2019 Wyoming Elk

[icebreaker12]

This one is going to take a little bit of set up. I was working with a fellow hunttalker (who will be with me on this hunt) and we managed to find a perfect time to take a break and find some service just in time for the 10am draw result release. I was pretty much in shock when for the first time in my 3 years as a resident I had drawn my first choice antelope and elk tag that wasn’t nearly guaranteed. This elk tag was no where close to guaranteed. Excitement continued as my buddy had also drawn the same goat tag and his first choice deer tag. The texts went around and everyone was excited about the fall to come.

My friend and I went back to work and finished up and headed back home. I checked my phone to see I had a message from a PA number requesting a call back. I had applied for a new job in Pennsylvania in April. I had been through two interviews by the time June 20th rolled around. Sure enough, I got the job. I was really excited about the new job, but a small art of me knew this meant the fall would not look as I had thought it would just a few hours previous.

Ended up starting the new job in early September with no time to archery hunt on the elk tag. I decided it was unrealistic I would get to hunt on my goat and deer tags and donated them.

The first week I started the job I brought up the idea of taking off work to come back for this elk tag. Luckily, everyone understands the what an opportunity a tag like this is, so everyone was on board with finding a way to make it happen even without a lot of leave.

So here I am, sitting on a plane heading from PA to WY. The reverse trip of my interview just 5 months ago. I’ll do my best to keep you updated as we attempt to fill this tag this week!

 

[Sawtooth]

Best of luck to you on your hunt.

 

[madtom]

Your choice of hunting partners is questionable. I’m planning to spend all week in my crocs.

Also, you could do me a solid and tell mrs madtom that you don’t care how clean our house is or isn’t.

 

[Crossbowguy]

Good luck!

 

[homers]

Good luck!

 

[icebreaker12]

Day 1 update. After a very early night. We headed out to check zero on the rifle. All looked good and we went to check spot number one. After seeing 3 groups sitting there, we decided to check another not to far away. No one was there and we headed in. After 7+ miles, we found all of two piles of droppings from the last week. Tomorrow has forecasted lows near or below zero. We are hopeful they will be up and moving in the locations we plan to check.

 

[icebreaker12]

Interesting day today. Quite cold in the morning. About zero with 2-3” of fresh snow. We immediately picked up a large herd of cows in their usual place on private.


After finding them and staring at them for a bit. (Willing them to move to public), we turned up 5 bulls in a virtually inaccessible location just on the edge of public.

After we thoroughly removed the possibility of accessing those bulls, we decided to try another location we had heard of some bulls hanging out. After grabbing Some lunch and glassing the area for about an hour we decided to try another perspective before giving up. Within seconds of glassing the new area @madtom turned up these 6 bulls.

We gave them the afternoon to move closer to public, but they were quite content to nap. We plan to be there in the morning to see if they decided some of the public ground is appealing.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Good luck
Matt

 

[wytex]

Warmer weather om tap for next few days, might melt some of our snow and make access easier.
Good luck.

 

[icebreaker12]

Day 3 update. Forgot to do it yesterday. My apologies. We returned to the location we found the 6 elk. I hopped out of the truck to take a pee when we arrived. I was interrupted by @madtom banging on the window. I hunched down (you can guess the result of that). Turns out he had found one bull. This one considerably closer but still on private. The good news was, he was completely surrounded by public. Wind was howling and in a terrible direction for where we were sure the elk would go so we waited.

At 2:30pm we saw the bull stand up, and as we expected there was another with him. But they immediately bedded down. At least one bedded in the open so we could see him.

At 3:45 they began to stir, and we finally found out there was not two, but three. We watched as the crosses the public onto private. But at least we had a plan for the next day.

 

[icebreaker12]

Day 4 mid day update. After not seeing the bulls from our usual glassing point we decided we needed to make a move. We hiked to the point where we lasted glassed the bulls the night before expecting them to be bedded in the drainage or directly adjacent to the private on a small hill. As we arrived and checked the locations over we were greeted with no elk. As we went to check the last location @madtom told me to stop. Sure enough on the hill not far away we’re the three bulls from the night before. At quick glance we knew they were close to public. After checking OnX and ranging the bulls. We realized they were 130 yards onto private and 750 yards from us. But they would have to come through us to get to the area they had been feeding. We sat in an area would could keep an eye on them and got ready for a long wait.

Just as quickly as it all started we noticed two of the bulls staring off to the north. Whatever it was made them nervous enough that all three got up and trotted further onto private and over the hill. Didn’t appear to alarmed, however.

So here we sit knowing where they want to be and thinking we know what route they will take to get there.....

 

[icebreaker12]

Day 4 remaining update. We laid in the sun for 5 more hours and the elk never showed. Luckily, @madtom kept watch while I took a quick snooze....

On to something else in the morning.

 

[icebreaker12]

Day 5. Last update, we headed to a new spot we knew held elk, but just few bulls. After a long hike in and turning up elk nearly the same distance we had already hiked, we decided killing one there wasn’t feasible.

We headed out and decided to return to the spot we had spent over half the hunt on and throw a true Hail Mary. @madtom would head straight upwind of where we suspected the elk would be. We hoped this would get them to push off the private onto public we could hunt.

We glassed the area from a new vantage point this evening but to no avail. We did turn up the big wad of elk on private from a long ways off.

 

[802flyfish]

That’s A lot of elk.