8 nr elk points... tired of waiting, any suggestions

schoolhousegrizz

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Would love to hunt 30,31, or 32 but they are 20 or more years out. Cannot afford a guide for wilderness. All my research leads to access problems. I don't have horses. I bow and rifle hunt. Would look to focus on rifle hunt more than bow. Bighorns seem to be pressure packed and there is wilderness. Damn wilderness! (non res). I looked at 23 but have heard they stick to the private. Shirley mountain late hunt sounds good, just a couple of points shy it seems. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks. I have info to share in Utah and a little in colorado.
 
You may be surprised if you ask out on this forum if someone from Wyoming could help you go up into a wilderness area in a good unit that you could draw. A resident can take up to two nonpaying NRs in a year with the proper paperwork they can get from the G&F. That may be something to think about and it sure wouldn't hurt to ask and put out some feelers right away if you want to apply next month for the 2015 season.
 
I'm partial to the BigHorns because it has lots of elk and good bulls along with no grizzly bears. If you could get a resident to take you up into the wilderness in unit 45, I think you'd have a great time and you should easily draw the tag with your 8 PPs. I hope some residents chime in with other recommendations because the BiGHorns are the only area I'm real familiar with for elk.
 
If that doesn't work out for you I would look at 63/64 the early hunt that opens Oct 1.
 
Thanks Guys, I have thought about the Bighorns. I put in for 63/64 2 years ago. It might have been a good thing I didn't draw, I hear it is major horse country? What is the access like in the Bighorns? Hiking, horses, atv? If you don't go into the wilderness in 45 is it not nearly as good? What happens if you are in the wilderness without a guide and you get caught? Thanks for the help thus far.
 
>Thanks Guys, I have thought about
>the Bighorns. I put in
>for 63/64 2 years ago.
>It might have been a
>good thing I didn't draw,
>I hear it is major
>horse country? What is the
>access like in the Bighorns?
>Hiking, horses, atv? If you
>don't go into the wilderness
>in 45 is it not
>nearly as good? What happens
>if you are in the
>wilderness without a guide and
>you get caught? Thanks for
>the help thus far.


$120.00
https://www.courts.state.wy.us/Documents/CourtRules/Orders\crimpro\crimpro_2014052000.pdf

The $120.00 is peanuts, but if they can take your elk for the violation? Not worth it!
 
schoolhousegrizz

As Topgun has stated, a resident can take up to two nonpaying NRs in a year with the proper paperwork they can get from the G&F.

I can't find any info that say's you couldn't get the residents wife/friend/co-worker a new rifle...Just saying.
 
I think 8 points would get you shirley Mtn late hunt if you apply in the special pool rather than regular. I hunted Shirley Mtn last year and had a blast. We planned on hunting it in November but went on a scouting trip in September with our bows and ended up punching our tags. Great country, so many elk! Access could be a problem but if you have the gps chip showing private land you won't have any trouble.
 
As the others have noted: 16-2, 22 & 23 in that order. All three have been producing large bulls. All three have good access including some large habitat management areas in a couple of those units. Last December several large bulls came out of 16 & 23...
 
Thanks for the advice. Have any of you hunted 23? 16 sounds good, I don't think I can go the special application route, just a little much.
 
Yes you can hunt unit 16 during the bow hunt in September even if you draw the type 2 tag. One of the advantages of hunting in Wyoming!
 
I hope you draw a good hunt schoolhousegrizz. I am curious if anyone's recommendations in this thread change for 9 nr points for elk? Like the schoolhousegrizz, I am struggling trying to figure out what unit to put in for. I really dream of having a chance at a 350 class bull but I don't have the money for a guided hunt. I have hunted bulls once in Utah on a LE unit but just couldn't seal the deal on that size of bull. It was a blast though and I am proud of the bull that I got. It just fueled my dream of getting a 350 class bull though. I do have a brother-in-law that is a resident that will go with me so wilderness is an option. I can't believe it is almost time to apply again.
 
I burned max points in 2011 in Area 23 for a bull elk hunt and did not have a very good time. The weather was against us, it was way too warm. I hunted with an outfitter which did not work out too well either. PM me if you want more information. We ended up hunting the Rattlesnake Ridge HMA but 4 of us did not have any luck. We didn't see much but different weather conditions could have made a whole lot of difference.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I think the best thing for me to do is wait a couple more years. Thanks for the advice everyone. I still have 3 or 4 hunts I will apply for, who knows.
 
I am usually quite about where I hunt but HF and eastmans have pumped it up. Unit 62, you can bow or rifle hunt, there are griz and wolves. Lots of elk and some nice bulls. Eastmans made it a blue chip unit this year, going to kill odds fyi.

Due to odds I likely will never apply there again, hunted it twice, great hunts.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-14 AT 03:01AM (MST)[p]>https://www.courts.state.wy.us/Documents/CourtRules/Orders\crimpro\crimpro_2014052000.pdf

I've turned in two poachers in the last 4 years but if I ever ran across anyone violating this joke "law" I would encourage them to proceed and wish them luck. Nothing but pathetic outfitter welfare at it's finest. Hell they even get special reserved campspots 4 miles into the wilderness with locked gates where the general public is required to hike into. Another ahole left 4 dogs running free to intimidate DIYers from using a trailhead. I have zero (0.00) respect for this "welfare law" and the corrupt politicians that passed it.

***********************************
Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, NRA, UWC & DP Hate Club
 
I cashed mine in for unit 24. I had 1 less than max. it is a tough draw with less than max but someone has to draw. plenty of elk.



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