DIY, Trespass or Guided in WY?

[Ebby]

I've got 10 points and have posted several times already but am looking for advice as I try to plan for 2019. I live in TN. I will prob be able to travel to WY in August to do some scouting and familiarize myself with the area in whatever unit I draw in. I should also be able to travel back out for an archery hunt in Sept and then come back in Oct or Nov to rifle hunt if I don't kill.

With 10 years of applying built up and somewhat limited time and being so far away would you guys recommend getting a tag and just hunting DIY? I have a buddy who lives there and can help me get into some Wilderness areas but his time is limited so only 1-2 days at a time. I'm not afraid of paying for an outfitted hunt and I won't let money be the driving force within reason of course. I'm not paying $15k or anything like that but I'm ok paying an outfitter.

I have always wanted to do more of a DIY type hunt for elk and that's what I had in mind when I started applying. I've done plenty of DIY hunts for elk and deer and antelope and turkeys in other states so I'm not afraid of that. I just hate to blow my chance at a decent tag by biting off more than I can shew.

I'd love a good trespass type hunt where I could access private and public and still do a DIY type hunt but feel like I might have better odds. I just don't know how to find out if there are ranches that do that and allow that sort of thing?

Any thoughts? Should I just draw a good tag and hire an outfitter to maximize my chances since I have so much time/money into accumulating 10 points?

Are there ways to figure out which ranches allow trespass hunts in certain units?

Thanks!

Lee

 

[ahlgringo]

Great question- that probably you are the only one that has the answer to. There is a good chance that you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't. If you hire an outfitter or do a trespass hunt, will you be satisfied that you did it yourself? If you will, then do it. If you want the personal satisfaction of DIY public land- then go for it- as long as you are okay with it if it doesn't work out. You can at least be honest with yourself that you gave it your all, and it was all on you.

And think about how you would feel if you come home with a trophy all on your own!!!!

Only a question you can answer for yourself though.

 

[Ebby]

Yep, I much prefer the DIY option and I've only been on a couple of outfitted hunts and I currently have 30 out of state hunts under my belt. I've killed big game animals in all 30 states on DIY so I'm not afraid of that but I know how hard elk hunting can be and living 1400 plus miles away might make it really hard. I just realize that I'm unlikel to ever have the chance to draw a good tag like this again in WY so I almost hate to "waste" the chance.

I'm actually looking forward to getting rid of these points and then hunting every 2-3 years in a general type area with my buddy and have more of a backcountry type experience.

I think with a guided hunt, I won't feel like I did anything "on my own" but if I had a good experience and get to see some good bulls and good hunting then it will prob still be satisfying. Again, I'm unlikely to do this again so hunting a large private ranch or a big chunk of wilderness with an outfitter where I see lots of elk and hunt less pressured animals would be enjoyable to me.

As far as trespass, if I just gain access to a large ranch and still chase them all around by myself and have a good hunt, that would be satisfying as well. I wouldn't necessarily want to find a pasture by the road that's private ground and see a big bull and pay the landowner and shoot him with my rifle from 500 yards away. That wouldn't feel like I'd accomplished much.

My biggest question is just whether I'll have a decent enough chance on a DIY in a good unit with limited time to scout and hunt to get it done? Am I just daydreaming and being unrealistic that I have a reasonable chance to kill a nice bull on public DIY? If not, then I should prob try for one of the other options. I appreciate the advice and am welcome to any suggestions. Thanks

 

[davsco]

so my first elk hunt, colo first rifle this past october, i saw two cow elk opening morning and that was it for the week. if on the way back home i had seen a sign for a landowner tag for $500 or even $1k to shoot an elk on their property, i would have done that! but that was after a week of nothing. i'm glad i did diy and will be doing so again next october.

it's a tough decision as you/we just don't know how things will pan out with any options (diy public land, landowner tag, guided). definitely the most satisfaction if you score during diy, but some meat in the freezer after all that time and expense is nice too.

i don't know how 10 points stack up in wyoming, but it sounds like a lot and thinking it will get you into a unit with pretty good success odds. if that's true i would lean towards pure diy on public land.

