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I'm an avid Whitetail hunter and Duck hunter. Every year I head off to the midwest to hunt Whitetail. I've been doing some initial exploratory work on an elk hunting trip instead of going after my usual Whitetail. I know nothing of hunting elk other than I understand its a lot like Turkey hunting which I have done a lot of. Of course, that may be a misconception, I don't know. I was curious if someone with more knowledge of elk could tell me a little bit about the different states to hunt elk. I have heard that New Mexico Elk are much bigger than their Colorado brethren. I was also looking at possibly a trip to Wyoming or Montana to hunt elk. I want to bow hunt for elk during the rut and I plan on spending the next few years applying and hopefully drawing a permit. A friend of mine's wife drew an archery tag to hunt bull elk in New Mexico and shot a 290" 6x6 on public land on the final day of the season. He spent the 6 months prior learning to call elk and he called the bull in for his wife to shoot. After talking to her in depth about her trip, I decided that I definitely want to give this a try. Any general advice would be much appreciated. | ||
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There are basically two types of Elk in the west. Roosevelt Elk which are bigger and more massive in the antler Dept. and Rocky Mountain Elk which are big but not a big as Roosevelt. RM Elk have nice racks but they are not as massive. I don't know which western states have which type. I have hunted elk in Colorado and they were Rocky Mountain Elk. I also hunt elk here in Oregon and we have both types, Roosevelt on the west side and Rocky mountain elk on the east side. It used to be reletively cheep to get an out of state tag in Colorado, but that has changed. I think the prices in all the western states are about equal on the cost. Just my humbele $.02. *we band of 45-70ers* Whiskey for my men & beer for my horses!  Malon Labe! | |||
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The nice thing about elk hunting in Colorado (especially for someone from out of state) is that you can just show up and buy a tag over the counter for several different seasons. I don't know if you can do that anywhere else. There is plenty of good elk hunting all over Colorado, but plenty of elk hunters, too. | |||
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I've never heard the comparison to turkey hunting, unless you are refering to calling them in which can be done in the rut. Here in MT archery season is almost the only season open during the rut. I say almost because there are a few remote back-country units that are open to rifle hunting during Sept. Colorado is similar with archery season running through september, however they have a muzzleloader season thrown in the middle. I believe they also have some units that are open to rifle hunting during the rut and their first rifle season may still catch the end of the rut. In archery season last year we were covering up to around ten miles a day chasing elk. We went later in september, the elk were hearded up and not very intrested in leaving their cows to chase other bulls/cows. After the rut in the general season we still do a lot of ground hunting, and spot and stalk hunting which. As far as which state to hunt, Arizona and New Mexico are known to have big bulls, but drawing a tag isn't very easy from what I understand. Non-residence have to draw for Montana tags as well. I know one guy who draws every year for the last four years and others draw every other year or every couple of years. In Colorado you can put in for the limited tag where you may have a better chance of getting a larger bull, but if you don't draw you can still get an over-the-counter tag. | |||
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jim Z.: There are basically two types of Elk in the west. Roosevelt Elk which are bigger and more massive in the antler Dept. and Rocky Mountain Elk which are big but not a big as Roosevelt. RM Elk have nice racks but they are not as massive. I disagree! Roosevelt elk are larger in size and darker than a Rocky Mountain elk. Antlers are shorter, heavier, with a narrower spread and often "webbed" or crowned at the top. I tell people if they want a good rack go to Colorado. If they want a big animal, go further West. The only easy day is yesterday! | |||
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FYI there are 3 types of Elk in the western USA did you forget about Tule Elk ? I'm not a head hunter since I don't have cathedral ceilings in my tract home elk antlers won't fit I prefer to shoot cow elk.Cow tags are much cheaper than bull tags and easier to harvest also the flesh of cows just tastes better imo. | |||
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Drawing a tag is one thing but what about success rates in deffierent states. Any comments on success rates? Is it recommended to go with an outfitter or is there a way you can go about hunting on your own? | |||
