Best location/state to hunk elk for meat

slimjim

Ominivision1 wrote:

Have hunted Elk 2 times and scored both times in Wyoming.

OV1, was that on private or public land? Were you guided? What area did you hunt in? Thanks.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Welcome to the site Ominivision1

-DallanC

brtwf · Rookie Member Joined: Oct 28, 2010 Posts: 1

DallanC wrote:

Welcome to the site Ominivision1

-DallanC

Dallan,

Thanks for the info you have posted here. I am a long time mule deer hunter in Utah, but am looking to move to elk after this rough mule season. I got back from Iraq with the Army and this was my first hunt fill the freezer back up and I at least found a small buck. You mention cow vouchers can be found by searching for landowners. Where do you recommend I look to find some options? Does DWR post a list or anything?

Many thanks in advance.

Vince

Welcome aboard BRTWF. Grab a beer and pull up a stump mate...plenty of ex military types here...you will feel right at home.

Good luck with filling your freezer too mate.

Cheers, Vince

Pumpkinslinger

Welcome BRTWF!

slimjim

brtwf wrote:

Where do you recommend I look to find some options?

I've found them advertised on Craigslist.org and local papers.

Ominivision1

Slim

The last time Elk hunting in Wyoming was at Bridger Teton National forest which is public hunting grounds.

Heres is a link.

Bridger Teton National Forest

Ominivision1

Yes we were guided, since if your out of state, you have to have a guide on public land. Now if you know somebody that lives there then its a whole different ballgame back then (2000). I would have to look it up to see if it changed.

slimjim

OV1, thanks for the link. The Tetons are beautiful and wonderful wilderness area!

Ominivision1

One thing I forgot to mention is that if you are interested in hunting in Wyoming, I had to have my application for a full license in by the middle of January. They notified me by phone back then, now they probably do it over e-mail.

Arizona Hunter · Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 275

In January (yes Jan.) of 2010 I did a cow elk hunt west of Trinidad, CO, guided on private property and was happy with the outfitter, lodgings and the big cow elk I took home. There is public land in the area too, and in January the elk move out of the mountains for areas like Trinidad so it's worth looking into.

mikekuzara

Wyoming cow/calf tag for non-resident is $288. You can get 2 of these and buy them over the counter. The big advantage is you can buy non-resident doe/fawn deer tags for $34, and in some areas you can buy up to 6 of them. So you can get some pricey elk meat and stock up on alfalfa fed whitetail ( that are way bigger than the whitetails in Tx )

Just a thought

Also, you don't have to use a guide in Wyoming unless you are going into a wilderness area. Lot's of BLM and Forest.

slimjim

mikek, what locations/areas of Wyoming do you suggest? I think I would like to try this next year.

mikekuzara

The areas around Sheridan are good for either.
Area 38 for elk, lots of cow/calf tags available, no wilderness areas there, just national forest so you don't need a guide, no grizzly bears in the Big Horn Mountains either, so you don't have to look over your shoulder every 10 seconds.
Deer area 24 has unlimited doe fawn tags available. You can buy as many as you want, over the counter, no draw. There is a serious whitetail population problem there. Many ranches will let you on for doe/fawn for no fee. The "Flying H" ranch south of Sheridan and the "Polo" ranch let people on for free. I know some ranchers on the Powder River, deer area 24 and 17, that will let you on as long as you take at least 3 whitetail.