Wyoming Buffalo Hunting - Need Advice

MaxPower

Member
Jan 14, 2013
53
0
Wyoming
The trophy species results came out today and I'm going Buffalo hunting! ...but only because my buddy drew a tag. I grew up hunting in WY, but he's fairly new to hunting big game (his only experience is w/Texas whitetails over feeders) so I wanted to get all the info I could. And I'm sure I'm not the only one on this forum who could benefit from some expertise of those who've been on this hunt.

When's the best time of year? I don't know if we can choose or if the WGFD assigns us a time. We're both in school so December/January is what we're hoping for. We also want to avoid Grizzlies and he wants a rug made out of the hide - so again hoping for late season.

Is hunting limited just to the Elk Refuge? I know the Teton Nat'l Park is off limits, but what about the Bridger Teton Nat'l Forrest along the Refuge's eastern border - is hunting buffalo there allowed (granted they even go there)?

Also curious about everyone's experience taking care of the animal once it's down and what method you think is best for field dressing. I know this will be a huge job and I've heard if there is snow on the ground that using a fisherman's sled to transport meat is pretty handy (I understand the WGFD even has some of these on hand you can borrow).

Lastly, if we use a meat processor in WY who do you all recommend? I've used one in Star Valley and a few around Laramie but never been super impressed. And if anyone knows someone in WY who tans hides with the hair on that'd be nice to know.

Thanks
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,337
183
IL
My dad's WY buff hunt was early in the season...

fish and game assigned us a season....and we went then and got 1! but they said if we need to change that date etc... it would be possible...

so if need be... I think they'll try to work with you to be successful.

we had a guide... and after seeing all of us cut this thing up... once it was down, I was glad we had like 5 of us doing the job!

2 guys and a buffalo I think would be a bit of a nightmare! unless you really had a winch etc...or horses etc...



btw if he's doing a head mount and a Rug... there won't be much of a rug left over...
 
Last edited:

libidilatimmy

Veteran member
Oct 22, 2013
1,140
3
Wyoming
I've never been on the hunt, but here's what I can tell you. The G&F will assign your buddy a one week window in which you can hunt the refuge in Jackson. Other than that, I think you can hunt the forest around Jackson as well as the area North of Cody anytime during the season. He should get a brochure with his license that explains the process throughout.

something to keep in mind around Jackson is that the 'you tag em I drag em' guys run a buffalo retrieval service, but I think they charge about 500 bucks.

Also, he should be put on a list that rangers in Teton Park will call if they have any animals they want to cull for various reasons. Tell your friend to start saving money because this will be a pricey adventure between hunting, hauling, processing, and taxidermist fees associated with such an opportunity.
 

libidilatimmy

Veteran member
Oct 22, 2013
1,140
3
Wyoming
Also, there is an outfit in Thermopolis that tans the bison hides for Cabelas as well as a tannery in Lander that can do the robe.
 

MaxPower

Member
Jan 14, 2013
53
0
Wyoming
Great information guys, thanks so much. I know he's planning on just doing a European skull mount and using all the hide for a rug. Also, good to know the WGFD is flexible with scheduling.
 

mntnguide

Very Active Member
Its not an easy hunt by any means...probably one of the tougher ones of any species even though most people assume it will be easy. If your buddy plans to just wait an hunt the refuge, he better pray for snow and cold. Those buffalo stay in the park/forest line until they get forced to move to the refuge. Its a hit or miss depending on weather. Hunting the forest, plenty of people are successful, but it takes time to figure out where the bulls are and to get to them before they cross back into the park, just don't expect to show up..see buffalo..and its over in a day. You will be very lucky if that was the case. . As for processors... Hog Island Meats south of Jackson 10 minutes does a great job. We send 25+ elk there every season plus i take my personal animals there as well. DJ and his Wife run a good business.
 

BleuBijou

Active Member
Oct 14, 2012
206
0
Colorado
Man that sounds like a fun hunt!! I would drag a few more buddies along as stated. Not sure 2 of you could even roll one over. Best of luck and please share your story and photo's with us when you get back successful or not!!!!! Thanks
 

Topgun 30-06

Banned
Jun 12, 2013
1,353
1
Allegan, MI
My buddy in Sheridan also drew a bull tag and I hope he goes on at least one trip over there while I'm out for our other hunts this Fall so I can tag along. The season runs from 8/15/14 through 1/18/15 and covers all of area 2, as well as part of area 1 listed on the G&F website, so the weather could be anything from hot to -20 and snow depending on when you go. I doubt that two guys could even move one to dress it out without a block and tackle, so my guess is that most who draw the tags will be in touch with one of those outfits that has the horsepower to get it out and to a processor.
 

