Help with planning an elk hunting trip

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samuelcmm

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Ok so me and two other very good friend have decided that the three of us are going to take an elk hunting trip. We are looking to do it in about 3 years and I'm getting the info together for all of us. First this trip is also justifying a new gun to the missus :D :D So should I go for a browning bar or build an ar-10 (I don't have either of those yet) :rolleyes: I'm open to most caliber suggestions just nothing belted. Next we are more interested in the meat and the trip together than the trophy so what state has the easiest to get out of state tags if we can get bull tags than great but it is not important to our trip. Also we are planning on bringing horses along and taking at least a week or two in the sticks so off the beaten path is just fine. Thanks ahead of time for all your input Also forgot to add if moose tags are easier to get than moose it is.
 
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Visit the DOW websites for any of the western states and you should be able to find the information you need. They normally have some kind of trip planner and will help you budget for fees and the like. There is a great gear thread at the top of the Hunting forum that you can look through and you have two world class hunters in Art and H&Hhunter right here in the forum. And I dabble...

What state do you live in currently?
 
Colorado will have the best chances of getting a tag.

A 30-06 is never a bad idea, but there are at least a dozen others that I'd feel comfortable with. The bullet you choose and where you place it is more important. My 308 does everything my 30-06 does 50 yards closer and is almost 2 lbs lighter. One of the 300 magnums will do the same thing my 30-06 does about 100 yards farther away, but even the 308 is capable at ranges farther than I can shoot.

In most places moose can be a once in a lifetime tag. Elk tags are much easier to get.

Both the BAR and AR-10 are much heavier than I want to carry at 7,000-9'000' for miles every day, maybe higher. A good bolt rifle with a quality scope is a better choice.

If the trip is 3 years away you can start applying for preference points now. It is done in the Spring, April I think. You'll get one point for each year you apply. The more points you build up the better areas you can get a tag for. I have a BIL who goes every 3-4 years, but applies for tags every year. He waits until he has enough points to be picked for a good area.

It is possible to buy over the counter tags with no points, but not in the best areas.

Find a friend who has gone before and tag along the 1st time.

I went in 2010 and was unsuccessful. With a little I luck plan on going again this Fall. I have family commitments that make it impossible to plan long term. I'll have to wait until the last minute and buy over the counter in any area I can get.
 
Instructions for a successful elk hunt:

1. Go to Eagle County, Colorado.

2. Go to Crooked Creek Pass. That's in the upper left corner of page 47 of the DeLorme Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer.

3. Scout Crooked Creek Pass. Note the end of a ridge on the west side of the pass. A Forest trail, pretty steep, runs over the nose of this ridge, and turns West following the crest of the ridge.

4. Climb the trail, and note where the elk cross. Mark the crossing with reflective tape, and carefully scout for a good shooting position.

5. At around 4:00 AM on the first day of rifle season one man climbs that trail and sets up at the crossing point. He should carry extra clothing and a folding stool or closed foam cell pad to sit on.

6. At first light the other hunters start up the little gullies that flow down from the ridge -- the forest trail will be on their left. They should work their way slowly up until they hear a shot.

7. Spend the rest of the day packing out your elk.
 
If you smoke, quit now. If you are over thirty, start getting in shape now. I have both a BAR and an AR-10; I have tried to hunt with the AR and it is heavy and all sorts of unhandy. The BAR is much better and if you have horses, the little bit of extra weight won't make any difference and the fast second shot might... Just a word of caution, my BAR came with a crappy (lawyerproof) trigger; I had it worked on and is fine now.
 
Vern Humphrey said:
Instructions for a successful elk hunt:



1. Go to Eagle County, Colorado.



2. Go to Crooked Creek Pass. That's in the upper left corner of page 47 of the DeLorme Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer.



3. Scout Crooked Creek Pass. Note the end of a ridge on the west side of the pass. A Forest trail, pretty steep, runs over the nose of this ridge, and turns West following the crest of the ridge.



4. Climb the trail, and note where the elk cross. Mark the crossing with reflective tape, and carefully scout for a good shooting position.



5. At around 4:00 AM on the first day of rifle season one man climbs that trail and sets up at the crossing point. He should carry extra clothing and a folding stool or closed foam cell pad to sit on.



6. At first light the other hunters start up the little gullies that flow down from the ridge -- the forest trail will be on their left. They should work their way slowly up until they hear a shot.



7. Spend the rest of the day packing out your elk.
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You don't get better advice than that!
 