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Where to start... Body sizes of Rocky Mtn elk don't vary appreciably from state to state. The Roosevelt are bigger bodied, and found basically along the west coast. Most people think about and hunt Rocky Mtn elk, so that is where I will focus. Likewise, I will not talk about cow or spike only hunts, which can be good options, but do not seem to be in keeping with the original post. Tags are easy to come by in CO, ID, and WA. Hunting can be good in each of these states in the right area, but the relative ease of getting a tag means there are plenty of hunters out as well. MT and WY have a draw system for tags, but if you get their points you are basically assured of a general tag in 2-3 years. Hunting is good to great in these states, as always depending on the area. AZ, NM, NV and UT have by far the biggest bulls (horn size.) Drawing a tag in AZ. NV and UT is effectively a once in a lifetime expereince for a non resident, as the premium tags take between 10-20 years to draw, and the cost to apply and build points each year is high. NM has a random draw, so you can draw anytime, but odds of drawing in the best units are still very poor. I have personally taken bulls in every state listed except AZ. I've been in on the hunt for many more. All my hunts are do-it-yourself type, hunting from my pick-up truck and tent camper, or sometimes with llamas or just a backback in the wilderness. If you choose to go with an outfitter, you open up additional possibilities for getting a tag. Many states offer some sort of set aside of tags for those using an outfitter, or there are landowner tags available. Expect to pay several thousand dollars just for one of these tags, without the guide fees.Obviously there is a higher rate of success on guided hunts as a rule, but an archery hunt just about anywhere will have success rates less than 50%, sometimes much less. You can go it alone for many years and learn to hunt elk effectively without a guide for much less than the cost of one trip. Good luck, elk hunting is not easy or for the faint at heart, but it is addicting.... Bill | |||
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Scr83jp, I stand corrected, I did forget the tule Elk. Sorry I'm must be getting old.  *we band of 45-70ers* Whiskey for my men & beer for my horses! Malon Labe! | |||
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world record Roosevelt's Elk around 390 B&C, Rocky Mountain Elk around 450 B&C points, personally I would say the RM Elk have more massive antlers | |||
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Colorado is probably one of the easiest to draw an out of state tag from. Bulls are 500$, cows are 240$ I think. One of the big pluses in CO is there is a LOT of public land with good hunting. One thing noone has touched on though, is that for the most part (and I really stress MOST) elk hunting can be extremely hard. High altitude, constantly changing weather and a lot of times extremely rugged terrain. I can't speak for other states, but here in CO, you better be physically prepared. ANd here is a fun fact lol, the antlers grow before the shot, and shrink after the shot, but the body grows MASSIVELY once its down and you start looking at moving a 6-900lbs animal. Elk are big tough critters. Get in good shape, not sheep hunting tough, but close enough. GOOD boots will make or break your trip, and they better be well broken in before your trip. In the Rockies, the weather changes quicker and more often then a pregnant womans mood swings. This last season it was 50 in the middle of November, year before that there was 2' of snow opening morning. Be ready for anything. As for elk rifles....well thats like fingers, most people have a few, and some of them smell a bit funny haha. Decide how far you're willing to take a confident shot, and at what angles you're willing to pass up. You're deer rifle with good heavy for caliber bullets should fit the bill, no NEED for big magnums. But, they dont hurt either, unless you cant shoot them well. 30 calibers are very popular, as you've probably read on this board. I'm a meat hunter, and my area is very tough, so when I see a legal animal within reasonable distance, i'm putting it down. I choose a 300wsm with fail safe bullets, and I aim for shoulders. I want that cow down ASAP, and prefer to break some shoulders while I'm at it. Its not fun chasing those guys up and down mountains, especially since they like to run the opposite direction of your vehicle lol. If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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So is it completely unrealistic for an experienced hunter but with no elk hunting experience, to buy a license in Colorado, get onto some public land and kill a respectable bull elk? And if its not unrealistic, does anyone have any suggestions on how an out of state hunter can scout public land without actually setting foot in Colorado. Obviously this would require the use of reading information on the web. | |||
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This question comes up every now and then on the forum boards. Well-meaning Westerners make elk hunting sound easy - just buy an over the counter tag in unit XXX in Colorado, buy a good pair of boots and go hunting. While it may not be completely unrealistic, to be brutally honest your odds are not good. Elk are not whitetailed deer. Elk are not turkeys. Elk are not waterfowl. Elk are Elk and hunting them takes its own set of skills. These skills cannot be acquired simply by reading magazine articles and web pages. For starters, elk are migratory. They move around a lot more than deer. Even if you could take time to do some serious preseason scouting it wouldn't help as much as you might expect. Deer stay around their home area. Good deer country is good deer country before, during and after the hunting season. Hunting pressure makes them harder to find but they'll still be there. Elk are a different story. A patch of ground might hold a big herd of elk one day and