2025 Wyoming Elk Draw/Questions

[ThorM465]

The deadfall will get taken care of on the next burn. We don't sit around crying about deadfall, it is part of western hunting.

We have low quality food sources, zero mast or fruit like acorns or persimmons, grain crops are pretty uncommon in Wyoming. The majority of the agriculture is alfalfa (which is great) but lots of issues with food quality. We have ok minerals, but nothing like what Arizona and Utah have for wildlife.

We also have a lot of totally worthless creosote, Russian olive and cottonwood.

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

 

[Mojave]

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

Yes fire does that.

So does logging. The problem with logging is getting someone to go in there and do the work.

 

[ThorM465]

I like that the unit number is blocked out but not the other easy identifier. Sounds like you walked a bunch to places you wanted elk to be, not where they are.


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I don't like that people on this forum think they're entitled to control my information. I gathered this information the hard way, I earned it, and whether I want to share it or keep it to myself is my decision.

Your odds of success as a first time elk hunter aren’t great even in a really good unit. Look at successful percentage then cut it way down. Those numbers include locals that know the area and the elk that kill an elk (or 2-3) every year. Guided hunters drive the numbers up. Experienced elk hunters that haven’t hunted the area are somewhere in the middle generally. Just covering ground doesn’t mean success. At any given time, the majority of an area has no elk in it. Archery hunters have the benefit of sound to help locate, but during rifle seasons elk spend a bunch of time holed up in places that people aren’t. Doesn’t mean they are a horseback ride from the road, or require packing a long ways- they just have their spots. I killed multiple elk a year for a long time before I moved to AK, 99% solo without horses.


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I get that. My critiques on the unit isn't a result of us not filling a tag it was the absurd number of square miles we covered without seeing a single Elk. Spotting and dropping an animal is 2 different things. Statistically speaking per the square miles we covered, we should have at least spotted some if the herds were at a healthy population. The number of Moose and mule Deer we spotted validates my assumption, I think. I got within 20ft of a moose 4 times (technically 5, but it was a cow & calf). One bull I spent ~3 hrs tracking when I got within 20ft of it, because I was hoping it was going to be an Elk.

Capabilities of hearing gun shots while driving around is superhuman powers. With such skills I would recommend listening for bulls peeing mid day. Get the wind right and sneak in there and kill them. I’m jealous, wish I could do the same.

I assure you that's not true, unless we're assuming everyone is hunting suppressed now.

 

[ThorM465]

The Bull Moose I previously mentioned tracking.

 

[wyosam]

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

No. That’s not how it works in the west. The more we screw with it, the worse it will get.


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[wyosam]

I don't like that people on this forum think they're entitled to control my information. I gathered this information the hard way, I earned it, and whether I want to share it or keep it to myself is my decision.



I get that. My critiques on the unit isn't a result of us not filling a tag it was the absurd number of square miles we covered without seeing a single Elk. Spotting and dropping an animal is 2 different things. Statistically speaking per the square miles we covered, we should have at least spotted some if the herds were at a healthy population. The number of Moose and mule Deer we spotted validates my assumption, I think. I got within 20ft of a moose 4 times (technically 5, but it was a cow & calf). One bull I spent ~3 hrs tracking when I got within 20ft of it, because I was hoping it was going to be an Elk.


I assure you that's not true, unless we're assuming everyone is hunting suppressed now.

Moose and mule deer aren’t elk. Elk care very little about statistics and how far you walked and drove around. There are a bunch of elk in that unit, but elk aren’t dispersed all over the place. Finding elk is generally the hard part, they aren’t terribly hard to get within rifle range of. The sound of a gunshot doesn’t travel as far as you think it does in the mountains, especially with just a little wind. To hear one while driving, it’s going to be very close.


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[wyosam]

The Bull Moose I previously mentioned tracking.
View attachment 784337

Yep, lots of people track moose thinking they are elk- they are widely distributed and spend a lot of time in places where tracks are easy to see. Definitely worth looking closely at hoof shape.


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[wyosam]

I don't like that people on this forum think they're entitled to control my information. I gathered this information the hard way, I earned it, and whether I want to share it or keep it to myself is my decision.



