Where to go from here?

[gwhunter]

So my father and I have been planning and dreaming about a western elk hunt in Wyoming for the last 3-4 years. We have been putting in for preference points and we now have 3 as of this year. As a "scouting" trip we are going to go pronghorn hunting. (We tell the wives that it's a scouting trip but I'm just as excited about the pronghorn trip ) After reading through almost all of the threads related to elk and pronghorn hunting I think I'm on the right track but still have some questions. I've researched the WFG website and found all the information and data related to draw odds, hunter success, resident vs. non-resident tags, different hunt areas, the dates associated with the different areas, which zones have the most and least public land, etc.. Based on that information I've narrowed down some of the areas that I want to research when out there and I even got a reduced price cow/calf tag for one of the zones that interests me for when we are out there. I can't quote who posted the statement: "It's really hard to "scout" and walk over the next ridge when you don't have a tag to fill" so I'm also pumped about the possibility of scoring on an elk my first time out. I ordered the BLM maps for the areas that interest me (only 4 buck a piece, how cool is that!) and also ordered the onx map chip for the state. I'm planning to spend 1 full week of on the ground time in the state split between pronghorn hunting and scouting for elk areas. So I guess my questions are as follows:
1. When looking at the maps and deciding places to hunt/scout what are the things on the map that I should be looking for to indicate that one area may hold animals and another wouldn't (this can go for pronghorn or elk)?
2. If I don't care about antler size would this change any aspect of my scouting? I really only want to shoot a pronghorn with antlers and I would be more than elated by shooting any bull elk in future hunts.
3. When scouting from home (Indiana) on the web is there anything that I'm missing?
4. Once there I will be scouting during elk season. Is there anything I should do to make sure I don't ruin the hunt of someone else? I don't just want to be wandering aimlessly around and keep messing things up for others. What should I look out for or try to avoid while still being able to scout?

Sorry for the long post. I'm just really excited and looking for as much insight as possible. It seems that a lot of people on this page are genuinely interested in helping others fill their tags. I'm sure I'll have a ton of other questions in the coming weeks. Thanks all!

 

[1_pointer]

Though I'm far from an expert and I'm sure you'll get more/better answers, I'll take a shot.

1. Not that I know of for pronghorn. If you're not being picky, they are not that hard to find. Just use you optics and you'll turn some up. Look for some areas of higher elevation that over look big flats. That'll maximize your viewing. Other than that, just keep looking. Most places I've hunted them, they aren't hard to find. Getting within range and getting one shot can be... Elk are my 'unicorn' so all I'll say is to look for areas with feed (open, grassy spots), cover (trees) and water in close proximity and away from trails/roads. That's about all I can recurgitate on elk.

2. Pronghorn have horns, not antlers. Be prepared for some fallout/jokes to be headed your way! I wouldn't think that it should change your strategy.

3. Not that I can think of. You're gonna have a blast and not want to come home. Treestand whitetails will lose at least some of it's luster.

4. Use common sense and courtesy. If you accidentily mess something up, don't sweat it too much it happens. I'd spend lots of time glassing and just getting familiar with an area. The latter pays big dividends IMO.

 

[gwhunter]

2. Pronghorn have horns, not antlers. Be prepared for some fallout/jokes to be headed your way! I wouldn't think that it should change your strategy.

Oh geeze . I should have known that. Bring on the jokes!!!

 

[LCH]

I think you're probably on the right track with the cow elk tag for this year. I'm doing the same, splitting time between my antelope unit and my deer / elk unit with a leftover cow tag (I'll be out for closer to 2 weeks though). I'd rather not burn several years worth of points on my first elk hunt, "learning the ropes."

I really only want to shoot a pronghorn with antlers

 

[Gellar]

Pronghorns do not have horns like a buffalo or a bull or antlers like a deer. there horns are made of keratin that grows on a boney shell. They are shed annually where a true horn is never shed.

 

[gwhunter]

^ Thanks for trying to at least partially help me get out of the shaming.

 

[mdunc8]

I would rely on your maps to find areas with few roads then use Google Earth to get an idea if it's the type of country that might hold antelope or elk.

 

[gwhunter]

I would rely on your maps to find areas with few roads then use Google Earth to get an idea if it's the type of country that might hold antelope or elk.

I guess that's my ultimate question. How do I know what antelope or elk country looks like? I'm a midwestern deer hunter through and through. I think(hope ) I can figure out what a good area would look like based on topo and arial views but I was looking to see what other people look for on Google Earth and their maps when scouting/researching from home with respect to what would look good for elk/pronghorn.

