WY Type 7 for Unit 9 & 10... advice, tips, and pointers.

grizzwald22

New member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Messages
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Location
SW Nebraska
Hello everyone,

I drew a type 7 tag for cow/calf elk in WY this fall. I took Randy's advance to "hunt elk every year" and jumped in on a reduced cow/calf tag, and drew it. It is super long season, includes Unit 9 and 10, and runs from Aug. 15th - Jan. 31st 2020, but comes with some stipulations. I can't hunt national forest, so I am limited to BLM, State, and Private Land. I have acquired access through the WY Hunter Management Program to hunt on two large ranches. I have scouted in person and through OnX. I mapped out some BLM and State ground on the edge of Medicine Bow and Sheep Mountain, and walked them in July. Although I didn't see any elk, there was some sign of elk in the area... tracks and poop.

My original plan was to camp out and bow hunt all the BLM and State ground bordering the national forest the second week of September, and if that didn't work come back out in the beginning of December to hunt with my Dad the two ranch properties through the WY Hunter Program, but those recently fell through. So I am now in Plan B mode. A friend of mine is interested in going with me, but it would be over Labor Day weekend. I would be rifle hunting, and then bow hunting beginning Sept. 1, and it would only be for 3 or 4 days. So it would be short and sweet. Then my wife would come out with me in December, and we would hunt the two ranches.

So I am looking for some advice from those of you familiar with this type of tag, and units 9 and 10. Is it realistic to find elk lower near the valley in early September on BLM or State ground? Is it worth it to hunt elk over Labor Day, if it is only for 3 days. Does the WY Hunter Management Program hold cow elk and when should reasonably expect them to show up, or should I start to look for private permission through other means? I have not sought private permission yet, mostly because I don't specifically know where the elk end up in after November in order to call the right land owner(s).

Anyone with helpful advice, tips, and pointers I would be very appreciated. Always willing to trade information and tips, if anyone is heading to SW Nebraska to hunt. I don't want to ask for help, with extending the same invitation to others.

Joshua
 
Suspect early September would be a difficult hunt. There's usually a reason those kind of tags make it into the leftover draw. The X-Bar HMA is very open/flat and I don't believe elk will be out there until late in the year if at all. I've seen elk on the northern end of Sheep Mountain in mid-September, but that's National Forest and private. I think I'd focus on the extreme SE corner of 9.
 
No need to bow hunt if you don't want to. Rifle season is in September too.
 
Thanks for the pointers and advice from everyone. My friend and I have a plan. We are taking off from here (SW Nebraska) next Thursday. We will make camp Thursday evening halfway between two spots of State and BLM we located on OnX and from some pointers from you all. We will hunt Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. Friday is full spot and stalk in the timber on the east side of Medicine Bow. If we are unsuccessful, then on Saturday we will head to the valley and hunt BLM and State using roads and high points along roadways to glass any cows or herds. Sunday morning is back to spot and stalk near camp, before we plan to head back. If we come up empty handed this trip, then I will come back out the first week of December using the WY Hunter Management Program that I have access to. I have to wait until December because the access doesn't open until after December 1st for cow elk. That should get us back for Labor Day... Archery deer starts in Nebraska on Sept. 1st, and we plan to head up to the grasslands in the Nebraska Panhandle the following weekend to sling arrows at antelope. Fingers are crossed... and the hope is planning + luck = success.
 
Hey Grizzwald22, I realize this post is a little stale, but wondering if you'd be willing to share the results of your hunt? Looking at doing something similar to your story above in 2023.
He was last here in September of 2019. He is not coming back.
 
Thanks Never hunted elk in unit 9 always hunted between Saratoga and Encampment but didn't draw a tag there this year.
 

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