nwihunter
Well-known member
I've posted a couple of times previously looking for advice on gear choices and got back some great advice. That being said I have some questions on GMU's that I'm looking at. My short story is I have never hunted elk or spent anytime west of northwest Indiana. I'm going on my first solo archery elk hunt this September. I would like to get there 2 days before season opener and hunt for at least 7 days. I have spent a ton of time over the past 2 years trying to learn as much as I possibly can about this type of hunt, without actually putting my boots on the ground. My expectations for this trip are realistic, basically to learn as much as I can about elk hunting and with any luck lay eyes on an elk. To actually bring one home is a long shot, but that is the ultimate goal. I will be camping roadside or at trailheads and day hunting. I would love to get an elk and am not at all picky about what size or sex. I have eaten elk before and would love to have a freezer full. That being said I am determining my GMU choice by an area that is over the counter and either sex. I'm not looking for anyone to tell me where to go to kill an elk. I've followed this sight pretty closely for the last few years and get how it works. I'm totally fine learning from my own experience and mistakes. I like the idea of hiking into wilderness areas to get away from vehicles and hopefully some of the crowd. My questions will be more sight specific. I'm just kind of wondering what to expect when I get there and if anyone else has experience with these locations. My first spot I'm looking at is the NW corner of GMU 25, specifically the area north of Emerald Lake off of South Derby road 613 all the way down Crescent Lake. Is this a road that I can get down with a stock 4x4 truck? Can I camp along this road? Is this a place that gets a lot of Hunters during the archery opener? My other area that I am looking at is the area around Stillwater Reservoir in the far west side of GMU 26. Is this a place that gets really crowded? It looks easily accessible and thought it might be crowded. I've looked at the success numbers for these areas and realize they are on the low side but the number of hunters was fairly low as well. Again, not looking for anyone to give up there spots just curious about what other hunters think of the spots I'm looking at. I was also going to call out there as well but thought I would start here first. Any advice from you guys with experience is greatly appreciated..... Thanks
Last edited:
