Texas Elk Hunting

[MCgunner]

My pastor told me about a ranch in the Davis mountains where he went and shot a small elk. He said they charge a straight 1200 bucks. He didn't say, but I assume it's a large high fence ranch. Ranches out there tend to be best measured in square miles rather than acres....or "sections".

I might pursue this. I don't want tame elk, but if the ranch is big enough, they might be somewhat wild. But, I've always wanted to hunt elk. I bought my 7 mag back in the early 90s because I thought I was going to get a chance to go to New Mexico south of Cloudcroft to do a self guided hunt. But, I never did that and now days it's all about drawing a tag, no more just driving out there and buying a license and the license for out of staters has gone up, to boot. So, this might be an economical way I could hunt elk, all guided, and they provide sleeping accommodations hopefully for the wife and I both.

Even if I could do a self guided hunt with friends, at 66 years old, I'd rather have the quartering and moving done by the outfitter which my pastor says they do. I'm milling it all over, need to get a web address or something from him to check it out. His wife used to do IT work and set up and maintained this ranch's site how I understand it. He said they also have Nilgai for $1800. Nilgai are large and as I understand it, quite tasty.

 

[H&Hhunter]

There is a fairly good population of free range elk in the Davis Mountains. I know a couple of guys who’ve shot some smoker bulls, free range in Texas.

Texas is a sleeper state for free range trophy elk. But they are definitely there.

 

[cheygriz]

There are many "pay to play" hunting ranches in Texas.

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/3-best-hunting-ranches-texas/

 

[H&Hhunter]

The whole state is pay to play pretty much. Unless you’ve got a friend with land or own land which is paying to play even more so. There is very little free public hunting ground in Texas.

But then again that is part of what makes Texas some of the finest hunting in America. Carefully managed, low pressure hunting. That stuff costs money.

 

[SoonerMedic]

The whole state is pay to play pretty much. Unless you’ve got a friend with land or own land which is paying to play even more so. There is very little free public hunting ground in Texas.

But then again that is part of what makes Texas some of the finest hunting in America. Carefully managed, low pressure hunting. That stuff costs money.

Texas has over a million acres of public hunting....which really doesn't seem like much in comparison to the size of the state....

 

[MCgunner]

Texas has over a million acres of public hunting....which really doesn't seem like much in comparison to the size of the state....

And, most of it is in the piney woods with low success on whitetail. Might be some hog hunting out there now days, though, for those that need it.

I hunt whitetail and hogs on my own land behind my house. ELK, though, is not something I ever thought about in the same paragraph as the word "Texas". I'm going to pursue this and maybe I can finally get me an elk OR nilgai hunt before I croak and while I can at least walk. This type two diabetes has really hurt my legs, numb most of the time and tire easily due to the low circulation. I DON'T wanna lose my legs and I watch my diet and take my metformin. Good thing, meat is okay, but donuts and Blue Bell are poison. I HAVE lost 30 lbs just because of the diet, though. I can't get around very well in rough country and won't attempt it in some of the mountains I hunted in the past. All that is just fading memory. Hell, I can't even get around in the marsh anymore to shoot ducks. BUT, I have more money in my retirement, it seems, than I had as a working man and I made decent money, but when you're young, you're building your wealth toward retirement. I can't take it with me and I WILL enjoy myself for the rest of my stay on this earth. I can't see a $10,000 dollar hunting trip, but a $1,200 elk hunt seems like peanuts. And, the idea of taking one in my home state appeals to me. Heck, I might go for an elk AND a nilgai, will certainly want to take a nilgai eventually.

 

[IdaD]

http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/public-hunting-land/

Nothing compares to Alaska and western states when it comes to public land open for recreation.

 

[Art Eatman]

In Texas, elk are feral. The original native elk were all killed out, long ago. Today's elk are descended from imports.

Thus, no season as such (unless that's changed in recent years); it's up to a rancher as to when. Of course, if you want antlers, Mama Nature controls that.

