First time Elk Hunt - Where would you go?

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Hello All,

I would like to ask a question - Where would you reccomend someone to go for a first time Elk Hunt for upcoming 2011 season?:confused:

The hunt will be a non-resident hunt, as there are very few Elk in FL. (a few transplants in game preserves down here, but not hunting... There are Sambar Deer/ Asian Elk on the NWR south of Tallahassee, but tags are rare).
What State is the best for a non-resident, and what region? Is it possible to go for $1500 -2000, and have a successul hunt? I have no preference points for any states.
 
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Colorado has more elk than any other state or Canadian province. I don't know how accurate these statistics are anymore, but years ago, I read that in all of North America, there are something like 1,000,000 elk. Almost one third of that million are in Colorado.

You can literally buy a license over the counter at Walmart. Forget about building preference points and entering a drawing. Just come out and start hunting.

Find a large piece of public land, scout around, and wake up early.
 
Thanks CoRoMo,
I've looked at CO seriously, and believe that will probably be where i go first. I have talked to some local guys that hunt there annually on private land, and pay about 2500.00 for a place to stay for a week, with good elk on it.
I will admit i'm cheap and would like to hunt for as little investment as possible, but also beleive that success will cost something. (1500 mile one way trip from FL will not be cheap)
Any place in CO that you would reccommend?
 
There is a show on the outdoor channel in which the host tells you how to public land hunt as he goes thru the process. The last episode i saw he was hunting mule deer in southern colorado. One of the episodes is an elk hunt in south east colorado. If i can dig up his name and the show i'll let you know.
 
Well there is big controversy on the alocation of the number of tags sold to out of state residents in NM. However, rumor has it that NM is especially kind to NON resident hunters. I cant confirm or deny, just saying.
 
we actually have very very good numbers of elk here in az and as i understand it actually the highest density in the world in certain areas, units 1 and 27 both have scary numbers of animals as do units 5 and 6. Im sure there are other units that are great as well these are just the ones that im most familiar with. Not trying to bash Colorado at all, but i believe that the only reason that they have more elk then we do is they have more physical area of elk country. Utah, idaho, montana, new mexico arizona wyoming and colorado is where i would look.
 
For elk hunting on that kind of budget, your best bet might just be Colorado on a do it yourself type of hunt. The license in generally over the counter. My advice would be to take a peek at Eastman's, as they have a lot of good info on DIY public land hunting. I would also start the preference point app process in some very good states like Utah. Just go onto Utah's official website for hunting and they will have a bunch of good info if you dig deep.
This past year I paid a lot of money to hunt Utah, to find myself in camp with a nice lady who drew a tag for the same property after 11 years of trying. She paid only for the tag and the tip for the guide, and got a very big bull. Persistence pays off! (I got a nice bull as well, but for a lot more $!)
 
Thanks for all of the information. I'll mention that i have a budget of 4000. that includes travel, permits, tag, food, etc... If i come in under that so much the better.

I believe the good 800.00 hunt is the pipe dream, will see how it goes. - checked my pm box, thanks for the contact.
 
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This past fall, we met up with a father and two sons, out in the middle of nowhere/backcountry Colorado. They did a blind hunt, driving in from Michigan or Minnesota, or somewhere up there. They were not being outfitted or guided. They just found the public land applicable to their tag, and hunted HARD everyday, in an area none of them was familiar with. They called in a NICE bull and just about put an arrow in him. Had they gauged the distance just a little better, he'd be dead. Had they bought cow tags, they'd have meat. Just goes to show that you don't HAVE to fly in and pay an outfitter to get a good chance at elk here.

But it's by no means easy. :evil:
 
For a non-resident, Wyoming isn't bad either if you can settle for a cow.
Their left-over cow and calf tags go on sale for half-price in July and are a good deal.

If you are gun hunting and don't have horses, Elk hunting can be daunting in the early season. Most of the public land prohibits the use of ATV's, so its horses only... or on foot.

Wait till the snow runs them out of the high country and they're easier to get to, just expect some really, really, cold hunting.

I'm lucky in that I've got a friend who lives in Jackson, Wy and I stay with him. If the elk are down for the winter, we can hunt from his upstairs living-room window....... Providing you have the correct tags....

I've found that even though there is less elk habitat in Wy, there are less hunters and the elk generally not as spooky.
Downside of Wy is that they do the lottery draw on the tags.....

My younger brother lives in Nevada and hunts Utah as well and he's had good luck getting tags in both states... But you do have to put in for the tags.