Againstthewind

Very Active Member
Mar 25, 2014
973
2
Upton, WY
Bring your roller skates. There is some good advise above. I think the $500 bucks or whatever for the packers to come get it is the best way to go, especially if you want a good hide. I tried hunting the refuge for elk a couple of times, but I timed the weather wrong just like mntnguide said. The sled would help, but it would still be a few trips I would think. Its all downhill on the way back if you hike up and out of the refuge at least. Topgun is right about the weather, it snowed 2 feet on this side of the divide Oct. 1 and the next week it seemed like it was back in the 60's. I haven't looked into hunting buffalo much, but some guys have shared their meat, and it is very good. Worth the money for the trip and everything, plus you get to go hunting for them. Pretty fun. Good luck.
 
Jan 7, 2013
129
0
central Kentucky
Female bison for me and a lot of research ahead. After seeing the hunts on TV and YouTube the entire experience looks unique and fun.
I don't know anyone else from ky who will get to hunt "wild" bison this year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Stig87

Member
Apr 14, 2011
113
0
Wyoming
We used tag and drag to pack my wife's bull bison out last year. It was on the forest and not very close to the road and still wasn't $500. They are very reasonably priced and in my opinion worth every penny spent. Also, it was basically my dad and I butchering with my wife holding flash lights. You can do it with two people if you have experience and a good back but I would have loved to have had a couple more guys. If you're hunting cows you can pretty much plan on focusing on hunting the refuge. The cows don't go onto forest very often from what I've been told.
 

Ryansven

New Member
Apr 23, 2014
15
0
You will be assigned 1 week to hunt on the refuge but most everytime you go over you can get a tag for the refuge there is always people that don't show or don't hunt the refuge. Opening few days will be a slaughter on refuge then they get pushed off. A couple years ago when I drew they didn't come back on refuge after that until late December. The national forest is all I hunted. There are some places you can find them on national forest most of the time, however the pack out can be quite a lot of work. You can hire tag n drag but it can range a lot in price cheapest prices are on refuge and the farther you get from jackson and the farther in you are obviously the more it will cost. If you are looking at December and January you may hit it good for the refuge hunt. As weather might push them back to the refuge by then. Pretty much all the cows are shot on the refuge as stated before. The refuge style hunt is definately different and a little western if you want more of a true type hunt without the combat style hunt I would hunt off refuge, however, will require more work for you guys or more money to get it out. PM me if you want some more details on anything. best of luck!!
 

WY ME

Very Active Member
Feb 4, 2014
549
47
Wyoming
It sounds like you are guys are young (I'm not) so as long as you have a friend helping you out you'll be fine. Most packs will be a mile or less. Horses make buffalo hunting a lot easier. If it's warm weather you better have a packer or horses lined up or you'll lose everything. The full rug will be heavy and really heavy if wet. My wife killed her second bull in November 2012 and I had to gut it and skin it by myself. It probably took me 3 hours. Skinning was normal, removing the giant pile guts by myself was difficult. I brought 2 tarps with me. I laid the skinned meat on the tarp and used the other tarp to protect it from the birds. If you don't skin the bull it won't cool and some meat will spoil if left overnight. The next day some friends and I rode in and packed it about 5 miles with horses over gently rolling hills on closed USFS two tracks. With the horses it was easy peasy. Tag N Drag quoted me $1800...yeah right!
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,337
183
IL
It sounds like you are guys are young (I'm not) so as long as you have a friend helping you out you'll be fine. Most packs will be a mile or less. Horses make buffalo hunting a lot easier. If it's warm weather you better have a packer or horses lined up or you'll lose everything. The full rug will be heavy and really heavy if wet. My wife killed her second bull in November 2012 and I had to gut it and skin it by myself. It probably took me 3 hours. Skinning was normal, removing the giant pile guts by myself was difficult. I brought 2 tarps with me. I laid the skinned meat on the tarp and used the other tarp to protect it from the birds. If you don't skin the bull it won't cool and some meat will spoil if left overnight. The next day some friends and I rode in and packed it about 5 miles with horses over gently rolling hills on closed USFS two tracks. With the horses it was easy peasy. Tag N Drag quoted me $1800...yeah right!
I was gonna say for $1800, I think you can just hire them to outfit you for $2500 at that rate...
 

Stig87

Member
Apr 14, 2011
113
0
Wyoming
I hired tag and drag for my wife's bull in a pretty bad spot and cost me $400. Great guys, couldn't have asked for better service. Not sure how you received a quote for that price but in the last few years they changed owners so maybe that was the difference. New owner is a great guy.
 
I took my boys bear hunting last night, and we spent the night in the woods. After we were in bed, I decided it was time for a father-son talk with my 8-year-old about things you need to know to be a man. If a 900-pound cow bison is worth, say, $2.10 a pound as a substitute for beef in the freezer, and diesel is $4 a gallon and we have 1,000 miles one way, and we get 15 miles to the gallon, how much money....? I sort of wish this hunt wasn't getting all this positive talk. :)

Of course I must stop, because I've preached to my wife for years that you can't measure the value of a hunt by the cost of the meat, but it does start one thinking.

QQ
 

Ryansven

New Member
Apr 23, 2014
15
0
Stig, were you on the refuge or close to Jackson? If so that could be cost difference too. I know they charge quite a bit more if you are an hour from town then packed in kind of deal, that could be more were the 1800 situation came from.