Does anyone hunt the Sierra Madres of Wyoming?

[stihlhead82]

If I draw a general unit tag for Wyoming this year I planned on hunting either the Madres or the Bighorns. I'm more familiar with the Madres, having snowmobiled there for a decade, but it would be a lightweight backpack hunt. The Bighorns, being equine-friendly, would allow me to bring my pack mules and horses, but I know there's a ton of pressure and that there's limited areas (non-wilderness) that a non-resident with a general tag can hunt. Anyone have experience in both places to give some advice? Anyone ever packed horses or mules into the Madres or Snowies? Thanks.

 

[Indian Summer]

General units in the Bighorns? I guess I don’t know much about that neck of the woods. I thought it was all limited quota licenses. Good luck. Following….

 

[William Sublette]

If anyone does they're not going to talk about it.


And, if you've stumbled into good idea, now you've just cut your own throat.

 

[stihlhead82]

I might be mistaken but isn't unit 37 a general unit?

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I might be mistaken but isn't unit 37 a general unit?

So is 36, for rifle anyway. Both have limited archery hunts if I'm not mistaken, with concurrent general archery hunts only for the back half of September.

There was a thread on a unit 36 hunt less than a month ago. It was a cow hunt but the information is still applicable. Those general hunts in the bighorns have low success rates compared to some other places in the state, if you're a numbers guy.

Wyoming Unit 36, A first timer story/info

Hey all, Long time lurker here, figured I’d make a post and share some lessons learned and maybe help another first timer down the road. This past year my grandfather died, not to get into the deep specifics of it all, but he was hugely influential on both my father and I and our love of...

www.rokslide.com

 

[stihlhead82]

So is 36, for rifle anyway. Both have limited archery hunts if I'm not mistaken, with concurrent general archery hunts only for the back half of September.

There was a thread on a unit 36 hunt less than a month ago. It was a cow hunt but the information is still applicable. Those general hunts in the bighorns have low success rates compared to some other places in the state, if you're a numbers guy.

Wyoming Unit 36, A first timer story/info

Hey all, Long time lurker here, figured I’d make a post and share some lessons learned and maybe help another first timer down the road. This past year my grandfather died, not to get into the deep specifics of it all, but he was hugely influential on both my father and I and our love of...

www.rokslide.com

Appreciate the reply. I've heard the bighorns are a tough hunt but I honestly enjoy the experience regardless of a kill or not and would be happy taking a cow for the freezer if the opportunity arises.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve hunted some wilderness in the Sierras Madres.

Holy shit it was crowded

 

[stihlhead82]

I’ve hunted some wilderness in the Sierras Madres.

Holy shit it was crowded

No kidding? I know the snowys get some pressure but I would've thought the Madres would've been a little lesser known! Was it a successful hunt despite the crowds?

 

[manitou1]

It's all crowded brother. Thanks to the internet, Western hunts are much like going to a theme park or the state fair.

 

[cnelk]

No kidding? I know the snowys get some pressure but I would've thought the Madres would've been a little lesser known! Was it a successful hunt despite the crowds?

We rode in 5 miles and camped/hunted for 9 days. Saw more people than elk. Thats not what I call success

Ive also hunted the Bighorns [LE area] - still crowded - I couldnt imagine what GEN areas in the BH are like

 

[stihlhead82]

Well Shit! Was hoping that taking my mules out would get me away from the crowds a little. Last time I hunted the Flattops in CO it was crowded for the first 5 miles but once we set up camp about 12 miles in we never saw another for 2 weeks. Maybe I'm better off in the Horns.

 

[cnelk]

Well, at least there's no beetle kill/blowdown in the BHs.
Gorgeous country

 

[stihlhead82]

It's all crowded brother. Thanks to the internet, Western hunts are much like going to a theme park or the state fair.

Yeah the internet plays a big part, and I believe the growing interest in hunting from TV, social media, podcasts, etc., along with shrinking amounts of accessible land, plays another. As well as the lightweight equipment that's being made these days, guys can hunt for a week with everything that'll fit in a pack. I cant hardly point blame at anyone because here I am another hunter jockeying to hunt public land like so many others. I guess the only difference I see is half the hunters I meet now are alot of first generation hunters who got interested by following people like Cam Hanes, Joe Rogan, Steve Rinella, etc. and have no heritage in hunting like myself and many others do, but regardless they have just the same right to as anyone else. Selfishly I wish the trend to learn how to hunt from someone who didnt grow up doing it would taper off, but like I said thats a selfish mentality I have.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

There was a YTer hunt filmed in the Sierra Madres a few years back. Not sure if that contributed to the pressure but it can't have helped.

 

[Wellsdw]

36 is crowded no matter how far you go. Even with livestock it gets crowded because of limited entry points put most on same the trails. Also elk are quick to go to private in the big horns. Cut my teeth in the big horns, have since moved on but damn those are some pretty mountains.