WY Elk?

[wisconsinteacher]

Hey guys I have a few elk questions. First myself and a buddy are looking at going to WY for antelope next fall and after talking to him and looking at the points system, we are thinking about putting in for a elk point. About how many points would a guy need to hunt a good zone where you have a chance at an elk. I don't need a world record just a nice one that would make the trip worth the time and money. Also, would we be better off looking into CO or would you stick with WY for hunting public land DIY hunt?

 

[Vince]

When I was looking in to this, hunting out of state, I quickly determined that Wyoming beat Colorado for opportunity and odds of success of putting meat in the freezer was your goal.
You should do pretty good with three or four points.

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[Elkman]

Wyoming, and with two or three points you can usually get a general tag. I believe a general tag in Wyoming is better than a general tag in most other western states. I have been there numerous times and have only been skunked once and that was my fault.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

How does the general tag work? I am very green to elk and the draw system. FYI, we want to rifle hunt and would not mind paying a trespass fee if needed.

 

[wildgene]

...good resource here...

http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/hunting-1001115.aspx

...you need to decide if you want a "Bull Only", General,or Cow tag. Poke around in there, look @ the areas, access, the number of out of state tags issued, the success rate for each. Narrow down your choices, then do some more research. Look @ Hunter Mgmt. Areas for access, read the Nonresident Application. etc...

...I'm sure a lot of us will try to fill in the blanks, answer your questions, or point you in the right direction...

...Preference Points are still available till 9/30, probably wouldn't hurt to pick one up...

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I am thinking we will plan on putting in for a point just to get the ball rolling.

 

[Vince]

Smart move.

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[Silentstalker]

Great advice here. Get your point. Wyoming has great hunting for all species. Killing a great antelope, deer, or elk is a possibility in any unit. Filling the freezer is very likely if you hunt hard and have a bit of luck. We have had 4 elk tags in recent years and killed 3 bulls. Buy your point and your well on your way to a great hunt!

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Thanks for the info guys. I plan on talking to my buddy this week and I have a feeling that this info will push him over the edge and he will want to buy the point. (He should, it was his idea in the first place.)

 

[HOGWILD338-378]

While you are waiting to draw for Wyoming or Colorado they have OTC tags for Elk in Colorado if you can handle the altitude and I know of a lotta people doing OTC in Colorado and it's not a hard DIY hunt unless ya make it! Read down near bottom of the page on OTC tags! :mrgreen:
http://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/BigG ... tions.aspx

 

[Darkhorse]

After a good snow or two the elk migrate into NW Colorado by the thousands. There is a lot of BLM land there and also some trespass fee hunts. There are also a lot of hunters on the public land. Most all of this is OTC.
Some info on the area;

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Huntin ... tGuide.pdf

I hunted this area back in'98 and there were a ton of elk. Mixed in with the raghorns and dinks are some good bulls, so if your into elk then patience might serve you well.
If you don't get drawn in Wyoming then keep this in mind.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I did some more reading on WY and their system today. The way I see it there are 2 types of draws. One is the limited quota draws that can range from 3-10 years to get the tag. The other is the general draw which takes 2-5 points to draw. My question is this, if you enter into the general draw, can you hunt any of the units that are designated General or do you still have to pick a general unit? Also, I see some general areas have quotas for cows/calves. Is this above and beyond the general tags? Lastly, if we gather 3 points and apply for a unit that is limited as choice 1 but do not draw can we put choice 2 as general and still keep our points?

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Vince]

I did some more reading on WY and their system today. The way I see it there are 2 types of draws. One is the limited quota draws that can range from 3-10 years to get the tag. The other is the general draw which takes 2-5 points to draw. My question is this, if you enter into the general draw, can you hunt any of the units that are designated General or do you still have to pick a general unit? Also, I see some general areas have quotas for cows/calves. Is this above and beyond the general tags? Lastly, if we gather 3 points and apply for a unit that is limited as choice 1 but do not draw can we put choice 2 as general and still keep our points?

Thanks for the help guys.

It is my understanding that if you don't get your first choice you keep your points.
That's unlike my state. Draw any tag and you lose all your points.

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[wisconsinteacher]

I found the Eastman's 2013 article on WY and elk hunting today and read that. From what I read, they are more focused on big bulls and big scores. While I dream of a monster, we would be happy with any legal branch bull. With that, should we look more into general areas or limited areas? Man there is a lot to learn as an out of state hunter.

One last question for the night, is the Eastman's Hunting Journal worth the $45 for a 2 year subscription or is it just a magazine full of adds and the same old hunting stories?

 

[Dr. Vette]

One last question for the night, is the Eastman's Hunting Journal worth the $45 for a 2 year subscription or is it just a magazine full of adds and the same old hunting stories?

My two favorite magazines are Bugle from RMEF and Eastman's.
Well worth the money to join RMEF just for the magazine, and honestly we all should belong to RMEF anyway if we're hunting big game (elk, whitetail or mule deer).
Eastman's mostly talks about DIY hunting out west, and is refreshing to read. I haven't found another magazine like it. A lot of the stories are written by the people who did the hunt, not Joe Blow Outdoor Writer from Texas whose hunt was free anyway.

The only reason I get the rest is to put in the rack at the office for patients to read. Most of the time F&S, OL, etc are just ads. Deer & Deer Hunting is the worst - they put the ads for mentioned product right in the middle of the articles.

 

[Vince]

I read magazines while the wife does the grocery shopping. Saves on the cost of a subscription.

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[Elkman]

I love Eastman's, lots of "great" information for the hunter. It's helped me pick units a couple of times. More than worth the money

 

[Elkman]

Teacher you are pretty close, a General License gives you the option for "all" general units. The limited draw is unit specific as is the Cow Calf draw. You can generally get a "cow calf" draw every year, I do. Cow calf tags do not count against your preference points. A general license take 2 or three points to draw. If you are successful in the draw you can still purchase an available Cow Calf tag in July.

 

[SJB358]

Wyoming or bust 2015! :grin:

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I will be there in 2015 chasing antelope. My buddy is calling the outfitter tomorrow to book us for 2017. 2016, should be the year of bear hunting in WI, so I should be busy.