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Heading into 2017 with 4 little elk points. Would be interested in a drop camp or possible big horn mtns (yea, I know, need more points)... Archery only, type 9 maybe, Thoroughfare too far :-), looking to get away from hunters, back pack hunt yes, 2-3 hunters. NR. Any ideas or recommendations would be helpful.
I get that no one wants to share TMI, totally understandable.
I am in the same point situation and spent a day last week doing about 5-6 hours of research planning my course of action. I'd like to paint you a rosy picture, but truth be told I didn't find anything in that point range that looked more appealing than a general tag. Sadly the point creep in Wyoming combined with the asinine Wilderness law made me wish I never spent a dime there in the first place.
Don't waste your time in Unit 51. Wolves and grizzly. Residents half smile and shake their heads when you ask for help. I spent three weeks there. Saw three small bulls.
4 points is not a lot in WY. Are you willing to pay the "special" rate of $1100 or do you want the "regular $591 tag?
There's very few drop camps in WY available because most "drop camps" are in the wilderness and you need a guide as a NR so they can't "drop" you; they have to guide you. If you're willing to get a guide, there are a lot of units that you can hunt with a guide in the WY wilderness for elk on a general tag and you can draw that with 4 points.
I know of two other areas you could go, both are good places to get dropped, but they're in the heart of grizz country. Do you want a solo drop camp for elk in grizz country? A big part of the reason that the bighorns are tough to draw is because everyone wants to get away from the grizz. Most of it you can hunt after the 15th with a general tag and the units that you can't hunt with a general tag, you don't have enough points for.
Another option is to get a general tag and pay to hunt private property.
If I had 4 I'd party app with a zero for gas money and go general.
To many times I see this question on here. Why not get a general tag, find a general unit, and go figure it out. Even if your unsuccessful you can apply and be back hunting in a few years and hunt again. To many people make the mistake of waiting the 8,9 however many years to hunt the "best" unit, when they could have the same hunt and do it every few years. I live at the base of the bighorns and don't want to apply for the limited units after learning a general unit with my buddy. Its taken us a few years to learn but its paying off now.
Idyl, Wapiti and Dakota nailed it.
The reason you can't find anything but guided hunts in lots of places is spot on too.
That leads me in the direction of looking for private land access for general units, is there much of this -(as in tresspass fees)?
Private land is usually low elevation. That may or may not matter but you need to make sure the place has resident elk during September.
Why would you limit yourself to private land in a general unit? Go hit the hills and have a ball.
Gen tag gives you 54 units to hunt/choose to hunt.
Good luck, Robb
