I don't know area 96 as well except the Grizzly problem is a little more prevelant although it doesn't compare with the Cody- Dubois areas. As far as Area 97, I used to share a hunting camp about 15 miles back in the Wilderness from Boulder Lake and it can be a great area with the early September 20th start date, especially if we had snow at the 9500-11000 feet areas we were hunting...but you can't do it outside the Wilderness. The elk stay as high as as the snow conditions allow and are pushed back a little lower and start really herding up usually by the last of the bull hunt where they can be hunted by day from trailheads on horses but still well within the wilderness. Depending on snow there are some late cow opportunities down lower, possibly outside the wilderness. The area is in the Winds, which means it is big rough granite boulder strewn country with lots of alpine cover, never ending ups and downs, and infinite water sources so it is work in the years when the weather is a bit warmer or the elk are quieter. But it is breathtaking country.
Area 98 is a much vaster area and I have heard of some potential desert elk and lower elevation opportunities but the premium tag value over the general isn't worth much if you can't get high in the wilderness with horses or I suppose even llamas (if you really had to go that low..lol).
The advantage to 97 is the easy draw odds. There are leftover resident tags because only someone dedicated to the area with the wherewithal to pack in a camp at least 10 miles would sacrifice the general tag for the rut rifle opportunity in such a niche hunt. Because of guide requirements it is an easy to draw non-resident area. Its a waste of time if you don't have a legal way to get deep in the wilderness and hunt between September 20-October 1.
If anyone out there drew either of these areas PM me. I have for various circumstances not been in a position for about 10 years to get a camp back into that country or hunt off of horses and am ramping to do it this year and wouldn't mind a hunting partner. I have an absolutely incredible spot I want to return to in 97. The camp scenery is world class at about 10k feet and great fishing to boot. The last year I was there our party took out 10 elk in a week with 5-6 mature bulls. Mine was not huge but about 300-320. We had no close competitors and only encountered the game warden who rode in, outside our party. The closest hunters were one of the guide services 4-5 miles away. I am a Wyoming Resident and am allowed to get a Resident Guide permit.
The only disclaimer I will give is that there were few grizzlies that far south when I last hunted the area and we never ran into any sign . Now they are all through the Winds, but not in near the densities to the north and I haven't heard of major problems with Hunters yet in that part of the Winds. The other advantage to area 97 compared to the other 2 areas is that there a quite a few less non-hunters out of the Boulder Lake and Burnt Lake, and Half-Moon trailheads than in other areas of the Winds.
