First Elk Tag Ever - Wyoming Unit 48

[Zander_Nelson]

So I just drew my first non-resident Elk Tag in my life. A Cow Tag for unit 48 in Wyoming. I am 21 and went out to Wyoming for the first time last year for Antelope. I am extremely excited bit rather overwhelmed.

I am pretty well set on gear, but if anyone can give me some additional tips that you may think are useful, I am all ears. I plan on continuing to do all the reading and preparation I can and am ready to put in the work!

 

[Red Fox]

Not sure where you are coming from but need to be in shape. just getting to where they are is hard but packing it out is a whole norther thing. When you walk up to it for the first time it will feel a little over whelming.

Cows only care about food/ water. Find that on your map and get a good glassing spot.

Good Luck

 

[clark2001_99]

The closer to the road the better. I try not to shoot cows that are to far from a road. Is there a reason you picked area 48?

 

[NoWiser]

48 is going to be really tough unless you have access to private. I’d say what you are going to need most is a lot of luck. On the plus side, you’ll be elk hunting.

 

[WapitiBob]

I hunted next door in 49 one year and it was a waste without private.

 

[LopeHunter]

Shoot uphill from where parked the vehicle and the nearer road within legal limits then the better for your back. Some of us don't care if we see an animal while out hunting. Others of us get discouraged if not seeing animals a few times a day. If you tend to need to see animals to stay motivated then this will be a tough hunt. You might look into access to private though may find landowners have signed over access to a guide. Some landowners may want the elk cow population reduced by one and if they think you will close gates that you open and behave like an adult years beyond your current age then you might want to start looking up ownership and see if can find contact information. OnXMaps may be your friend.

Now, if you find yourself with a good shot on a cow elk then elk are designed like a whitetail or mulie so bullet placement is the same. Should not take much bullet to do the job if have a good rest, aren't winded from hustling into position, are 200 yards or closer and the cow is not moving. Have a good meat hauling pack. Consider the gutless method. Have suitable game bags. Consider not packing out leg bones. Definitely cut off the hooves. Have a large cooler. Get the meat cooled down. Lots of ways to prepare elk and cow elk is very good eating.

As for gear, have boots that are kind to your feet, keep the wrinkles out of your liner and outer socks, keep laces snug so stop after hike a bit to snug them up again. If sleeping in the field, consider ear plugs, eye patch, stocking cap, comfortable sleeping pad and maybe Tylenol PM.

If will be hunting above 6000' elevation and you live closer to flat lands then hydrate more than are thirsty and take it easy the first 2 or 3 days after arrive at altitude. Avoid booze at first, if can.

If are not close to a town then consider a gas can, first aid kit, and satellite transponder. Arrive with a plan for where will start each day. Sounds like public land is nominal or does not hold elk after the first shots ring out so may be traveling a ways to get between huntable land so that can burn up fuel fast and the spare fuel can may let you spend less time heading miles back to the gas station.

I keep a hunt diary. Almost 50 years of notes, observations, temperatures, wind, etc at this point. Is nice for me to sit on a winter's afternoon and randomly pick up one of the journals and read about a hunt or two. If you write down who/what/where/why/when then that is good. If add in a preamble before arrive for the hunt about how got the tag, odds to draw, harvest rate, history of the region will hunt, flora and fauna, how will travel to the destination, actual miles driven to get there, and plan for when the sun comes up Day 1 then is even better, in my opinion.

Good luck! A day in the field beats the heck out of a day in my office and I love my job. There will be curve balls such as flat tires or broken gear or encountering asshats though over the years I learned to embrace those moments as it allowed me to persevere when others might not have. Go get 'em!

 

[Dully]

Shoot uphill from where parked the vehicle and the nearer road within legal limits then the better for your back. Some of us don't care if we see an animal while out hunting. Others of us get discouraged if not seeing animals a few times a day. If you tend to need to see animals to stay motivated then this will be a tough hunt. You might look into access to private though may find landowners have signed over access to a guide. Some landowners may want the elk cow population reduced by one and if they think you will close gates that you open and behave like an adult years beyond your current age then you might want to start looking up ownership and see if can find contact information. OnXMaps may be your friend.

Now, if you find yourself with a good shot on a cow elk then elk are designed like a whitetail or mulie so bullet placement is the same. Should not take much bullet to do the job if have a good rest, aren't winded from hustling into position, are 200 yards or closer and the cow is not moving. Have a good meat hauling pack. Consider the gutless method. Have suitable game bags. Consider not packing out leg bones. Definitely cut off the hooves. Have a large cooler. Get the meat cooled down. Lots of ways to prepare elk and cow elk is very good eating.

As for gear, have boots that are kind to your feet, keep the wrinkles out of your liner and outer socks, keep laces snug so stop after hike a bit to snug them up again. If sleeping in the field, consider ear plugs, eye patch, stocking cap, comfortable sleeping pad and maybe Tylenol PM.

If will be hunting above 6000' elevation and you live closer to flat lands then hydrate more than are thirsty and take it easy the first 2 or 3 days after arrive at altitude. Avoid booze at first, if can.

If are not close to a town then consider a gas can, first aid kit, and satellite transponder. Arrive with a plan for where will start each day. Sounds like public land is nominal or does not hold elk after the first shots ring out so may be traveling a ways to get between huntable land so that can burn up fuel fast and the spare fuel can may let you spend less time heading miles back to the gas station.

