Planning a Trip

[Hitch]

The Possum (my daughter) and I are planning a non resident hunting trip to Wyoming 2-3 years out. The plan calls for two weeks and elk are the primary targets but it would be nice to incorporate deer as well . Its hard to imagine better muley country.

So at this point we are trying to answer the basic questions of feasibility and location. Guides are not out of the question but not preferred. That said right now Im assuming the western half probably the best choice .

Our hunting experience is mostly eastern Oregon deer. But we have an old GI tent and a nice little KwickKamp stove, and MS 291 Stihl .Soon I'll be sending for the Wyoming synopsis in hard copy but we have only decided on the trip in the last few days.

Any help and pointers are appreciated .

Thanx Hitch

 

[RICMIC]

First off - buy points for both you and your daughter. WY is simple, you can do so on line in Sept. Points are species specific, so get them for deer and elk, and I would also start buying points for antelope even if you don't have a plan for a hunt yet. You may want to target one species at a time, at least until you get to know an area better.

 

[jtm307]

Two weeks will give you plenty of time for a two species hunt.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

Alot will depend on where you are at as far as expectations and the ability comple the hunt with a pack out. By the time you invest $1,500+ in elk/deer tags for each of you, travel, food, etc this will have some $ tied up.

So it just depends are you the type of guy who wants to spend the time dragging gear with you, setting up tents, cooking, dishes, etc. as well as packing elk/deer out which can turn into a big task, especially if you are not prepared by hiking many miles with 100 pound packs ahead of the trip. You will also be competing with all the other hunters, many who will be better equipped, more experienced, etc... Sometimes these kind of trips can turn out much different than expected due to the amount of work involved.

Or would you rather pack light, stay in a lodge or motel, eat at restaurants or have meals provided, have help with things like finding game, packing out game, etc... Limit competition from other hunters. This can be a a better option if you are looking more for a vacation type of trip.

Without knowing much about your background my guess would be something in the middle might be the best fit. Hunting self guided on private or semi guided may be a nice compromise that allow you the time you want with your daughter without all the work of camp/food to deal with. Another option may be a drop camp but that's only if you really think your daughter will enjoy "roughing it".

Certainly plenty of options and it sounds like you are planning ahead.

 

[wy-tex]

I agree, get some PP. You may not draw a western Wyo tag but plenty of great hunting all over the state.
You might look into cow tags for a first scouting type hunt.
Any thoughts on hunting grizz country? They are expanding south and east of their Yellowstone range.
Lots of options for you two, you'll likely get plenty of ideas for all over the state. A couple of PP will get you better odds, don't discount any general areas further east .

 

[lostriverproductions]

preference points will be a must, depending on what your expectations are for this hunt, you may want to focus on one animal.

I would build points, pick a unit you can draw an elk tag and maybe a deer as second choice so you can have a deer tag in your pocket for just in case purposes. Then I would pick a deer unit at a latter year and maybe get a cow elk tag for just in case. You will also have to pay attention to the different seasons, sometimes they don't overlap for more then about 5-7 days

 

[Hitch]

Elf season here is 6 days... Oddly enough Elk season is six days as well.

 

[Hitch]

Sounds like a complicated bunch of rules, glad there is some time to learn about it.

 

[Hitch]

She's way tougher than me. They did a 1,000 miles off road dirt bike trip in northern Nevada for their honeymoon. The camp out is a big part of the event for us, but its always way more fun the lug home full coolers. I like the sound of 'limited competition' .

 

[Hitch]

Wow ,thats a strange thought but if thats the way it is played . Lots of stuff to learn. Thanx.

 

[Hitch]

Thanx guys, lots of good help. Time of life and other realities make this probably a one time splurge, dont be surprised to find me picking your brains again .

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

She's way tougher than me. They did a 1,000 miles off road dirt bike trip in northern Nevada for their honeymoon. The camp out is a big part of the event for us, but its always way more fun the lug home full coolers. I like the sound of 'limited competition' .

One thing I might recommend in your situation is to do a guided/semiguided elk hunt at the beginning of your trip, even a cow if you are looking to keep costs down. That will be the most challenging from a pack out standpoint and you can probably learn a lot about hunting that area in general as well as get some tips from your guide on where to deer hunt.

Get the trip started off with a special memory hunting elk and then apply what you learn together on a week + of deer hunting challenges on your own.

If you can get tags in the same area your will be able to use all that knowledge you just obtained about the unit in your deer hunt.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Good luck on your research. Your defiantly getting some good advise here.

You can always make some phone calls to the Bio’s and pick their brains as well.