unguided wyoming hunts

[frednaz]

I went mule deer hunting in Wyoming for the first time last year. I did more learning, looking, and walking than anything else. i hunted on BLM land, with a permit on a large ranch, and National forest land outside of Cody. I saw lots of deer on private land and national forest. No real size to bucks i was close enough to shoot. Any suggestions for a greenhorn mule deer hunter in and around Cody Wyoming ?

 

[Polishrifleman]

Are you from that part of Wyoming so you can go scouting? Get to know your hunting area, how the wind blows, how deer move, feeding areas, water, etc... Know that Mule deer will run a while and then stop and look back at you so you might get a second chance. Get some good topo maps and get to know your hunting area. Go for morning coffee and talk to the local guys. You can learn a lot more by looking and listnening than you can by spending money.

Good luck.

 

[frednaz]

Polishrifleman,
Thank you for your help. My great disadvantage is that I'm from Ohio and we could only arrive 2 days before the season opener. One of the guys lived in Cody for 4 years. We did get our best info from a local gun shop and some great help from the BLM office in Cody. The topo maps are a great idea. I'm sure the more we go, the more familiar we will become with the areas and places to hunt that are better than others.

 

[dakotasin]

be patient. when you are hunting a new area that you cannot visit regularly, it takes a lot of time to get comfortable w/ the area and know it.

when i go to a completely new spot that is hundreds of miles away, i don't expect to punch tags the first year, hope to the second year, feel pretty confident the third year, and by the 4th year, i can almost guarantee punched tags from that moment on... it just takes time to get to know the area, and get a feel for the game, their habits, and their response to pressure.

an easy way to speed up that curve is befriend one of the ranchers. he may not let you on his propert to hunt, but he will tell you what the deer do, and then you can apply that to your spot.

mulies are a blast - my favorite hunt. good luck w/ 'em!

 

[hillbilly]

I lived in Wyoming for two years.

That was pretty much my experience, as I could not afford to hunt on private land.

I spent a lot of time walking around BLM or the national grasslands areas looking and looking and looking.

Of all the public land I hunted, I saw the most deer in the Black Hills over near Keystone, in eastern Wyoming.

But it was bucks only, and I saw about 25 does for every buck.

hilbilly

 

[frednaz]

unguided wyoming hunt

Gentlemen,
Thank you for your advice, especially the idea of patience. At 56 I'm learning that I'm not a kid anymore and have to be more patient than I used to be. I like the idea of hunting the same area, if it seems reasonably good, then learning and growing in knowledge of the area each year. This, I've learned, is a different kind of hunting than Pennsylvania, where I do most of my deer hunting. I still count the hunt successful, even though I took no deer the first year. I enjoy as much as anything the time spent outdoors and the fellowship of good friends. Thanks !

 

[Polishrifleman]

You are welcome, and much luck to you. Remember you can do a lot of damage on the internet. Google maps for satelite images will help paint a picture in your minds eye (probably not the resolution you want but it is a start. If you have a GPS that came with topographical software check it out. If you don't have the software go to http://www.topozone.com/ you can look around print etc.. for free (it takes a little time) but once you start recognizing landmarks and areas you are on your way.

Go to the Cody website find someone in their visitors office or whatever you want to call it. Let them know your intentions and ask if they know someone who will help out. Locals are your best bet.

 

[bearmgc]

Don't overlook Hunter Management areas, which are park and walk in areas. I think there's one such area just southwest of Cody. For these areas you have to get a management application, which is free, but which I think now you can only get online through Fish and Game website beforehand. You can go on their website and check out the Hunter management lands. These are private lands adjacent to BLM and state lands, that landowners give permission for the hunting season only. If you harvest a mulie, you must send the "landowner part" of your licence to the landowner I think, so that he can get monetary compensation from the state. I picked up a handsome big buck, not trophey, but nice one IMO this way. Good luck!

 

[frednaz]

Thanks for the info on Hunter Management Units. This is a new concept for me. I am not accustomed to this type of arrangement with Fish and Game. I will investiage further. Thanks!

 

[T.R.]

I lived in Wyoming most of my life. Really big mulies are getting harder to find but here are some good places. North-eastern corner is a little place named Colony. Go cross country south west and into those sage dotted little hills and ridges. This area is rarely seen by any humans. A bicycle with good tires and sturdy inner tubes is helpful.

Sweetwater County also has some isolated areas. Find a dry creek bed and follow it. Look for tracks and fresh sign. There are several buttes I've hunted with very good sucess. Use good field glasses to look for bedded bucks at mid morning. Typically, you'll find them facing south or south east about one third distance down from the ridge line.

Straight west of Laramie is a long downhill ride to the prairie. Once you arrive in the foothills, head south. Check out the lower canyons just before dusk. Mulies love to raid hay stacks at night.

Please do not feel insulted by this suggestion: Bring well broken-in boots. You'll be doing quite abit of walking in rough country to get back where the big bucks are found. New boots will ruin your hunt. You can get by with a low cost scope, plain ammo, and a cheap knife. But plan to bring sturdy and comfortable boots.

Good hunting to you.
TR