For Wyoming, you're already too late for the General Elk tag draw. The deadline for application was Jan. 31st.
 
I am from NM I hunted and guided there for years. I now live in Colorado where I've hunted elk every year since I moved here 11 years ago.

Here's the deal between NM and Colorado elk hunting. There is some SPECTACULAR elk hunting in NM IF you draw one of the spectacular units. Or can afford to buy a land owner tag in one of the better units. I love hunting elk in NM especially up in the Valle Vidal, Rio Costillo area, the Sacramento Mountains and the Pecos Wilderness.I also enjoy the Colin Neblits area but you have to have horses to make that one work and only hunt the North unit the South is a waste of time IMHO. I'd love to be able to tell you all about hunting the Gila as I know it's awesome too but I haven't spent enough time there to know the area well enough.

Colorado has some SPECTACULAR elk hunting IF you can draw one of the spectacular units. (Sound familiar?) Elk hunting on any of the over the counter units will be a great experience but don't expect to shoot a Booner bull. IN fact shooting a 5x5 or a rag horn 6x6 is doing pretty good. Heck any mature bull taken on public over the counter ground is trophy so is a big old cow. Of course I hunt elk for the total experience not the measurement and if you just want to hunt elk Colorado is the easiest place to be able to do so. MIND you I DID NOT say it was the easiest hunting, far from it, the country is steep the hunting is hard and true wild elk are NEVER easy. Which is why I love it so.
 
How much for a non resident Elk tag , bull or cow? That would be nice on the Do it Your Own. Are there more elk in the NE Colorado area than the rest of them ?
 
nathan,

For non resident fee's go here.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/SeasonDatesAndFees/

There are quite a few elk in the NE corner of CO IF the weather is right. That is for unit's 3&301, units 2 and 201 have a great elk population and some monster bulls and it takes like 18 preference points to draw it so that puts it out of the picture for most people.

If you can hit Units 3, and 301 when the weather is right there thousands of elk up there. But the key to those North Eastern units is big snow in Southern Wyoming. No snow no elk.
 
There's really no such thing as an inexpensive non-resident hunt, anywhere. Very much doubt you'll do it for 2 grand. For example, a Colorado non-resident elk bull/any sex licence will cost you $554.00. $354.00 for a cow. I'm not seeing it on Colorado's DNR site(extremely well done site), but most places require non-residents to use a guide too.
 
I'm not seeing it on Colorado's DNR site(extremely well done site), but most places require non-residents to use a guide too.
Click to expand...

Not in the USA. The only place that a guide is required for elk is in Wyoming and then only for hunts conducted in an area that has been established as a "wilderness area" which has a set usage rules that are different from normal forest service public land.

Canada is all queer about non residents and guide usage. That is why I won't hunt big game in Canada.
 
Wow , those tags aint cheap esp for non residents. But must be a real thrill to get a bull or cow inhigh country.
 
Montana!!

Wow,

Nobody has mentioned MT yet. Hunting outfitters (I am fishing) are hurting because of a new initiative that just passed banning the very successful outfitter guaranteed tag program. Now, non-residents must successfully draw a tag. There are some very good outfitters in some incredible areas that are hurting for business. 2011 is a great year to plan a hunt and negotiate your price. The wolves have hurt elk populations in areas, but other area are at all time highs.

Good Luck!!
 
Are there more elk in the NE Colorado area than the rest of them ?
Click to expand...
...elk in the NE corner of CO... unit's 3&301, units 2 and 201 have a great elk population...

...Units 3, and 301... But the key to those North Eastern units...
Click to expand...
Those units are in north WESTERN Colorado. :)
http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyres/DACF14AC-07CF-4304-BFA1-FF421A0C0067/0/BigGameGMUmap.pdf
There are not any elk that I know of in the eastern plains, but the pronghorn are aplenty. :cool:
 
Last Oct, I hunted pronghorn on private land in eastern CO, on the great plains. There were 4 trees as far as i could see over 25 miles in any direction. I harvested a respectable pronghorn there in unit 121, wanted to back and farther west this time, and for elk.

Do you know what you have to do to hunt BLM land? Is it open for public hunting? One area i was looking for has a lot of Oil & Gas infrastructure/ roads on BLM land, have heard it is open for hunting, but not sure of details.
It's west of Meeker, CO.
 
BLM and Forrest Service land is mostly open to hunting. It is public land. The majority of Western Colorado is public land.
 
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