Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Time to kill scouting elk mgmt units near Gillette

My son, a hunting pard & his son, and I are pronghorn hunting areas 23 & 26 the second week of October, and I have 5-7 elk PPs I intend to use between 2015-17 and I thought this'd provide a good opportunity to scout potential areas.

In addition to necessitating about that many PPs to draw, I am looking for limited draw areas with 40-60% success rates! good odds at getting away from paved roads! and a fair chance at a mature bull.

I am considering using this opportunity to check out units 39 & 40.

Does anyone have other ideas that'd fit the above description w/ in 4 hrs or so of Gillette?

Thanks for any help,

Efw

1?

116?

Anybody w/ thoughts on those units?

When I have driven that highway into Gillette the antelope were thick on both sides of road. I've not hunted there but have hunted around Douglass. I'd be surprised if the success rate isn't near 100%.

If you were to put this question on the big game hunting forum you would likely get some real good information in replies.

Sorry if I was unclear; we are going pronghorn hunting but I am looking for information on elk management units to scout.

I went up & edited my OP to make that more clear.

Yes I am looking forward to good success on the PH side of things!

Not sure of the success rates but you might look over area 35. It will be on your way to 39 and 40 if you go over the Big Horns from Buffalo to Tensleep. It is very popular with the locals and as a resident it is hard to draw. It has pretty decent access with forest service roads but still some areas to get back away from others. If you don't want to camp out you can stay in a motel in Buffalo and still be 20-30 min away.

And Buffalo is a great little town to rest your feet in.

Excellent gentlemen you sold me; 35 it is! Are the Bighorns grizzly country?

I have the contact info for the CO and will get same for biologist to find out elk & mulie densities & cow/bull ratios.

What do you guys usually as the CO when you call?

Anyone w/ personal experience in 35 willing to share any info please PM me. I'd be mighty grateful; really want to see some elk & mulies in their backcountry home!

Sweet Eastman lists this as a sleeper area. It's outside grizzly country too.

Anyone w/ info they're willing to share about the section of this unit outside the wilderness area I'd really appreciate a PM!

Thanks so much all!

35 is a good elk area , except the tags are limited and seem to always go to the same people!!!! Area 38 is good also. In spots. 36 and 37 are the general areas and are full of people, atvs and campers! Area 45 is good as long as the weather stays warm.
P,S. area 34 is a promising area as well. More potential they most people give it.

Have killed many a elk in 45 in deep snow and cold. Area 34 is very promising as stated.

"Sweet Eastman lists this as a sleeper area. It's outside grizzly country too."


A word of caution - if an area has been listed more than a year or two on Eastman's, Hunting Fool, etc., it is likely of considerably less quality than before they "discovered" it. Happened to my favorite area. The extreme pressure from avid, extreme hunters has brought the trophy quality down, and even the general hunting quality down. No area can stand long-term extreme pressure for long.

One thing about the Big Horns, a lot of elk move out early to private lands where you cannot get access. You can see nice bulls, but not get to them. Perhaps it is less bad near Buffalo than Sheridan. Be sure to do your homework.

The Black Hills has bulls that are not slouches, but you need access to private as well as National Forest due to the ownership patchwork. Elk can move so far in short time periods, what you see one day is not what you necessarily get the next. Scouting is best done during the same time period/month/season you plan to hunt. Good luck.