Wyoming Elk Planning with 11 Points as NR

[seeth07]

I'm no expert on Wyoming by any means but I have traveled there quite a bit from Rock Springs to Saratoga to Laramie to Casper to Jackson Hole to Pinedale to Buffalo to Sundance (sorry never been up towards Cody). I have literally seen elk and deer in every one of those locations except Pinedale (I'm sure they are around there though). Biggest bull actually near Sundance. The country that exists between those places is so vastly different and many pros and cons to each. Amount of public land, pressure, terrain, etc. Someone mentioned getting a cow tag and heading to an area to check it out. Absolutely some of the best advice given on this thread. I'm in the same boat as you, have 10 points and getting a huge itch to finally put them to use. You can bet that I'll be putting in for a cow tag this year in the general area I want to hopefully draw the bull tag in the next few years.

 

[BuzzH]

Someone mentioned getting a cow tag and heading to an area to check it out. Absolutely some of the best advice given on this thread. I'm in the same boat as you, have 10 points and getting a huge itch to finally put them to use. You can bet that I'll be putting in for a cow tag this year in the general area I want to hopefully draw the bull tag in the next few years.

Possibly a good idea, but not necessarily.

Depending on when the cow tags are valid and when your bull tag is valid it may not do you much good.

Won't be much value in hunting cows in a unit in December when you're planning on archery hunting bulls in the same unit in September, and vice versa.

Mature bulls post rut are a whole different animal than cows.

Best bet if you're truly looking to "scout" for a bull tag is to focus on scouting for your bull tag, not running around spending time trying to fill a cow tag.

I say skip the cow tags and get to your area a week before the season starts.

 

[seeth07]

Possibly a good idea, but not necessarily.

Depending on when the cow tags are valid and when your bull tag is valid it may not do you much good.

Won't be much value in hunting cows in a unit in December when you're planning on archery hunting bulls in the same unit in September, and vice versa.

Mature bulls post rut are a whole different animal than cows.

Best bet if you're truly looking to "scout" for a bull tag is to focus on scouting for your bull tag, not running around spending time trying to fill a cow tag.

I say skip the cow tags and get to your area a week before the season starts.

Yes, not necessarily, person does need to think about a lot of things.

Most cow tags also have the same archery option. Get the cow tag and head there in September. The bulls shouldn't be crazy far away from the cows that time of year. You will learn a lot and hopefully also be able to harvest a cow. If you fail, you can return for the Nov/Dec any weapon part of that cow tag and get a different experience but still be able to fill that freezer. Or maybe your bull tag is a late season bull hunt? Those exist too. There are a lot of options and elk can be hunted from Sept-January.

 

[Treeshark]

Sounds like a good excuse for a September scouting/fishing trip the year before you plan to draw!

 

[BuzzH]

My buddy found this bull in September, never could get it done with a bow:

I found the bull on November second, 22 miles in a straight line from where my buddy last saw it in September. He missed it the day this picture was taken.

Found it again on the 5th of November, my buddy got it killed on the 9th:

There were ZERO cows, but 17 bulls in the area where he killed it. Don't see how bombing around hunting cows in November/December would have done any good.

Only time finding cows is valuable at all is during the rut, rest of the year its a waste of time (unless you have a cow tag or want to shoot spikes and rags).

There's a reason a majority of NR elk hunters head home with a tag in their pocket.

 

[thusby]

I’m in the same boat as everyone with 12 points. I just plan to put the tag in my pocket, lose a couple pounds and send it!

 

[Deleted member 16014]

My recommendation for what I perceive are your priorities would be three general elk hunts, taking turns starting with yours, but all three of you going along on all three hunts. Avoiding griz country limits your options, but you can't have it all.

 

[WapitiBob]

Antlerless tags in good areas take points, reduced price C/C tags now have terrible odds. The days of just getting one and going are gone unfortunately.

 

[Seamaster]

I think I have hunted #7 on about 6 hunts. Maybe very early in the season some parts of the public access sections would be OK, but later in the season it looks like most of the elk are spending all of their time on the ranches. I would not give up 11 or more points to hunt #7 unless you have access to private land.

 

[seeth07]

My buddy found this bull in September, never could get it done with a bow:

I found the bull on November second, 22 miles in a straight line from where my buddy last saw it in September. He missed it the day this picture was taken.

Found it again on the 5th of November, my buddy got it killed on the 9th:

There were ZERO cows, but 17 bulls in the area where he killed it. Don't see how bombing around hunting cows in November/December would have done any good.

Only time finding cows is valuable at all is during the rut, rest of the year its a waste of time (unless you have a cow tag or want to shoot spikes and rags).

There's a reason a majority of NR elk hunters head home with a tag in their pocket.

