WY Sierra Madre's

[SD-Esox]

I drew a general elk tag this year for WY and am heading to the Sierra Madres to hunt. Just looking for any info I may need to know for the area as non res. going there. I see on OnX there has been some fires there in the past recent years, are they still pretty much open for use. In the Black Hill they sometimes close areas down after bad fires. I know this is an opportunity hunt and I am not looking for anything big, just want to be elk hunting, but what can I expect has far as age class of bulls. (If I see a branched antler bull the first day you better take him type of scenario?) I've done quite abit of online research for the area just looking for to see if that info is echoed here also.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

All depends on how picky you are, but I would shoot the first branch antlered bull. I don't know if the burned areas are open. I would think they are. Lots of beetle kill, so a chain saw may be a good idea. Couple wilderness areas you can't hunt with out a guide. Good luck!

 

[wytex]

Some road closures may affect your hunt. Check out the roads that will be closed during Sept on the disclaimer on the hunt planner: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Hunt-Planner/Elk-Hunting/Elk-Area-21

 

[kansasdad]

Don't forget the "wonderful" Wyoming wilderness no hunting zone rule.

 

[wytex]

I have talked with the folks in the Saratoga office about road closures during hunting season, I would love for any of you hunting over there this archery season to give them a call and ask about why they will not keep some open time during archery season.
They could keep gates open after the days logging is over and on weekends during Sept as well.

 

[bullbugle307]

There's some decent bulls up there. Ive called in a few 6 pts, nothing to write home about though. Lots of people even during archery season.

 

[Sdhunters]

Also a So Dak resident. Would love to be headed out with you , but lucked out after 17 year wait and drew my BH rifle tag. Do you have an unit in mind? Hunted DIY there last year with couple close calls during archery season and did luck out with rifle with 5x4. Could help you some with general info. Road closures were minimal. Few logging operations have roads closed. Unless there is a current fire all areas/roads were open. There will be a few people hunting in the area as it is a general area so be prepared to have some competition. Most elk I found were in small groups. Bulls are very happy to have 4-5 cows. Not large herds like private land TV shows. Few Wyoming residents I ran into say they notice elk become call shy as season goes on due to high pressure put on them. Good luck! It will be worth the trip.

 

[SD-Esox]

Also a So Dak resident. Would love to be headed out with you , but lucked out after 17 year wait and drew my BH rifle tag. Do you have an unit in mind? Hunted DIY there last year with couple close calls during archery season and did luck out with rifle with 5x4. Could help you some with general info. Road closures were minimal. Few logging operations have roads closed. Unless there is a current fire all areas/roads were open. There will be a few people hunting in the area as it is a general area so be prepared to have some competition. Most elk I found were in small groups. Bulls are very happy to have 4-5 cows. Not large herds like private land TV shows. Few Wyoming residents I ran into say they notice elk become call shy as season goes on due to high pressure put on them. Good luck! It will be worth the trip.

Good luck On the BH tag. I got mine in 2012 season lasted a whole 27 min for me that year. Had some great scouting trips before season which made up for it ending so fast on opening day. I can start applying next year again.

 

[SD-Esox]

Thanks for the info. That’s what I was looking.

 

[SD-Esox]

Just spent Saturday the 17-Saturday the 24 hunting. Didn’t manage to shoot an elk but got into them several mornings. Of course my brother who was along with out a tag could have shot several bulls. I either had trees in the way or wind give me away. Had a great time and felt it was a success for our first time being there and only e scouting. Can’t wait to do it again

 

[willy]

Glad you got into elk. Sounds like you had a good hunt and that's how it'd go with with anybody hunting with a someone without a tag. Thanks for the follow up.

 

[nrpate05]

Sounds like a great trip. I got word a few days ago that a friend filled his cow tag in the Sierra Madres. I think on the western side. I hunt pronghorn on the eastern side of the range and have always looked up into those hills wondering what the elk and mule deer hunting is like. I'll check it out one of these days!

 

[FlatlandHunter]

How was the pressure there? My buddy went up by Sheridan because of the Mullen fire messed up where we normally go. He considered going to the Madres but figured it would be that much more full of hunters.

 

[MNElkNut]

I was there earlier in the year bowhunting and have never seen more hunters. There were campers EVERYWHERE. This was before the Mullen fire. I cannot believe what it was like for rifle season. We didn't see very many elk either.

Someone mentioned mule deer. Where we go, we see a couple, but I (nor anyone in our party) have never seen a decent buck. I have thought about getting a tag, but it just isn't worth the money based on what we have seen.

 

[FlatlandHunter]

I was there earlier in the year bowhunting and have never seen more hunters. There were campers EVERYWHERE. This was before the Mullen fire. I cannot believe what it was like for rifle season. We didn't see very many elk either.

Someone mentioned mule deer. Where we go, we see a couple, but I (nor anyone in our party) have never seen a decent buck. I have thought about getting a tag, but it just isn't worth the money based on what we have seen.

What I was concerned about. Might be building points for a few more years.

 

[SD-Esox]

Compared to what I deal with in the black hills. I didn’t think it was bad

 

[Bob-WY]

hunting pressure everywhere this year was NUTS.

 

[willy]

How was the pressure there?

I've hunted that area for several years and have never seen the pressure like I saw this rifle season. It never went away. Previous years, after the first weekend it got very quiet and few hunters seen. This year is was constant vehicles, people, and pressure. I saw less non residents than normal but resident hunters were exponentially increased.

Heck my buddies even had a totally nutjob scary experience with 2 guys sitting above them shooting into the 7 pack of cow/calf elk 30 yards from them. They dropped to the ground and got the hell out of there when the shooting stopped. They didn't want to have a confrontation with everybody having guns and the shooters seemingly having no concept of safe hunting and probably no filter on being arseholes with guns.

Later they had a bull that was 50 yards away(it was bugling but they didn't have a shot) get dropped by someone they had no idea where he was prior or after. I would wager there were 25 guys within one square mile. I counted over 60 shots that were in this area, not the ones that were a long ways away. After opening day it was crickets as far as elk in this area but hunters were still thick. I was there 10 days and it was the worst hunting experience I've had there.

We found 2 dead elk that had been shot through the chest but not recovered, a cow and calf. Probably herd shooting or just thought they'd missed.

I hope this was all because of covid, if not I have to find a new place to elk hunt.

This report was almost duplicate in areas 36 and 37 according to my buddy who tried there. They didn't have any craziness happen and they didn't even see an elk except on private land down the mountain, in big herds.

Pressure on top of drought hammered forage pushed elk to the hell holes and private quickly this year.

 

[Bjcoyne]

Hunted the Sierras this year. I saw zero hunters out where the elk were. Opening morning I heard maybe 5 shots? I crossed paths with people on trails a couple times and even bugled a couple dudes into range during archery season. Otherwise, I didn’t think the pressure was that bad—I also don’t hunt the roads so that might be it.