the next day there might not be an elk within 20 miles. The local hunters might have an idea of where the elk head off to when the 'heat is on' but if you think they'll tell you where it is I have a bridge in New York that I'll sell cheap. Then there is the issue of physical conditioning. You might be young. You might think that you're in good shape. You might even work out regularly. But altitude adds a whole new dimension. It doesn't matter if you hike in the woods at home or how much time you spend on a Stairmaster - thin air takes its toll on even the fittest. Elk are big animals. Colorado has "wanton waste" laws that are strictly enforced. You can't just cut the head and backstraps off and leave the rest for the scavengers. Imagine a big block Chevy V8 laying somewhere out in the mountains. Are you prepared to disassemble that 500+ pound engine and carry it out, piece by piece, alone, over the mountains - no matter if it's 75 degrees and sunny or 20 below zero and with 3 feet of snow? Carrying the engine pieces would probably be easier than handling elk quarters. And then consider the time and money it will take just to put a tag in your hand and get yourself into elk country. It will cost well over $1K, and burn up vacation time just to get your feet on Colorado ground. It's "big country" out there but the property lines are very real - even if you cannot see them. And these property lines are jealously defended. Many out-of-state hunters have found themselves in legal 'hot water' by accidently wandering onto private property. I'm not trying to discourage you. Elk are splendid game animals that are well worth the effort. But you need to seriously consider the challenges that you face setting up a do-it-yourself bull elk hunt. I'm an overweight, middle-aged desk jockey with a bum knee. There is no way that I could handle a 15 mile hike high up in the mountains. And I know that I wouldn't be able to handle an elk carcass by myself even if I wanted to (and I don't want to!) Yet I've taken elk in fair chase every year so far this decade. It's all a matter of realistically knowing your limitations and planning the hunt accordingly. No longer Bigasanelk | |||
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From your writeup I'd guess you've been hunting on a private ranch where there are staff mermbers to retrieve your elk & transport it to a packing house for processing. The area in Colorado I was introduced to is public land & didn't require long hikes,was easily accessible by 4x4 vehicles and depending on the weather one might locate migrating Elk & Mule Deer but if the weather remained warm some years there was no migration of elk or mule deer into the winter range.The area I hunted didn't require everyone to be in absolute top physical condition .I'd say anyone could go Elk & Mule Deer hunting where I started.A CO Game Dept Biologist I met told me about hunters who would drive into the area in the summer to show their families the elk & deer area they hunted expecting to see the animals of course there were none to be found . Friends of ours hunted the Arapahoe NF in CO this past fall and shot a large cow elk ,saw several bull elk but none with legal 4x antlers. wildlife biologist | |||
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SkyJacker - Anything is possible. The answer depends in part on your definition of respectable. To a lot of folks any legal elk is respectable, to some others a 350 point bull is not. In NW Colorado there is a great deal of accessible public land and, depending on weather, elk may or may not be where you are. If you are where the elk are and have reasonable hunting skills you always have a chance... | |||
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You can buy an over-the-counter elk tag in Utah, Colorado, and Idaho. Draw states to look at would be Wyoming or New Mexico. Most other states you are far behind in the game of points to draw a decent tag without investing some serious time and money. All states with over the counter tags will be crowded near roads, have lesser quality and be a tougher hunt. Utah has some great opportunities for elk on general season units if you are willing to work hard. Colorado and Idaho are even a little better if you work at it. Wyoming has some great general season units, but it could take you a few years to draw. If I was coming from back East and was only going to try to hunt elk once or twice I would buy permission to hunt private lands and hope for the best. One thing is for certain, a week hunting can be the best experience or the worst, it just depends on what you want out of it. | |||
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I will echo some of the earlier sentiments. Elk hunting is hard work. It is, however, doable, even for the rookie. Be prepared to cover a lot of ground, and hunt hard. If you are expecting to shoot a 6 point bull in a general area in Colorado you will have to be extremely lucky. A 4 or 5 point bull is a reasonable expectation, but still not a given. Truly, any legal bull in an open unit is a respectable trophy.If you are good enough to get a shot at a 5 point bull in these open areas and decide to pass the shot hoping for something bigger, than you are delusional. Colorado has excellent quantity of elk in many of these open units, but the trophy quality is kept low due to the hunting pressure. IN many of these areas only 1% of the actual bulls taken sport a 6 point rack, and overall success can be from 10-25%. In my mind this is not "completely unreasonable", but don't expect to be picking and choosing among monster bulls like you tend to see in the videos. Colorado has an excellent online guide to answer most of your questions about choosing an area to elk hunt. Follow up on the phone from there. Good Luck. Bill | |||
