Wyoming Region R Deer

[Brenton96]

My buddy and I drew Region R deer tags this year and will be heading out there in October for the rifle opener. We are super excited as this will be our first time targeting mule deer.

Who else will be in Region R hunting deer this fall?

We understand that we will have plenty of company and that it will be somewhat difficult to get any real distance from the roads, but we are going to try to make this trip as backcountry as possible. We will be hiking in and setting up camp in the NF and hunting from there for a few days at a time to sort of hone our backpacking skills for when we eventually draw our archery elk tags for a true backcountry experience. I will try to keep this thread updated with preparation progress and hopefully a successful hunt story this fall.

Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated! We are both very experienced and successful hunters here on the east coast, and we have dabbled in western hunting before, but this will be our first experience living out of our packs for a few days.

 

[NEWHunter]

My buddy and I drew Region R deer tags this year and will be heading out there in October for the rifle opener. We are super excited as this will be our first time targeting mule deer.

Who else will be in Region R hunting deer this fall?

We understand that we will have plenty of company and that it will be somewhat difficult to get any real distance from the roads, but we are going to try to make this trip as backcountry as possible. We will be hiking in and setting up camp in the NF and hunting from there for a few days at a time to sort of hone our backpacking skills for when we eventually draw our archery elk tags for a true backcountry experience. I will try to keep this thread updated with preparation progress and hopefully a successful hunt story this fall.

Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated! We are both very experienced and successful hunters here on the east coast, and we have dabbled in western hunting before, but this will be our first experience living out of our packs for a few days.

I can’t help - but good luck.

 

[Sabineshooter]

My buddy and I drew Region R deer tags this year and will be heading out there in October for the rifle opener. We are super excited as this will be our first time targeting mule deer.

Who else will be in Region R hunting deer this fall?

We understand that we will have plenty of company and that it will be somewhat difficult to get any real distance from the roads, but we are going to try to make this trip as backcountry as possible. We will be hiking in and setting up camp in the NF and hunting from there for a few days at a time to sort of hone our backpacking skills for when we eventually draw our archery elk tags for a true backcountry experience. I will try to keep this thread updated with preparation progress and hopefully a successful hunt story this fall.

Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated! We are both very experienced and successful hunters here on the east coast, and we have dabbled in western hunting before, but this will be our first experience living out of our packs for a few days.

I’ve hunted R the last 2 years and tagged out on opening day both years . Start up high in the NF (you can’t hunt the wilderness without a guide if you are NR).Snow seems to push the deer down onto BLM & the BLM around crop fields tend to hold deer all the time .
Like you said there will be lots of hunters and atvs . Do you have an area narrowed down yet ?

 

[NR_Hunter]

I’ll be hunting R for the first time this year as well. I have a few areas narrowed down based on my minimal mule deer hunting experience. Finding BLM close to crops is one strategy I’ve considered but I would imagine lots of other people do too.

 

[Chad Gus]

Hunted there 10 or so years ago, i hunted the blm with lots of sage brush on it. Seemed to be fewer guys out in that.They take there road hunting seriously out there, and no shortage of dudes walking around aimlessly

 

[NECALI]

We’ve hunted the Southern end several times. You’re right about roads. You can do a backpack trip, but it won’t be to far from a road. So just a heads up, you might have company with hunters that have walked in to where your camped. Fun hunting there. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[Brenton96]

I’ve hunted R the last 2 years and tagged out on opening day both years . Start up high in the NF (you can’t hunt the wilderness without a guide if you are NR).Snow seems to push the deer down onto BLM & the BLM around crop fields tend to hold deer all the time .
Like you said there will be lots of hunters and atvs . Do you have an area narrowed down yet ?

We definitely want to at least start up high in the national forest, but understand that weather will determine whether the deer are there or not. I have been looking at the south east part of the region. Any thoughts?

 

[jbseamus83]

My son and I will be hunting in this region, but we will be targeting whitetails rather than mulies. I've was out there 2 years ago for the first time. It's gorgeous. It's really hard to tell what kind of weather you will have that time of year. When I was there 2 years ago, we had a serious storm blow in that ended up below 0 at night and single digits during the day for 2 days and dumped almost a foot of snow in the lower elevations, so there's no telling what it did up high. But, from what I was reading and following last year was very different and opening rifle day wasn't too bad.

 

[Sabineshooter]

We definitely want to at least start up high in the national forest, but understand that weather will determine whether the deer are there or not. I have been looking at the south east part of the region. Any thoughts?

PM me

 

[Brenton96]

Quick question. We are non-residents so are obviously not allowed to hunt the wilderness area, but can we set up camp in the wilderness area with our hunting gear as long as we don't actively hunt there, or since we have rifles and a tag in our pocket would that still be considered "hunting". I'm just asking because some of the areas we are looking at hunting are near the border of the wilderness, and there looks to be some decent camping spots within the wilderness.

