Need Help Wyoming General Elk Units.

gethuntin

gethuntin

Member
I am planning on going elk hunting next year and I am trying to start planning on where I should go in Wyoming. I have one year preference so i figured i will be drawn for the general tag.

I was wondering if anyone can point me to a good unit to check out. This will be my first elk hunt and I have to avoid Wilderness areas bc i dont want to hire a guide and i plan on backpacking in.

I have 3 general vacinities i am concentrating on SW corner 98 102 103 105 107 106. South Central 9 10 12 15 110 21, 128 (little north)

And NE closest to home for me 129 36 37. 128

Yes very general areas LOL
Like i said i dont know much about these areas other than what i can find on the DNR website.
I just want a good hunt like everyone little hunting pressure lots of elk lots of ground big trophy bulls..LOL reality i just want a good hunt closer to home the better but i will drive a few extra hours if the 36 37 units arent worth a darn.
 
Thank You that is a nice map. I have been looking for one like that. IS there any that you can download to a GPS with public lands marked?

And does anyone have any expierence they would like to share or just some tidbits of some of these units, like poor numbers, lots of public bad access, herd is spotty might move out of unit with weather or hunting presssure etc?
 
If it were me, I would mark 129 off my list.
When are you going? Sept archery, october firearms?
36 & 37 are nice elk country, but elk are often down into private land by firearms season. Locals know where some interspersed bands hang out, but most often hit and miss.
Maybe someone else could help with the other zones.

Personally, I would call the biologist for the management zone once I got it narrowed down. They don't return out of state phone calls, so it is just hit and miss trying to reach them, but usually worth the effort.
 
I plan on an archery hunt and a seconf trip with rifle if needed. Or hunt in an area where the 2 seasons meet hunt bow for a week and grab the rifle on opener. Leaning towards this route bc of the 8 to 12 hour drive.

On another forum a few have told me to stay away from 36 and 37 bc of unbeliavable hunting pressure. I dont know if there trying to keep more hunters from there or what. If that is the case i will have to look on bummer though only 7 hours away.
 
Yes, a lot of hunting pressure. It is closer to you and a whole lot of other people coming from the east. They are also near zone 35, so a lot of hunters hoping to get drifters from 35. Also near Buffalo/Sheridan, also near a good highway, also the first eastern slopes you get to, (a bunch of also's) so it also gets alot of pressure. You won't be the only hunter in the hills, lol. But if the elk are not there when you get there, nothing else matters anyway. It just turns into a camping trip with an expensive use-fee.
 
Originally Posted By: 1happyshooter You won't be the only hunter in the hills, lol. But if the elk are not there when you get there, nothing else matters anyway. It just turns into a camping trip with an expensive use-fee.

This is my biggest fear i know its a possibilty butI really want to find a unti where the elk are there year round and no amount of hunting pressure will push them out.
 
You may want to check out area 92 and 94...TONS of public land. I grew up in Big Piney just east of these units and have hunted them my whole life. The hunting isn't what it was 15 years ago, but I think that can be said about alot of places. More of the land is private than when I was kid hunting in here, but the elk numbers are still very good and growing. Growing to a point where the dates this unit is open getting extended in the past.
SHoot me a PM if I can help out any more.
 
You can get some good basic info from the Wyoming 2011 Hunting Guide from the game & fish website. In the elk section there is some real basic info on access, success odds, public percentage on a zone by zone basis. From there you can dig into harvest data (also available on the website) from years past for more detailed breakdown. It will get you started.
 
If you are looking for a dream unit that has lots of trophy bulls that dont move, then you better stop applying general. Draw units are draw units for a reason. All of the general areas that hold elk get hunted pretty hard. If you are here during archery season the hunting pressure is considerably low. Units 9, 10 and 110 are all good units to find elk. The higher the better usually seems to be the case during the early season. If you are willing to hike and go further than most, you will likely have a successful hunt. Good Luck!
 
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