First time Elk Hunt - Where would you go?

[Cob]

Outfitter - It appears Colorado, will be a closer, and more economical first time hunt for a non-resident hunter... Trophy potential my go up in MT, but i believe CO is more non-resident friendly.

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/initiative161.html

Quote from website:"With the passage of voter Initiative 161 in November 2010, the cost for Montana's 2011 Nonresident Big Game and Deer Combination licenses will increase. Under the new voter-approved law, the following changes go into effect March 1, 2011:

•Outfitter Sponsored Variable Priced licenses, also known as the Outfitter Guaranteed licenses, are no longer available and the quota for those licenses are now in the general category.
•A total of 17,000 Nonresident Big Game Combination licenses, and 4,600 Deer Combination licenses, are now available via a general application process.
•Fees for Nonresident Big Game (Elk and Deer) Combination license increase from $643 to $912.
•Fees for Nonresident Deer Combination license increase from $343 to $542.
•Fees for Nonresident Elk Combination license increase from $593 to $812.
•The revenue generated by the increased license fees is earmarked to fund wildlife habitat conservation and public hunting access programs."

 

[gamestalker]

If you are serious about taking a really good elk I would do a Norther Arizona hunt. If you can't get a tag for Az. I would do New Mexico as a second choice. More world record elk have been killed in Arizona than any other state. A lot of 350 to 400 bulls have been killed in Arizona and world records are nearly always from their. My Son and I were up there a couple of years ago and got to a see a new world record archery bull that gross scored 425 if I remember correctly. But if you are just wanting to get a bull of average score Colorado is good and easier to get a tag.

 

[peptoe]

Here in Oregon is an option, we have Rocky Mountain in the Cascade/eastern side wich is a little more open country hunting. On the coast we have the big Rosies, which make for a tough hunt in the rainforest.

I've got a little experience on the coast and was close last year, until some clod fell down a hill and scared my spike away into some thick stuff. The season runs in two sections the first being only four days long, starting Nov 12th.

The non resident elk tag is $500, license is around $140
Our general coastal black bear runs until the first of next year as well and it's only an extra $182 so if your trips runs longer it'll give you something to pass the time.



http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/big_game/index.asp#big_game_regs

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/budget/docs/Post_Legislation_Final_Fees.pdf

 

[H&Hhunter]

Has anyone here ever hunted GMU #22, #23, or other units in NW CO,near Meeker?

Yes what would you like to know?

 

[rajb123]

I read recently that the introduction of wolves has decimated the elk populations. ...we eraticated wolves for a reason and now they are once again a nasty pest thanks to animal activist.

 

[H&Hhunter]

While there are now wolves in CO the population is very small and they are not sure whether they are even permanent residents or only transients. So there has been no decimation of elk in this state.

In WY, ID, and Mt there are AREAS that have had some reduction in population due to wolves. But the total populations have not been "decimated".

 

[Cob]

The units i mentioned earleir will probably be my first choice for the upcoming draw, an either sex elk hunt, 1st rifle. I have an aquaintance that has a cabin in Unit 11, he offered to rent it to us for a fair price. He is north of Meeker, near the town of Maybell, off of hiway 40. The cabin includes 65 acres that borders BLM land. The tag ,if drawn includes unit 22, 23, 11, 211, and several more units in the same hunt code. The statistics look awesome for that general area.
H&H - where would you start in that area?

 

[H&Hhunter]

Cob,

The problem with any and all of those areas are that the are very weather dependent. If you don't have hard winter with good snow in Wyoming you have a very meager resident elk population.

Once the elk start moving down you there will thousands of them in all those areas the trick is you have to hit the weather just right.

 

[grubbylabs]

Idaho is the cheapest but also one of the farthest for you, plus we now have a thriving wolf population. Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado all have over the counter tags as well. The only state I know any thing about Is Idaho since I lever here. But lots of folks like Colorado.

 

[exbiologist]

Cob, I wouldn't dictate the availability of a friend's cabin dictate where I hunted. But, first envision what you're looking for in an elk hunt, then maybe we can point you in the right direction. Include HOW you want to hunt them.

 

[Cob]

I'll specify a high power rifle for the first time hunt. I'm proficient with archery, and have havested over a dozen whitetails and one turkey with my bow, but believe that First rifle season would have the best success rate, according to statistics i found on the "Nonresident's guide to western hunting" forum. (I posted it for simplicity's sake, this is for CO.)

I also am used to "flat land", and would rather let my limitations be limited by terrain, or some factor other than equipment.

I have narrowed it to Western CO, for ease of OTC tags, but will put in for the draw, which BTW starts tomorrow. I'm a forester by trade, and would like to see country with some timber & terrain.
the DIY public land hunt is the cheapest option, but success is a factor, and would not mind paying a bit more if success goes up, but not looking for the high-fence hunt either... prefer the free-chase hunt, which probably rules out the option above in Nebraska.

 

[FNA]

Elk

Good choice, I live in Utah and own a ranch near Craig, Co. I would however suggest you buy a bonus point for Utah. If Utah is still an option for this year pm me and I ca give you some hints.

 

[tarosean]

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.

Hmmm.. I can add to that rumor.

My brother is an avid hunter and really good taxidermist that lives in Aztec, NM... He only draws elk on average once every 5yrs. I live in TX and get tags every time I feel like going. It really chaps his a**.

 

[tarosean]

It appears Colorado, will be a closer, and more economical first time hunt for a non-resident hunter... Trophy potential my go up in MT, but i believe CO is more non-resident friendly.

Great Choice... While Ive never hunted northern CO I frequently hunt Southern.

My only piece of advice is to bring a VERY good friend packing out a quartered elk by yourself is NOT fun. Esp. since your coming from darn near sea level.