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Personally I see very little in elk hunting that is common to deer hunting. With out a doubt it can be the hardest hunting you will ever do, and love!! Packing even a cow elk is a hard job and I echo the others about being in condition. I have hunted NW Colorado and that can be a great hunt based from a pickup or horses and it not too demanding. Hunting the Big Horn Mountains in a general area open to residents is very tough, the elk are there the first morning and then they are gone,I can't even imagine driving across the country and trying to hunt in a public area like that,it takes years to learn how and where to hunt, even then the odds are still low!! | |||
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Well, at some basic concept, hunting is hunting. How can a life long duck guide with little white tail hinting experience and no elk hunting experience buy all the tapes and video on hunting and calling elk, practice at home, pay a guide for some info on where to hunt public land, and then call in not one but two trophy elk for his wife who drew a tag and also never hunted elk? I'm not saying it is easy hunting. This was one of the biggest achievements of this man's hunting career. But if you're willing to put in the time, it seems like its possible without needing to have a lot of experience doing it. | |||
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SkyJacker, I hope you're not getting the idea that we're trying to turn you off, quite the opposite! I'm pretty sure the guys here are trying to give you a blunt and honest heads up, in order to make your hunt the best it can be. Like everyone said, ANY elk cleanly down, is a trophy. And darn fine eatin too. We dont even draw bulls in our camp of 5-7 hunters, we're there for the meat. You MIGHT find a giant bull on over the counter public access land, but you might also find the remains of Atlantis on a fishing trip lol. Even small legal bulls, are BIG animals. Even on great hunting years, I saw mostly 5x5's at the butcher. But trophy quality differs from hunter to hunter. A heavy thick 5x5 to me, makes a better trophy then a spindly 6x6 or whatever. If you want to get yoru feet wet in an easy way, go for a cow hunt your first time. You'll get a taste for the country, methods and habits of elk. The biggest thing, there's NO guarantee, like mentioned above. They might be there today, and gone tomorrow. Elk will cover dozens of miles each day, and dont stick to particular haunts. Its all about knowing where elk "should" be, and walking, glassing, more walking, more glassing and most of all, much more walking. Some people might luck out in dandy cherry areas that require very little hiking and easy conditions, but this is FAAAAAR from the norm. There are lots of cows where I hunt, and plenty of bulls if you know where to go. 4th season is draw only, but I think 2nd and 3rd rifle are OTC. But, tags are pretty much a gimme where I hunt, its always under drawn every year. Oh, thats GMU 551 btw If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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Is there a better chance drawing for archery season compared to rifle, or about the same? | |||
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not too sure, as i'm not a bow hunter. there might be some over the counter tags, which requires a quick trip into the local wal-mart and nothing more If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
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Generally bow tags are easier to draw than rifle tags. It just depends on the unit. In Oregon there are bow tags for certain units that will take you 10+ years to draw. In retrospect the unit I hunt takes 4 to 5 years to draw a rifle tag, but bow tags are avaiable over the counter. I would highly recommend elk hunting! Good luck and have fun. | |||
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Everyone has given good advice. Elk are big tough critters and it takes a lot of hard work to get one. From an elk hunting fanatic (just look at my handle) it is some of the toughest (but most rewarding) hunting you can imagine. I will only add one bit of advice, elk hunting is very addictive. If you get bitten by the elk hunting bug you are hooked for life. All other hunting pales by comparison. I average 30 days a year chasing those darned elk and I cannot stop. I had the chance this fall to spend a couple of days on a private ranch to hunt big whitetail bucks during one week I had off work or to go elk hunting at my normal elk spot (very heavy hunted public ground). For most people this would have been a very easy choice as the chances of finding a legal elk where very small compared to very good chance of taking a really big whitetail. Can you guess what one I picked…. I went elk hunting. If you decide to go do has much homework as you can, get in shape and most of all don’t expect to much the first trip. Most first time elk hunters spend several trips before they finally connect. Once in a while someone will go out their first time and get lucky and get an elk but that is NOT the norm. | |||
