Western Hunt

[tim629]

I grew up in PA, live in NY, wife has shown no interest in hunting which is fine as she still lets me go do my thing. Her brother lives just outside Boise so when I mentioned that I would like to go west and hunt with him sometime she made the comment "what about me, you don't think I want to see my brother" which sounds great to me.

so what would you all think for a first time western DIY hunt: cow elk, bull elk, or pronghorn?

Idaho, Wyoming, northern Utah, Southern Montana, Oregon would all be options

looking for a rifle hunt with reasonable success, easy draw or OTC tags, and hopefully something that has good views without a 10mile hike since I want my wife to have a good time and not have to push her terribly hard (hoping maybe she will enjoy the scenery and realize hunting is just a fun walk in the woods with the occasional bonus of table fare)
-is that a realistic option for elk? or better chances on pronghorn then loop up into Yellowstone?

 

[69gto]

Tim629, we have lots of elk in Oregon but drawing a non resident tag is tough. Archery tags are over the counter and we have a 30 day season. A pronghorn hunt in Wyoming is great for a first time hunter as you will see hundreds of animals and most of them just driving around. If she likes to sleep in the pronghorns are out all day, good luck.

 

[Silent Sam]

"looking for a rifle hunt with reasonable success, easy draw or OTC tags, and hopefully something that has good views without a 10mile hike since I want my wife to have a good time and not have to push her terribly hard (hoping maybe she will enjoy the scenery and realize hunting is just a fun walk in the woods with the occasional bonus of table fare)
-is that a realistic option for elk?"

If you find elk hunting like this, don't tell anyone, except me... :wink:

I agree that pronghorn would be your best bet.

 

[IdahoCTD]

There are some cow elk hunts that are OTC but they aren't near Boise. Bull hunts aren't easy unless your lucky or have a escape route figured out and even then your still probably going to have a pretty good pack ahead of you. Your best bet would be to apply for a cow elk hunt in the drawing if you want to hunt elk. A general deer hunt here in ID or a antelope hunt in WY would be much easier on average.

 

[Elkman]

Wyoming offers a "reduced price" cow/calf hunt in areas where the elk numbers are above management levels. They are relatively easy to draw, a reasonable price and a call to the game and fish can help you find units with fairly easy hunting conditions. Stay away from the western part of the state its typically straight up and down. In addition wilderness areas require a guide and typically are not easy topography wise. Doing a little homework should get you want you want. Generally Idaho is very rugged and requires lots of hiking and scouting to be successful. Washington has the least opportunities and highest costs. As already stated Oregon is tough to draw but does offer some OTC tags on both the east and west side of the mountains. Success ratios are not high in Oregon or Idaho, your best chances of success would be in Wyoming.

 

[Europe]

"looking for a rifle hunt with reasonable success, easy draw or OTC tags, and hopefully something that has good views without a 10mile hike since I want my wife to have a good time and not have to push her terribly hard (hoping maybe she will enjoy the scenery and realize hunting is just a fun walk in the woods with the occasional bonus of table fare)
-is that a realistic option for elk?"

If you find elk hunting like this, don't tell anyone, except me... :wink:

I agree that pronghorn would be your best bet.

Plus one on all points

Not what you ask for --but

consider an outfitter in Montana or Wyoming----drive to Arizona IF you like to bow hunt as they have excellent otc tags available for bow hunters----hunt pronghorn

 

[69gto]

Europe, I wasn't aware of any over the counter archery elk tags in Arizona, it took me 32 years to draw one muzzle loader and one archery tag for the rut hunts. My wife drew a early rifle tag in 2014 after 20 years of trying. Maybe someone from Arizona can clarify this. We do have over the counter archery tags in Oregon so we get a lot of out of state hunters.

 

[IdahoCTD]

If you look in the AZ elk hunting regs there are general non permit tags available, page 25. I'm pretty sure they are super tough hunts with low success rates but you can get them.

https://portal.azgfd.stagingaz.gov/Port ... lkregs.pdf

 

[Guy Miner]

so what would you all think for a first time western DIY hunt: cow elk, bull elk, or pronghorn?

