Clueless on elk

[174in]

Hey guys I have 8 points right now for non res elk in Wyoming, what do you recommend for a guy that dosnt know anything about elk hunting that wants to hunt public and isn’t a trophy hunter. Keep building points or just pick a unit I can draw and go for it? Not looking for units to try or your hot spots. Just wondering what you would do if it was the one and only hunt you have a chance to go on for elk in the near future without any experience in elk hunting during rifle season in Wyoming on public land without a guide. Go for it or keep building?

 

[174in]

Hunted Wyoming and Montana public land the last 8 years for deer and pronghorn so I have that in my back pocket for experience but have never seen an elk in all those hunts

 

[174in]

Also going to be a solo hunt. If I have to round up some cow pokes to help me pack one out if I get lucky so be it.

 

[Addicting]

With one more point you could draw a unit 7 bull tag. Saw lots of great bulls there this year.

 

[brymoore]

I’d hunt cows a few years to wet your teeth before you spend your points.

 

[LCH]

I’d hunt cows a few years to wet your teeth before you spend your points.

^ This is a great idea. I've hunted cows twice in Wyoming, and now feel extremely confident that I could fill a bull tag if one was drawn. Hunt a cow in 2019 in an area you can draw, then go back with a bull tag in 2020.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

This is a shame. You should have been hunting for elk for the last 8 years.

What's important is the experience of hunting for elk. Enjoying the meat. It's not antlers. They don't mean squat!

So, I suggest you stop fooling around and go hunt for elk. Someday you'll be too old to hunt for elk and will look back on the years you wasted not hunting.

 

[ImBillT]

I do t know where you live or what your budget is, but eight points seems like a lot to waste. You’ll be taking a huge chance on wasting those points whether it’s your first elk hunt this year, or ten years from now. Personally, I would do everything possible to elk hunt this year without using those points. I’d do that for a couple of years. Then after gaining 2-3 years experience, you’ll have even more points and will be very confident in your abilities when you do draw the tag you’ve already waited eight years for.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

It's so much easier to give answers when we know your location. I don't know why everybody can't put that in their profile?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Go for it! You said it yourself you are not overly concerned with trophy size, so I am not sure what you have been waiting for. Burn your points on a Gen tag. Pick a gen unit that also dolls out a lot of reduced price cow tags. This one factor is the key to finding a gen unit with really good elk populations. They don't issue RP cow tags for units with low pops. Then go hunt the gen unit. After that you can try your hand at RP cow tags for that gen unit while you wait a few years for enough points to draw another gen tag. You do this right and you will be hunting elk in the same unit of Wyoming every year you want to. Unless you are chasing a particular unit or you are only content with hunting B&C bulls then you are wasting time and money gathering 8 PP's. The gen units in Wyo are a very good hunt.

 

[Idhikker]

Hunt cows to learn elk hunting then spend your points on an 8 point unit then hunt general every few years with some cow hunts mixed in.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Wyoming doesn't have OTC elk tags? Using those is the best way to hunt for a bull every year while building points.

 

[174in]

Sorry Wisconsin is my location thought that was in my profile. Getting some good advice here thank you keep it coming I am glad to here Duffey ideas.

 

[174in]

The one thing I think about is that it seems like 90% of the people I know around home go elk hunting to come home empty handed and never see an elk at all on thier trip. Most of them go to Colorado. I understand that is part of hunting but I don’t want to spend all that effort to not even see the specimen I am after. I have had really good luck finding game out west but never elk. Maybye im just not getting out west far enough. My original plan was to hunt pronghorn and deer until I found a good area to hunt for elk and go from there but after 8 years in Wyoming and Montana I am no closer to my search. Sounds to me that if I want to find elk I have to hunt elk

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I can't imagine not seeing elk during a hunt in Colorado. We have a lot of them. You just need to know where to look. Just hiking around aimlessly won't work. Good thing I guess. If it was easy there wouldn't be as many tags available.

I've always found hunting for mature muley bucks much more difficult than elk. They get pretty smart as they grow old.

btw..Talk to the 10% that see elk. Forget the 90% complaining they see no elk.

 

[NC2CO]

I am not the guy to give elk advice but I do agree with hunting elk a time or two before burning nearly a decade worth of points. If that's not doable, perhaps you could find an outfitter to assist with achieving the kind of hunt you're looking for! Just hate to see you spend all those points without a few elk hunts (confidence/experience boosters) under your belt.

 

[hardwoods]

Are you thinking of archery or rifle hunting?

 

[brymoore]

The one thing I think about is that it seems like 90% of the people I know around home go elk hunting to come home empty handed and never see an elk at all on thier trip. Most of them go to Colorado. I understand that is part of hunting but I don’t want to spend all that effort to not even see the specimen I am after. I have had really good luck finding game out west but never elk. Maybye im just not getting out west far enough. My original plan was to hunt pronghorn and deer until I found a good area to hunt for elk and go from there but after 8 years in Wyoming and Montana I am no closer to my search. Sounds to me that if I want to find elk I have to hunt elk

Success in my home unit ranges between 12% and 18% for bulls, 30%ish for cows. Elk aren’t easy to kill. Unfortunately, I don’t think what you learn hunting eastern whitetails helps in killing elk.

 

[Stubaby]

Man I wish I had more points. Id buddy up with you and go hunt 38 archery. Wouldn’t guarantee you a bull but plenty of “in elk” situations and some shot opportunities.

Go get a Montana general elk tag and hit eastern Montana and fill it with a cow or spike where applicable.

Like anything in this life the more you do it the better you get at it. Problem with elk is that you learn the most when you screw things up. Wind and patience go a long ways.