 

[JM77]

Quick question. We are non-residents so are obviously not allowed to hunt the wilderness area, but can we set up camp in the wilderness area with our hunting gear as long as we don't actively hunt there, or since we have rifles and a tag in our pocket would that still be considered "hunting". I'm just asking because some of the areas we are looking at hunting are near the border of the wilderness, and there looks to be some decent camping spots within the wilderness.

That's a headache you don't want. Save yourself a ruined hunt and stay out of the wilderness.

 

[cur dog]

Quick question. We are non-residents so are obviously not allowed to hunt the wilderness area, but can we set up camp in the wilderness area with our hunting gear as long as we don't actively hunt there, or since we have rifles and a tag in our pocket would that still be considered "hunting". I'm just asking because some of the areas we are looking at hunting are near the border of the wilderness, and there looks to be some decent camping spots within the wilderness.

I would probably get in contact with the GW for that area. Let him/her know what your intentions are and where you are planning on going. I don’t see it being any different than staying in one hunt unit and having a tag and hunting a neighboring unit.

 

[JM77]

I would probably get in contact with the GW for that area. Let him/her know what your intentions are and where you are planning on going. I don’t see it being any different than staying in one hunt unit and having a tag and hunting a neighboring unit.

Right, it would be a good idea to call the warden because he's going to wonder why they packed their camp up into the wilderness and are hiking back down to the Forest to hunt.

I'd be interested to hear the warden's response to this idea.

 

[Brenton96]

Right, it would be a good idea to call the warden because he's going to wonder why they packed their camp up into the wilderness and are hiking back down to the Forest to hunt.

I'd be interested to hear the warden's response to this idea.

I may give the warden a call. Just out of curiosity at this point.

 

[cur dog]

Right, it would be a good idea to call the warden because he's going to wonder why they packed their camp up into the wilderness and are hiking back down to the Forest to hunt.

I'd be interested to hear the warden's response to this idea.

As would I. I see no reason it would be illegal for them to camp within the wilderness area. Actively hunting or having a loaded weapon would be different.

 

[JM77]

I see no reason it would be illegal for them to camp within the wilderness area. Actively hunting or having a loaded weapon would be different.

Interesting comment. Obviously, if he is actively big game hunting, that is illegal. The loaded weapon falls under the 2nd Amendment. There are no restrictions in Wyoming, NF, NP or wilderness, heck anywhere in Wyoming, less specifics like Federal Buildings, that citizens are not allowed to carry loaded weapons. I carried a loaded rifle across a mile or so of Teton Park, to get closer to a bison on NF.

Now packing in past NF, where he can legally hunt, into the wilderness, setting up a camp with license and the means to hunt in hand, could be considered prima facie evidence and might buy him a ticket. Of course that doesn't mean it will stick.

Why he would do that is beyond me. Not only would it put them under suspicion by residents and outfitters in the area, but the warden won't buy it. Why screw up a highly anticipated hunt with such a ridiculous idea?

 

[375H&H]

Interesting comment. Obviously, if he is actively big game hunting, that is illegal. The loaded weapon falls under the 2nd Amendment. There are no restrictions in Wyoming, NF, NP or wilderness, heck anywhere in Wyoming, less specifics like Federal Buildings, that citizens are not allowed to carry loaded weapons. I carried a loaded rifle across a mile or so of Teton Park, to get closer to a bison on NF.

Now packing in past NF, where he can legally hunt, into the wilderness, setting up a camp with license and the means to hunt in hand, could be considered prima facie evidence and might buy him a ticket. Of course that doesn't mean it will stick.

Why he would do that is beyond me. Not only would it put them under suspicion by residents and outfitters in the area, but the warden won't buy it. Why screw up a highly anticipated hunt with such a ridiculous idea?

Can you please help me understand the difference between “actively hunting” and carrying a loaded rifle across a national park to get closer to an animal you intend to shoot that is off national forest. To the layman it sounds like the same thing unless “actively hunting” only means discharge of a firearm.

Seriously I want to know, I have a bison tag this year.

 

[JM77]

Can you please help me understand the difference between “actively hunting” and carrying a loaded rifle across a national park to get closer to an animal you intend to shoot that is off national forest. To the layman it sounds like the same thing unless “actively hunting” only means discharge of a firearm.

Seriously I want to know, I have a bison tag this year.

You are slightly mixed up. In this case you are crossing the national park with your rifle to access NF where the bison is that you are going to shoot.

In my case a game warden watched the whole thing.

 

[wytex]

I believe that is addressed in the bison hunt info they send you, yes it is legal.

Call the GW on the wilderness deal though and see what they say, JM knows his stuff so a call would be pertinent.

 

[Hawkeyes]

I also have a deer tag for region R this year. I did a quick scouting trip this summer in the northern few units (north of HWY 14) and have a few areas circled on the map. However, if anyone has some experience in this area I’d love to pick your brain.