Wait, so you are telling me that if you have a cow tag good for November and want to use it to help decide applying for a bull November tag that you aren't allowed to learn and look around for where bulls might be before/after you find the cows? Wow, I didn't realize that was a law in Wyoming restricting me from doing so. DARN IT! THERE GOES MY PLAN!!! Here I was thinking that with the 16+ hour drive I need to make to get there (just about the same for the OP) that I could do both on the same trip.

 

[BuzzH]

Wait, so you are telling me that if you have a cow tag good for November and want to use it to help decide applying for a bull November tag that you aren't allowed to learn and look around for where bulls might be before/after you find the cows? Wow, I didn't realize that was a law in Wyoming restricting me from doing so. DARN IT! THERE GOES MY PLAN!!! Here I was thinking that with the 16+ hour drive I need to make to get there (just about the same for the OP) that I could do both on the same trip.

If you're running around looking for cows, worrying about filling that tag, you never would have found the bulls.

That's a fact.

It's also a fact that when people have a tag in their pocket, that's their priority, seen it.

Think what you want, but in my very limited experience, scouting a week or two before your tag is valid has only ever made one thing, sense.

 

[seeth07]

If you're running around looking for cows, worrying about filling that tag, you never would have found the bulls.

That's a fact.

It's also a fact that when people have a tag in their pocket, that's their priority, seen it.

If I plan to arrive on Saturday with a nice vacation there planned to hunt through the following Saturday (so basically 7 full days of hunting) on a cow hunt and it takes me that entire time to find a late season cow, I have failed as a hunter and should probably just pack my bags and head home with plans to never return and hunt again. I would hope that I can have it wrapped up 3-4 days in giving me a nice 3 days or so to just scout and look for bulls.

 

[TOGIE]

while TOGIE was bombing around looking for cows

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Wait, so you are telling me that if you have a cow tag good for November and want to use it to help decide applying for a bull November tag that you aren't allowed to learn and look around for where bulls might be before/after you find the cows? Wow, I didn't realize that was a law in Wyoming restricting me from doing so. DARN IT! THERE GOES MY PLAN!!! Here I was thinking that with the 16+ hour drive I need to make to get there (just about the same for the OP) that I could do both on the same trip.

No one said that idea wouldn't work, but if you plug in the variables of 11 points, three hunters, and no griz, Buzz's perspective hits the notes that are most likely to be played by both the elk and hunter.

 

[TOGIE]

while TOGIE was bombing around looking for cows

View attachment 304952

before i get buzzsawed, he's still right. finding large bull elk in literally every direction, literally every direction, during january during an historic winter on critical range while looking for cows does you negative levels of help for finding bulls during october/november.

but holy shit it does reveal some of the things that can be found in some general units before they migrate

 

[BuzzH]

If I plan to arrive on Saturday with a nice vacation there planned to hunt through the following Saturday (so basically 7 full days of hunting) on a cow hunt and it takes me that entire time to find a late season cow, I have failed as a hunter and should probably just pack my bags and head home with plans to never return and hunt again. I would hope that I can have it wrapped up 3-4 days in giving me a nice 3 days or so to just scout and look for bulls.

How do plan to scout areas for say an archery season or early rifle, when you can't even get to them due to snow while on your late cow hunt? You'd be better off using ONX from your office chair.

 

[seeth07]

How do plan to scout areas for say an archery season or early rifle, when you can't even get to them due to snow while on your late cow hunt? You'd be better off using ONX from your office chair.

Wait, so you are telling me that if you have a cow tag good for November and want to use it to help decide applying for a bull November tag that you aren't allowed to learn and look around for where bulls might be before/after you find the cows?

Do you even read or just like to argue? If its an archery bull tag I'm going for, I'm scouting with the cow tag in Sept.

 

[Addicting]

I think I have hunted #7 on about 6 hunts. Maybe very early in the season some parts of the public access sections would be OK, but later in the season it looks like most of the elk are spending all of their time on the ranches. I would not give up 11 or more points to hunt #7 unless you have access to private land.

I will say in the 6 years I’ve hunted it for cows I’ve learned a lot. I did make a handful of contacts. That has opened up opportunities Joe first year won’t likely get or figure out.

In Archery season getting an opportunity on a couple bulls is doable on public. I would say way better than OK. I’ve had more than a few time I wished I had a type 1 tag. The rifle opener changes that and I will concur with your assessment.

OP never set a criteria of a size of bull. So to get three bulls on a type 1 tag is a tall order no matter the unit at 11 points.

 

[BuzzH]

Do you even read or just like to argue? If its an archery bull tag I'm going for, I'm scouting with the cow tag in Sept.

I think you should re-read post #52.

 

[Addicting]

Do you even read or just like to argue? If it’s an archery bull tag I'm going for, I'm scouting with the cow tag in Sept.

He doesn’t and he is here to argue some days, he has a condition called selectiveitis crankieous.

You are absolutely correct. It’s what I’ve done and if I ever draw the tag I have a solid plan.