 

[a5sooner]

Yeah, you'll draw a great unit for sure! I think WY requires non-residents to have a guide in wilderness areas...so that may solve the dilemma for you. That said, a semi-guided hunt may be the ticket; it meets the requirements for wilderness and lets you get out on your own too. Or figure out a way to scout more. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime type bull.

 

[blackdog]

With the DIY option, how comfortable are you hunting and camping with grizzlies? The answer to that should drive where you're looking. Anything in those 50's and low 60's units can be awesome hunts but the grizzly concern seems to be very real. Personally, I don't want to have the extra hassle of having to always be uber cautious about my food and camp area and having to worry about leaving part of the elk in the woods during the first pack out. Not that it couldn't be done obviously, I'd just rather focus on other things.

You've got lots of good options in the Bighorns you could do on your own plus 7 and maybe 16-2 special as other options. Some of those Bighorn units have archery only seasons those where you couldn't hunt the archery in September if you draw the type 1 tag. I think 45 is like that now, plus 41 and 39 (and others??) maybe as well. The Wyoming fish and game draw odds and harvest success stats are easy to find and interpret so I'd start studying those to narrow down your options.

I've got max points in Wyoming and really hope to draw out this year for a non-grizz area do it myself hunt. Really looking forward to it with fingers crossed.

 

[BeaverHunter]

I'd go and try to get it on your own! With 10 points you should be in an area where you'll have multiple chances at mature bulls. Even on a general tag for elk in Wyoming, you should be able to see multiple bulls. You wont have any regrets of doing it self guided. Just my opinion.

 

[Jimss]

There are definite advantages to hunting private land. The landowner, outfitter, or ranch manager knows exactly who's hunting the ranch at the particular dates you'll be hunting. If you intend on hunting public land, you may find out that after years of applying for a special bull tag that there are gobs of cow hunters hunting elk at the same time...even though there are only limited bull elk hunters! Believe me, I found this out the hard way! Most cow hunters don't want to pack a cow very far so you can use that to your advantage. You may find that it's pretty tough to find many large, quality ranches in Wyo that offer trespass fee hunts. Outfitters often screen and lease many of the better ranches. You may luck into a goldmine if you find a ranch that offers only limited hunters on thousands of acres in a quality unit that charges a trespass fee!

Wyoming has a number of wilderness areas where guides are required of nonres. If you hire a guide you can use that to your advantage. Wyo res can still access the wilderness but with a guide you may be able to bypass a lot of hunting pressure...especially if the guide hunts off horses,

Every unit is a little different so it pays to research in great detail! It definitely helps to have first-hand knowledge and experience scouting and hunting an area! If you've waited years for a tag it may be worth taking a drive out in the summer or early fall to figure out access, glassing locations, bedding areas, rutting areas, water sources, winter grounds, roads, trails....the list goes on! This can change from 1 season or year to the next!

After waiting years for a tag it will pull things in your favor to devote lots of time to the hunt. The last thing you want to do is be in a rush...especially if you are doing it on your own! It will likely take time to figure the country, access, and quality of bulls available. If you are hunting an extended season it may be worth saving up vacation time so you can scout early, hunt early season, and have the option of retrning if you haven't filled your tag. Things can change dramatically from opening day of the season to late season....depending upon the unit and tag you draw! You want to make sure you take full advantage of your hard-earned tag!

 

[LaHunter]

My $0.02: You've invested 10 years of point building into this tag, so obviously you want to maximize your experience. If money is not a limiting factor within reason, I doubt you would feel 'cheated' if you went guided, but that is something you have to decide. On DIY hunts from 1,000+ miles away, shit happens and when you have 1 chance at a great hunt, a guide could save the day. This past year, parts of CO and WY got about 18" of snow just before the rifle opener. This threw a serious curveball into many plans.

Either way with 10 points, you should be able to draw a really good tag.

Good Luck

 

[Doc Holliday]

What did you end up drawing? Are you planning to DIY, Tresspass, or go Guided?