WY elk units

[huntin24/7]

Since hunting season is mostly winding down and application season will be here soon, I thought I’d reach out. My brother and I will be burning our 9 elk points this year. I feel like I’ve done as much research as I can the last few years without talking to guys who’ve actually hunted these units. I’ll be talking to biologists, wardens etc in the next week or so and have questions all ready for them, but I know it’s generally fairly generic information they give out. We’ve narrowed our focus to a couple western bighorns units, unit 99(I hate listing unit #’s but no other way to mention it), and possibly one other. If anyone would be willing to talk via pm, I would much appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[WapitiBob]

99 isn't in the Bighorns.

 

[huntin24/7]

99 isn't in the Bighorns.

Yes, I was trying to avoid listing units online as much as possible. I meant a couple of the western bighorn units and unit 99 are some of the units we can draw and are interested in. I’ll just mention the 2 bighorn units I’m looking into are 39 and 40, more so leaning towards 40 and 99 outside of the bighorns.

 

[WapitiBob]

No secret info here; 39 gets snow early and way more press than 40.

 

[DanWyo]

Not a whole lot of western bighorn units. WGF website has unit descriptions including terrain, behavior, harvest data. Doubt anyone outside of G&F will offer much beyond that.

 

[bigsky2]

I’ve got experience with 45, not sure if that’s one of your options or not.

 

[huntin24/7]

I’ve got experience with 45, not sure if that’s one of your options or not.

I appreciate that, but we don’t have the points to draw 45 if I remember correctly.

 

[huntin24/7]

No secret info here; 39 gets snow early and way more press than 40.

Thank you. I’ve heard a lot of the early snow and migration issues in 39. Almost everything I’ve read about these 2 units has been negative, but 40 seems to have more consistent success rates. They both have pretty high success rates generally so guys are killing elk.

 

[Flatrock]

Get a deer or cow tag and go check out those units. Even if people on a forum are helpful, you will learn FAR more by going to the unit. I'm sure you've heard that before but it's 100% true. Even just 2-3 days can tell you a lot. I've seen people say they've struggled in 39 and 40. I've seen people do just fine in those units too.

If you're not going to do a cow/deer hunt first, I'd say have your brother get the tag next year, go with and then you'll be in great shape the following year!

 

[JAG]

Area 38 is getting ready to be way better than 39 and 40 with the Crater Ridge fire that's getting ready to cause the grass and forbs to surge. This year was terrible since it caused a majority of the area to close. If I had 9 points, that's where I would apply for 2022.

 

[oilcan]

My first ever trip to Wyoming was for elk in 39 about 20+ years ago. I was there the second week, the snow started piling up the Elk left and we barely made it off the mountain.
I have 11 points and trying to decide what unit to put in for but 39 probably won’t be on the list but I liked the area.

 

[huntin24/7]

Area 38 is getting ready to be way better than 39 and 40 with the Crater Ridge fire that's getting ready to cause the grass and forbs to surge. This year was terrible since it caused a majority of the area to close. If I had 9 points, that's where I would apply for 2022.

That makes sense. Isn’t 38 really prone to elk migrating out and being inaccessible if it snows very much though?

 

[JAG]

Yes, but you are mainly hunting during the post-rut in Wyoming- not Late Season. Snow has to be a whole lot to drive out the elk; during the Oct-to Nov rifle season, snow waxes and wanes quickly. It traps people in, but they get out when it melts away. There isn't too much private in 38 anyway for elk to migrate out- 79% public land and enough foothills for them to stay within the unit if you get the once in a 10-year blizzard.

 

[matt24073]

Yes, but you are mainly hunting during the post-rut in Wyoming- not Late Season. Snow has to be a whole lot to drive out the elk; during the Oct-to Nov rifle season, snow waxes and wanes quickly. It traps people in, but they get out when it melts away. There isn't too much private in 38 anyway for elk to migrate out- 79% public land and enough foothills for them to stay within the unit if you get the once in a 10-year blizzard.

Hey Jag, have you hunted 38-1? If so how is access to the foothills. i am trying to have a back up plan in case weather gets real bad. I drew the tag this year.

 

[JAG]

I have not. Only e-scouted it and ironed out details with information helpful in another nearby unit with similar weather and geographic patterns.

 

[JAG]

That makes sense. Isn’t 38 really prone to elk migrating out and being inaccessible if it snows very much though?

It might be, but in an adjacent unit the snow has to be really heavy before the elk get pushed out into the winter range.

I can't say about this unit, but a short, 5-day rifle cow season impacts other Bighorn mountain units that precede their respective 'any-elk' rifle seasons. This helps push herd bulls into post-rut, but satellite bulls can still be big and found with cows after this.