YES!

Oh, you wanted specifics... :grin:

I'd throw mule deer into the mix too - they are another true western animal and are enough different from whitetails that they're a very worthy game animal.

Pronghorn may well be the easiest of the animals you mentioned. There's a gazillion of them in Wyoming. Tags are relatively easy to draw. They're... tiny. So, if scratching that "western hunt" itch requires something big to hunt, it's not pronghorn. But they are unique. Interesting as all get out to watch and hunt. And can be Very Tasty on the table as well.

I don't do a lot of elk hunting, so I'll let the elk hunters pontificate on that. :mrgreen: Nothing like hunting a screaming mad bull in the rut... Oh my goodness!

Is your brother-in-law a hunter? About every other guy and every fourth gal in Boise is... So??? Maybe he could link you up with some local hunters? Nice to go with someone who knows the land.

Enjoy!!!

Guy

 

[tim629]

brother-in-law isn't a hunter, but is a gunsmith, shooter, hiker, camper (so once healed i'm figuring pack mule too) and figure him living out there and being an outdoor person provides me the cook stove, tent, coolers, tarps, he has a spotting scope and binos so i'd just need to bring me, clothing, rifle, ammo, sleeping bag, binos, my wife & who knows what else but the bulkiest items he has.

I think his buddy & his wife that live in salt lake city are hunters so would potentially be looking at 3 hunters, and 2 just along for the good time


as far as size of animal, that isn't important, just figure cow elk would give a mountain view/hike pronghorn would give a different desert hike/drive maybe more relaxing due to numbers of them (so leaning towards them)


also not opposed to a guided or semi-guided hunt (wish i could find the one that had a fall hunt, then bring the family back in the summer for a pack trip for cheap/free)



in any case, keep throwing out ideas/suggestions/tips and feel free to tell us where/what your first western hunt was for (more detail of unit the better for me, but you don't have to go that far if you don't want to)

 

[Guy Miner]

Be prepared for the weather... This summer: First week of August I was camping in Oregon, and woke up to 29 degrees! It was 90 later that day. Was snowed on in Oregon in June too! That's in summer... in the fall? It can go from beautiful to "Oh Crud" in a few hours...

Be prepared with good glass. Good binoculars at a minimum, and a decent spotting scope can be a bit help. "Spot and Stalk" describes much of western hunting. I'd say being able to glass well, and then MOVE on an animal is more important, by far, than whatever you're shooting.

Late in the game to hunt this year. There are some "over the counter" and "leftover" tags available, but most of the states wanted their non-resident applications in months ago. Might even come across some "cancellation" hunts from outfitters. Maybe at a reduced price? Consider a drop-camp, where the outfitter gets you to a good hunting location, then leaves you alone to hunt. Picks you up days or a week later...

Guy

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Have a great time and Go while you can.

 

[wildgene]

...this is fairly typical for the "cow/ calf" tags around Cody, access is "fair" w/ a number of 'walk-in & hunter management areas', leftover tags are generally available in a number of units in the Cody 'foothills'...

 

[tim629]

WildGene i'm curious & i wish i had more time to go out and just look around.

66 looks to have good access but low success rate, can't decide if it's population, hunter lazyness, or something else? maybe not the right habitat since i'm not seeing much in the means of forest land? from google maps looks like good road access, irrigated farm fields to draw stuff in and keep it fed, lots of BLM land (legal to hunt correct?) some state land and quite a few parcels of walk-in land.

just curious if my observations are in the right ball-park or if i'm missing something.

thanks

 

[wildgene]

..."66" is out in the ;flats', a pretty deceptive term since it's more coulees, rock ribs, & benches than anything else, doesn't really have a resident elk herd, but as wolves & bears (& hunters) put more pressure on the herds in the foothills to the west they drift in. Success is almost as dependent on woofs & weather as effort. There's a depredation program in "61" where the WYG&F takes you out on private to the elk, even helps get it out occasionally, to reduce the cow/ calf populations. Access is more limited in the "foothills" units, 56, 58, 59, 61, 62, but most offer good opportunities for a spot & stalk...