A couple of friends and I are looking at possibly going to Wyoming this year on a leftover cow tag hunt. Pretty much just looking to get some meat since all of our other options didn't pan out. Can this be a good hunt? One of my friends has never killed an elk. Thanks!
Meat hunt - Leftover Cow tags
- Thread starter Kentuck
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PleaseDear
Long Time Member
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- 10,450
What unit (s) ya thinking about?
Are ya gonna bow hunt them or rifle hunt them if drawn type deal?
Robb
Are ya gonna bow hunt them or rifle hunt them if drawn type deal?
Robb
Cow hunts can be very good and there are plenty of tags in a lot of good areas when they go on sale 7/17. A lot of the units have long dates well into November and December after everything else closes and there is little pressure on them. I'd find one of those units with decent public land, prepare for possible weather problems, and go after the bull seasons are done.
BuzzH
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LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-14 AT 11:35AM (MST)[p]I've hunted 61 for cow elk twice. Both times a buddy and I each killed elk.
Its not an easy meat hunt. The elk we killed in late December were living between 9-10K feet. We started hiking at 3:30 AM both times to beat the horse crowd up the hill.
The elk are usually in bigger herds, both times we shot them out of 150-200 or so. They live in pretty open country for the most part, so if you go I'd have a rifle that you could shoot 300-400 yards. Be prepared to gain 1500-2500+ feet in elevation to get at them. Its a steep S.O.B.
Walk the finger ridges and avoid the draws, as the wind blows like a bastard and keeps the ridges mostly free of snow. Both times I was there the temperatures were 10-15 below zero. Wind chill was much colder.
If you put the effort in, you'll fill tags, but you'll earn it.
Its not an easy meat hunt. The elk we killed in late December were living between 9-10K feet. We started hiking at 3:30 AM both times to beat the horse crowd up the hill.
The elk are usually in bigger herds, both times we shot them out of 150-200 or so. They live in pretty open country for the most part, so if you go I'd have a rifle that you could shoot 300-400 yards. Be prepared to gain 1500-2500+ feet in elevation to get at them. Its a steep S.O.B.
Walk the finger ridges and avoid the draws, as the wind blows like a bastard and keeps the ridges mostly free of snow. Both times I was there the temperatures were 10-15 below zero. Wind chill was much colder.
If you put the effort in, you'll fill tags, but you'll earn it.
T
tkreit
Guest
I believe there around 700 left over cow tags for area 61. The Pitchfork Ranch is a HMA area(Hunter Management Area) in area 61. You can get the permits on the Wyoming Game and Fish website in mid July. Its just a permission to hunt on the Pitchfork. A lot of folks hunt there as well as up Pickett Creek. Around November the elk group up into big groups. If it snows the snow usually pushes them down to the lower country. I have lived in the Meeteetse area that last 7 years and there a lot of elk up there. The tag goes clear till almost the end of December I believe. Just make sure to check a map to know where you are hunting and that you are not on private land.
tracker12
Very Active Member
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>I believe there around 700 left
>over cow tags for area
>61. The Pitchfork Ranch is
>a HMA area(Hunter Management Area)
>in area 61. You can
>get the permits on the
>Wyoming Game and Fish website
>in mid July. Its just
>a permission to hunt on
>the Pitchfork. A lot of
>folks hunt there as well
>as up Pickett Creek. Around
>November the elk group up
>into big groups. If it
>snows the snow usually pushes
>them down to the lower
>country. I have lived in
>the Meeteetse area that last
>7 years and there a
>lot of elk up there.
>The tag goes clear till
>almost the end of December
>I believe. Just make sure
>to check a map to
>know where you are hunting
>and that you are not
>on private land.
Nice post. Glad to see some help being given. Hunted the Sleeper ranch several years ago near Meeteetse. Good fishing in the river there also.
>over cow tags for area
>61. The Pitchfork Ranch is
>a HMA area(Hunter Management Area)
>in area 61. You can
>get the permits on the
>Wyoming Game and Fish website
>in mid July. Its just
>a permission to hunt on
>the Pitchfork. A lot of
>folks hunt there as well
>as up Pickett Creek. Around
>November the elk group up
>into big groups. If it
>snows the snow usually pushes
>them down to the lower
>country. I have lived in
>the Meeteetse area that last
>7 years and there a
>lot of elk up there.
>The tag goes clear till
>almost the end of December
>I believe. Just make sure
>to check a map to
>know where you are hunting
>and that you are not
>on private land.
Nice post. Glad to see some help being given. Hunted the Sleeper ranch several years ago near Meeteetse. Good fishing in the river there also.
Well we did our hunt. Frustrating hunt. I have never seen so many elk. That was not the problem, the problem was either getting to them or having them on the right side of the fence. Really enjoyed our time there. Made some mistakes but learned more for next time. Coldest was -24 and snow was about 16 inches where we hunted. We ended up with two elk for seven hunters. Thankfully we got some 124 doe tags and got hooked up on a ranch that was loaded with deer.
Wyoming Hunting Guides & Outfitters
Urge 2 Hunt
We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.
