Best Units in WY?

[Elkman5]

What are the best units for elk in WY and how many points does it take to draw the tag? I've never hunted anything but OTC units and am hoping to start building preference points for a good area.

 

[realunlucky]

Wyoming only issues tags to the highest point holders working down until all tags are gone. You may well never draw a top tier tag starting out now. regardless you'll have plenty of time to watch which units are trending when you get ready to cash your points out

 

[Steve O]

I can see where real unlucky got his handle...

Wyoming sets aside 25% of the tags for random draw. Odds are not good but anyone can draw a primer unit tag. I know folks who have drawn bighorn sheep tags there with 1-2 points.

If you go to the WYGF website and look thru the draw odd reports, you can see what units have the most demand.

 

[ssliger]

There are different ways to look at this. Some units are so popular because of terrain and ease of the hunt, others are popular for inches of horn, some are popular for the amount of elk you see. What is your priority?

 

[Elkman5]

There are different ways to look at this. Some units are so popular because of terrain and ease of the hunt, others are popular for inches of horn, some are popular for the amount of elk you see. What is your priority?

I'm looking for big bulls with a fairly good chance of killing. I don't care how rough the terrain is. I would also want to bowhunt.

 

[2rocky]

How do you feel about hunting in Grizzly country?

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

Since your talking preference points I will assume your a NR. To that end, Wyoming takes 10% of the total licenses and sets those aside for NR. From that the preference points are used. So if there are 100 licenses, 10 are available to NR. Preference points help in the draw and as a resident I truly wish we got them. Based on what your looking for I would start with the harvest odds and then figure out where the best odds are. If you are okay with having a guide you can look at wilderness areas. Some areas have wilderness within them but not encompassing the whole area. For example up by Cody and in area 100. The rough terrain is in the majority of the northern and western part of the state with some fairly rough stuff seen in the south central. What class of bull are you looking for? What Defines good chance? Anymore I look at 50% success as a good unit with the chance at a 350 bull being amazing. Not saying there are not bigger Bulls.

 

[Elkman5]

How do you feel about hunting in Grizzly country?

I would do it if the hunting was good enough.

 

[Elkman5]

Since your talking preference points I will assume your a NR. To that end, Wyoming takes 10% of the total licenses and sets those aside for NR. From that the preference points are used. So if there are 100 licenses, 10 are available to NR. Preference points help in the draw and as a resident I truly wish we got them. Based on what your looking for I would start with the harvest odds and then figure out where the best odds are. If you are okay with having a guide you can look at wilderness areas. Some areas have wilderness within them but not encompassing the whole area. For example up by Cody and in area 100. The rough terrain is in the majority of the northern and western part of the state with some fairly rough stuff seen in the south central. What class of bull are you looking for? What Defines good chance? Anymore I look at 50% success as a good unit with the chance at a 350 bull being amazing. Not saying there are not bigger Bulls.

Good info. I'd like to kill a bull 320+, but would probably shoot anything around 300. Where I hunt in CO a 270 bull is huge, so I've never really experienced hunting good bulls.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

Okay that definitely opens up areas. It is possible to find "huge" bulls but not every area holds them. How many years from now are you looking at doing the hunt or are you looking at next year?

 

[Elkman5]

Okay that definitely opens up areas. It is possible to find "huge" bulls but not every area holds them. How many years from now are you looking at doing the hunt or are you looking at next year?

I don't really have a set time that I want to go yet. I don't mind waiting a while if that's what it takes to draw a good area.

 

[wapitibob]

WY allocates 16% for NR, with NR landowners drawing first. The remaining are reallocated special/regular and points/random.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

WY allocates 16% for NR, with NR landowners drawing first. The remaining are reallocated special/regular and points/random.

Thanks for the correction!

 

[Elkman5]

Are there any good units around Cody?"

 

[LJ Buck]

check out the red desert area. But on another note I see 350 bulls get killed out of the genral units every year. If u go back in up around Cody you will be hunting big bulls. LOTS OF GRIZZ. Pm for unit # u want.