Have your horses ever been over 5000' in elevation? If not don't take them unless you have a couple extra weeks to let them get used to very thin air & steep climbs. If they are not used to mountains over5000' don't waste your gas
 
I think you'll find most States require non-residents to hire an outfitter. I'd be inclined to leave Sparkplug at home. The outfitter will provide the trained hay burners. Wouldn't consider any semi-auto myself.
Best to pick a State then go to that State's Fish and Game or whatever it's called site and read their non-resident hunting regs. Non-resident licences tend to be pricey too. $616.00for a Colorado Elk, Bull or Combo Bull/Cow licence. Over 2 grand for a moose. Plus $13 for a Habitat Stamp and licence processing fee(I think that's what the $3 is for).
And if you insist on taking your own nag, you may need Vet certs etc. for 'em. As mentioned both you and the hay burners need to be fit and acclimated to altitude.
 
If you are going to Colorado which season . Early season you have to go high middle season weather will tell you high or mid height late season mid elevation to high plains late cow season in town go to public land pick prise go home ,great meat pickup easy. First or last seasons are best on public land . Early season up high before they are run off public onto private lands .last season out on high prairie where snow & lots of hunters have pushed them down. Making friends with a warden or deputy in area you want to hunt ( now) is a great way to know where the elk herds are when you are ready to hunt
 
As Robert asked, in which State do you and your horses live?? As others said, if your horses are not acclimatized to the high country, they'll be more of a detriment than a benefit. As stated also, you and your buddies should begin right now getting into shape: cardio and leg strength, especially.

I've hunted elk on seven guided hunts in Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, plus throwing down my own A-wall tent camps many times with friends. I assure you a good .30-06, .308 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag., .280 Rem., or .270 Win., will kill any elk walking the Rocky Mountains ... if you know how to shoot accurately. Heavy rifles are not a lot of fun when walking around the high country, believe me.

A good binocular and a good quality 'scope on your rifle are ESSENTIAL, in my opinion.

There are quite a few areas in Idaho where a man with horses could hunt and get away from the road hunters. I'd look into hunting the River Of No Return Wilderness, if I had horses. It is a gigantic amount of land. No outfitter required for non-residents.

Over the counter elk tags are not hard to secure during the General Elk seasons. Some areas or Units require drawing for the tags, however. Idaho Fish & Game regs are on the Internet.

No matter in which State you hunt, be prepared for all kinds of weather as out here in the Rocky Mountains, the weather can change on you from "blue bird" to blizzard in an hour.

Good luck.

L.W.
 
Sunray said:
I think you'll find most States require non-residents to hire an outfitter.
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Uhmmm nope, Wyoming, in wilderness areas only. In Alaska for Brown bear, Sheep or Mt Goats. And of course for just about everything in Canada but we are not talking about Canada here.
I'd be inclined to leave Sparkplug at home. The outfitter will provide the trained hay burners.
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If you are wanting to spend the bucks on a guided hunt. If you have a good horse by all means bring him along. Just know that in many areas a good horse is worth it's weight in gold and other areas are not suitable for horses at all. So a little pre season knowledge is paramount.

Wouldn't consider any semi-auto myself.
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And I can see no earthly reason why not...

Non-resident licences tend to be pricey too. $616.00for a Colorado Elk, Bull or Combo Bull/Cow licence. Over 2 grand for a moose. Plus $13 for a Habitat Stamp and licence processing fee(I think that's what the $3 is for).
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And of course only a person who has NO IDEA what they are talking about would worry about how much a non resident moose tag in Colorado costs. It takes an average of about 18 years to draw a moose tag in Colorado so it isn't really a player. Drawing moose tag in Co is not something the casual hunter is going to need to worry about.

And if you insist on taking your own nag, you may need Vet certs etc. for 'em. As mentioned both you and the hay burners need to be fit and acclimated to altitude.
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Anytime you transport a horse across any state lines you need a health certificate. Your vet will have a list of the blood tests required and it's no big deal to get them. Now for a piece of actual useful information on horses and hunting in Co. You'll have to have weed free certified feed if you are going be hunting on federal land such as USFS or BLM. Also not a big deal as most feed stores here have certified weed free hay.
 
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+1 on the health certificates. That and a negative coggins within a certain period (varies with location, but I think they're typically good for 6 months) and you're good to cross state lines. Florida is the only state I know of for sure that has a mandatory agricultural check point where you have to pull in and have papers checked before crossing the state line, but there are probably others, something to look into when you plan your route. Either way, you don't want to get caught without papers, and it should cost less than $100 to get it all done by your vet.

Most feed stores have alfalfa cubes that are certified weed free, if you can't find baled hay that is.