 

[Robert]

H&H is dead on about the importance of the weather. I hunted some BLM land on the SW slope of Grand Mesa last year. We had a mild early winter with little snow and the Elk did not come down our way in any meaningful numbers. I got with in spiting distance of a nice young bull, but all I had was a cow tag. The mule deer were thick as fleas on a dogs back. But I had a cow tag.

If you can get a Mule Deer tag with your Elk tag I would do that. Especially on the Western Slope.

 

[exbiologist]

hmmmmmmmm....... that graph looks eerily familiar

 

[frednaz]

Cob,

My friends and I hunted elk in the third rifle season of 2008 with H&H outfitters out of Meeker, CO. We hunted public land in what I remember was the White River National Forest. We paid the outfitters $1400 each. For that we rode their horses guided back 6 miles into a base camp. They had sleeping tents and a cook tent. We hunted on our own with maps and GPS. They checked in on us every 2 days and packed out any elk. It was a great experience, but not as difficult as I thought. The weather can be a challenge. We were fortunate. We took 3 cows and 1 5X5 bull in the 7 days.
I'M 62 AND IF I COULD DO IT, so could you.
Check out this outfitter. They are nice folks to work with.
Fred

 

[Cob]

Thanks for the information... The White River Natl. Forest, and Flat Tops Wilderness area have a large Elk herd, with over 43,000 elk (reported) in that general area. I saw H & H outiftters online, will check with them. Did you see Elk on a daily basis?

Exbiologist, That May have been your graph... Forgive me if i did not correctly refer the source for it. I found it in an article, and saved the article & Graph. (from The Western Hunter, would that be you?) Here's the link:
http://www.biggamehunt.net/articles/nonresidents-guide-western-hunting

 

[exbiologist]

yeah that's me, just busting your balls, don't worry about it.
Certainly a lot of elk in The Flat Tops, it's one of the higher density elk populations.

 

[Cob]

I visted your website, and read several of your articles, before posting this question. Thanks very much for the information, You articles have been some of the best that i have read in this endeavor, (from near sea level).

 

[Cob]

FrednAZ, I talked with H&H outfitters today, and they don't do the pack camps.. Wondered if maybe the name was something different?

 

[Cob]

getting it narrowed down. - CO, 1st Rifle, which Unit

CO 2010 Hunt statistics posted to website today-
narrowed the criteria down to several areas that we should be able get a tag with 0 preference points, as Non Residents, for 1st rifle season. Oct. 15-19 - Either Sex Elk.
The Flat Tops Wilderness and White River NF statistics look good, and tags look relatively easy to obtain.
San Juan NF looks good, in SW Corner, units 70 &71
Gunnision NF, units 54 55, & Rio Grand NF just south of there.
Routt NF, units 4, 441, & 214 look good, tags a little more difficult w/o PP's.
Have 5 hunt choices selected, will attempt a DIY hunt for 1st time.
Probably not a good idea to post plan here, but as i've never been there, not really sharing much. Delorme atlas shipped,
Just how crowded is crowded on some of these Public Land hunts?

 

[exbiologist]

Some of those are pretty crowded. Have you figured out how to use your second choices? I know you've seen some of my other articles, but if you look at the one about draw odds, you'll see that unit 4 could only be drawn by 4% of the nonresidents last year with 0 points. I'd bet a lot of money that that hunt will now take a preference point considering how many people did not draw last year and now gained a point.
The unit 11/12/23/ etc tag, for the Flat Tops is pretty crowded (over 10 hunters per square mile of public land in unit 12) and it can be tough to find a good camp site if you don't show up early.
Unit 54 is separate from 55. 54 has a bit of pressure but not a ton, but the wilderness area is so large, you pretty much have to be committed to backcountry hunting, otherwise it'll be difficult to find elk. And you have a chance of drawing it second choice. 55 has a little better access in my opinion and the country isn't quite as rugged.
70 and 71 are similar, only a tiny bit of wilderness (won't seem tiny if you're out there, but small compared to the other options), some easy mesa and canyon type country. High success like unit 4 and 12 due to the ease of access.
But, of those you listed only 54 can be drawn 2nd choice for an either sex tag, otherwise you need to think about cow tags or hunting OTC in 2nd or 3rd season.

 

[Cob]

Exbiologist,

I read that article, part of it lost me a bit: Let's take unit 4 for example-
(hunt code: EE 003 - 01R) I know Statistics are Categorized by Resident, Non-resident, and Youth. I looked at draw statistics last year, and saw that it had a 49% success rate for being drawn with 0 preference points.

I also saw in the article that the 49% is not really 49% when you factor in the Res / Non Res numbers... How exactly did you determine the 4% from 49% for a nonresident? That is where i got lost.

 

[exbiologist]

Ok, you'll need both the hunt recap and draw summary for this one. Use the draw summary to determine the nonres quota, which was 376. Now, look at the hunt recap, and subtract tags from the quota for everyone with more than 0 preference points (because the preference point guide said it could be drawn with 0 points).

From the highest point total, 2 with 9 points, 3 with 8 points, 2 with 7 points, 1 with 6 points, 6 with 5 points, 7 with 4 points, 15 with 3 points, 71 with 2 points, and 249 with 1 point. All of those were guaranteed to draw, that 356 tags out of 376, leaving 20 tags for nonresidents with 0 points. 20 divided by 448 applicants with 0 points equals 4.4%. That also leaves 428 applicants who tried to draw last year with a preference point, which is more than the either sex elk tag quota. Which is why I'm betting money it will take a point for nonresidents to draw that tag.

The reason that the draw summary says 49% is because there were 2162 total first choice applicants and 1075 tags. But it does not factor in the 65/35 res/nonres split.