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I will add my two cents to the already good advice given above. One big difference for me, I am from the midwest. I save two weeks of my vacation for elk hunting. The last couple of years I haven't been able to go for what ever reason, but I have gone ten times in the last fifteen years. The advice about being in shape is good, but know this, no matter how good a shape you are in, in your home state, you will suffer the first few days in the mountains, altitude takes time to get used to, period. I have always gone on public land by myself. The first few times I planned an elk hunt, I planned it with friends, and they always backed out. The times I have gone, I always leave an open invite to some of my friends but they have always backed out. As MtElkhunter said, elk hunting is addictive, if you go, you will go again. I am going this year come hell or high water. I have always gone to Colorado, but that is just because it's what I know, and what I researched. I started off hunting the season that begins in November, but the last few times I have gone the second season, in October, the weather can vary drastically within a few days, and I have hunted in heat and snow. As far as expense, it is more expensive now than just a few years ago but what isn't? I usually figure with a tag, gas, and a maybe a couple nights in a motel (I backpack out of a state campground on the hunt) I can get there and back for about $2k or less, usually less. One of my white tail hunting buddies is planning to go with me this year, but I will not depend on that. I have been successful seven of the ten times I have gone. If you check around that is better than average. Have I killed a trophy? that depends on your opinion of trophy. The first two elk I shot were bulls, the first one a 5X5, and the second was a 5X4, neither were spectacular, but to me they are the hardest earned trophies I have. Since then, I have taken only cows, and that is fine by me. As they say, any elk is a trophy. Even the times I have shot nothing, it was well worth the trip and expense, just to be in the mountains. Do your home work and go hunting! Good luck Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready Theodore Roosevelt | |||
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Just remember....ther's no better shot than the one you got...so be ready for any angle at at any shootable range!!!....public land elk are getting tough to get....there's no fence to keep theme in!!!....Good Luck " If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand which feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countryman " Samuel Adams, 1772 | |||
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375, MtnElk, and others, thank you for all the good advice. Of course I have even more questions now. Is it feasible to go elk hunting with a bow alone, or do I need to plan on having someone with me? If I did get lucky and connected, what's the typical process with trying to pack out your animal? Do you bring four wheelers, pack horse, ??? What do I need to expect to bring or expect to rent while I'm there as far as help is concerned with moving an animal? Remember, I'm all the way in South Georgia, so I'm probably going to borrow a friends tow behind camper, take my F150 across country to a public land camp ground and then start about my hunt from there. Are there areas you can camp near where you hunt, or do I need to be prepared to travel every day to a drop off or starting point? Also, just out of curiousity. What is the bear or wolf factor if there is any? Once an animal is down, do you really need to be concerned about a bear or pack of wolves trying to horn in on your kill? These might seem like some really stupid questions, but I'm just trying to get a good feel on what to expect. Everyone's advice thus far has been wonderful. | |||
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OK, this is out of hand. There are four species of elk in North America. Tule Roosevelt Rock Mountain Manitoba Horn size they are ranked this Manitoba 1st Rocky Mountain 2nd Roosevelt 3rd Tule 4th Body size they are ranked like this Roosevelt 1st Manitoba 2nd Rocky Mountain 3rd Tule 4th Tule elk only live in California. Roosevelts live in British Columbia, Alaska, California, Washington, and Oregon. Manitoba elk live in Saskachawan and Manitioba. Mos of the Manitobas in the US are on game ranches. The Boone and Crocket club doesn't have a grouping for Manitoba elk, they fall under Rocky Mountain which is unfair for the Rocky Mountain elk. Rocky Mountain elk are the most widepsread, if a state has elk and it's not listed above they have Rocky Mountain elk as a preliminary rule, but not 100%. Very unfortunatly bowhunters have about 95% of the rut hunts throughout the west. In limited areas rifle hunters can hunt the rut, but its usually only in a wilderness areas. If I was to move back to Wyoming I would probably have a pack string of 4 or 5 horses just to be able to hunt elk during the rut and I would hunt Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming if I could get drawn. Hunting elk is nothing like hunting turkys. They can be called, and they can be shot over water holes in hot areas, or areas where water is scarce enough. I know bowhunters that kill elk almost every year, and I know bowhunters that wound a few. Elk aren't as soft as turkeys or deer. And a bull elk coming unglued 20 yards from you with a 338 Winchester in your hands is one thing. When they do it and you have a pointy stick it's got to be maddness. They are vocal during the rut and a lot of fun to hunt. I wish you good luck, and have two pieces of advice. 1. Never shoot an elk in area you can't or aren't willing to pack it out. A big bull will weight 800-1000 pounds on the hoof and isn't a lot of fun for one guy to do himself. Unlike the South we actually have a very professional group of Game Wardens that will do whatever it takes to catch someone that waste wildlife. 2. I have seen a lot of elk in the October (rifle season) with arrows hanging out of them. Practice your shooting until every shot goes through the ten ring. Your going to have a hell of a good time if you get one close, make sure you have the nerves to pull off the kill shot. | |||
