Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Wyoming Elk 2023

A buddy of mine and I are starting to get serious about hunting elk in the fall of 2023 (two years out). We are new to elk hunting. We are dropping weight (I have shed 25 pounds with another 36 to go to get to my goal of 192). We are doing weekend conditioning hikes on the AT with backpacks anywhere from 30 to 45 lbs. Going to start weight training with free weights to build core and leg strength. We want to hunt elk in western Wyoming. Not sure where. Any elk will do, we will be thrilled to get a cow. I will hunt with a 6.5 RPM or a 280 Remington or a 300 RSAUM. Buddy will hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor. Our thought is to apply for the elk tags at the appropriate time, in an area conducive to out of staters having a reasonable probability of success. Our transport is a 4x4 Ram 1500. We're thinking a reasonable approach is to get into an area accessible by the truck, then set up a base camp and do day trips (one or two overnights at a time) with our legs into areas where the truck can't go...
We will drive from Virginia, and plan to be out there for at least 30 days, thinking that September or October makes sense (?). We don't want to get stranded in snow.
Any thoughts on when to get tags, where to hunt, how to pull it together much appreciated.
We are not averse to guided hunts, but would prefer do-it-yourself just for the challenge. But if there is an outfitter we should consider please let us know.
Appreciate any campfire wisdom you can pass on with respect to kit, tactics, etc.

Hope you have the because you will not draw without about 3.
Stay far enough south in Western Wyo and you will not have grizz or wolf issues.
Truck camp will work fine for you with your plan .

You might look into reduced price Cow tags, they are a random draw and you can get one in addition to your any elk tag, they do not use or take your PP.
You'll want a game bird license as well for grouse hunting.

You might consider NW Colorado if you don’t draw WY tags. OTC bull tags and usually lots of leftover cow tags. The best spots are usually an access issue with private land and trespass fees, which are generally worth it in my opinion. I would do lots of internet and phone scouting since you have ample time. Happy Trails

I have hunted Eastern Montana, western Wyoming near Yellowstone and Colorado south of the interstate.

If I was going on my first elk hunt the one thing I would want, is to be successful. I would NOT want to go in western Wyoming unless I was going really late in the season... like December. No, not kidding. December. Cold weather and deep snow up high pushes the elk closer to the roads for a hunter on foot. Even then... my last cow tag in western Wyoming was two years ago and still it was a 2.3mile cross country trec back to the truck with dead meat in Grizzly country... so even after drop your animal you still have to carry a gun.

The price for entry is a little steep for a first hunt if you want to go to Montana... I would rule out Montana until you get a couple animals under your belt. But, you didn't say you want to go to Montana any ways.

If you are open minded... I would rethink your planning and get cow tags for Colorado 3erd season... or better yet, one of you get a bull tag and the other a cow tag.... Third season, the elk will be spooked up into all the deep and dark places on the mountain. But in a weird way... that kind of concentrates them in placed humans don't go. It's not hard to find these places... but at the same time,... there is a reason humans don't want to go there... But with that said, I'm over 50 years old and I have a 100% tag fill rate in Colorado. One year, I got my draw money sent back, so I bought a left over bull tag for the 4th season. The 5 year running success rate for bulls was 6% and less for that tag. I did what you men are going to do, and went out a week early, and scouted the whole hunt unit by truck and some foot... I killed a 6X7 bull at first light on the first day... looking back, the success rate for bulls that season, that year, was 4%.

You are on the right track with your gun selection... any take the best shooter between the 280 or the 300SAUM. Practice, practice and practice at 300 yards or more if possible. You need to be able to hit a paper plate at 300. I know a lot of people like the Creedmore... but you should really have a chat with you buddy about elk needing a larger/heavier bullet that will deliver an entry hole.... And, more importantly.... an exit hole on the other side. learn to load your own ammo... you will shoot a lot better with the knowledge you gain by rolling your own.

good luck men !

Thanks for the savvy advice. A couple thoughts:
We will be out there long enough that we can "sight see" Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and hunt the state where elk success is most likely. the question is do we buy PP and in what state?
We have local ranges that reach out beyond 300 meters so such rifle practice is very feasible. We do handload.
thanks for the advice on grouse tags... also wondering if we should apply for antelope and bring the fishing poles...

The advice you received about Colorado for a first hunt was sound.......Wyoming, especially in the North, will have the Grizzly factor to contend with.

Good luck



Frog---OUT!

Wyoming will take about 4 PP to draw a general tag these days, maybe 3 in the special draw. Buy PP starting in July for Wyo.
Cow tags, reduced price do not need or take PP in Wyoming.

Grizz are expanding their range ion the west side but good elk hunting to be had south of the main grizz areas. North central Wyo does not have the grizz issues yet, NE not at all.

I beg to differ.....while the issue may not be as bad as the Main Grizzly areas, I do believe there are Grizz in the North Central area.....even if only sparse.