I get that. My critiques on the unit isn't a result of us not filling a tag it was the absurd number of square miles we covered without seeing a single Elk. Spotting and dropping an animal is 2 different things. Statistically speaking per the square miles we covered, we should have at least spotted some if the herds were at a healthy population. The number of Moose and mule Deer we spotted validates my assumption, I think. I got within 20ft of a moose 4 times (technically 5, but it was a cow & calf). One bull I spent ~3 hrs tracking when I got within 20ft of it, because I was hoping it was going to be an Elk.


I assure you that's not true, unless we're assuming everyone is hunting suppressed now.

Yep, you can do whatever the hell you want with it, I just thought it was funny that one was blocked out but not the other. Maybe the mods blocked the number and didn’t notice.


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[MTForester]

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

Loads of elk in Area **, just like everywhere else around here. That herd unit is actually above objective.

The best advice anyone ever gave me when it comes to elk (as WyoSam already mentioned)
“Hunt where elk are, not where you want them to be”.

I guarantee you drove and walked past plenty of elk.

It’s a learning process, grab a cow tag and come back next year, you’ll figure it out.

 

[ThorM465]

Loads of elk in Area **, just like everywhere else around here. That herd unit is actually above objective.

The best advice anyone ever gave me when it comes to elk (as WyoSam already mentioned)
“Hunt where elk are, not where you want them to be”.

I guarantee you drove and walked past plenty of elk.

It’s a learning process, grab a cow tag and come back next year, you’ll figure it out.

I plan to and I appreciate that. If I could talk my hunting buddy into it I'd drive back out for the last week.

Next year I think we'll try a unit in the south region, preferably high desert.

 

[wytx]

What? Where is this. I have never seen any oak anything in Wyoming.

I lived in Wyoming for 18 years mostly until joined the Navy.

I have hunted in Wyoming dozens of times all over the state.

Never seen anything like that. Learn something new everyday.

Ever been to the NE part of the state?

 

[Flyjunky]

A couple tips for your WY research for elk if applying for a general tag:

1). Units with long season dates for bulls typically mean more difficult access. Doesn’t necessarily mean more elk ( a lot of these areas open in sept for rifle)

2). Units with 15ish day seasons ( example Oct 15 to 31) have easier access thus such a short season.

3). Units with short seasons above sometimes only have a 10 day any elk regulation. Then it switches to anterless only. These areas are prone to high harvest especially after a good snow. These area’s typically have lots of roads thus making access easier. If you can’t kill an elk in these units there’s no hope for you. You should of went LQ

Be realistic on your experience to tackle a WY general tag. Hit it hard during the week while resident Randy is at work. Weekends try to be in places elk will get pushed to due to pressure. If it’s going to snow be in a place to cover ground. Road hunting can work or at least help you find WHERE the elk are.

Good luck!

Good info

 

[wytx]

You want deadfall management, this is what it looks like, careful what you wish for.

 

[ThorM465]

I hunted a couple of hill sides where this would have been an improvement. Assuming it was followed with over seeding it a few times.

 

[Blackcats06]

We had some locals tell us exactly this and tell us that it was just a weird year. I believe there is a lot of truth to this. However, it should be noted that we were told this from locals who had also been hunting for an elk in that unit for over a week. We talked to several people in the area and our story wasn't unique this year.


North Alabama. I often wondered if that wasn't the case as we were hunting lands void of wildlife. I'm currently pondering the question which one is normal, do we have an usual level of wildlife per sq mile in the southeast or is there something seriously wrong with the ecosystem in that area?

I wouldnt say you have an unusual level of wildlife, you have what the ecosystem supports. Same with western states. I would guess the west has about 2 elk per square mile, so when you have a group of 8 elk, that's 4 square miles which is a lot of country in the west.

 

[Blackcats06]

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

Wildlife is managed by the state. Federal lands are not. Some states work with the federal government to fix the issue and some dont. Even if the state tries doesnt mean the federal government will do it.

 

[fngTony]

I hunted a couple of hill sides where this would have been an improvement. Assuming it was followed with over seeding it a few times.

It’s just not as easy to do in the undeveloped west plus the soil isn’t very fertile until that blowdown burns. Not saying that it doesn’t happen but where I’ve seen blowdown collected was near a very wide well graded forest road. That area burned really well about six years ago and you can see how much healthier the forest is where it burned. So removing the blowdown is removing the fertilizer.