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SkyJacker: Seriously consider a guided cow elk hunt on a private ranch. Don't laugh - this is an excellent way to learn about elk and elk hunting. Nothing beats "on the job" training! You face the same situation that I did when I decided to take up elk hunting. That is, I'm an avid hunter and have taken hundreds of whitetail deer in the midwest along with dozens of mulies and a handful of antelope in eastern Montana. (No ducks or turkeys, though. I can't hit squat with a scattergun.) Finally it came time for me to try my hand at elk hunting. Problem is, I had no friends or family that hunt elk (or anything else for that matter.) Years ago I worked in Colorado for a few months and got to see what the country was really like. Later on a rich buddy of mine decided to try his hand in the game farm business here in WI. He bought a 900 arce high fenced property. (How did the game farm business go? Let me just say that the fence is long gone and the property is filled with McMansions.) This gave me the chance to look over some (live) elk 'up close and personal.' Then I started figuring out the time and money aspect. I put it all together and decided that going for elk, alone and with no experience, wasn't a good idea. I really wanted to hunt elk but had to learn the ropes. Becoming an elk hunter was going to be a 'process,' and I'd have to learn on my own. Step one was to shoot a couple of elk on the game farm. All of them were bulls - 3 were "freebie" culls and one was a nice 5X5 that I bought for $1000. This is not at all the sort of "hunting" I had in mind so I looked at it mostly as a learning experience. What did I learn? Elk are BIG critters! I had to gut, quarter and load 2 of the bulls alone. Even under ideal conditons (the truck was only 100 yards away) this was hard, messy, bloody work. There is NO WAY that I could have done this alone in the mountains and in NO WAY would I even want to try! The game farm is not my idea of a hunt. So where to go from there? I started checking into guided hunts. At the time I couldn't really afford a decent guided bull elk hunt. Then I learned on the web that there are outfitters who offer guided cow elk hunts. In 2001 I hooked up with an outfitter in New Mexico that charges $950 for a 3 day hunt. The license (it's guaranteed - no draw) added another $300. Got my first "fair chase" elk on the first morning. Then I was hooked! 5 more successful cow elk hunts followed. The cow hunts gave me lots of practical "hands on" experience. And they were lots of fun! Lots of great meat, too. Last November I finally saved up enough money to go for a bull with the same NM outfitter. Got a young 6X6, nothing much to brag about, but it was a fun, successful fair chase elk hunt. You're in better shape than I am and you probably don't want to take the same 'route' as I did (especially the game farm!) Nevertheless, I still strongly recommend a guided cow elk hunt as a first step. There are many ranches and outfitters that offer this sort of hunt. No longer Bigasanelk | |||
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Skyjacker, check your pm's DB | |||
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I recommend to never hunt alone when you are that far from home. The weather in Colorado can change almost instantly in the high country. Cell phones don't always work so you will have someone to come look for you when you are an hour or two overdue at camp and not several hours/days later if you get into trouble. It will be much easier if you get an elk down to have some help packing it out. Sharing half the elk meat will be small price to pay for the help, trust me. Hauling out one elk can turn from a few hours into a few days if terrain and weather are not in your favor. Number one reason, it is always better to share the experience of your elk hunt with family or friends. | |||
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I will try to answer a few of your questions. I live and hunt in Montana so I do not have any experiance in other states like Colorado. As far as starting points. Some hunters stay in motels and drive back and forth each day because they like the comfort of the motel. Most hunt areas are within 100 miles of a city that has places to stay. The second way is there are alot of public campgrounds (forest service, BLM etc) that you can camp at and start hunting from there. Some of the campgrounds you can hunt right from the campground and some you will need to drive a few miles to get to the end of the road. The third option is to backpack in from the end of the road and camp. Each way has it's pros and cons and degree of difficulty. It kind of depends on what you like. There is a real bear or wolf factor. We have lost one elk that we shot with a bow just at dusk to a bear. Long story short we left the elk to go get help to get it out and by the time we got back (1:00AM) in the morning a bear had claimed the elk. Let me