Things to consider:
1. How much time can you a lot for your hunt and are you planning on hunting deer/antelope on your trip? Matching seasons maybe difficult if you get one of the late season reduced price cow/calf tags. NOTE some of these reduced tags never sell out?
2. Access is very difficult on private lands during the any elk or bull seasons tags but the later season cow/calf tags maybe part of one of Wyoming’s hunter management areas. These areas are free to sign up for and the area I hunt has thousands of acres of land that open locked gates for access. This access also then gives you lots of BLM and state lands that were locked behind those gates.
3. The some of the challenges are that the elk tend to bunch up into large herds and so instead of seeing some here and there it is all or nothing some times. Last year it took me 6 days before I found them and I would guess that the herd was about 350 to 400 head.
With that much area of canyons and hills they can stay hidden easy. The other challenge is Mother Nature. She can be fickle. Last year by October 9th the snow and mud was so bad ATV’s could hardly move but by November 1st it was mostly dry and easy going. Then it turned 20+ below 0 with snow and wind brutal but great elk hunting.
This year October brought 70+ degree weather and windy days. The elk were dispersed all over because of the wonderful feed everywhere. November 1st comes and it turns cold -28 and snow and wind. The Dubois area is so bad that 5 people I know did not kill an elk because they could not access the places they wanted to hunt. This is the first time in 6 years they were snowed out.
4. Plan on packing for any weather conditions and have a plan if it is unseasonably hot to get your meat taken care of fast. If you shot it through the shoulders make sure to break them down fast and get the carcass opened up.
I have hunted elk for 50 years and only had 2 that I did not get one so I have a little knowledge. good luck
1. How much time can you a lot for your hunt and are you planning on hunting deer/antelope on your trip? Matching seasons maybe difficult if you get one of the late season reduced price cow/calf tags. NOTE some of these reduced tags never sell out?
2. Access is very difficult on private lands during the any elk or bull seasons tags but the later season cow/calf tags maybe part of one of Wyoming’s hunter management areas. These areas are free to sign up for and the area I hunt has thousands of acres of land that open locked gates for access. This access also then gives you lots of BLM and state lands that were locked behind those gates.
3. The some of the challenges are that the elk tend to bunch up into large herds and so instead of seeing some here and there it is all or nothing some times. Last year it took me 6 days before I found them and I would guess that the herd was about 350 to 400 head.
With that much area of canyons and hills they can stay hidden easy. The other challenge is Mother Nature. She can be fickle. Last year by October 9th the snow and mud was so bad ATV’s could hardly move but by November 1st it was mostly dry and easy going. Then it turned 20+ below 0 with snow and wind brutal but great elk hunting.
This year October brought 70+ degree weather and windy days. The elk were dispersed all over because of the wonderful feed everywhere. November 1st comes and it turns cold -28 and snow and wind. The Dubois area is so bad that 5 people I know did not kill an elk because they could not access the places they wanted to hunt. This is the first time in 6 years they were snowed out.
4. Plan on packing for any weather conditions and have a plan if it is unseasonably hot to get your meat taken care of fast. If you shot it through the shoulders make sure to break them down fast and get the carcass opened up.
I have hunted elk for 50 years and only had 2 that I did not get one so I have a little knowledge. good luck