There are elk in the Glass Mountains north of Marathon, and in the mountains SE of Alpine as well.

 

[MCgunner]

In Texas, elk are feral. The original native elk were all killed out, long ago. Today's elk are descended from imports.

Thus, no season as such (unless that's changed in recent years); it's up to a rancher as to when. Of course, if you want antlers, Mama Nature controls that.

There are elk in the Glass Mountains north of Marathon, and in the mountains SE of Alpine as well.

I've been reading up on it all, net searches, and the elk population I knew about in the Guadelupe mountains turns out to be introduced. The original population there was a different smaller subspecies which is now extinct. The population there is protected and hunting of them is not allowed either on the Texas or New Mexico side of the border.

THANK YOU everyone for educating me on this Davis mountains population that I'd never heard of. A free ranging elk population there, who knew?

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've been reading up on it all, net searches, and the elk population I knew about in the Guadelupe mountains turns out to be introduced. The original population there was a different smaller subspecies which is now extinct. The population there is protected and hunting of them is not allowed either on the Texas or New Mexico side of the border.

THANK YOU everyone for educating me on this Davis mountains population that I'd never heard of. A free ranging elk population there, who knew?

Free range but all on private property of course. So they ain’t free to hunt.

 

[jmr40]

I understand where you're coming from and don't blame you for considering it. There are still OTC tags for most of Colorado during the 2nd and 3rd seasons, but it ain't easy hunting and non-resident tags are expensive. I hunted 3rd season there without killing anything and with the costs of driving from GA, lodging, tag, etc spent over $2K. I posted about it a few days ago in this sub-forum.

If I'd had a partner to split fuel and lodging costs I could have cut the cost significantly, but it was either go alone, or with my wife. It was a great trip for both of us and I plan to go again next year. But I'm 60 and it was physically challenging. I don't have many more years where I'll be able to do this. If I don't take one in a year or 3 I may try another approach. Possibly a guided hunt to have help with the hard work.

 

[MCgunner]

Free range but all on private property of course. So they ain’t free to hunt.

No, you pay to play, but $1200 seems dirt cheap. Book a hunt in northern New Mexico on the Jicarilla Reservation and tell me what you spend. Yeah, they're known for trophy elk, that's how they get that kind of money. But, I just want a friggin' ELK, has been a life long desire that is unfulfilled being a po boy from the gulf coast. And, taking one in Texas is a bonus for me. If I pass from this earth without ever taking one, though, I can say I've had the best duck and goose hunting, dove hunting, and some of the best hog and deer hunting on the planet.

 

[MCgunner]

BTW, I'll get the details from my pastor after church on Sunday. He's invited me to come get some meat from him, deer or elk. He gets to hunt quite a bit and his freezer is too full for one more deer. I'll get a URL and some more info at that time.

 

[Choctaw]

Texas has over a million acres of public hunting....which really doesn't seem like much in comparison to the size of the state....

Especially when it is spread out all over the state in small increments.

 

[Art Eatman]

I was about halfway between Fort Stockton and Alpine one afternoon and about a mile or so ahead of me I could see a horse alongside the highway. As I got closer, the horse seemed to be wrongly proportioned; legs were too long. Finally approached to where I could see that it was an elk. 4x4, but small antlers; I guess a rather young one. He jumped the fence and headed across the greasewood flats toward the Glass Mountains. That was maybe twenty years ago...

 

[Patocazador]

will certainly want to take a nilgai eventually.

I wanted to hunt nilgai with my .358 Win. XP-100. When I talked to the outfitter on the King Ranch, he told me, "rifles only and .300+ magnums preferably." That was about 18 years ago when I was unaware of other free-range nilgai. That place you're talking about sounds very interesting. Please keep us informed ... and please PM me the contact for that place if/when you get it.

