Elk unit advice

[Mthompson]

My brother and I did our first Wyoming/western hunt in September, and had a great experience. We were successful getting a small mule deer buck, but the greatest success was starting the process of learning to hunt Wyoming.

We are now planning our 2018 hunt, and decided it would be prudent to do cow/calf elk hunts until we build enough points (and knowledge) to go after a bull. Can someone offer some suggestions on units that have good public access, and reasonable draw odds for cow/calf? Perhaps there are some units Game and Fish feel the herd needs to be thinned?? Any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[Bonecollector]

The Wyoming F&G has some very good tools on their website that will greatly assist in your quest. I'd start here and then narrow down your questions to be more specific. Congrats on the deer this past season.

 

[Conrad8899]

I like to hunt cow calf early.. Sum units open for cow calf.. Before the type 1 tag season start.. This allows me to get in there.. Before the first shots of the season... There has been times.. When they have been bugling there heads off... JMO

 

[Hilltop]

My brother and I did our first Wyoming/western hunt in September, and had a great experience. We were successful getting a small mule deer buck, but the greatest success was starting the process of learning to hunt Wyoming.

We are now planning our 2018 hunt, and decided it would be prudent to do cow/calf elk hunts until we build enough points (and knowledge) to go after a bull. Can someone offer some suggestions on units that have good public access, and reasonable draw odds for cow/calf? Perhaps there are some units Game and Fish feel the herd needs to be thinned?? Any insight is greatly appreciated!

Unit 7 is a solid hunt for cow/calf with plenty of public land to hunt and decent draw odds for the cow tag. It will take you some years to draw a bull tag there but it is a slid hunt with real trophy potential.

 

[Mthompson]

Thanks all, very helpful. I did find useful info on WY F&G website. The units that caught my eye (good odds of drawing cow/calf and decent public access) are 7 (as mentioned by Hilltop above), 36 and 37 (eastern slope of Bighorns), and 48 and 49 (southern end of Bighorn Basin?). Unit 7 looks the best of those if/when we're able to chase bulls, but for now we're just looking to collect elk hunting experience by chasing cows. Also, we will be bowhunting, we're looking at the third week in September.

 

[ScottR]

36 and 37 can be an exercise in frustration.

 

[Millsworks]

I would highly recommend trying to hunt cows or even deer, in an area that you would like to draw a bull elk tag.
Knowledge of an area can sometimes be the best, if not the only way to be successful on a hunt for any animal.
I think this holds true especially for elk, as I found out this past season.

 

[Manualman]

If you hunt 37 bring binoculars and a spotting scope so you can sit on the side of the road and watch all the elk on private land.

 

[WapitiBob]

36 and 37 can be an exercise in frustration.

And 48 and 49.
If you have only one or two points I'd be looking at general units and going hunting. Draw the cow tag in off years or draw initially in a gen unit you're thinking about.

 

[Joe Schmo]

I'd scratch any notion of ever drawing a great tag if I were a new point-builder-guy. Learn a general season area or two or a 1 or 2 point unit...I bet within 5 hunts you'd kill the same 320 bull that you'd kill with the 10 point tag.

 

[jtm307]

I agree with Joe Schmo

 

[Ikeepitcold]

36 and 37 can be an exercise in frustration.

Do you have some experience here my friend?