NE WY Elk

[timberland]

Well, we ran out of elk on thursday.

After getting my hindend chewed on for not applying to CO and not getting drawn for NM, I found out I can get a leftover cow tag for NE WY around Hulett. The reason I am not going elk hunting this year is because I am going to Hulett deer hunting with my dad and some friends, but now I find out I can chase elk, too.

So, if anybody has experience in this part of the state, any insight would be appreciated. I have some spots already picked out but insight is always helpful. It will be archery, first week of season.

[ElkNut1]

What is the landscape like there? Heavily timbered with open areas or more open sage country? When hunting cows with archery I will hunt trails to or from bedding area or sit water, these areas can produce cows like a magnet! I prefer some cover over open country terrain! If open then glassing is important from elevation points & do our best to get a direction to get in their way of travel, nothing like a good ambush! Here's a photo of water that is a real elk attractor & less than a GPS mile from a dirt road yet hard to find! There were countless fresh tracks here where elk head to daily!

ElkNut1

[timberland]

The NF is heavy timber. Any open areas are on ranch land. I have found some water holes on GE. I think the big question is hunting pressure.

[ElkNut1]

The answer to that is easy, get away from it if there is! Do not use the normal access points as do most hunters. Find areas that hunters avoid because of difficulty in terrain to enter. Do this & you will find yourselves alone. We do this every year in heavily hunted areas & it works perfectly! This means you avoid the busy areas as most trails & gated roads. Do your homework & sift through topo maps of the areas you want to hunt & find these spots where there is no access & you will eventually locate elk. Look for parks, ponds, basins & draws. The best maps for this are the 1-24000 USGS maps.

ElkNut1

[jmez]

Which unit? There are two of them up there in the corner.

You will have a hard time finding any out of the way access points and most all of the roads will be open. Lots of ATV's and if a road is closed they just drive around the gate. Terrain is very tame compared to the real mountains, it isn't much of a barrier. Make sure you have a GPS with private land marked as it is checkerboarded all over the Hills.

Used to be a lot of elk around Cook Lake, between Hulette and Alladin. If the Moskee is in your unit there are a lot of elk in there, that would be #1.

[POk3s]

Also,

There are a few walking areas up there that are only open for antllerless elk hunting on them, if my mind serves me correctly. One is South of Sundance, and the other is south of that (I think). Could be all you need....Maybe call the landowner and see how many elk they usually have.

[timberland]

Which unit? There are two of them up there in the corner.

You will have a hard time finding any out of the way access points and most all of the roads will be open. Lots of ATV's and if a road is closed they just drive around the gate. Terrain is very tame compared to the real mountains, it isn't much of a barrier. Make sure you have a GPS with private land marked as it is checkerboarded all over the Hills.

Used to be a lot of elk around Cook Lake, between Hulette and Alladin. If the Moskee is in your unit there are a lot of elk in there, that would be #1.

We'll be in 116. Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.