Elk Hunt Recommendation
11-30-2014, 04:14 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Kendall County IL
Posts: 6
Elk Hunt Recommendation
Hi Everyone! New to the forum & was looking for a recommendation or at least some direction on the best place to Elk Hunt (or even a recommendation on other large game).
I'm sort of viewing this as a once in a lifetime opportunity with both my father (67) and father-in-law (66) who have recently retired. We predominantly hunt white tail and other small game in Central IL & have never really hunted anything or anywhere else. Both are in average health for their age, meaning I don't think either are up for 15-20 mile hike in/out, etc. I'm looking for something out West (CO, ID, WY, MT) that might have lodge / hotel accommodations (ie near town), be reasonably accessible w/ terrain that isn't too rough. Would probably prefer not to go w/ an outfitter, but then again maybe that's the best option. I don't know, but trying to keep costs reasonable.
I know there will probably be conflicting opinions but thanks very much for your feedback!
I'm sort of viewing this as a once in a lifetime opportunity with both my father (67) and father-in-law (66) who have recently retired. We predominantly hunt white tail and other small game in Central IL & have never really hunted anything or anywhere else. Both are in average health for their age, meaning I don't think either are up for 15-20 mile hike in/out, etc. I'm looking for something out West (CO, ID, WY, MT) that might have lodge / hotel accommodations (ie near town), be reasonably accessible w/ terrain that isn't too rough. Would probably prefer not to go w/ an outfitter, but then again maybe that's the best option. I don't know, but trying to keep costs reasonable.
I know there will probably be conflicting opinions but thanks very much for your feedback!
11-30-2014, 05:10 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
Welcome to the site! Wyoming is out because it will take at least 1 or 2 years of Preference Points to draw just about any bull tag there. Cow tags are easy to obtain in many areas though. Idaho has OTC tags in some areas on a first come first served basis and I believe they start selling them soon for next year. Colorado has OTC tags for bulls during certain seasons, but most units will have a ton of hunters if you don't get well away from roads. Please be aware that the further you get fro human activity the better chance you'll have most of the time to see elk. It's not very easy to "motel it" and have a good elk hunt. Montana may be your best bet because there have been leftover tags after the draw the last couple years when they did away with the outfitter sponsored licenses and also raised the license fees. You do need to realize that if you go on a DIY hunt and happen to get an animal or two that you'll have a lot of meat to bring out of the field on your back. Elk are huge animals compared to deer and it's a ton of work getting one out. I'm 67 and in better shape than most my age and helped on a 330" bull a friend took 2 miles from the truck on the far side of a deep canyon in Wyoming this past season. We made one uphill packout with the two of us and then it took 4 of us to make the second packout with the rest of the meat and head. That took the entire day from daylight to dark the day after he shot it late in the evening. Thank goodness the weather was turning cold and allowed that because just a few days before that it was warm and the meat could have been hard to save without doing the packout all night right after the kill. If you don't think the three of you are up to something like that, IMHO you'd better either pay for a guided hunt or possibly a drop camp where an outfitter will take you in to a camp and bring you and any animals you take back out. Good luck on whatever you decide to do!
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 11-30-2014 at 05:20 PM. Reason: Spelling
11-30-2014, 07:14 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
Welcome to the site! Wyoming is out because it will take at least 1 or 2 years of Preference Points to draw just about any bull tag there. Cow tags are easy to obtain in many areas though. Idaho has OTC tags in some areas on a first come first served basis and I believe they start selling them soon for next year. Colorado has OTC tags for bulls during certain seasons, but most units will have a ton of hunters if you don't get well away from roads. Please be aware that the further you get fro human activity the better chance you'll have most of the time to see elk. It's not very easy to "motel it" and have a good elk hunt. Montana may be your best bet because there have been leftover tags after the draw the last couple years when they did away with the outfitter sponsored licenses and also raised the license fees. You do need to realize that if you go on a DIY hunt and happen to get an animal or two that you'll have a lot of meat to bring out of the field on your back. Elk are huge animals compared to deer and it's a ton of work getting one out. I'm 67 and in better shape than most my age and helped on a 330" bull a friend took 2 miles from the truck on the far side of a deep canyon in Wyoming this past season. We made one uphill packout with the two of us and then it took 4 of us to make the second packout with the rest of the meat and head. That took the entire day from daylight to dark the day after he shot it late in the evening. Thank goodness the weather was turning cold and allowed that because just a few days before that it was warm and the meat could have been hard to save without doing the packout all night right after the kill. If you don't think the three of you are up to something like that, IMHO you'd better either pay for a guided hunt or possibly a drop camp where an outfitter will take you in to a camp and bring you and any animals you take back out. Good luck on whatever you decide to do!