tell you it is NOT a good feeling to walk in on a bear feeding on your elk in the middle of the night with nothing but a flashlight. Now I allways carry a handgun or rifle when I go back to get a elk out. This happened a second time a few years back only we got back to the elk just as the bear found it so we were able to scare it off. The second time was in daylight so it was not as spooky. A good way to get an idea of how big elk are is go find a average sized horse. Picture how you would move that horse from one point to another. The only way is to pack it because most places you are going to get an elk you cannot drive to with anything (truck, atv etc). So you quarter the elk (at least a two hour job by yourself) lash a quarter to a pack frame and start humping. Four trips later (5 if you want the head and horns) you are done. An average elk quarter weighs about 75-100 lbs so a good experiment to see if you can handle an elk is get a pack frame put 75-80 lbs in it and take a hike remembering that your hike is only 1/4 of the work to get an elk out. In reality it is more like 1/8 the work because each quarter requires a round trip (loaded and unloaded). Russ | |||
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Skyjacker, I tried to pm several times but hung fire, it's on my end not AR's. If you'll pm me I think my reply will go a lot better. If I understand your quote (above), a bow hunt during the rut is what you prefer. I have some info for you that you may want to checkout. Regards, DB | |||
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I just pmed you Dungbeetle. Sorry for the delay. | |||
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Skyjacker, as they say, there are no stupid questions, this is how you learn. Every one here can give you good advice, you need to pick and choose what suits your situation. If you can afford a guided, or semi guided hunt, by all means look into it. I hunt the way I do simply because if I had waited until I could afford a guided hunt, I would probably be to old to go : ) I am turning fifty this year, and I have raised five kids, one still in college. Maybe in a year or two I might start thinking about it. I also don't recommend hunting alone a long way from home. I hunt unit 55 in Colorado, a ways east of Gunnison, being truly alone takes some effort. When I leave home I show my wife, on a map, exactly where I will be. The first time I did this, and told her why, she pretty much freaked. When I leave my camp I leave a note on the windshield of my truck, with intstructions on where to start looking if I don't return. I cannot stress enough, pay attention to the weather! I carry a weather radio with me and use it. Several years ago while hunting the first week in November, I left the mountains just hours in front of a storm that followed me all the way out of Colorado ( that means big ). As far as the bear factor, I carry a 44 mag hand gun at all times, even when sleeping, I have seen bears but never had any close encounters. Something else I have never had a problem with, but I think about when ever I leave camp is two legged predators. As I said, I have never had a problem but I know others have. Probably the first question I get from people when I talk to them about elk hunting, is, "how do you get one of those things down off the mountain?" as everyone who has done it will tell you, one piece at a time. If you are the least bit physically fit, and you shouldn't be considering an elk hunt if you aren't, you can do it. It just takes time. Look at it this way, what else have you got to do? I shot a good sized cow a few year ago that took the better part of three days to get out, thank god for cold weather. That is something to consider since you are thinking of bow hunting which could be earlier in the year. Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready Theodore Roosevelt | |||
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Az just changed the program and you can now buy elk tags over the counter. This is a 2 week old change. Fish & Game decided that we have "problem elk" in several areas, so they decided to offer OTC tags to reduce the herds in certain units. This is probably going to last for 2 or 3 years, then the herds will be smaller and then we will go back to draw only again. If your hunting dog is fat, then you aren't getting enough exercise.  | |||
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There are elk hunts on several Indian reservations I did an anterless hunt & friends have also done them on the Jicarillo Apache Rez,Mescalero Rez in NM,White Mtn Apache Rez in AZ,Navajo Rez has hunting & the Utes have hunting | |||
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I wouldn't be suggesting these permits to any newby elk hunter. These are nothing more than year-round OTC permits to totally remove a MINIMAL number of elk from areas in which the game department doesn't want them, i.e. a form of depredation hunt -- not a thin the "herds" hunt. They encompass very SMALL PARTS of a few units, one of which is basically desert near Alamo Lake state park and another is the North Kaibab where a FEW elk from Utah have wandered into. IOW, there probably are fewer than 50-100 elk involved with these unlimited OTC permits in all the areas combined. The REGULAR hunt units and seasons haven't changed one iota. Permits are still by DRAW only and still offer very poor drawing odds for nonresident hunters. -TONY Tony Mandile - Author "How To Hunt Coues Deer" | |||
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