I've never been out west to do any hunting or riding, but if I ever get the chance, I'd like to take my own horse and sit in my own saddle. Some of the "trained hayburners" I've come across haven't been that impressive compared to my own, I like them to be able to do a little more than follow the tail in front of them.
 
samuelcmm said:
Thank you to all who have contributed I am so glad I posted on here you all have been great and our horses are from ohio but we have been planning on making this a 3 week trip Would 2 weeks be enough for the horses to acclimate? Also is this article have the fact about OCT tags
http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/western-states-over-the-counter-elk-tags-non-residents/
and is the area divided up by counties?
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No they are by game management units they do not follow the borders of counties for the most part.
 
Can't speak about OTC tags for rifle hunting as the ones I go for are draws. I would recommend against the AR platform. Lots of angle to the design that make uncomfortable to carry. BAR's are kind of heavy to lug around but more comfortable with their sleeker designs. If this will become a regular you should go ahead and pack a heavy rifle, get it out of your system. Once you've done that you'll appreciate lighter rifles like Remington model 7's in such chamberings as 7mm-08. Horses would be to much of a hassle for me unless you have at least one pack animal. You can pack animals with your riding saddle, but your better off using a dedicated pack saddle (my preference is Deckers with combination trees) and know how to tie a crow's foot (Decker saddles) or a box hitch (Saw Bucks). If you're horses are Arabs, or high strung in general leave them at home. You don't want to be learning how to hunt elk, pack, and deal with a strung animal at the same time when you can have questionable weather. It's a perfect storm waiting to get you.
 
If you walk hunt there are people in each area you can call that will come with horses & pack out your game for $150.00 per game animal . well 5 years have gone by since last trip cost have probably risen. And first hunt semi guided is really your cheapest & best money spent in the long run ,their is so much knowledge to be had from a guide . Having been one & having don my own hunts too I'd go guided if I went back anywhere except to my landowners place.
 
samuelcmm said:
Ok so me and two other very good friend have decided that the three of us are going to take an elk hunting trip. We are looking to do it in about 3 years and I'm getting the info together for all of us. First this trip is also justifying a new gun to the missus :D :D So should I go for a browning bar or build an ar-10 (I don't have either of those yet) :rolleyes: I'm open to most caliber suggestions just nothing belted. Next we are more interested in the meat and the trip together than the trophy so what state has the easiest to get out of state tags if we can get bull tags than great but it is not important to our trip. Also we are planning on bringing horses along and taking at least a week or two in the sticks so off the beaten path is just fine. Thanks ahead of time for all your input Also forgot to add if moose tags are easier to get than moose it is.
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I would urge you to make a summertime trip out this direction and look some of the country over.
Here in Wyoming, you can get an antler less elk tag in a number of areas without applying, just pick them up over the counter. But elk numbers and hunting seasons are prone to change, and 3 years from now can see a bunch of changes. Keep an eye on the game and fish web site, it will give you some indication of hunter success and ease of license for most areas.
Leave the horses at home.It will take you about 2 days of driving to get here, those horses will be tuckered out before you get anywhere near elk country and by the time they get used to not having enough air to breath... Not to mention all the health papers and proof of ownership. Having to buy certified hay and feed to go onto National Forest and BLM ground. How are your horses around bear and mtn. lion... Remember you'll be getting up 2 hours early on your vacation to do chores for sick and sore animals....
Rifle cartridges, anything from 243 to 575 nyati will kill elk.
You'll need to bring along a good camp outfit, something that can handle 70 degree's and sunny one day to -20 and blizzard the next, weather can change fast here.
The advice to get into shape now is very good.
Lastly never loose sight of the fact that despite the half-hour infomercials on tv, 60% of elk hunters will go home every year, with valid tags in their pocket and most of those probably never had the occasion to even flip the safety off.
 
Whenever I am shooting less than 200 yards I prefer my Remington 141 Game Master with a 35 cal. 220 grain blunt nose core lock bullet. It is set up with a Redfield peep site. If I expect to be shooting over 200 yards but less than 400 yards I use my Remington 7.62 with the same bullet and a 6x scope mounted on a flip mount for when light conditions get super poor. So far, I have been able to put my projectiles were they can do the most good.

I would not hesitate to use either weapon on any large game animal in North America. You might want a better scope for out West.
 
I'm a Cessna 180 man myself. Early model 1955 to 57. Horton STOL with fences, P-Ponk heavy gear, extended baggage on a set of 31" tires. I sold my 56 - 180 about 6 years ago.
 
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