12-01-2014, 04:14 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 162
i will agree with the day hunt near a motel like topgun said, it will be tough to get deep enough in where the elk is without camping out.
my father in law went for a guided elk hunt in September in Wyoming, and did self guided mule deer the week before meeting his outfitter and horse pack into camp. they were staying at a motel during the mule deer hunt and found it was almost impossible to hunt without needing to camp. they saw deer from a far but couldn't proceed after them because they knew they would be out over night without the proper supply's.
i myself am doing an elk hunt too in a few years and am hiring an outfitter. ive never been elk hunting nor hunting in those areas so its a safer bet to find someone experienced with a camp and horses.
my father in law went for a guided elk hunt in September in Wyoming, and did self guided mule deer the week before meeting his outfitter and horse pack into camp. they were staying at a motel during the mule deer hunt and found it was almost impossible to hunt without needing to camp. they saw deer from a far but couldn't proceed after them because they knew they would be out over night without the proper supply's.
i myself am doing an elk hunt too in a few years and am hiring an outfitter. ive never been elk hunting nor hunting in those areas so its a safer bet to find someone experienced with a camp and horses.
12-02-2014, 11:26 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 123
I would really look at a cow elk hunt. Even outfitted they reasonably priced and a ton of fun. Took the wife to Colorado on a cow hunt with an outfitter and we both had a great time. We did several DIY elk hunts before that trip and they were also fun. A really fun hunt is antelope and easily done from a motel.
12-04-2014, 01:00 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
I love elk hunting and this year took my third elk, a cow elk, on what was my fifth elk hunt. Maybe others know how a group such as you have described can do a DIY elk hunt at an affordable price, but I don't. As the others have said, it comes down to paying money or having to DIY in difficult country that requires you to be in excellent shape.
But I take note your original post opened the door to recommendations of other big game hunting options. I would suggest going pronghorn antelope hunting in Wyoming. If you are careful of what unit you apply for, you should be able to get a Wyoming pronghorn antelope permit your first year out (the unit near Gillette, Wyoming -- I think unit 23 -- in the recent past has had 100% draw for first choice of non-residents). You may need to pay a modest fee to hunt on someone's ranch, but that might be only $100 or $200 per gun if you shop around. The hunt would be at relatively low altitude, say 3,000'. The success rate for pronghorn hunting is very high, approaching or exceeding 90%. When you have field dressed a pronghorn antelope it may only weight 80 LBS. One man can pick one of these dressed antelopes up by himself and place it in the back of a truck. Often you can drive your truck right up to the kill site. That is entirely different from the difficulty of getting an elk out from a kill site.
You CAN stay in a hotel and hunt pronghorn antelope. Unlike deer and elk, pronghorn are huntable all day long. Their defense mechanism is to be out in the wide open spaces and use their keen eyesight to spot threats and then run away faster than any predator can chase them. So, set the alarm for 8 AM. Take a long shower. Read the newspaper after you wake up while sipping your third cup of coffee. Then drive out to the hunting ground at 11 AM and go hunting. There is no advantage to getting there early.
It is a lot of fun. Pronghorn are good eating -- provided you don't shoot one that has been running full-out for 5 minutes and provided you take good care of the meat after you kill it.
Give this some thought, discuss it with your father and father-in-law. If you redirect your thoughts to pronghorn, start a new post to ask about that subject. Also, search through this forum for old threads discussing pronghorn hunting.
I just checked, and it looks like you can apply for your antelope license anytime between January 1 and May 31. Be mindful of the application period deadline and don't let it slip past you. I thought it was earlier than May 31. Maybe it was in the past but has since changed?
As far as finding ranches you can pay a fee to hunt on, in the past you could call the Sheridan office of the Wyoming Department of Wildlife (or fish and game -- whatever its name is in Wyoming), and they could email a list of ranches you could call. I found different ranches had different deals -- different prices, different ways of pricing the hunt. Thus, you would want to call several.