 

[kansasdad]

I know that it can be very puzzling why waterfowl hit one crop field, and totally pass over an adjacent crop field that to my understanding would be exactly the same. And they do it year after year hitting one and leaving the "same" one alone. I think ungulates (deer, elk, etc) sorta do the same thing. Maybe it's just learning from momma, or there is a reason to a critter that isn't apparent to humans why one meadow is better than the next. But once you have patterned the herd, it can be a night and day difference. This is a part of what makes big game pursuit so interesting. I hope you get to have an epic adventure and improve your hunting skills.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

If I were you I would make a call to the Game and Fish and find out who the Wildlife Biologist is in the area you will be hunting and give them a call. They will be able help you break down the country into Elk and Goat areas.

If your goal is to hunt bull elk during the rifle season, alot of areas won't have elk down in the Antelope country, there are exceptions though.

 

[gwhunter]

I know that it can be very puzzling why waterfowl hit one crop field, and totally pass over an adjacent crop field that to my understanding would be exactly the same

I like that insight.

 

[gwhunter]

If I were you I would make a call to the Game and Fish and find out who the Wildlife Biologist is in the area you will be hunting and give them a call. They will be able help you break down the country into Elk and Goat areas.

If your goal is to hunt bull elk during the rifle season, alot of areas won't have elk down in the Antelope country, there are exceptions though.

Thanks for that tip. Originally I had planned to try to do the elk/lope hunt in the same general area. But after talking to a few people on this site that plan didn't seem reasonable. I'm doing pronghorn in south central and elk a couple of hours drive to the northwest. But again the elk thing is more of a scouting trip to learn the ropes before spending the big money on a bull tag. The cow tag is more of an incentive to actually scout all day and if I run into some elk it will be a bonus.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

There are alot of factors that will affect where the game will gravitate towards. One of the biggest on public land will be other hunters. It can be the best looking cover/food/water, but if it is within easy reach of a road or ATV, chances are you will not find any animals there.

When I look at a new area, I pull out the map and circles areas that are at least a mile from a road, and then start looking within those areas for the areas an animal would want to go.

Goat hunting can be kind of goofy. It seems to me that about 90-95% of people hunt goat from a vehicle, and if there is a depression/draw where the goats can get out of view from a road they will go there. There is a spot in a heavily roaded chunk of BLM I have hunted goats in a couple of times where two draws come together, there are roads on either side within 200-300yds, and when all the other guys are bombing up and down the roads the herds of goats gravitate right for that little spot. We always have a guy sitting on that, and we have taken 3-4 nice goats just letting them come to us.

 

[gwhunter]

Goat hunting can be kind of goofy. It seems to me that about 90-95% of people hunt goat from a vehicle, and if there is a depression/draw where the goats can get out of view from a road they will go there. There is a spot in a heavily roaded chunk of BLM I have hunted goats in a couple of times where two draws come together, there are roads on either side within 200-300yds, and when all the other guys are bombing up and down the roads the herds of goats gravitate right for that little spot. We always have a guy sitting on that, and we have taken 3-4 nice goats just letting them come to us.

You are the 3 or 4th person I have seen write that in a post. Sounds like it might be worth looking into.

 

[JohnCushman]

Get an onxmaps chip and do the overlay with the garmin basecamp software.

 

[El Jason]

I guess that's my ultimate question. How do I know what antelope or elk country looks like? I'm a midwestern deer hunter through and through. I think(hope ) I can figure out what a good area would look like based on topo and arial views but I was looking to see what other people look for on Google Earth and their maps when scouting/researching from home with respect to what would look good for elk/pronghorn.

Sometimes elk and antelope country don't look all that different, especially in Wyoming.

 

[gwhunter]

Thanks John & JLS. I appreciate you helping the newbie out. I'll make sure to post some pictures if I connect on a pronghorn.

 

[Khunter]

"4. Once there I will be scouting during elk season. Is there anything I should do to make sure I don't ruin the hunt of someone else? I don't just want to be wandering aimlessly around and keep messing things up for others. What should I look out for or try to avoid while still being able to scout? "

Glass and glass some more. find a good elevated spot and put spotting scope and binos to work. What you see at 1,000 yards can be as valuable as what you see at 100 yards or 50 feet. Benefit of scouting in the hunting season is you will be more relaxed and more apt to see the bigger, more important picture. Beat the slow pokes to good vanatage points before 1st light and watch it all unfold. great learning oportunity. See the hunters come into an area and watch the elk poile out the other end, and see what they do when pressured.

 

[2rocky]

Get an onxmaps chip and do the overlay with the garmin basecamp software.

john can you point me to a tutorial on how this is done?

 

[JohnCushman]

john can you point me to a tutorial on how this is done?

I kinda figured it out by accident. Go to the basecamp maps and get to the area you want to go to, then put the onxmaps chip in the computer and look onto the same area as the basecamp. I'm still learning, but it's cool to see the BLM land and all of that along with the towns and roads of the basecamp map. There's no real tutorial, just trial and error, that I know of