 

[RufusB.Marion]

Honest question. When was the last time y'all asked yourselves should it be part of western hunting? With the money coming in from nonresident hunters you should be able to set up programs to remove the deadfall to some degree and bring in vegetation that would facilitate a better ecosystem with the goal of larger healthier herds.

You know I've never thought to myself that we should fundamentally change the ecology of the west so I didn't have to step over deadfall, but we absolutely should. Has anyone ever told you you're a genius? Your opinions and hard earned info is a true treasure. I look forward to what else is kicking around in that big brain of yours.

 

[LA Hunter]

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 ...

I'm from lower Alabama and just finished up my fourth tag out west and finally filled a tag in General W. I went up to WY twice this year (2024). On the first trip, we rented a train of 6 llamas and went all over the place in this unit; tag soup. On the second time up there, I was fortunate to take a detour while driving my son to school cross country and added only two days to get it done. I have an excellent spot/honey hole that afforded us a sweet opportunity and will likely produce often in the future. We hiked six miles back and got it done the first day with a regular pack-out on our backs.

I've spent hours e-scouting, untold costs (gear-subscription-trip-tag soups-training courses) that I am too embarrassed to disclose. All of my friends at the park and church are eager to know my secret sauce. I tried to help my hunting partner learn how to scout and stalk elk, but he needed me to put him on the spot so he could pull the trigger kind of like whitetail in the southeast. After the first 2024 hunt, I changed my mapping password and won't give out my intel unless they want to share points or go with me the next time.

I know that if I disclose the unit number or the areas we marked off and those we found elk, all of that is lost- it burns a spot or a unit. I too started a few threads like this one and got roasted much the same way you did. It is part of the process; western hunting is exactly that- western.

Does that make them or me selfish for not disclosing specifics? You could ask my kids that question for the time and money I spent towards preparing for each of their tag-soup hunts we went on over the years. They would consider me foolish for toasting this investment I put towards understanding the great public lands we have out west. This type of intel is precious and took so much to earn the hard way.

If you've hung on for this long to read this, great. It is so satisfying to get it myself and thrilling to know the mountain I've chosen to hunt. I will probably never get an outfitter knowing what I know now.

The marrow of this forum and the people who started it is they are willing to tell you how to get the information you need. The HOW is so much more valuable than a unit number or a spot. The process of weeding out the people who want it quick and easy is necessary. Spend time listening to the free content R. Denning and so many others deliver from their podcasts.

After you consume the free material, invest in GoHunt or OnX elite to peruse the vast amounts of data available. I've found ways to go beyond the data even the paid services provide. Scan the harvest numbers and JCR's given by Wyoming GF. After reading the results and job completion reports (JCR's) for the unit(s) you are interested in, then give a call to the biologist for the unit you've already researched.

Even then, don't just ask the biologist for the spot; ask him about the elk behavior, hunter density, key vegetation in drainages that you think are promising, reliable water, outfitter presence, etc. in certain areas that you've highlighted, etc.

Then, go hunt. Boots on the ground out west is nothing like the walk from the truck to the deer stand over a green plot. Some people get it done diy on their first try. It took me four trips and I finally got it done. R. Newberg ate tag soup seven times before he got his first elk. He fires his staff when they give out spots.

If this is just too much, stop now and spend the money on an outfitter who has done all of this and more. For example- they live in the area year after year and even at camp setting up just a few days to a month before you get there. For perspective, a $6-$10,000 hunt isn't such a bad deal for an outfitter who gives you an opportunity to put your crosshairs on an elk. It may seem like it costs you an arm and a leg for them to put you on the spot, but it really doesn't when you compare that to the alternative- diy. Hope this helps.

 

[treydfoster]

We had some locals tell us exactly this and tell us that it was just a weird year. I believe there is a lot of truth to this. However, it should be noted that we were told this from locals who had also been hunting for an elk in that unit for over a week. We talked to several people in the area and our story wasn't unique this year.


North Alabama. I often wondered if that wasn't the case as we were hunting lands void of wildlife. I'm currently pondering the question which one is normal, do we have an usual level of wildlife per sq mile in the southeast or is there something seriously wrong with the ecosystem in that area?

It rains in alabama. There is soil in alabama.