Back from my hunt. It is very hard for me to get away once a year for a hunt
much less twice. My wife, brother, friend and boss were not all that impressed
they would have to cover for me again . I waited for better weather for 3 weeks
but it never came and I was under pressure from my helpers as they were basically
on call.
So I just decided to go and it was a major mistake. Warm and windy, did I say windy,
40 mile and hour with 60 mile an hour gusts warning were along I80 as well as on
radio. And it never let up in 4 days. Very few elk in unit at the present time. Talked to
many hunters and there were a lot of them they could not find elk or fresh sign. Never
heard a shot, and there was a mass exodus of campers while I was there. Talked to local
outfitter and he said you want a elk shoot the first one you see if you see one. Said big
herds down by river on private next to Elk Mountain.
I started out hunting just above the Wick but every road was run down and people
tracks everywhere. So I went up higher to about 9200. Never seen another vehicle go
past and main road was barely open. I did not want to bust into a area with my 4 wheeler
so I walked in 3 and a half miles to a glassing spot. I found a few fresh tracks along the way
and went back to truck to get what felt I needed to stay until night and I walked back again.
Glassed there that night and then all next day and never seen a elk. Started using my 4 wheeler
to go in as I was wearing myself down with all the walking.
I then started looking farther and found a few tracks and a new glassing spot with again no
elk spotted. It then became clear I was hunting a huge area with very few elk there.I kept crossing
the tracks of a small heard which I new had a calf with them. Finally spotted them one night about
a mile away on a bare nob, 3 cows and 1 calf.
It was becoming a total mess up there, the deep snow in the heavy timber was melting and roads
and trails were either slick mud or water holes. Every time I went through these water holes it
was getting tougher. My last night glassing there I started looking across the canyon and found
my elk, Found 3 herds but had to get out as it was getting late and I had a long way to go to
get the heck out of there on those roads.
Seeing I could not hunt those elk anyways and they had no reason to come over to me with
the past pressure and warm weather I never went back. My last morning after going over my
maps and onx all night I decided to do a 40 minute climb in the dark to get on a ridge in
middle of the Wick and work my way during daylight south to the big woods. My thoughts
were I would be able to glass huge areas both east and west of the 111 road and hopefully
find elk to hunt. Also if hunters were to come across the huge open areas coming from the I 80
access I would be in a good position to get between the elk and big woods. 3 hours of glassing
covering many miles fighting terrible winds never seen a elk.
Went to truck sat there and looked over maps trying to come up with a reason to stay. Weather
forcast comes over radio and says light rain, warmer with heavy winds for next 3 days, with temps
reaching 60 by weekend. As I am trying to think how in the heck I was going to make it sitting
in my truck for 5 hrs until the night hunt my head started to pound. Felt just like when your ears
won't pop from high elevation. With much regret thinking about the people I had covering for
me at home I decided to cut my hunt short 2 days.
As I was driving towards Laramie I met a truck with 2 hunters with orange hats on and I almost
turned around, I literally had tears in my eyes. Meanwhile my head feels like it is going to explode.
Wind is just pounding my truck on I 80 and big rigs are all over the road literally using both lanes.
On the way home I filled up with gas and went in and the lady at the counter had to repeat herself
3 times as I could not hear her. When I got into the truck I noticed I had the volume on the radio
almost at full volume. After 14 hr trip I find out I have ear infection in both ears. Ha wussy flatlander.
So that's my Wy unit 11 recap. Again want to thank everyone who posted or pm'd or I called. One
of these years I am somehow going to kill a elk, it's bound to happen.
