Unit 39

[shedneck]

I'm not a Wyoming resident. I have 6 points. I'm less concerned about 340"+ bulls than I am not having to deal with private land and wilderness area where a guide or resident is required. I'm considering unit 39. Any thoughts on using 6 points for that tag? I'm in the ballpark for drawing it with 6 points. Thanks.

 

[huntwyo]

I think it's a good choice. That area gets a fair amount of pressure starting sept. 1 with General deer archery hunters and grouse season opens then too. So lots of shotgun rounds get shot off early September and I have found that the elk timber up quickly. This can be a good thing as a bow hunter though, hunt the nasty timber pockets. A 340 bull is doable- a long shot in my opinion though.

 

[shedneck]

Thank you for the reply - I appreciate it. Any other units that would be on your radar if you were in my position?

 

[huntwyo]

As a resident I am not really sure what 6 points would get you, but maybe check into area 40 type 9 as well. I hunted that quite a few times and always got into elk. Maybe check Area 7 and area 19. No griz and quite a few elk.

 

[shedneck]

Thank you - I'll look into those units.

 

[jm77]

>As a resident I am not
>really sure what 6 points
>would get you, but maybe
>check into area 40 type
>9 as well. I
>hunted that quite a few
>times and always got into
>elk. Maybe check Area
>7 and area 19.
>No griz and quite a
>few elk.


7 or 19? Thought he said he didn't want to deal with private land...

 

[TOPGUN]

I'd hunt the 40-9 archery tag, as no Type 1 tag holders can hunt in September there either and IMHO it's a better unit than 39.

 

[inarcher]

Your odds of drawing 39 as a NR with 6 points are hit and miss. Only one NR drew 39 last year with 6 points and that was in the special draw.

If you want to bowhunt this year, take TOPGUN's advice and look at a 40-9 tag. Decent shot at a tag in the regular draw and very good odds in the special draw.

Good luck!

 

[shedneck]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-16 AT 08:12AM (MST)[p]In the non-resident preference point draw there were 7 first choice applicants and the quota was 6 - making the odds nearly 86% with 6 points.

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-16 AT 11:21AM (MST)[p]>In the non-resident preference point draw
>there were 7 first choice
>applicants and the quota was
>6 - making the odds
>nearly 86% with 6 points.

Do you want to hunt the rifle season or archery only or both? Units 39 and 40 are two of the units where you can't hunt with Type 1 tag and archery license during September, as archery is restricted to Type 9 tag holders only. The one tag you should draw at 100% is the 41-9 tag that was 100% draw with <5PPs last year. That would allow you to hunt the entire month of September with archery equipment, but the Type 1 tag holders can buy an archery license and hunt from 9/15-9/31 in that unit. 40-9 was 100% draw with 6PPs last year and the one you mentioned at 85.71% was the 39-1 tag that is strictly a tough rifle hunt in that unit in late October.

 

[inarcher]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-16 AT 06:40PM (MST)[p]>LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-16
>AT 08:12?AM (MST)
>
>In the non-resident preference point draw
>there were 7 first choice
>applicants and the quota was
>6 - making the odds
>nearly 86% with 6 points.
>

My bad, I thought you were looking at Type 9 tags for September...not Type 1 for October.

The draw odds for Type 1 are better for a reason. You could get a Type 1 tag and not be able to hunt either 39 or 40 due to weather. Happened as recently as 2013.

 

[treedagain]

"The draw odds for Type 1 are better for a reason. You could get a Type 1 tag and not be able to hunt either 39 or 40 due to weather. Happened as recently as 2014"


both 39 and 40 had about a 50% success ratio for type 1 tags in 2014. those are pretty good for a elk hunt

 

[inarcher]

Corrected my post...2013 was the year I was thinking about. I had NR friends hunting in 38 late September and got ran off the mountain by snow.

Another friend that lived in 40 had a Type 1 tag in 2013 and said his options were very limited the entire season due to the snow.

The north end of the Bighorns is just not very travel friendly when the snow is flying. I believe that's why there is less competition for Type 1 tags versus Type 9 tags up there. Just my opinion.

 

[excavator]

I hunted rifle in 39 in 2011, I believe, and there were plenty of elk. However, we did not have snow to contend with. I was told snow could make things very difficult.

PM with any questions you may have.

Excavator

 

[TOPGUN]

It's not travel friendly anywhere out there when you get a storm like you're talking about that hit early in 2013! We had a lot of snow down below 5000'south of the unit you're talking about and it brought down tons of elk earlier than they ever come down from up high. That was the storm that dumped a lot more over in the Black Hills than the BigHorns and killed thousands of cattle while making that whole part of the state on over into SD unhuntable. I don't think weather has that much to do with the tags like you're saying, but more so that most hunters know that elk are a lot more vulnerable and fun to hunt in September/early October during the rut. We do okay every year in rifle season, but find it much more fun and easier to get on good bulls during the archery rut hunt.