Wyoming Elk 2017

Grasp

New Member
Oct 25, 2016
26
0
Hey Guys,


I live in BC Canada and am planning a combo Elk/Muley rifle hunt trip to Wyoming in 2017 and was hoping to get some feedback on my plans as they evolve. I bought my preference points this year for both species so am looking at units where I can get a guaranteed draw and am willing to pay for the special draw for both species if it's worth it in a given unit. Right now it looks like Mid-October is the best time. I am looking at 10-14 days. The only reason I was aiming for mid-october is that it was looking like that was a good time for elk and deer seasons to overlap. I have quite a bit of flexibility on my timing. Go for Elk first and then the Muley. I will be looking for foot access and backpacking it. Most likely have a hunt partner. I do a lot of backcountry blacktail hunting here in the mountains so big gnarly walk-ins and pack-outs are welcome if they get me away from some of the pressure.

So Far I am looking at Unit 47 or 33 for Elk. I should clarify that opportunity is more important than trophy size. I would like to get a decent bull obviously but I'd be more than happy with any branch antlered Elk. Then I was thinking of Region R for the Muley. Units 47 and 41 look like they have potential. Again opportunity is the key here.

So far this is a list of all the units that have good odds of getting a tag that I have come across.
Elk: 33, 39, 47, 54 (North of clark's fork river Type 2)
Deer: Regions E, Y, R and X

It would be nice if I could find overlapping areas for Elk/Deer so that I could be scouting and hunting at the same time but I'm not opposed to travelling between hunts if it is going to provide better opportunities.

I'd like to find some good glassing country. I do a lot of still hunting in the pacific northwest rainforests and the whole point of this trip is to get into some of that high elevation big open country.

I think I am also going to start to target these "Walk-In" hunting areas that WY has leased on private land etc. My logic is that if it is walk-in only maybe there will be less pressure.

Any help at all is greatly appreciated and if anyone is ever headed to BC and needs some tips or feedeback please feel free to drop a line.
 

Cobbhunts

Veteran member
Jan 22, 2014
1,060
1
Kentucky
Sounds like an awesome trip, and looks like you have a good idea of what you are looking for in a hunt. I can't really add anything on that combo style hunt, but I am sure there will be someone that has some experience chime in soon enough. I think everyone is out hunting at the moment lol. Do you have any preference points for Wyoming? One thing that I think that would fit your style of hunting better would be looking into going to South West Montana. I am not sure about the overlapping seasons, but I know from my research that the further you are willing to go in, the better chances of success in MT. Another option is Idaho.
 

brianboh

Active Member
Jun 4, 2015
396
1
Powell, Wyoming
Walk in areas for elk IMO are a bust for elk. Or around NW WY. You could do a 53 54 56 elk and that region for deer and be successful. The deer is a general tag. Those elk units will take 8 or so points for the tag. There are some big bulls and big wide open country to glass. Hell you can glass for miles. You can get out of your mind trying to get away with people backpacking. There are a lot of people that hunt with horses. Hell I went in 25 miles and passed multiple people and even had people in the same drainage that I was hunting. However, it is not hard to find places without people.
 

Grasp

New Member
Oct 25, 2016
26
0
Great feedback. The more I am looking into this I am thinking of going special draw using my first choice on a long shot region and then go general with my second choice and start to build up preference points for future years. Unit 103 looks to have some potential and be a general tag.
 

Umpqua Hunter

Veteran member
May 26, 2011
3,576
88
61
North Umpqua, Oregon
Great feedback. The more I am looking into this I am thinking of going special draw using my first choice on a long shot region and then go general with my second choice and start to build up preference points for future years. Unit 103 looks to have some potential and be a general tag.
You used to be able to draw the general elk tag on the second choice, but I think those days are past. A lot of guys started jumping on that idea about 3 years ago. I'm not following that closely, so maybe some guys with more recent info can chime in.
 

Grasp

New Member
Oct 25, 2016
26
0
That was they way I was reading the last year's results. No longer a likelihood on the regular draw of getting it on a second choice but a good likelihood on the special draw.
 

win264

Member
Feb 17, 2014
85
0
This is off Wy 2016
Special draw 390 tags issued with 0 points, 1224 first choice applicants 31.63% No second choice General tags last year!
 

WapitiBob

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,385
58
Bend, Orygun
Special gen was about 36 apps short of 100% first choice odds in 2016. Demand reports aren't accurate for NR Gen Elk hunts or antlerless hunts.
 
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Grasp

New Member
Oct 25, 2016
26
0
Can you guys post a link to those draw results? i can find harvest results but no draw results.
 

win264

Member
Feb 17, 2014
85
0
Thanks. Brian that is what I was looking at too unfortunately no Gen 2nd choice tags. The game has changed !!!
 

Grasp

New Member
Oct 25, 2016
26
0
This is very interesting to me. You can see people burning all kinds of preference points right now on just general tags. I wonder if this is an attempt to stop point creep or at least slow it down. But yeah you are right, no one, not even with the special draw is getting a gen tag on a second choice. Even the regular draw needs 2 preference points to basically guarantee a gen tag on a first draw. I think I am going to use the one preference point I have and go special draw gen tag. At least I will get a guaranteed hunt out of the deal.