Ya.... you are going to be out there for a good few weeks before your hunt, I would bring a fishing rod or two... Antelope and elk don't overlap very much in the west and their seasons are not really compatible either, for a combo tag scenario. Antelope and deer combo hunts are possible to put together, but it is tricky and almost impossible with out preference points to play with, I will tell you what would work for a combo hunt.... is to really think about the Colorado thing... and get a bear tag for the same unit, same time as you are elk hunting... Colorado is just over run with black bear... and a bunch of them come in a brown color that you can't get back east...

I have killed elk in Colorado at first light... cut up, bagged and hung the quarters... then made one trip out back to the truck... and when I got back to the kill site for a second trip, I already had bear on the dead carcas... also, about 10 years ago I had a wild hair to kill an elk with a bow... I went out in September... everything was green and lush... fall berries were just ending... every where you went was bear poop... and I mean every where... I can't even tell you how many times I come out after dark, and in the light from my head light... I can see bear tracks on top of the tracks I made coming in that morning... that happens every trip that I have taken in Colorado. Colorado is just covered up in bear... and the nice thing is... they don't get really big like they do eating corn in the midwest.. 225-250# bear is a really good one.

As far as Preference point go... The preference points you get this year or next year are for hunts 6-8 years from now... or maybe even 10 years or more from now. You need to learn how to acquire tags in general areas that you can hunt now while building PP for future hunts... Thats the Preference point game... At my age, I am almost done... when I finally pull the trigger on my Wyoming points I will be done building points in Wyoming... Colorado is almost the same... you can get some really good tags in Colorado yet with only 5-6 points.. but the sun is going down on that notion as time passes also. You two young men, just starting out... The PP system is no good to you except for the game of building a portfolio of them for future hunts.

Many thanks for the savvy advice. We aren’t young, lol - mid-60s both of us. This Western Saga might be our only western hunt.

OOOOHHHHH......... That is why you can take a month off to go scouting..... that is why you are 60lb over weight.... ooohhh.... now it is coming together.... I thought you two were some young wiipper snappers...

Ya, a few more tips... now that I know more....

Yes, go out plenty early and get used to the thin air.... Altitude sickness is a real thing.... thin air will kick your azz.... add altitude sickness, and only trouble will follow. Go slow.

Two months before you go, add a weighted pack to your hikes... 30 then 40lbs... don't be afrade to go to 60lb pack. You are gonna need to condition muscles you didn't know you had.

Trekking sticks... keep you from falling down and give you a way to balance yourself on one leg when going over objects.

Buy really good boots. You can buy cheap boots.... but if they cost you a hunting trip... cheap boots get really expensive.

Broke in, LEATHER work gloves... I swear every thing out west has thorns coming out of it. Watch those hunting videos from Eastman's... you always see Guy Eastman with yellow leather work gloves.. there is a reason.

If this was MY only western hunt... I would do you you guys are doing.... go out a month early... take a fishing rod or two... (the fishing is fantastic) and a shot gun to see if you can score some of them western grouse... and then... Hire a man with horses to take me out looking for elk. Some folks may squeak about the cost of an outfitter... but, honestly look at all the services and equipment that they come with... and after a honest look at it... those guys that do outfitting work way too cheap for all that they do... and being able to ride horses in the Rocky Mountains in the fall, for a week straight.... is well worth the cost of admission.

Good luck to you men... and post pictures when you get back... If I don't see any dead animals in the picks... I'll send you a vegetarian cook book as a consolation prize...

Great advice, will keep you posted on progress

There have been sightings of bears moving through but no population set up in the Bighorns as of yet. So yes you are right but I would not be worried about grizz in the Bighorn Mountains or anywhere east or south of them.
Bighorns west, yes they are there.
Good correction frogman43.

Might want to look into landowner tags if you don't have any preference points. New Mexico, Utah, Colorado or some of the reservations. Bull tags can get insanely expensive, but I've seen cow tags for 500.00.

2023 is a long time off, especially if the drought continues. Wild fires can change hunting plans drastically. As can Forest Service road use/travel restrictions.

The chance of getting snowed in is present any time from Labor day on. So bring extra food, and clothing to be able to handle anything from 70 and sunny to minus 10 and snow so thick you can't see 30 feet.

September for the most part is archery hunting. There are some areas that open for rifle in September, but those are also mostly in Grizz country. The bulk of rifle seasons open in October.
Spending 30 days here sounds like a good plan, altho most elk seasons are only about 20 days long, but the extra time spent ahead of the season will help you get conditioned to the altutitude. Keep in mind the lowest elevation in Wyoming is about 3500 ft in the extreme NE corner, the average elevation is 5000 ft , and the bulk of elk are found at 7000 and above.

Use the WY G&F web site look at all the areas, season dates, and success rates.

Might want to plan a fishing trip or three out in the late summer in 2022 to look things over and see places where you think you might want to hunt.