WY Elk 91-1 (Star Valley)

huntjock

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Hi

I know I am much more excited about this than my 2 kids who drew the tag.

My son (23) and daughter (18) will both be in school (Weber State and UVU) when this hunt is on, but we will make it happen somehow. It's a longshot, but my son may be using my bow, if he decides to add the archery tag. I know I would. :) We won't stick around after the unit goes from LQ to General on Oct 15th.

Anyway, we have never hunted Wyoming Elk. I am only slightly familiar with the outside of the Greys River range. (I have lost many days of deer hunting on the inside of the Greys River while gazing at elk)

I have told them that this is a "once-in-a-lifetime" (my lifetime), so lets have some fun. It will be DIY, but I will be inclined to hire someone with horses/mules if we are successful.

I am excited!

Thanks!
Neil
 
I had the tag 20 years ago.
They were left over tags back then after the draw.
I did a solo back pack hunt. The first night had something grunting and walking around my tent.
I opened the door, shined the light to see a bull moose 10 feet away.
Heard bull elk bugling at night too. On opening morning of rifle, oct 1 a went after 1 of the 2 bulls I heard.
Climbed a big ridge, shot the 6 pt. bull. Spent all day To Quarter and hang the elk, pack the back strap & loose meat , horns off the mtn.I took a cross country path down a drainage to a pack trail in the next canyon over.
Big mistake, full of blow downs.
I came out below my camp about a half mile.
Hitting the main trail I just hiked out the 3 miles to my truck.
The next day I returned to my camp.As i was leaving camp to go after the 4 quarters I ran into this local mormon kid.
He said he would help me pack my bull.
We climbed up and over the ridge to the elk.
Deboned the 4 quarters and packed the meat up and down a very steep ridge back to camp about a mile.
It was late afternoon. We were beat. But he said do you want help packing it back to truck?
Oh crap I was tired. But sucked it up and we headed the 3 1/2 miles to the trail head.
Adding his back pack to our already heavy loads.
We made it back to the truck just after dark.
He would take no money, just a great 18 yr old kid who was in the right place right time for me that year.
Thanks Johnny W. Afton wyo. You saved by butt.
The next day I hiked in and broke down my camp and packed out.
I went up the swift creek trail.
Good luck on your hunt.
 
Thanks, Jim. I love stories like that. Every detail of them! I would do it solo, but my kids are the ones with the tags :) Yes, I have found that the Start Valley folks are truly "salt of the earth"

That kind of effort for some elk steaks only makes it taste that much better.

Thanks again for sharing.
 
After doing a horseback hunt for mulies in that unit last fall, I wouldn't even think about hunting elk there without one.
 
Yeah, I live in that area and used to pack elk out on my back. Given I'm older (and hopefully wiser) now, and because they are all about meat for me, I tend to hunt 'closer in' now and am glad for the first cow I see. The more remote or steep (steep isn't always remote) the country, the better your odds of seeing a trophy animal. You might want to line up a packer or some horses and tack you can use, for when you get an animal down. I popped a disc out four years ago packing a muley and it took 3 1/2 years to recover. In the steeper areas, your knees can take a beating--even without 80 lbs of meat on your back. It's the down hill stuff that beats you up.
 
Wisdom gladly received.

So, I have contacted someone who will help us get an animal out, if we are lucky enough to harvest.

These factors are come into play:

Neither of my kids have ever taken an elk
This is an "Any Elk" tag
We cannot afford a real guide/outfitter
I have firsthand experience quartering and packing an animal from 10,000 inside of the Greys
I am not young anymore
Both kids will be planning around their university studies
We are a 5 hour drive away from Star Valley

So, all things considered I can realistically see us taking a single cow or raghorn and being done. Even then, that would be worth any and all hassle. This one is about creating a family memory, and putting some tasty meat in the freezer.

Thanks for the advice, suggestions, WISDOM!!

Neil
 
Good luck Neil and I hope you and the kids make some good memories in some absolutely gorgeous country!
 
Your kids will remember the experience/harvest of their first elk no matter the size or bull/cow.

Go and enjoy as they get old fast and are off in their own lives....

Nice chatting with you

Robb
 
I went back into the same area the following year with 2 friends.And we rented a horse that time. That horse is another long story, Good and bad as it came an inch from kicking me in the head, didnt like the deer head and antlers being loaded on.
We had elk and deer tags. We filled 2 deer tags and were pressed for time on the elk and took 3 cows in 3 days.
We had to leave early and haul to new mexico that year for a muzzy elk hunt.
Our wives drove out from calif to pick up our meat and rifles'
I'll be 60 this year and too old to pack much in that country.
Would love to hunt deer in that country again...
 
For a horse check out Yellowstone horse rentals. They advertise on this site. They used to be Wolfleys. I have rented from them in the past and had no issues.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-01-16 AT 02:53PM (MST)[p]Did the seasons overlap back then?

You got me thinking...my daughter has enough points to draw her first region G deer tag and the last opportunity to get it at the youth price, so I am seriously considering putting her in for that as well, so we can throw in options to hunt deer while we scout in mid Sept, or hunt either between Oct 1st and Oct 7th.

Nice to have some options.
 

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