I have been to Wyoming many times but have never hunted there. For those of you who have, what areas have both a resonable chance of getting drawn and a reasonable chance of taking an elk without spending a small fortune.

If you are looking for a guided hunt I can help you.

aspenhill@triton.net

I have for the past few years hunted in and around the Bridger-Teton Wilderness. There are some very good outfitters, but the wolf/grizzly population has made hunting hard. I did see two bulls this year (5x5 and 6x6) but I only had a cow tag. I did get a cow late in the season when they were migrating, but it was hard hunting to get one. Until Wyoming does something about the predator population, I will not hunt this area even though it is one of my favorite places in Wyoming.

I am looking at hunting the TenSleep area this year. I'm going with a buddy that has cow hunted before. Draw chances are bleak. Last year 117 applied, 17 got tags. This is the first year of Wyoming instituting the preference point system, $50 for a point. Any thoughts as to whether it is worth spending the $50 for hopes of improving the odds on a future hunt?

I hunted area 49 In the Ten Sleep area this fall. Lots of elk, some dandy bulls all on private property, I suspect they are $10,000 bulls. You can hunt them in tennis shoes out in the alfalfa fields.. I will never apply for that area again. I did find lots of fossils and saw elk every day, I hunted for almost 3 weeks and never saw an elk on public land.

22WRF-
I have hunted there a great deal, taken 4 elk and several antelope. I have recently quit the area I like best (Bridger Teton Wilderness Area in the Gros Ventre drainage) due to wolves. We regularly took several nice bulls in our party of 6. We had an outfitter to take care of the horses and cook. I am looking as well but am only looking at areas with no wolves. I will try for a tag in the areas around Sheridan in the Big Horns next. Odds are better if you go with the high priced permit. It is not cheap. I have yet to find an inexpensive elk hunt with horses and cook for under $3000.

Good luck.

Here is my '05 Wyoming bull taken on public land.

Nice bull! That hill in the background looks familiar. Laramie Peak area?

quote:

Originally posted by ELKMAN2:
I hunted area 49 In the Ten Sleep area this fall. Lots of elk, some dandy bulls all on private property, I suspect they are $10,000 bulls. You can hunt them in tennis shoes out in the alfalfa fields.. I will never apply for that area again. I did find lots of fossils and saw elk every day, I hunted for almost 3 weeks and never saw an elk on public land.

Have to chuckle about that a little my Uncle Mac and my Mother and Father used to own the hotel in Ten Sleep.

quote:

Laramie Peak area?

Elkman,

What elevation did you hunt? Did you hunt lower land at all?

quote:

What elevation did you hunt? Did you hunt lower land at all?

Actually, this is relatively "lower land". The elevation there was about 6,000 feet. The old saying "hunt elk where the elk are" is true. If they are high, hunt high, if they are timbered up cause it is hot, hunt the timber, and so on.

This particular bull (and his equally impressive buddy) were just moving off of this grassy plateau and heading toward a north facing timbered hillside. I spotted them before legal shooting time and moved into a position to intercept them hoping it would be legal shooting time when they moved through.

otispatosis. it is almost all low ground, I hunted in cedar hills and sage brush.. The ag lands held elk, even if hunted they satayed there. There is some relitivly high country on the south end of area 49, all private there was elk there, but permission was impossible during bull season, and for a cow, later no one was too interested and every one wanted to wait for weather to drive them down, we did not get any weather til the end on Nov. too late!! It is a very tough area. high is maybe 6000ft. I was in 5000ft or less country mostly. Last year I was over 8000ft for 31 days!

Thanks Elkman. I sent my money, if I don't draw a bull tag this year, I'll likely get a cow tag and get to know the area for a potential future bull hunt. Thanks for the info!

Elkslayer:

Congrats. How can an animal walk with that much sticking out of its head? It always amazes me.

quote:

Originally posted by otispatotis:
Thanks Elkman. I sent my money, if I don't draw a bull tag this year, I'll likely get a cow tag and get to know the area for a potential future bull hunt. Thanks for the info!

If you draw, call the Game and fish office in Cody and get a Land ownerlist and start calling.Also the BLM office in Worland has maps and some helpful info. Good luck.