But I take note your original post opened the door to recommendations of other big game hunting options. I would suggest going pronghorn antelope hunting in Wyoming. If you are careful of what unit you apply for, you should be able to get a Wyoming pronghorn antelope permit your first year out (the unit near Gillette, Wyoming -- I think unit 23 -- in the recent past has had 100% draw for first choice of non-residents). You may need to pay a modest fee to hunt on someone's ranch, but that might be only $100 or $200 per gun if you shop around. The hunt would be at relatively low altitude, say 3,000'. The success rate for pronghorn hunting is very high, approaching or exceeding 90%. When you have field dressed a pronghorn antelope it may only weight 80 LBS. One man can pick one of these dressed antelopes up by himself and place it in the back of a truck. Often you can drive your truck right up to the kill site. That is entirely different from the difficulty of getting an elk out from a kill site.
You CAN stay in a hotel and hunt pronghorn antelope. Unlike deer and elk, pronghorn are huntable all day long. Their defense mechanism is to be out in the wide open spaces and use their keen eyesight to spot threats and then run away faster than any predator can chase them. So, set the alarm for 8 AM. Take a long shower. Read the newspaper after you wake up while sipping your third cup of coffee. Then drive out to the hunting ground at 11 AM and go hunting. There is no advantage to getting there early.
It is a lot of fun. Pronghorn are good eating -- provided you don't shoot one that has been running full-out for 5 minutes and provided you take good care of the meat after you kill it.
Give this some thought, discuss it with your father and father-in-law. If you redirect your thoughts to pronghorn, start a new post to ask about that subject. Also, search through this forum for old threads discussing pronghorn hunting.
I just checked, and it looks like you can apply for your antelope license anytime between January 1 and May 31. Be mindful of the application period deadline and don't let it slip past you. I thought it was earlier than May 31. Maybe it was in the past but has since changed?
As far as finding ranches you can pay a fee to hunt on, in the past you could call the Sheridan office of the Wyoming Department of Wildlife (or fish and game -- whatever its name is in Wyoming), and they could email a list of ranches you could call. I found different ranches had different deals -- different prices, different ways of pricing the hunt. Thus, you would want to call several.
Last edited by Alsatian; 12-04-2014 at 01:12 PM.
12-04-2014, 04:16 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I'd just like to make a few comments and corrections to the post Alsatian made. First off though, I will say that his idea of a DIY antelope hunt out in Wyoming is excellent. They are fun to hunt and make a very good first hunt for people who have never been to the western states and it's more than doable DIY for even those with some health problems or age on them. I've hunted deer, elk, and/or antelope out there almost every year since 1994, so I know my way around out there as far as Regs., etc. pretty well.
#1---The agency is the G&F
#2---The application period for elk for a NR is the month of January
#3---The application period for deer and antelope for a NR is 1/1-3/15. The long date of May 31 he gave is for residents.
#4---Unit 23 is just south of Gillette and is the easiest unit to draw or buy leftover buck and doe tags for in the state. There are always hundreds of leftover tags after the draw that can be purchased first come first served on the net or when you get out there. The reason is because it is predominantly private ranches and you MUST gain access to them unless it's a WIHA or HMA that the G&F pays them to open for anyone to hunt on under their "Access Yes" program. At the present time I believe there is still only one WIHA up in the northwest part of unit 23 and it gets pounded by NRs and a lot of residents that live in Gillette. Most ranchers either charge a fee or the ranch is leased by outfitters that charge outrageous fees to hunt with them. DO NOT buy a tag before you have locked in a ranch for sure to hunt on given dates out there or you will be very disappointed. If you get a buck tag (actually it's an either sex tag) and 2 doe tags in the draw, you can still buy another buck tag and two does tags (the latter are only $34 for a NR) for a total of six tags.
The time to get a ranch locked in is NOW, so call the Gillette C of C and the G&F Office there and try to get lists of the ranches that are in unit 23 that may allow a hunt. Many actually allow you to take does for free after the first week of the season when most people, especially NRs, hunt out there. I hope that helps some on doing what he mentioned.
#1---The agency is the G&F
#2---The application period for elk for a NR is the month of January
#3---The application period for deer and antelope for a NR is 1/1-3/15. The long date of May 31 he gave is for residents.