 

[MCgunner]

I wanted to hunt nilgai with my .358 Win. XP-100. When I talked to the outfitter on the King Ranch, he told me, "rifles only and .300+ magnums preferably." That was about 18 years ago when I was unaware of other free-range nilgai. That place you're talking about sounds very interesting. Please keep us informed ... and please PM me the contact for that place if/when you get it.

I will certainly post and PM what I find out. The weapons rules are ranch rules, not state law or something. That would vary ranch to ranch. I asked pastor James about that and he didn't know what they required for nilgai. I've heard that about the King ranch, but I know that my 7 mag with 160 partitions is enough and that bullet is VERY accurate. I've only shot it out of Federal factory ammo which was given to me. That stuff is a might expensive, so I'll likely work up a load for the bullets if I get a hunt date booked and take a hundred rounds or so in case I need to sight in or have problems sighting in. But, I don't think nilgai are THAT bullet proof. I like to be prepared in wretched excess. Heck, I'll take my .308 for a back up, too.

 

[Art Eatman]

Elk, not nilghai, sil vous plait.

 

[MCgunner]

My pastor called me today. That guy must know half the land owners in this state. He knows this guy in Uvalde, a farmer/rancher, who called him up asking him if he could come and bring someone with him to take some deer, depredation permit. He said you don't even need a license for a depredation permit, though I do have a license. So, I gleefully said I'd go. He said the guy has about 14 doe and a half dozen runt bucks he needs to cull. WOOHOO! I have room in my upright and I have an empty 5 CU FT chest freezer I can fill. I'm nearly out of venison. I foresee lots of chili meat.

I may not get the skinny on that ranch in the Davis mountains this Sunday, but there'll be plenty to talk about on the way to Uvalde.

 

[jmorris]

I might pursue this. I don't want tame elk, but if the ranch is big enough, they might be somewhat wild.

I don’t think the amount of land matters a lot.

We only have a few hundred acres and the deer will stand out in the fields, sometimes only 50 yards or so, while we bait for hogs with a dog walking around us, because they know they are safe.

I have seen cattle much more skittish to down right crazy, because of the environment they came from.

Go to Yellowstone some time and you can see just how tame “wild” animals can be given an almost unlimited range and no pressure.

 

[Art Eatman]

Some fair-sized ranches in the Davis. Eppenhauer's is maybe the largest, up north of McDonald Observatory. I hunted on the Hughes for my antelope; 40 sections.

Down in south-central Brewster County, the west pasture of the O2 Ranch has 28 miles of highway frontage; 17 miles deep. Right at 200,000 acres.

 

[BigBore44]

My brother and I have been planning on taking our father elk hunting and the Texas panhandle was where we decided to try first. We have family there that owns some land. At the family reunion this year they said they hated elk. Said they were overrun with them and wanted us to come “kill them”.

Look forward to read about your upcoming hunt. And I hope you have many more years left to pursue your passion.

 

[Paul7]

$1,200 is cheap for an elk. Here in NM a cow elk on private land costs about $2,000, have done that several times. Some of the ranches are several hundred thousand acres, so you're driving around with a guide til you spot some. About my speed at almost 60, nice to have them do all the work after the kill.

The hunt pays for itself, you get 100-150 lbs of meat, the other day I saw ground elk in a store for $16 a pound.

Here's my last one, from a private ranch near the CO border.

Taken about 10 minutes after we started at 281 yards, my guide said is we had driven around all day we probably would have seen 600 elk.

 

[tlynch]

A former co-worker went elk hunting with his dad and brothers several years ago in south Texas, so there are opportunities closer to you than the Davis mountains.

Good luck!
Tom

 

[MCgunner]

A former co-worker went elk hunting with his dad and brothers several years ago in south Texas, so there are opportunities closer to you than the Davis mountains.

Good luck!
Tom

I doubt any other ranch could beat the price and, well, elk and mountains go hand in hand. AND, these are free range it seems. I don't mind burning a little gasoline rather than pay 5K for the privileged of hunting a high fence in Huisache bush..