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Ultimately due to an opportunity that sounded too good to be true involving some private access I selected unit 7. I heard stories of hundreds of elk moving onto this property and the land locked BLM surrounding it. The elk would spend time in the open terrain and then frequent the ranchers meadows.

I am sure most years this is the norm and later in the fall will be the norm for sure, but my 'too good to be true' statement rang true for the hunt. Due to abnormally high rainfall there was grass everywhere and the elk had not moved into the ranch like they typically do the first part of September. I saw a few elk but not in the numbers as expected. The rancher said this is the first time in 20 years they aren't on his meadows already.

Thankfully the wind died enough on the 6th day that we heard some bugling adjacent to the ranch on a public state owned wildlife area. Once we found the elk, the hunt I had dreamed about after hearing about the area I was hunting finally developed.

The rut action in there was insane and experienced bulls fighting, hundreds of bugles and was able to watch all of the action unfold in the open terrain. It was awesome! I saw several huge bulls by my standards and almost pulled off killing one of them, but the shot never materialized. When this 6x6 walked by I couldn't pass up the opportunity as he would be my biggest bull and I was nearing the end of my hunt.

I want to thank the Bowhunters of Wyoming for the opportunity again! It was a hunt I will remember forever. Maybe in the future I will be a little more picky, but probably not, because we LOVE to eat elk in our house:)

Matt

I've been wondering the same thing this year with the feed. The elk seem to be in different spots right now. Good point you make on that.

—jim

Congrats

Robb