Wyoming general elk tag units
- Thread starter Andrewlonghi
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Caseknife
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@Andrewlonghi, being that this is your first foray into elk hunting, I would avoid griz country. Wyoming is a great state with lots of elk and lots of public land to learn about hunting elk without the added stress of a possible grizzly encounter. Wyoming manages their wildlife very well and the opportunities are wide spread, no need to hunt the NW corner to find elk. You will be able to concentrate more on finding and learning elk than hopefully not finding bears. Good luck in the draws and have fun if you get the chance to hunt elk, it is pretty addicting, been doing it for 45 years or so. Personally I would be more concerned about getting in good cardio shape considering you are coming from sea level and you will be hunting probably at a minimum of 5000'. Breathing gets hard at elevation, I notice it at the 9000-10,000' level.
2rocky
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@Andrewlonghi, Since you are from Florida Imagine swimming in a murky river inlet that is 5 miles long with numerous bays and bends. It is Gator country. You know there is at least 3 big gators in that 5 mile stretch because they have been spotted all along there. Now imagine you are spearfishing in those waters.... Kinda the same thing...
I rifle hunted Western Wyoming From 2005-2015 In that time I have bumped Griz in the early morning Twilight and my father had an elk and deer chewed on by griz over night. Even with a rifle, It felt a bit eerie. We did not cow call unless we had open ground around us.
I rifle hunted Western Wyoming From 2005-2015 In that time I have bumped Griz in the early morning Twilight and my father had an elk and deer chewed on by griz over night. Even with a rifle, It felt a bit eerie. We did not cow call unless we had open ground around us.
Andrewlonghi
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Thanks for all the information guys, I appreciate all the help from everyone.
2rocky
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This Report is the most recent in reference to conflicts. It is mostly by county.
Here is an animated map of the Spread through 2019...
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Tons of good advice so far. And good on you for asking and being honest, @Andrewlonghi .
Nearly 100% of the hunting I do in WY and MT is in griz country. Like many have said, be aware of the risks. I don't let that change how or where I hunt, but I also have lived my entire life hunting in griz country.
I've had a few griz encounters, pistols have been drawn, nothing 'bad' has ever happened. I feel like I am usually very bear-aware, and don't take risks that aren't needed.
A lot of redundancy, but here are some helpful talking points:
-Be clean in your camp - like, be very clean and be diligent with that...why take a risk?
-If you don't have to bushwack through a creek bottom or a brushy area, then don't. Be smart in planning your routes.
-The power of human urine (as mentioned in other posts) as a passive way to keep animals away from camp or hanging meat is impressive...
-Have good visibility from your campsite in all directions, if possible.
-Always hang meat, if possible, in a tree that you can glass from a safe distance.
-Contact local biologists or game wardens and ask them directly if they are aware of any griz activity in the drainage or spots you want to hunt. Most likely, in northwest WY, they will say there are grizzly bears in that area...But sometimes, there might be certain trailheads or drainages where bears have regularly come into contact with people, and WGFD usually is aware of those specifics that can be helpful in planning a trip.
-I play downloaded music on my spotify from my phone after reaching a downed animal, while we are cutting up meat. At the very least, I am not quiet while cutting up meat. I don't know if it actually helps, but its seems to have worked. We killed a moose +1 mile from the truck in a unit of MT that borders YNP last year, and had tall willows around us in several directions. I played music while we cut up meat and shuttled it. Never had a bear come visit. With 100% certainty, there were G-bears around, though.
-If you are hunting with other guys, make sure everyone is armed and proficient with their firearm.
-Also, some folks pack both bear spray and a firearm. I would say, at the least, everyone should have a firearm. That's personal preference - I've had griz encounters in +20mph winds and the sow and her cubs were up-wind. Since then, I don't trust bear spray as much...not trying to debate one vs. the other. Just what I would suggest.
All that being said, for your (first?) elk hunt, I'd suggest researching other areas that don't have grizzlies. I think the biggest reason being is once you kill an elk, the 'clock' is ticking. And, as others mentioned, it could take away some of the fun of the hunt, worrying about bears. If you can find a new location where grizzlies aren't present (and I am confident, you can), that seems like the way to go.
Either way, good luck! And, if you can, let us know how the hunt goes!
Nearly 100% of the hunting I do in WY and MT is in griz country. Like many have said, be aware of the risks. I don't let that change how or where I hunt, but I also have lived my entire life hunting in griz country.
I've had a few griz encounters, pistols have been drawn, nothing 'bad' has ever happened. I feel like I am usually very bear-aware, and don't take risks that aren't needed.
A lot of redundancy, but here are some helpful talking points:
-Be clean in your camp - like, be very clean and be diligent with that...why take a risk?
-If you don't have to bushwack through a creek bottom or a brushy area, then don't. Be smart in planning your routes.
-The power of human urine (as mentioned in other posts) as a passive way to keep animals away from camp or hanging meat is impressive...
-Have good visibility from your campsite in all directions, if possible.
-Always hang meat, if possible, in a tree that you can glass from a safe distance.
-Contact local biologists or game wardens and ask them directly if they are aware of any griz activity in the drainage or spots you want to hunt. Most likely, in northwest WY, they will say there are grizzly bears in that area...But sometimes, there might be certain trailheads or drainages where bears have regularly come into contact with people, and WGFD usually is aware of those specifics that can be helpful in planning a trip.
-I play downloaded music on my spotify from my phone after reaching a downed animal, while we are cutting up meat. At the very least, I am not quiet while cutting up meat. I don't know if it actually helps, but its seems to have worked. We killed a moose +1 mile from the truck in a unit of MT that borders YNP last year, and had tall willows around us in several directions. I played music while we cut up meat and shuttled it. Never had a bear come visit. With 100% certainty, there were G-bears around, though.
-If you are hunting with other guys, make sure everyone is armed and proficient with their firearm.
-Also, some folks pack both bear spray and a firearm. I would say, at the least, everyone should have a firearm. That's personal preference - I've had griz encounters in +20mph winds and the sow and her cubs were up-wind. Since then, I don't trust bear spray as much...not trying to debate one vs. the other. Just what I would suggest.
All that being said, for your (first?) elk hunt, I'd suggest researching other areas that don't have grizzlies. I think the biggest reason being is once you kill an elk, the 'clock' is ticking. And, as others mentioned, it could take away some of the fun of the hunt, worrying about bears. If you can find a new location where grizzlies aren't present (and I am confident, you can), that seems like the way to go.
Either way, good luck! And, if you can, let us know how the hunt goes!
Lots of good advice posted here. I tell everyone to trust your instincts, if something doesn't fell right it probably isn't. I have had several bear encounters to include grizz sow and cub. You never know how you're going to act until the moment arrives. But when that moment arrives you need to know how to operate your equipment. I see people with bear spray or pistol, and they keep them in their packs. or have it and have never practiced with it or know how to use it. Hope for the best Prepare for the worst.
