Elk (Cow) area 111 in WY

[jason66]

Anyone have experience in 111 WY? I have a cow tag and will be able to hunt 5 OCT, looking for recommendations on where to start scouting and what to expect.

 

[trb]

Here’s a great starting point, extremely consistent year to year. Good luck!

47.5660447, -53.5910605

 

[Sheltowee]

Here’s a great starting point, extremely consistent year to year. Good luck!

47.5660447, -53.5910605

 

[longtail55]

Here’s a great starting point, extremely consistent year to year. Good luck!

47.5660447, -53.5910605

oh yah, ive heard of that place. Its a good one, at the Junction of the chocolate star and the button of belly

 

[elkduds]

Follow the game wardens, they go straight to the most hunters. Most hunters = most game. Alternatively, drive the roads; stop every vehicle coming past and tell them you have a cow tag, have they seen any? Good luck this fall.

 

[appaloosa]

Find a high point and glass, you won't have to look long to find elk.

 

[southernhive]

I had that tag in 2020. Due to unexpected circumstances with the airline, my Archery bow never made it to my hunting location before I had to leave. This was my 1st elk trip and many lessons learned. There is one main road on the east side of the unit that runs north/south with many places to pull off the road and hunt. I saw a lot of hunters in the area. A lot of nice places to camp. You can PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Anyone have experience in 111 WY? I have a cow tag and will be able to hunt 5 OCT, looking for recommendations on where to start scouting and what to expect.

A couple different areas to try

• The checkerboard sage brush / badlands area to the south holds elk, but access is a PITA.
• The Seminoe dam area to the Miracle Mile holds elk and is where a lot of the hunters go.
• Sometimes the elk get pushed off the mountain and are shot near Buzzard road to the north of the mountains in the sage brush. Generally more a later season strategy, if you can actually access the backside of the mountain (Snow/Mud)

A couple advisories for the area

• If the weather is warm there is going to be a bunch of rattlesnakes in the Seminoe area. They sun themselves on rocks in the morning.
• Snow and Mud suck in the area.
• If you are taking a trailer into the Miracle Mile, it is better to go through Alcova than over the mountain from Sinclair (most park before the dam if not wanting to drive that far)
• An ATV or UTV will make access easier on the two tracks.
• OnX is needed unless you plan on exclusively big chunks of BLM.

Other cool things about the area

• Bighorn Sheep next to the road by Seminoe
• Big Mule Deer bucks with a lot of big 3's
• Great October Brown Trout Fishing (Don't step on reds)
• Football Rainbows are plentiful
• Sneaky decent walleye fishing

 

[Beesting]

A couple different areas to try

• The checkerboard sage brush / badlands area to the south holds elk, but access is a PITA.
• The Seminoe dam area to the Miracle Mile holds elk and is where a lot of the hunters go.
• Sometimes the elk get pushed off the mountain and are shot near Buzzard road to the north of the mountains in the sage brush. Generally more a later season strategy, if you can actually access the backside of the mountain (Snow/Mud)

A couple advisories for the area

• If the weather is warm there is going to be a bunch of rattlesnakes in the Seminoe area. They sun themselves on rocks in the morning.
• Snow and Mud suck in the area.
• If you are taking a trailer into the Miracle Mile, it is better to go through Alcova than over the mountain from Sinclair (most park before the dam if not wanting to drive that far)
• An ATV or UTV will make access easier on the two tracks.
• OnX is needed unless you plan on exclusively big chunks of BLM.

Other cool things about the area

• Bighorn Sheep next to the road by Seminoe
• Big Mule Deer bucks with a lot of big 3's
• Great October Brown Trout Fishing (Don't step on reds)
• Football Rainbows are plentiful
• Sneaky decent walleye fishing

I will be hunting that area in November. Are any of the roads leading to the dam snow plowed?

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I will be hunting that area in November. Are any of the roads leading to the dam snow plowed?

I they do normally plow it at some point. Or enough people drive over it. It’s a low priority road. You can still get to the mile in winter.

 

[jason66]

A couple different areas to try

• The checkerboard sage brush / badlands area to the south holds elk, but access is a PITA.
• The Seminoe dam area to the Miracle Mile holds elk and is where a lot of the hunters go.
• Sometimes the elk get pushed off the mountain and are shot near Buzzard road to the north of the mountains in the sage brush. Generally more a later season strategy, if you can actually access the backside of the mountain (Snow/Mud)

A couple advisories for the area

• If the weather is warm there is going to be a bunch of rattlesnakes in the Seminoe area. They sun themselves on rocks in the morning.
• Snow and Mud suck in the area.
• If you are taking a trailer into the Miracle Mile, it is better to go through Alcova than over the mountain from Sinclair (most park before the dam if not wanting to drive that far)
• An ATV or UTV will make access easier on the two tracks.
• OnX is needed unless you plan on exclusively big chunks of BLM.

Other cool things about the area

• Bighorn Sheep next to the road by Seminoe
• Big Mule Deer bucks with a lot of big 3's
• Great October Brown Trout Fishing (Don't step on reds)
• Football Rainbows are plentiful
• Sneaky decent walleye fishing

sounds good, I was planning on camping near the damn and fishing as well. I'm retired Army and have enough disability from my deployments that I qualify for the early (5 day season) so I can gun hunt on 5 OCT for example. Any idea if I can hunt Morgan Creek Wildlife Management Area?

 

[TheDudeAbides]

sounds good, I was planning on camping near the damn and fishing as well. I'm retired Army and have enough disability from my deployments that I qualify for the early (5 day season) so I can gun hunt on 5 OCT for example. Any idea if I can hunt Morgan Creek Wildlife Management Area?

You can, there are certain rules with fires and camping. Also roads with recommended ATV use.

Wildlife Habitat Management Areas | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Here are also some walk in areas

Walk-In Hunting | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Walk-in Hunting Areas are parcels of land open to anyone with a valid hunting license for the species allowed to be hunted on the Walk-In Hunting Area; no permission slip is required. These Access Yes areas are usually smaller than Hunter Management Areas and, as the name implies, typically...

wgfd.wyo.gov

There is also an HMA if you want to hunt later in the season

HMA detail page | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

 

[beaglegun]

A couple different areas to try

• The checkerboard sage brush / badlands area to the south holds elk, but access is a PITA.
• The Seminoe dam area to the Miracle Mile holds elk and is where a lot of the hunters go.
• Sometimes the elk get pushed off the mountain and are shot near Buzzard road to the north of the mountains in the sage brush. Generally more a later season strategy, if you can actually access the backside of the mountain (Snow/Mud)

A couple advisories for the area

• If the weather is warm there is going to be a bunch of rattlesnakes in the Seminoe area. They sun themselves on rocks in the morning.
• Snow and Mud suck in the area.
• If you are taking a trailer into the Miracle Mile, it is better to go through Alcova than over the mountain from Sinclair (most park before the dam if not wanting to drive that far)
• An ATV or UTV will make access easier on the two tracks.
• OnX is needed unless you plan on exclusively big chunks of BLM.

Other cool things about the area

• Bighorn Sheep next to the road by Seminoe
• Big Mule Deer bucks with a lot of big 3's
• Great October Brown Trout Fishing (Don't step on reds)
• Football Rainbows are plentiful
• Sneaky decent walleye fishing

I assume jason66 knows that this is awesome and generous info