What am I forgetting?

[Mw01313]

I drew a Gen tag in Wyoming this year. I am planning to hunt the rifle season. I have done a fair amount of studying maps and have a few areas that I want to hunt. I am in the process of getting a list of questions/topics to bring up once I get a biologist or GW on the phone. I want to have my ducks in a row so I do not waste their time or mine. The things I have so far are conditions on the FS roads I will need to use, typical snow levels, water, typical elk movement after season opens, and elevations that may be best to look at. What questions am I forgetting that may benefit a solo hunter in a new area?

 

[jgilber5]

My question is, why not archery too? They let you hunt both seasons, get after it if you can.

 

[cnelk]

My buddy and I haven’t had the best of luck calling GF field personnel in Wyo.

Vague answers to specific questions, or divert you to a website.
Many times they give everyone the same standard answer.

Frustrating.
Good luck.

 

[Mw01313]

It's a 2 day trip for me just to get there. Between work and young kids, I can usually do 10 to 14 days for a trip. Doing two trips in a year just isn't feasible right now. Maybe one day.

 

[Mw01313]

My buddy and I haven’t had the best of luck calling GF field personnel in Wyo.

Vague answers to specific questions, or divert you to a website.
Many times they give everyone the same standard answer.

Frustrating.
Good luck.

Has that been in specific offices or is it kind of a Wyoming thing?

 

[cnelk]

It seems like there’s a pattern when they don’t see an Area Code 307 come up on their phone.

 

[Mw01313]

It seems like there’s a pattern when they don’t see an Area Code 307 come up on their phone.

Ahhh. Gotcha. Guess it helps knowing that.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

It seems like there’s a pattern when they don’t see an Area Code 307 come up on their phone.

I called 6 numbers heard back from one.

 

[wytx]

I get info pretty easily, lol.

Ask if the elk move with snow. Are any roads closed then that are open now, MVUM shows that from the FS.
Any old burn areas where you want to hunt?
Ask when roads get snowed in or closed, Highway 130 for instance.
How's the population?

They get the same questions every year.
pm sent

 

[Mw01313]

Thank you sir. About to send a PM back your way.

I get info pretty easily, lol.

Ask if the elk move with snow. Are any roads closed then that are open now, MVUM shows that from the FS.
Any old burn areas where you want to hunt?
Ask when roads get snowed in or closed, Highway 130 for instance.
How's the population?

They get the same questions every year.
pm sent

 

[Caseknife]

I've never had a problem contacting either biologists or wardens for questions in Wyoming. Sometimes it is a bit before they get back to you, usually not waiting by their phones, they have jobs.

Ask about cattle and sheep in the unit, when they are supposed to be out. Specifically whether roads are suited for full size pickups or more for UTV's.

 

[TaperPin]

conditions on the FS roads I will need to use

I wouldn’t bother asking G&F a road question - they will get a funny look on their face and suggest you ask the Forest Service about their roads.

typical snow levels

It can snow anytime in October and have anything from a trace to a foot or more. Personally I’d ask that with someone at the Forest Service.

water,

Water for the elk isn’t an issue in Forest Service land at altitude anywhere in Wyoming - I wouldn’t ask it. Water for you isn’t a G&F question - it’s like asking a car mechanic which drive through is good for lunch.

typical elk movement after season opens,

You’ll get a generic response that elk know the area well and will move into areas that don’t get pressured. Anything more exact would be like the person giving out a honey hole - never going to happen. Great advice is simply expecting the elk to know where they can go to avoid pressure. The exception to this are late season hunts 100% geared to the migration to lower ground.

and elevations that may be best to look at.

Wyoming elk will be everywhere from below the elevation of the trailhead up to timberline. Walking around at different elevations looking for fresh sign is a normal part of elk hunting in the forest. You may get an odd look when asking this one. Exceptions are late season hunts where elevations are low, but during October elk are where you find them.


In general I doubt you’ll get someone to talk to who actually knows the area you’ll be hunting - Joe Blow who covers a different area drew the short straw and gets stuck answering calls because he’s stuck in the office - even if he was in a great mood because his new gf sent a nudy pic, he doesn’t know the specifics of areas he doesn’t work. Even for residents the only time any useful information is given by biologists or game wardens, it’s in small talk when someone enjoys chatting with you. It’s kind of like calling a doctor office you don’t know, and asking a medical question over the phone - the odds of a response from someone that might know are next to zero unless you are another medical professional then you might get a nurse or doctor. Same doctor playing poker might enjoy talking about your sore hip or bum knee all night.

However, every year I’m impressed when the stars align and someone has perfect timing and randomly calls the right phone number and actually talks to someone who has useful information and isn’t burned out on answering questions.

Don’t forget to ask at the Forest Service, taxidermy shops, gun shops, gun ranges - anywhere the person might be a hunter in the know.

 

[Jaquomo]

TaperPin beat me to it. Your questions are too general, and they have canned answers to those questions. Whatever they tell you, they will have told to 50 other guys.

The National Forest Supervisor was ranting to me in my camp a couple years ago about how the new young biologist was sending every nonresident to "his" (my) valley, where until the year before it was practically empty. It was he and his son's "secret" bowhunting honeyhole. That year it was full of vehicles with plates from everywhere. I went back last year and didn't even stop - every pullout had a nonresident vehicle and all the camping spots were taken.

As far as Forest roads, every National Forest publishes a MVUM (motor vehicle use map) that shows road opening dates, types of vehicles, width restrictions, etc. What it won't tell you is if a 24" lodgepole fell across the road shortly after you drove past.

Snow. Can be none. Can be 18". Can be 70 degrees, or below zero with 50 mph wind. There is no "typical" in WY in October. Plan for it.

 

[Mw01313]

Don’t forget to ask at the Forest Service, taxidermy shops, gun shops, gun ranges - anywhere the person might be a hunter in the know.

Thank you for your response. It looks like the questions I have will be better geared towards FS. I will start working that way and see what kind of response I get. I probably should have said in my initial post, I know that answers I get will be general even if the questions are specific. Just thinking a general answer would be more info than I have at this point.

 

[TaperPin]

The National Forest Supervisor was ranting to me in my camp a couple years ago about how the new young biologist was sending every nonresident to "his" (my) valley, where until the year before it was practically empty. It was he and his son's "secret" bowhunting honeyhole. That year it was full of vehicles with plates from everywhere. I went back last year and didn't even stop - every pullout had a nonresident vehicle and all the camping spots were taken.

That’s really funny.

It reminded me of a guy I ran into that someone suggested he hunt a certain drainage - they had sent him into a very low success situation - the kind of place locals never hunt. Lol

 

[cnelk]

If you get someone on the phone, ask them where the greatest concentration of hunters are usually at.

If they baulk at that and say 'everywhere', then ask specifically where is the greatest concentration of hunting camps.

You should get an answer because this is where the GW goes and checks licenses...

 

[Mw01313]

TaperPin beat me to it. Your questions are too general, and they have canned answers to those questions. Whatever they tell you, they will have told to 50 other guys.

The National Forest Supervisor was ranting to me in my camp a couple years ago about how the new young biologist was sending every nonresident to "his" (my) valley, where until the year before it was practically empty. It was he and his son's "secret" bowhunting honeyhole. That year it was full of vehicles with plates from everywhere. I went back last year and didn't even stop - every pullout had a nonresident vehicle and all the camping spots were taken.

As far as Forest roads, every National Forest publishes a MVUM (motor vehicle use map) that shows road opening dates, types of vehicles, width restrictions, etc. What it won't tell you is if a 24" lodgepole fell across the road shortly after you drove past.

Snow. Can be none. Can be 18". Can be 70 degrees, or below zero with 50 mph wind. There is no "typical" in WY in October. Plan for it.

The questions I had would have been much more specific than I guess I represented here. (IE How bad is FS rd 123 from the highway to the junction with road 321?)
I have the MVUM map for the areas I want to hunt and have matched them up with ONX. Seemed to match up.
I may be barking up the wrong tree on some of this stuff.

 

[Mw01313]

If you get someone on the phone, ask them where the greatest concentration of hunters are usually at.

If they baulk at that and say 'everywhere', then ask specifically where is the greatest concentration of hunting camps.

You should get an answer because this is where the GW goes and checks licenses...

Had not thought about approaching it from that angle or wording. Thank you

 

[Maidenfan539]

It seems like there’s a pattern when they don’t see an Area Code 307 come up on their phone.

Buy yourself a burner phone and register it to Wyoming.

 

[Mw01313]

Buy yourself a burner phone and register it to Wyoming.

I am from GA. As soon as they heard my voice, they'd know this cracker ain't from WY