Wyoming Mule Deer Planning Help

[Cri1581]

Hi all! I'm new to the site and was hoping for some help. My father and I just completed a tough Montana elk/mule deer hunt last week. The elevation is tough on us Eastern guys!

We are looking into planning a DIY, low elevation mule deer hunt. We plan to do this hunt in 2 or 3 years (to build up preference points). I have been doing some research and have been looking into Deer Unit 15 for our hunt (we have family in Cheyenne). The draw results look decent and there looks to be multiple spots of public land we can access.

Can anyone help point us in the right direction?

Thanks all!

 

[wytex]

pm sent

 

[littlebighorn]

Cri,
Welcome to the site. Hopefully wytex has some info on that area for you. Most of us that frequent this site are probably unfamiliar with that Wyoming unit so you may not get many responses.
Mule deer are generally mountain animals, so I'm curious how badly the elevation messed with your Montana hunt? Also, what quality of a mule deer would be acceptable? etc.
There are plenty of other states that have lower elevation deer if you are set on that kind of hunt and you aren't too picky. So don't rule out most any western state. Maybe if you give a little more info about the kind of hunt you want, more of us can respond.
Good luck.

 

[cri15817357]

I had to create a new account before I was able to see your PM...please try again.

 

[cri15817357]

My father is 60 years old so the elevation messed with our hunt pretty good. We are looking into DU 15 in Wyoming because we have family in Cheyenne and it seems to be an easy unit to draw a nonresident tag. I've looked at other states as well...just trying to find as much information as possible.

Since this will be our first mule deer hunt, we are not picky on size. We are looking for legal bucks only. Our main goal is to find an area with legal bucks that has limited elevation changes and decent public access.

Thanks for any guidance anyone can give us!

 

[wytex]

new pm sent

 

[ICMDEER]

Area 15 does not have hardly any worthwhile public lands. I've lived here for over 4 decades and can't recommend it for you. I would look at other options.

And remember that the elevation in Cheyenne is over 6,000 feet. Some of the mountains in Montana aren't much higher.

I'd look into a trespass type hunt in or around Douglas, Lusk, Buffalo or Gillette. The public land hunts in eastern WY are not great unless you'll be content with few deer and shooting a younger buck.

Best of luck.

 

[cri15817357]

>Area 15 does not have hardly
>any worthwhile public lands.
>I've lived here for over
>4 decades and can't recommend
>it for you. I
>would look at other options.
>
>
>And remember that the elevation in
>Cheyenne is over 6,000 feet.
> Some of the mountains
>in Montana aren't much higher.
>
>
>I'd look into a trespass type
>hunt in or around Douglas,
>Lusk, Buffalo or Gillette.
>The public land hunts in
>eastern WY are not great
>unless you'll be content with
>few deer and shooting a
>younger buck.
>
>Best of luck.

Thinking about this a little more in depth...it's not necessary that the elevation got to him, but more that the change in elevation got to him. If we can stay of relatively flat ground, he would fare much better.

Looking into it more in depth, it looks like DU 15 doesn't offer a non-resident draw for mule deer anyway.

What is a trespass hunt?

 

[Soccerdude]

Here is my .02. Look into the other side of Cheyenne. Unit 60, or farther west 79 or 80. 3 points in kinda no man's land for wy deer. Can't draw the top end units but tons of 1 point areas out there. Good luck.

 

[ICMDEER]

True that 79 and 80 are some good country. But they are high elevation and most of the deer are in areas with some steeper topography.

I'd still look at the eastern part of Wyoming and a trespass hunt if your dad genuinely had trouble with the steep climbs and the altitude.