MT Biking For Bulls In Wyoming?

[Joe Hulburt]

I am about ready to venture out of the rain forest and chase some Rocky Mt bulls with my bow. I like the idea of biking into an area to get away from the crowds. Don't have horses any more so that isn't an option.

I've recently seen where a few people are hunting on bikes in Wyoming and was wondering if anybody knows what land ownership the gated roads would be on? Any ideas on what parts of Wyoming might have gated roads? I've only been to Wyoming once during September on an antelope hunt and did a little elk scouting in the Medicine Bow National Forest and it looked really crowded and I never saw a gated road. Mostly just trailheads with a lot of rigs parked at them.

I will get in touch with Wyoming Fish and Game and see what I can learn but I thought it might be worth asking on here for just some general ideas.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Arbutusbucks]

I don't know anything about Wyoming, and I am brand new to elk hunting but I am an avid mountain biker. I would look into BOB trailers, seems like you can load them up and really get out there if you are camping. I plan on doing an ID hunt next September and I think I will bivy with my bike and then load up the bike trailer with meat if I get lucky enough.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

I don't know anything about Wyoming, and I am brand new to elk hunting but I am an avid mountain biker. I would look into BOB trailers, seems like you can load them up and really get out there if you are camping. I plan on doing an ID hunt next September and I think I will bivy with my bike and then load up the bike trailer with meat if I get lucky enough.

Thanks for the info on the BOB trailer. I really need to invest in decent trailer.

I've been doing a bit of mt biking into private timber land here in Oregon but they generally do not allow camping so I would like to find some spots out of state.

There are a lot of gated roads in Idaho that I've whitetail hunted behind that would be great for biking into. The only drawback is most of the ones I know of allow quads too..

 

[Redwood]

Check the area you plan to hunt; bikes may not be allowed. Ran into that issue once, foot traffic only. Get a descent cart with large wheels.

 

[BigRed]

I'm a pretty serious mountain biker and mechanic and I have a doctor buddy who hunts and rides pretty hard. He wanted a sweet set up so we built up a pretty much dream set up. Surly Pugsly (perfect for any/all terrain and handing heavy loads off trail) and we hooked him up with an ATV style bow mount on the handlebars so he could have quick access to his rig. We did a lot of trailer research and I'm not sure if he ever got one. But what we liked the best were the trailers made by that same company Surly. They make a flat bed style with larger wheels that would travel better off trail and also be big enough to move a whole animal with. Anyway, PM if you need any advice on the bike set up I've done a lot of research and worked in shops for years. Lots of experience with that end. (not so much the roads in Wyoming...)

 

[buckykm1]

From what I have been told, you can ride a bike on any NF road - trail, you just can't use them in a Wilderness Area.

Kevin

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Thanks for all the info so far.

From what I have been told, you can ride a bike on any NF road - trail, you just can't use them in a Wilderness Area.

Kevin

I assume there are gated NF Roads in Wyoming? That is probably where I need to look. It doesn't seem like the corporate timber companies own a lot of land in Wyoming. That is what I am familiar with here on the Oregon coast. All the timber companies have gates up now but most let you ride or walk in.

 

[buckykm1]

NF Map

Thanks for all the info so far.



I assume there are gated NF Roads in Wyoming? That is probably where I need to look. It doesn't seem like the corporate timber companies own a lot of land in Wyoming. That is what I am familiar with here on the Oregon coast. All the timber companies have gates up now but most let you ride or walk in.

If you get a NF Map of the area your going to hunt, it will show you where the gates are, and when they close that part of the road to motor vehicles.

Kevin

 

[Joe Hulburt]

If you get a NF Map of the area your going to hunt, it will show you where the gates are, and when they close that part of the road to motor vehicles.

Kevin

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Arbutusbucks]

BigRed is right on, surly makes an awesome trailer. Only problem I have seen with them is they have two wheels instead of one. That's the price you pay for the added load weight though. Also, they are pretty expensive, and 30lbs. It depends on the trail/road you get on and to an extent how many trips you feel you can make with your meat. I'd call the offices of the NF are you plan to hunt, I have made several calls to offices and they have been helpful. Also, you can go one some mountain biking forums and do some searches or ask around as to trail access and elk sightings. This may be my best digital scouting secret but hikers and bikers are more apt to tell you how many elk they saw, and what kind. You'll get more detailed info out of those folks than you will on a hunting forum... But rightly so I guess!

 

[Joe Hulburt]

BigRed is right on, surly makes an awesome trailer. Only problem I have seen with them is they have two wheels instead of one. That's the price you pay for the added load weight though. Also, they are pretty expensive, and 30lbs. It depends on the trail/road you get on and to an extent how many trips you feel you can make with your meat. I'd call the offices of the NF are you plan to hunt, I have made several calls to offices and they have been helpful. Also, you can go one some mountain biking forums and do some searches or ask around as to trail access and elk sightings. This may be my best digital scouting secret but hikers and bikers are more apt to tell you how many elk they saw, and what kind. You'll get more detailed info out of those folks than you will on a hunting forum... But rightly so I guess!

RIghtly so... Of course it was just an in general question and I think we already know which units in Wyoming have good elk hunting so the secret is already out. It's funny though that I have gotten more PM's asking for specific Blacktail info in Oregon than I have gotten posts offering advice on general areas to ride a bike in one of the most popular elk states.

 

[Straight Arrow]

As I was packing an elk out several years ago, I came across a mountain biker who was also packing out half of a bull elk (including antlers) on his handlebars and seat. He had made the mistake of attempting to ride on top of the elk down a steep slope and crashed. My son and I helped him load the elk back onto his bike so he could walk it down the mountain. He was shook up but otherwise uninjured, luckily.
Elk quarters on a bike are difficult to balance and make the bike very unsteady, so be very careful with packing your elk out on the bike.