Unit 51 is located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, bordering Yellowstone National Park and Montana. This unit has a good portion of public land, holds excellent elk habitat, and has some trophy potential due to the limited number of tags. This unit also has a large wilderness area that requires non-residents to use a guide or a resident companion; it has high grizzly densities and is very rugged country that will test a hunter’s stamina. With all of that being said, due to the limited number of tags offered, this can be a great hunt for a resident or non-resident, in and out of the wilderness area. Some of the better early-season hunting is found in the North Absaroka Wilderness area; however, a good snowstorm will cause elk to move down in elevation and out of the wilderness. Elk from Yellowstone also migrate through this unit, heading towards lower elevation wintering grounds.

The archery season occurs during the month of September and allows archers the opportunity to chase any elk throughout the unit. This tag offering is very limited, which is why tag holders who draw it often have good success and target mature bulls. Calling can be effective due to the lack of pressure; however, some hunters prefer to spot and stalk. Most of the better hunting here will be found in the wilderness area during this season though it is possible to find elk throughout the unit. There is limited road access here, so use one of the pack trails at the bottom of the drainages to get in and out. Most hunters prefer to camp in the backcountry in order to get the most out of their time hunting.

The rifle seasons here can be complicated as there are different types that use the Clark Fork River as a divider. The areas southwest of the Clark Fork River have better migration corridors and more areas to hunt. Most hunters glass at first and last light to find bulls still in rutting behavior early on. Then they hunt the migration during the later parts of the season when snow is driving elk down out of the wilderness area. Non-residents, without a guide, would be advised to hunt after there is significant high country snow in order to increase their odds in this unit.

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