I keep a hunt diary. Almost 50 years of notes, observations, temperatures, wind, etc at this point. Is nice for me to sit on a winter's afternoon and randomly pick up one of the journals and read about a hunt or two. If you write down who/what/where/why/when then that is good. If add in a preamble before arrive for the hunt about how got the tag, odds to draw, harvest rate, history of the region will hunt, flora and fauna, how will travel to the destination, actual miles driven to get there, and plan for when the sun comes up Day 1 then is even better, in my opinion.

Good luck! A day in the field beats the heck out of a day in my office and I love my job. There will be curve balls such as flat tires or broken gear or encountering asshats though over the years I learned to embrace those moments as it allowed me to persevere when others might not have. Go get 'em!

Love the detail in your response Lopehunter. I’m a new member and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in some folks responses. My son and I are looking forward to our first elk hunt this year. We drew cow elk tags me in unit 37 and him in Unit 49. We know these are tough units but this trip is more about time with my son. We’re hard hunters and aren’t afraid to hike, so we’ll see how it goes?? Again, great to see kind remarks with great advice.

 

[Wyominghunter]

It has been several years since I hunted 37, but would get into the elk early around Walker Creek, or even Bear Gulch, sorry but no input for 49

 

[Dully]

It has been several years since I hunted 37, but would get into the elk early around Walker Creek, or even Bear Gulch, sorry but no input for 49

Thanks for the info. Don't think we can get out there till early November. Hoping they're not all on private

 

[BlakeA]

We know these are tough units but this trip is more about time with my son.

Good luck on your hunts I hope you guys find success. I would try and pay tresspass fees to access some elk otherwise it will be a very frustrating experience and a complete waste of time and money. Maybe you already have that lined up? There are about 100 outdoor activities I would rather do with my son then drag him along on a hunt into a landlocked unit and sit on the same chunk of ground for 5 days praying for a miracle. Pay the tresspass fees and go have fun!

 

[Dully]

Do the wildlife biologists have contact info for landowners willing to let us pay a trespass fee? I have OnX and have spent countless hours studying the available public land but I don't know where to start as far as contacting landowners? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'm not extremely tech savvy and haven't found out how to PM yet so I apologize for putting this out there for the world to see

 

[ethantyler]

I hunted next door in 49 one year and it was a waste without private.

Did you hunt along side the private? We have 2 cow tags and not sure out best way to hunt them?

 

[Highfastflyer]

Do the wildlife biologists have contact info for landowners willing to let us pay a trespass fee? I have OnX and have spent countless hours studying the available public land but I don't know where to start as far as contacting landowners? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'm not extremely tech savvy and haven't found out how to PM yet so I apologize for putting this out there for the world to see

The G/F website shows a few landowners offering trespass fee hunting. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access/hunter-landowner-assistance/Lander-Region#Elk

 

[wyoelkfan15]

Gonna be a tough hunt. Look high and pray they are in public...

 

[Dully]

The G/F website shows a few landowners offering trespass fee hunting. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access/hunter-landowner-assistance/Lander-Region#Elk

Thank you. Didn't realize that was available. Unfortunately nothing listed for our units, but certainly a good resource for the next time we put in

 

[Highfastflyer]

Thank you. Didn't realize that was available. Unfortunately nothing listed for our units, but certainly a good resource for the next time we put in

You didn’t read the correct region then. For elk area 48 there are 2 landowners listed. Not sure how updated the list is. You have to click on it. You then choose the area in your case 48.

 

[shootbrownelk]

The G/F website shows a few landowners offering trespass fee hunting. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access/hunter-landowner-assistance/Lander-Region#Elk

G&F needs to update that list, John Trenchard passed away a few years ago.

 

[Dully]

You didn’t read the correct region then. For elk area 48 there are 2 landowners listed. Not sure how updated the list is. You have to click on it. You then choose the area in your case 48.

We have unit 37 and 49 tags (not 48). If I'm looking at it correctly there are zero on the list for Sheridan region and nothing for unit 49 in the Cody region. Please let me know if you are seeing something different. I think I'm on the right page, but I could be wrong

 

[Pilgrim]

As other posters have noted, you will have your work cut out for you, but keep a positive mental attitude and don't be afraid to move around. Use it as a scouting opportunity. If you find the elk, or if you happen to find the deer, it's a place you could probably return to next year if you wanted. There are often leftover cow tags available for that unit and you could draw a deer tag with minimal preference points. Bring a fishing pole or fly rod. If the hunting is real tough, sometimes a mid-day fishing break will recharge the batteries. It's cool country, so just being there is its own reward. (Just watch the roads if you get rain or wet snow; they can get snotty in a hurry.)

 

[Dully]

As other posters have noted, you will have your work cut out for you, but keep a positive mental attitude and don't be afraid to move around. Use it as a scouting opportunity. If you find the elk, or if you happen to find the deer, it's a place you could probably return to next year if you wanted. There are often leftover cow tags available for that unit and you could draw a deer tag with minimal preference points. Bring a fishing pole or fly rod. If the hunting is real tough, sometimes a mid-day fishing break will recharge the batteries. It's cool country, so just being there is its own reward. (Just watch the roads if you get rain or wet snow; they can get snotty in a hurry.)

Thanks Pilgrim. We are excited about the opportunity to see that area of the country and plan to cover as much ground as possible