Elk area 22 or 24
- Thread starter 4point
- Start date
Eberle
Veteran member
I have not hunted elk there (22). I've applied there the last couple of years. It is hard to draw out. I was up there in September hunting antelope in area 63. The wildlife department planned on doing a controlled burn in parts of the Ferris Mountains. When I checked my antelope in, the Wildlife biologist said it had caught fire & burnt. It was not controlled it was an actual wildfire. Looked like it did some severe damage to me. I'll probably look at another unit this year.
Eberle
Veteran member
Area 22 has some tremendous bulls but is extremely physically demanding. An elk hunt here during September can be phenomenal. The mountain has some decent access but again, be prepared for some very steep and rugged climbing at altitudes over 7000'. This unit has bulls in excess of 375 with a realistic goal of a 330+ bull coming out of the unit. There was a fire during this past late summer however this should make for some great habitat and good feed this coming year. The rifle opener will typically be on or around October 8-10 and some years the bulls are still bugling. If you did apply for this unit I'd also recommend you apply for a deer unit 87 as well to possibly combo hunt this unit if you have the time. Again, this is a VERY physically demanding hunt so be prepared but a very good trophy unit with no bear or wolf issues. You may also want to consider unit 16 if you are looking for a hunt that requires less physical demands but you'll sacrifice some trophy potential and add significant hunting pressure. Good Luck!
Eberle
Veteran member
Eberle
Veteran member
24 has alot better drawing odds than 22. I would take a 22 tag over 24 but 24 is still a good unit. Do you plan on bow hunting or just rifle or both? You might want to think about applying seperatley (spelling i know) and if you both draw great.....if only one draws both go on the hunt and help out so the next year if you draw you know th area better........just a thought...good luck with your choice and hunt
The odds are always better applying seperately that someone will pick up a tag, just the way statistics works. For example say there's a 10% chance of drawing a tag, then if you applied as a party you'd only have a 10% chance of drawing the tag for both of you. If you applied seperately that's 10% + 10% = 20% chance one of you would draw. Obviously if you both have to draw to make it work than put in together...good luck.
birdhunter
Active Member
Not quite a 20% chance of drawing id you put in seperately. Its still a 10% chance you just have 2 names in on the draw. If you put in for as a party, then there will be 1 name to get that 10% chance. The odds do decrease a tiny fraction if you put in for a party. But in no way will it give you a 20% chance.
Fink
Veteran member
So, if there are 100 tags available, and the odds are 10% of drawing, and you, me, and 8 of our closest friends all put in for the draw, is one of us guaranteed to draw?
bigeasygator
New Member
- May 23, 2012
- 8
- 0
Fairly certain if you put in as a group your odds drop on an individual basis. Both names go in under one application. That's the way it is in most states I know. You're better off on an individual basis applying alone.
Also the other issue I hate about 22 is that the Cow hunters hit the unit hard and overlap with the bull hunters. As a result the bulls head for the steep nasty stuff pretty fast after opening day. Once they get up that mountain those big bulls are hard to find and it is not easy to get to them. I had a buddy hunt it, there were several good bulls that got killed openign day, after that it was hard to find anything with much size. It is unfortunate that the cow hunters are there the same time and really disappointing that the hunt went the way it did.
bigeasygator
New Member
- May 23, 2012
- 8
- 0
I'll elaborate a little more....if there are two tags and 10 people put in, you have a 20% chance. If two people put in on a party application, you'll have a 1 in 9 chance of drawing two tags (a little more than 10%). If you put in separately there's a 20% chance one of you will draw. If you put in separately there's roughly a 1% chance you'll both draw. That's the way the statistics work.