and money more effectively then hunting in 36 and 37.

The ONLY way to hunt 37 is with an archery only tag and that just gives you 15 days with half as many atv's.

Wow this thread blew up overnight. I would be archery hunting mainly but would come back with a rifle if needed but doesnt sound like 36 or 37 as i dont own three 4 wheelers not even one LOL.36 37 that bad huh?

I heard the units around 21 are crazy with hunters also is this true?

Ranch13- i have been contemplating saving my preference and trying to draw the 117 permit but it looks it takes about 5 years to draw. i am a litle worried about lack of public ground in that unit as well. And if its like teh rest of the hills like WYOELK said you nearly have to walk every step with a gps and the lions are really taking ahold of elk population. I have 5 years of points for about every elk tag in SD i have the itch and i need to scratch it. I would really like to go this next year.

What are the chances of drawing a general tag the with no preference?Or are they unlimited i though t i sen somewhere it was a draw? If it is a draw is it possible to apply without using your preference? Would it be smart to apply fro 117 first choice and general 2 nd choice?

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Hells bells its not that hard to hunt the Black Hills. Matter of fact it's easier to stay on forest,state and blm now than it was 40 someodd years ago, it's marked.
If I were to want to draw a Black Hills permit, I'ld do the 116, as it's also valid in the portions of 129 in Crook Co.
Can't help you on the ballbaby points, that's another one of the wrong turns the Game and Fish took to try and appease the cry babies, and it's not worked out for either residents or non residents, but they won't get rid of em now....I do think tho once you have them you can't loose them unless you don't put it for a couple of years and if you do put in they'll rank you with the other's of equal points.
There's 14 yr old resident kids that probably won't get to hunt Upper Green River Moose because by the time they have the points to draw a bull tag the nursing home won't let them out to go...

If it sounds like i am complaining i am not i am new to the chaos of drawing a tag and just trying to put my money time and effort in a productive area where i can draw a good unit where i can enjoy the hunt and have a chance to come home with an elk.And i relly dont know what to do i was set on going next year with the General tag but you guys brought up holding out for 116 117 which a friend of mine did as well. And to top it all of i am running out of time to decide.

Thats to bad not being able to get a chance to hunt a species of game in your own state like the moose you reffered too. Alot of residents might be in teh same boat here in SD for elk if we cant keep the mt lion population in check.
Heck to get a whitetail buck tag in my home county i draw every 4 years just for a deer tag, its a joke but the way it is.

Yes, in spots, 21 is loaded with hunters as well.

Gethuntin, was going to have you send me a PM for elk hunting advice, since my brother-in-law worked bulls every day in area 12 after Sept. 15 last year, but the whining about predators always turns me off, along with that $85 turkey license, only available from Pierre, you boys in SD wanted to keep us nonresidents from killing all of your turkeys.

Well first thing you need to figure out is that any general area is going to be crowded in most places , especially in the early part of the season. Later in the season when the crowds dispurse the elk have gone pretty dead quiet with the bugling and are pretty nocturnal (more so than usual) with their movements.
Second and probably most important, even in the best years when the sun and stars and moon and all are in proper alignment, it's a pretty safe bet 60% of the hunters have gone home with valid tags in their pockets, and the majority of them may never of even seen anything but a Knot in a dead tree to shoot at. Some of the draw only areas offer a bit better odds of being successful,but that's not quaranteed either.
Good luck with the choices. Be glad to pass you on any info I can when/if you get a permit for wherever.

i think the thorofare is a general unit?

Figure on most general units having a good portion of wilderness area also which prevents the majority of non residents from hunting it.

DrHJH- I usually dont try to avoid posts especially when someone would try to call me out on something so i wont on yours. Not to start a pissing match or anything, but in reality I dont have a big reason to complain about predators (lions) in the hills bc i dont live out there I wish i did but I dont. the only way they affect me is it is harder to draw for an elk tag with decreased quotas. I am sure it is nothing compared to wyoming and other western states with grizzlies and wolves i cant imagine them taking over here and hope they never do. But i do have a mt lion tag and am hoping to help curve the population this winter.I actually like to hunt predators as much as deer or more, i spend all my winters calling coyotes. I just dont like not keeping or lion population in check when theres still time.
As far as turkey tags i assume you are reffering to the Hills. Which yes its $85 but it is a little more than the $72 non res tag in wyoming. As residents we pay 20 in you pay $16 in Wy comaprable in my opinion. As far as going through Pierre its our license office all licenses go through Pierre and in the Hills unit it is an unlimited tag so we are not keeping anyone from killing our turkeys.

Anyway i didnt take offense to your post hope you dont to mine, good luck next fall or this spring if you chase some turkeys.

Just screwing with you. Our license is $78 now for a nonresident. Send me a PM and I can help you with some places to hunt down here in the southern part of WY if you want to hunt a general license area. My Michigan brother-in-law, who wasn't smart enough to pay for a point the fall before, could have shot a half dozen bulls, one at 8 steps, but had a cow license. He had a cow coming toward him down a two-track with its head down and instead of drawing and getting a 25 yard shot, he backed off the road and of course the elk saw him and beat feet. Just before the end of his hunt he wounded and lost a cow that turned toward him as he released the arrow, and the quartering shoulder shot did not kill her immediately. He didn't have much blood to follow and couldn't find her, and neither could I a couple of hours later. Last fall we heard very little bugling until about the 14th of September, probably due to the mild weather.

My god.... This crap isnt that hard. Pick an area, lace up your boots and go kill an elk.

Sounds like a good game plan.

I forgot to add the most important part... have fun!