just got back from wyoming.....

264Magnum · Oct 23, 2004

don't anyone tell me region j doesn't have big bucks. i found that out for myself the hard way. actually, i did see one of the biggest whiteys i've ever seen just north of glendo. i got there with what i thought to be modest expectations of getting a buck with a 22" inside spread. in 9 days of hunting, i saw not one, not two, but zero bucks meeting that size. i didn't hunt off a quad (i'd probably kill myself on one of them), i didn't road hunt (that's kinda boring). i walked and walked and walked all day every day. passed on a 20" 4x3 and 3x3 muley and a couple spikes and forkies, and a small 3x3 whitey. the big whitey was too far for a shot. really wish i'd have shot that 4x3 now. had a moral dilema when i came across a forkie with the better part of his face shot off. i didn't shoot it but i and another group of hunters let the local game warden know about it and he went to go find it and i assume to finish it off.

guess i won't be applying for that area next year. maybe i'll finally get my kaibab tag.

and what the hell is up with the weather up there? can't it pick something and stick with it for more than 2 hours.

Wyomingben · Oct 23, 2004

They could tell you where a non-resident and where hiding. You need to drive around like a rancher. If you see one just keep driving, then sneak back on them. Not sure what type of country you where hunting. If it was big open country walking can be fruitless. Most of wyoming is very dry, I try to hunt 2 mile circles around water holes. I have seen big ones near glendo, I think it just wasn't your year.

Wyomingben

cmiddleton · Oct 24, 2004

i think this drought has stunted growth this year i never saw a great buck all year and after 2 months of scouting a month of bowseason and month of riflr hunting the largest buck i saw was only 160" gross
enless i find something good in sundance it looks like tag soup for me
i did get to shoot 2 coyotes yesterday while deer hunting so the season wasn't for nothing
i got my elk so there is meat in the freezer no worries now i'll just keep shopping and maybe i'll bump into mr big.

264Magnum · Oct 24, 2004

i spent the first 3 days of the season hunting very open country west of glendo which is where i saw the 4x3. i relocated to an area north of glendo along the platte after a tip from a local. all the deer were in the heavy cover of the cottonwood bottoms. spent the last 3 days hunting the laramie wildlife managment area/vale ranch. i saw most of the bucks there and really liked the way the area looked.

do you think it might be worth it to give it one more try next year?

eelgrass · Oct 24, 2004

Sorry to hear you didn't find what you were looking for. Sounds like you really worked hard though.

My legs are sore from chasing blacktails all season with nothing to show. The season ended today.

Wyobowhunt · Oct 25, 2004

Trust me there are big bucks in this area you just have to know where they hang out. Last weekend I was up being the pack mule for my brother-in -law and best friend elk hunting and we seen at least 9 4pts or bigger and one that was over the 30in mark. The only problems we had was no one had a deer tag left. I guess we will just have to make sure we have one for next year. Yes this was public land we were hunting.
Wyobowhunt

ICMDEER · Oct 25, 2004

We are about to wrap up our deer hunting season in Region J. We shot some real solid bucks. I guided hunters to two nice, heavy, deep-forked bucks with cheaters in the past two days. We got a buck that was 29 and 3/4 last week. All of the bucks are in great shape - fatter than I've seen them in years.

That said, I do not think the public lands in Region J are worth hunting in general. Tory must have a honey hole because most of the people I know around here really struggle on public lands in J. And the Vale ranch/winter range is perhaps the toughest place of all. It gets pounded to oblivion. I'd recommend other regions in Wyoming if you are not on the private ranches in J. Send me a pm if I can help.