Drew WY bison, intel?

DonVathome · May 1, 2014

I drew a female bison tag. I want to bowhunt and gun hunt.

Lets her some stories and ideas. I know a little about this hunt having followed it for a decade but I need more detailed info.

Thank goodness I have $1,500 in cabelas bucks from using there CC, new 300 mag and scope!

llamapacker · May 2, 2014

The cow hunt is a lot harder than the bull hunt. Success rates for cows hover around 50%, while bull is over 90%. It is all about timing. The bulls tend to wander towards huntable ground often, while only occasionally does the whole herd cross the boundary. The herds get shot up quickly, and rarely linger where they can be hunted. It takes time, luck, or both to catch the big herds, which are often shot at within the hour of crossing the line. The exception can be very late in the year if a lot of snow pushes them onto the refuge. Some years this happens, sometimes not.
Good luck.
Bill

DonVathome · May 2, 2014

Interesting, I did not know that. I assumed cow success lower because guys are not as serious! Thanks

Blank · May 4, 2014

Just got off the results - 45 tags, and only 41 NR apps. WOW! My hunting partners got two of them, and are pretty excited!

pymulies · May 5, 2014

The best chance to kill a cow is on the very first day on the refuge. Go early and get a permission slip and try to get it done the first day. After that, like said above is very hit and miss on opportunities. The cows become very smart with the first shot and will high tail it back into the Park.

py

tailchasers · May 5, 2014

How about a guide? Would this hold any benefit?

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

llamapacker · May 5, 2014

Opening day last year 8 cows were killed total, by residents and nonresidents. It was another ~6 weeks before the next cow was killed.
Guides can be very helpful, but only when there are bison to kill. The main advantage for much of the time is to tell you to stay home, there are no bison off the Park. And yes, once the bison is down they can really help.
There are really relatively few places you can hunt the bison, and when they are in huntable areas it isn't that tough. When the snow pushes them onto the refuge it can be a turkey shoot.
This hunt can be a lot of fun, just don't make the mistake of thinking it is easy, especially for cows. On the other hand, with bad weather it can be really easy late in the year. If the snow comes late, you are SOL.
Bill

oilcan · May 5, 2014

Congrats Don and good luck

Have2Hunt · May 6, 2014

I made 3 trips over to fill my bull tag in 2012, Ended up filling my tag on December 30th. There were a few cows taken the next day but very few between opening day and then. The cow hunt is tough. I would plan on being there the first day and the last week. And keep Tag & Drag's number handy for when it hit's the dirt, best money I ever spent.

Geko42 · May 7, 2014

LAST EDITED ON May-07-14 AT 08:37PM (MST)[p]The cows stay in a herd and it takes a lot of pressure to push them down. The bulls tend to wander off by themselves.

wymoosehunter · May 8, 2014

I had the same experience as Have 2 Hunt. I got lucky when there were no bison on the refuge, I spotted two so far back in the trees that even Tag and Drag hated me. With cows, go for the opener up north and hope to get lucky. Or wait for real cold and snow.

DonVathome · May 12, 2014

Thanks again guys, I am very excited. I am strictly diy, just my own goal to take as many NA species as I can diy.

How much is the tag n drag? I love hard work and I am in great shape but I have no ego and will happily pay and enjoy the scene as it is pulled out for me! I have never had someone else remove an animal from the field for me. It never works out. Maybe this time!

Luckily I am self employed and semi retired so I can go often and on short notice. I am leaning toward begging and end with a random trip in the "middle".

Chriswy · May 13, 2014

>Thanks again guys, I am very
>excited. I am strictly diy,
>just my own goal to
>take as many NA species
>as I can diy.
>
>How much is the tag n
>drag? I love hard work
>and I am in great
>shape but I have no
>ego and will happily pay
>and enjoy the scene as
>it is pulled out for
>me! I have never had
>someone else remove an animal
>from the field for me.
>It never works out. Maybe
>this time!
>
>Luckily I am self employed and
>semi retired so I can
>go often and on short
>notice. I am leaning toward
>begging and end with a
>random trip in the "middle".
>
When I drew mine my 9 yr old daughter and I had made at least 5 different trips so my suggestion would be later the better. I believe that the tag and drag only charged me around $200. Part of the fun was seeing the elk deer sheep and different animals. Good luck and enjoy your hunt.

brdhuntr · May 13, 2014

Still debating on wether to go opening day,some people say that you should,but the heat is a main factor,and i talked to tag-n-drag,and he said it is like a zoo,and it kind of takes away from the total experience. He suggested that after christmas is a good time.