2025 Wyoming Elk Draw/Questions

[Hunt4jesus]

Can Understand if nobody helps or responds, I get it! I DO not want your spots or a handout.
I will be sitting on 4 points and contemplating trying to draw a tag in the special next yr. Or i may wait until 26. I have never been elk hunting in wyoming and so this will be one of those once in a lifetime hunts. My son is 14 and will be coming with, he has 3 points and so i am waiting until he is 16 and we will come back, hopefully and do his so called "right of passage" hunt. My son will have 5 mule deer points and 5 pronghorn by then also. I will probably keep building those for him. My question is, and i understand if no response, what are some units i should check out that gives us an opportunity at a bull. Nothing trophy, just opp. I have researched, and plan on doing a lot more. Just one can get lost in all the info.
If i draw a special tag, which i plan on going that route i assume, what units does that open me up for? Given i draw in the western region. Which units should i concentrate on for just getting in bulls and hoping for small or possibly bigger one?

1. Are there some less physical (terrain wise)? I mean we both are capable of the worst, but just was wandering if the best ones are the most physical and farther hikes?
2. With a special elk and i go during archery, if i do not fill tag during archery am i able to come back during gun or is it archery specific? I wasnt 100% sure, but figured i asked here before i called. What days have yall found to be the best buggling and rut wise?
3. Are there any good units that are non grizzly? Or most are closer to the grizzly areas?
4. I have a lot to learn and plan on learning as much as i can before 25' or 26'. Is there a unit that holds decent elk and also opp at decent mule deer. An older friend of mine has 9 mule deer points and i was thinking he could join and hunt mule deer. Or if my son could get a mule deer tag in the unit I draw the elk. At the end of the day, I plan to just concentrate on the elk though.
5. Are there any private access places that you pay tresspass? Or is the units just as good?

I am from south mississippi, and so scouting will be very tough for me to do. I have not fully ruled out going with a private outfitter, but i maybe priced out! I really wanna DIY though. I have been messed over quite a few times by outfits.
Again thanks for the respone if any and the help. You can message me if better. I can swap out info or possibly some fishing!!

 

[SuperDUECE22]

My question is, and i understand if no response, what are some units i should check out that gives us an opportunity at a bull

If i draw a special tag, which i plan on going that route i assume, what units does that open me up for?

. With a special elk and i go during archery, if i do not fill tag during archery am i able to come back during gun or is it archery specific?

I really wanna DIY though.

So, you want somebody to give you some units to check out, but you haven't even done enough leg work to figure out what units you could hunt if you draw the special elk ?

Do you know what DIY actually means ?

I think you should hire an outfitter.

 

[Hunt4jesus]

Na, im well aware of DIY. Plan on studying and learning as much as i can before then. Will figure it out either way, and enjoy it either way. AFter looking at the prices of outfits, that will be a negative. My main question is, I do not want to kill anyones trophy! Just trying to narrow a gap on an area. Either way i have learned that info on any page is hard to come by.

 

[Mojave]

No one is going to tell you units.

OK here is one 60.

You can't hunt it as a non-resident.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

My main question is, I do not want to kill anyones trophy!

That's a great question

 

[go_deep]

You need to start with step one, get on the Wyoming game and fish website and look at draw odds, then overlay the licenses you can draw to the hunt planner maps and see if there's a good amount of public land to hunt. Once you have your area narrowed down for elk, rinse and repeat in those hunt areas with mule deer draw odds to see if you can get into an area that overlaps.

 

[Tman24]

The special tag isn’t special, it just costs more.

 

[Sturgeon]

Figure out which units you can draw. I just print off the previous years draw results and starts marking it up. Each year takes another .5 PP give or take. I think a lot of the western units are fairly physical. Look at the elk hunting seasons and that will tell you if you can hunt that unit both archery and rifle.

 

[90notch16]

It's a lot of homework. And only the outfitters will make it easy for you.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Don’t expect much help from the people here.


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[rookieforever33]

Join gohunt if you want to simplify researching potential tag options. It has a lot of information in one spot if you learn how to filter the maps and draw odds. It probably isnt as good as searching multiple sites and putting the pieces together. But you will get more information than asking strangers on a forum.

 

[Ralphie]

DIY in todays world means having someone hold your hand at every step except maybe you don’t hire an outfitter.

 

[lintond]

I’ll help you a little to get you started. I’d suggest paying for GoHunt and listening to some podcasts. Lots of info out there that will help with some of your questions.

“Special” tags do not have anything special about them besides the price and likely better odds to draw. You get the same general tag.

To hunt archery you have to purchase an archery stamp as an add on to your general tag. Some units have shorter season dates, some are any elk, some bull only. It all depends on the unit. The regulations are pretty clear on this. So yes you can come back and hunt with your rifle (unit specific).

There is very few true bear free areas. I’d call some biologists to get better info as maps are very macro. In general the highest concentrations are in the NW near the park.

Also reminder you can’t hunt the wilderness as a NR without a guide. That’ll limit some options but not a ton as much of WY is remote.


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[Preston]

It appears you could draw a general tag with four points. If you want to hunt an area with no grizzlies and lots of elk take a look at the southern region near Colorado. The western region has grizzlies and closer to Yellowstone obviously has higher numbers. Most of it fairly high elevation also and steep rugged terrain. Later in the season (depending on weather) elk will move out onto the open sagebrush country, but will normally stick to the daylight hours in the heavy timber.
I would highly recommend just taking a vacation or fishing trip to WY before investing in an inexpensive tag/trip. It's a tremendous amount of work to elk hunt and have a good chance at a bull or cow. A lot of people wait multiple years to draw and are disappointed when they arrive at a unit and realize how many other hunters are in an area, how few of elk, and how it's sometimes like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

[Indian Summer]

The special tag isn’t special, it just costs more.

Correct. There are special licensed drawings, but the license isn’t really special. Just the price tag.

 

[Hunt4jesus]

That's a great question

Thanks for the heads up! Got a bit carried away on the typing there and didn’t edit.

 

[Hunt4jesus]

Thanks for the responses. It’s like this everywhere and here in ms no different. I guess I should have known better lol.
I get it and as I do help out some here, I would feel the same way and do.
I have been looking at all the info and researching. I’ll figure it out!

 

[BRTreedogs]

Every unit in Wyoming has elk.
There will always be more elk in harder to get to places.
Easier places will always have more people.

If you draw a tag and want to hunt archery you buy the archery permit, stamp whatever its called and can hunt both dates.
Do one species at a time otherwise you will just be chasing your tail.
Your lack of species knowledge will hinder you more then anything else.
So just pick a species and head out and give it heck.

 

[go_deep]

Thanks for the responses. It’s like this everywhere and here in ms no different. I guess I should have known better lol.
I get it and as I do help out some here, I would feel the same way and do.
I have been looking at all the info and researching. I’ll figure it out!

I think your reading some of the responses wrong, if you're willing to figure out where you can draw, and have a few questions specific to that, people are happy to help. Seriously, you nail down a few spots, pm me, happy to help, I'm all over this state year round.

Good luck and God bless!

 

[wytx]

Look into some reduced price cow elk licenses for a learning experience, no PPs needed or taken to draw those licenses.
As stated come out for a vacation trip before you come to hunt. Get a look at the terrain and areas you may possibly draw.
Western side seems to be the mecca for NR elk hunters for some reason. We have elk all over Wyoming but access can be the limiting factor in some areas.

I would also advise to do one species hunt at at time unless you can draw a very good pronghorn area. You may be able to fill that license easily and get in another hunt but combos usually lead to unfilled tags due to lack of time to hunt it.