#4---Unit 23 is just south of Gillette and is the easiest unit to draw or buy leftover buck and doe tags for in the state. There are always hundreds of leftover tags after the draw that can be purchased first come first served on the net or when you get out there. The reason is because it is predominantly private ranches and you MUST gain access to them unless it's a WIHA or HMA that the G&F pays them to open for anyone to hunt on under their "Access Yes" program. At the present time I believe there is still only one WIHA up in the northwest part of unit 23 and it gets pounded by NRs and a lot of residents that live in Gillette. Most ranchers either charge a fee or the ranch is leased by outfitters that charge outrageous fees to hunt with them. DO NOT buy a tag before you have locked in a ranch for sure to hunt on given dates out there or you will be very disappointed. If you get a buck tag (actually it's an either sex tag) and 2 doe tags in the draw, you can still buy another buck tag and two does tags (the latter are only $34 for a NR) for a total of six tags.
The time to get a ranch locked in is NOW, so call the Gillette C of C and the G&F Office there and try to get lists of the ranches that are in unit 23 that may allow a hunt. Many actually allow you to take does for free after the first week of the season when most people, especially NRs, hunt out there. I hope that helps some on doing what he mentioned.
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 12-04-2014 at 04:21 PM. Reason: Spelling
12-04-2014, 05:23 PM
#8
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 63
A Pronghorn hunt suggested above is an excellent idea. It won't be so physically demanding as an Elk hunt and their is often a lot of action. I went on an unguided public land hunt, we just laid down a tarp and slept out their in sleeping bags. A lot of action and opportunities at trophy prong horn. We weren't able to land a good shot on one but we only hunted for 1 and 1/2 days.
But for an Elk hunt I recommend a guided hunt, an unguided hunt will probably be too physically demanding for your father and father in law. An outfitter will save you a lot on the strenuous searching, locating, etc and skinning, gutting, butchering, etc. Although it is pricier but again you want a once in a lifetime experience. Camping IMO is the best way to go, its just a more fun experience to me than staying in a motel. A semi-guided hunt could also be a good option, less money and will save you scouting time, less physical need, etc and better chances at trophy Elk. Plus many outfitters will help if you do get an animal to retrieve it from the field.
But for an Elk hunt I recommend a guided hunt, an unguided hunt will probably be too physically demanding for your father and father in law. An outfitter will save you a lot on the strenuous searching, locating, etc and skinning, gutting, butchering, etc. Although it is pricier but again you want a once in a lifetime experience. Camping IMO is the best way to go, its just a more fun experience to me than staying in a motel. A semi-guided hunt could also be a good option, less money and will save you scouting time, less physical need, etc and better chances at trophy Elk. Plus many outfitters will help if you do get an animal to retrieve it from the field.
Last edited by turke7; 12-04-2014 at 05:27 PM.
12-05-2014, 01:06 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West TN
Posts: 847
Welcome to the site! Wyoming is out because it will take at least 1 or 2 years of Preference Points to draw just about any bull tag there. Cow tags are easy to obtain in many areas though. Idaho has OTC tags in some areas on a first come first served basis and I believe they start selling them soon for next year. Colorado has OTC tags for bulls during certain seasons, but most units will have a ton of hunters if you don't get well away from roads. Please be aware that the further you get fro human activity the better chance you'll have most of the time to see elk. It's not very easy to "motel it" and have a good elk hunt. Montana may be your best bet because there have been leftover tags after the draw the last couple years when they did away with the outfitter sponsored licenses and also raised the license fees. You do need to realize that if you go on a DIY hunt and happen to get an animal or two that you'll have a lot of meat to bring out of the field on your back. Elk are huge animals compared to deer and it's a ton of work getting one out. I'm 67 and in better shape than most my age and helped on a 330" bull a friend took 2 miles from the truck on the far side of a deep canyon in Wyoming this past season. We made one uphill packout with the two of us and then it took 4 of us to make the second packout with the rest of the meat and head. That took the entire day from daylight to dark the day after he shot it late in the evening. Thank goodness the weather was turning cold and allowed that because just a few days before that it was warm and the meat could have been hard to save without doing the packout all night right after the kill. If you don't think the three of you are up to something like that, IMHO you'd better either pay for a guided hunt or possibly a drop camp where an outfitter will take you in to a camp and bring you and any animals you take back out. Good luck on whatever you decide to do!
