Wyoming Elk hunt Area 37

[smccrory]

Hello all,

My name is Seth and I am very new to hunting in general. I went deer hunting in Illinois for the last 2 years. Cool enough I was able to get two deer in the last 2 years. This will be my first time ever Elk hunting. I got into hunting much later in life then most people. I am 30 years old and hoping now that I finally have some money that I can spend on some hunting gear and going out west to enjoy the public lands out there that are not from where I come from. I was hoping that someone out there could give me some Tips on hunting elk. I have been reading this forum for the last 2 weeks straight on elk to learn as much as I can. What i was hoping for in some info on gear for that area because I have never really been in the mountains before. Also hoping for tips on Area 37, like where to go and roads to get in because it doesn't look like there are many places to enter area 37. I know some people don't want to tell and I totally understand if you don't want to. I do want to say thanks for your help and I hope all of you continue to save those public lands out there because I know they are under attack right now and I wish you guys the best of luck in keeping those great lands.

 

[Trigger50]

Welcome to Hunttalk ! You are gonna learn alot. I'm not personally familiar w unit 37. 1 Tip is to contact the local game warden & wildlife bioligists about a new hunt area. They are a wealth of info. Ask alot of questions, not just the easy, open-ended questions. A Wyoming warden once pointed out an access pt on a map that I wasnt aware of. Elk hunting is alot to "bite off" with your experience level. I'm not trying to dissuade you, but u need to do alot of homework & preparation. U need to be prepared to deal with a 600-900 lb animal miles from your truck. Wyoming weather is unpredictable. Spoilage can be a factor. Maybe start w an antelope or deer trip in WY 1st to get ur feet wet & help you prepare.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Trigger50, called it right, you may want to start with a pronghorn hunt. I cant help with tips for 37 but again trigger50 gave some good advice on who to call. As far as gear there are a few things I would spend money on. The first is merino wool baselayers. They are way better than synthetics for warmth and scent control. I bought terramar, which is about as cheap as I could find. So far they are ok but there are other brands that are better but cost more. The next thing would be a good backpack. If you are serious about elk, get something that can pack out an elk quater. I have a horn hunter full curl system which again is more on the cheap side but has served me well. On this forum mystery ranch packs are useda lot and are woerth the extra money. Also get good shoes. Kenetrek have great reviews on here for a higher price range. There are a ton of threads on shoes so do some searches and it will give you suggestions. Don't worry about camo brand, just get quality clothing. Lots of choices out there. Good luck.

 

[JohnCushman]

Invest in a good GPS that's compatible with the onXmap chips. You can do some good scouting with the chip in your computer and the Garmin Basecamp software and Google Earth. Also, start building points in as many states as possible. I also agree with starting out with a pronghorn hunt for a first out west hunt. If you choose Wyoming doe tags are only $46 and you're allowed up to 4 of them and buck tags are reasonable cost. If you blow a stalk on a herd, usually you can be on another herd fairly soon, so they are an animal of decent opportunity for a first time hunter to get their feet wet with and the meat is amazing.

 

[Big Fin]

Welcome. I've hunted south of 37 and west of 37. Lots of elk in those units. But, some tough county. The elk can be at a very high elevation. And you have identified on key issue - few access roads. With that, expect a lot of other hunters using those same roads to access the unit.

Good luck.

 

[jabber]

Can't help you on 37, but on gear, get the best optics you can afford. You got to be able to see them and hunting out west for elk or anything else is a lot different than whitetail hunting.

 

[7mm08mo]

^^^^^^+1 very different than whitetails

 

[kansasdad]

Hello Seth, welcome to HuntTalk. I have never HUNTED 37 but have Miraculously survived a harrowing FISHING trip or two to the Wilderness Area that seems to be a part of 37. (I am looking at you stupid Wyoming regulation)......all that to say remember that as a non resident you must be guided/accompanied. Looking forward to your adventure documentation.

 

[WyOpitz]

I hunt the bighorns each year since I live here. I would suggest putting in for a special draw elk tag. 37 is a general area and there are a ton of hunters in this unit and just as many ATV's. Typically you have to get at least 2-3 miles from the road to get away from the hunting pressure and have a shot at an elk. There are a lot of areas to hunt, I usually find a backroad off of Red Grade road. I take it as far as I can, set up camp them hike in every day from there. I saw 3 hunters last fall the whole week I was up there and they were all on the road. No one was in my area due to the rough steep terrain, I should mention there wasn't any deer or elk. Haha. I did learn later that a co-worker's son shot a 380 bull 500 yards from my camp and 100 yards off the road 4 days before I got there. Lucky bastards.

Keep in mind, a lot of 37 is wilderness which as a non-resident you cannot hunt without a guide. It is good country and does hold some good elk, but like I said, I would personally apply for a special draw area and have a quality hunt.

As far as gear goes, get good boots first, good water resistant gear,merino wool base layers, good binoculars. I took a friend up a couple of years ago. We hunted at 9k ft, he was done hunting opening day 1 hr into the hunt and 300 yards from 2 bulls we spotted it was raining and hailing, he had denim camo, no gaiters and just a regular jacket. He was soaked head to toe, he had good hiking g boots but the inside of his shoes were sopping wet and it was 30 degrees outside. We had to leave cause he could have easily gone downhill fast. He was miserable. A few months later he picked up some Kuiu gear. I use Core4element gear, it is very good stuff for its price. But there are lots of options, plenty of information on boots, clothes and optics on here. I have Asolo boots (Sierra trading post for $100) and Lowa Tibets which I got on sale online. Just upgraded my optics this year and you cannot go wrong putting most of your money here. Good luck!

 

[smccrory]

I want to thank you guys for the help and info. The person I am going with lives in Wyoming and he will be guiding me through there. Also I will be hunting Antelope in area 79 which is right next to the area I will be hunting one month later. I forgot to let you guys know that I will be hunting cows not Males because of the time of Year that I can get off because I am a Fire Fighter Paramedic and don't get all that much time off. My friend will also be doing the Antelope hunt with me and we are hoping to maybe get some animals early so that we can check out the Elk area and see what kind of access we can find. Thank you again for all your help and good luck to all of you out there.