Hello, I am new to this web site and it appears to have a lot of info! I am going hunting in unit 11 and 211 4th season and need some advise. I have successfully hunted other animals, but the elk eludes me. I have went 5 times and the last 2 times i have a better grip on things such as elk signs games trains and behavior. I would like to get my first elk and am willing to listen to the advise of successful hunters. Where is the best place for elk concentrations and what do I need to do to make this a successful hunt? The elk hunts I have went on before other people got elk and now I hope it is my turn. I have the baby hoochie mama and the regular hoochie mama. Are these useful in 4ht season? Is there a better place for bulls? Any advice will help. Thanks elk buds!

I'm a beginner with respect to elk hunting. I've found the book "ELK TACTICS" by Don Laubach and Mark Henckel to be insightful. It may provide you with some tips that make the difference. From what I'm gathering, if you hunt during the rifle season and can't hike out past the 4-wheeler, your probability of success will be pretty low. Alls it takes is one hunter to invade their bedding area and the elk will move miles away from where they were the day before. Also, a good guide who is keeps up with the elk habits and routines may be worth the cost.

I have hunted elk 4 times since 1977 and have came back 3 times with meat, all in Wyoming and all hunts done on horseback, 3 bulls 5 and 6 point. One of the key things to a successful elk hunt is to study all canyon sides, brushy bottoms, open alps. You will spend quite a bit of time glassing the area and recommend a good pair of binoculars. If you come across an old game trail, it can be used for getting to the upper elevations. The horses we used had been used before for elk hunting and will stop or turn their heads when approaching elk even if the rider is unaware of the elk, this is important when getting a good horse. As you know most elk move mostly between sunup and daylight and from dusk to darkness. I have found out that between 8:30am till around 5pm, the elk are in heavy timber and the hours before and after this time is spent eating, bugle and move around the most. This is the time you could bugle to attract a bull, but make sure you practice before heading out hunting. I also would recommend packing a heavy caliber sidearm as the 2nd time I went, we were processing an elk when mama grizzly got a whiff and came to check it out. Needless to say she moved on with her cubs when she seen all the horses and people around the meat. If you need anything specific answered, just holler.

OV1, were all your hunts guided?

The first one was not guided since I was with the brother of a property owner in Wyoming. Since we hunted on his land, we did not have to have guides. But he has since passed away and the other 3 times I went, we had to have guides since we were out of state.

I believe guides greatly improve success and can make a hunt more enjoyable. Its saving up that amount of money that is can a road block for many.

Yes guides do help, the last bull elk hunt for me with the guide cost me around $3500 and that was just for guide and license, and that was in 2002. I will have to look around to see what it would cost now.