Has anyone else hunted free range Texas elk in far West Texas?

Somehow the words "hunted, free and Texas doesn't make much sense to me. Elk in Texas are considered "introduced or exotic" and can be hunted 24 hours a day by any legal means or methods. The key is they are on private land and therefore money talks. Tom

I know there is a mule deer draw hunt out in west Tx where you are allowed to kill an elk if you see one. So there is at least the hint of a herd somewhere in Tx. Although I'd think the odds of killing a "free range" elk would be pretty long.


Jay

There is a free range herd of elk in the Glass Mts of West Texas, and in the Big Bend. They are not behind a high fence, and are ever expanding their range. Money does talk, just like it talks in Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. They may have been introduced, but they are no different then the introduced elk in Kentucky, or other states that elk have been transplanted to.

Toby Joe

There was some controversy about an elk taken from the area a year or 2 ago. As I recall the shooter was trying to get an elk he took into the record books but since it was an introduced/non native to Texas it was not allowed. I have no problem with landowners charging whatever they want for these elk, my point was that the State of Texas justs treats them as another introduced exotic. If the number of elk was large enough and they were on state property I'm sure Texas would have an elk season or limited wildlife area type permits auctioned to the highest bidders. Tom.

I personally think its bullchitt that B/C will not recognize elk from a free range herd in Texas. I realize Texas in known for high fences, and Im sure that there are elk running around out there that have escaped from pens, but if an elk was born in the wild, even if its parents had escaped from a pen, then IMHO, that elk is wild, and should be recognized for the record books. I wonder how many deer have escaped from high fences, that were later killed free range, that there was never a word said. Ive have seen multiple times whitetails jump a 12 ft fence with ease.

Toby Joe

Well that could be a slippery slope and possibly the reason for that harvested elk not being allowed in the record book. Elk herds that are known to be resident after many years in a particular area and free ranging probably should be allowed. I have great respect for the honest hunters/sportsman but have seen too much negative from dishonest, money hungry, screw the hunter game ranches here in Texas. Some, I am sure may take exception to this statement but several I have guided on over the years are certainly in this mold. Just call a week or 2 before your hunt and they will have the animal available for you and yes it will make gold in Safari Club record books. Too much of that stuff going on here in Texas. Tom

I've seen them in the Davis Mountains near Alpine. Don't know how they got there and I believe they are treated as exotics, high fence or not. Same as a hill country exotics, lots of them roaming free outside of high fences.

The Glass Mountain ranch, Iron Mountail ranch, the Kincaid and the old CAp Yates ranch has had free rangeing elk since I was a kid and thats a damn long time ago...These ranches are North of Marathon, Texas and Northeast of Alpine, Texas...

In the early 1800s elk were native to the Alpine, Marfa, and Ft Davis area of the Texas Big Bend, they did not stock them in there the restocked them there to their native home. In fact the elk was a plains animal and is not native to the Pacific North West MOuntains, he was driven into the mountains by hunting pressure from the meat market..

I might add that these ranches are huge in the 100,000 ac. catagory with only 3 strand barb wire around them and they are Mountain ranches. The have Mule Deer, Coues Deer and Elk in abundance. I hunt in Idaho and I assure you that I don't cover near that much territory during an Idaho elk hunt in the Selway.

Sometimes I think folks hear of something and have preconcieved notions without having looked into the situation..

The Glass Mountain ranch, Iron Mountail ranch, the Kincaid, the the old Cap Yates ranch, the Gage and some others has had free rangeing elk since I was a kid and thats a damn long time ago. If I recall Cap Yates stocked them and they flourished..These ranches are North of Marathon, Texas and Northeast of Alpine, Texas...

In the early 1800s elk were native to the Alpine, Marfa, and Ft Davis area of the Texas Big Bend, but not in large numbers I am told, they did not stock them in there, they "restocked" them to their native home, but I suppose this is argueable as some of the biologist have different ideas. I have talked to some of the very old timers and they all said their were elk and buffalo in that area long ago..My good friend the Adams's killed a grizzley there in the 40's near Stillwell Crossing...

In fact the elk was a plains animal and is not native to the Pacific North West Mountains where he is now hunted, he was driven into the mountains by hunting pressure from the meat market..

I might add that these Big Bend ranches are huge in the 100,000 ac. catagory with only 3 strand barb wire around them and they are Mountain ranches. The have Mule Deer, Coues Deer, White tail and cross bred deer, and Elk in abundance. I hunt in Idaho and I assure you that I don't cover near that much territory during an Idaho elk hunt in the Selway. so who decides what is free ranging, someone that has never been there? that won't work.

Sometimes I think folks hear of something and then develope preconcieved notions without having looked into the situation or even a clue as to what they are talking about..They, in fact, have obviously never been in that area.

I think part of the controversy about this particular big elk had to do with a clean hole in one of it's ears from an ear tag. The ranch guide admitted that they had stocked some elk from a high fenced ranch some 7-8 years earlier and they all had ear tags. Tom

Don't forget most of these elk from captive herds also have a lot of red deer in them to add points, palmation and "crowns"

On the game ranches I worked on that was very common. Had some strange looking elk and strange looking red stags, but the average hunter didn't know nor care about that. Well let me correct that, most hunters we had were not average. Just ask them. Tom

I've also heard of elk in the Guadalupe mountains, although most of those mountains are in NM

I have lived my entire life in SE NM (on the Texas/NM state line), West Texas and now North Texas and yes, elk are native to Texas. In fact the Dallas Musuem of Natural History, which has displays for native species, has a display for elk and says they once existed in Texas, including East Texas. B&C has a listing for a record bull killed in Denton Co, Texas (30 miles or so North of Dallas). If memory serves, that bull was killed in the late 19th century. My dad was recently on a cattle ranch near Alpine where he saw elk and the rancher, who was up in years, said they had been there ever since he could remember. Also, I know people who have seen them on the Texas side of the Guadalupe Mountains in recent years.

There are free range Elk on the Sierra Diablo WMA which is close to Van Horn. If you are lucky enough to draw a Mule Deer hunt on this WMA you can also take one elk of either sex.
This WMA is better known for it's desert big horns but I was told there have been elk there since the state took it over back in the 1940's. True or not I don't know.

It amazes me when folks make posts based on very little information and pass it on as fact, guess its an internet thing...I am sure some ranches have tagged elk that came off farms in Texas and I know they have them in Idaho, colorado, MOntana and NM, and other states, but that has nothing to do with the particular ranches we are discussing on this thread..These elk are wild elk under all circumstances. Some of the bordering ranches may now have some elk programs, I'm not sure..I have never seen a tag nor have any of the elk on iron mt. or Capt. Yates ranch been penned, taged or even vacinated....

The elk on the Sierra Diablo were stocked in the early 40s when Pres Roosevelt instigated the CCC camps and was putting folks back to work..They had a program to trade Texas Mule deer to Arizona and perhaps Mexico for elk and Coues deer.

I also know the famous Chama Land and Cattle Company that so many regard as the best elk hunting in NM or perhaps the USA, has a program designed to capture all of their wild elk each year wherein they are preg tested, given shots like cattle and in fact managed even more so than fenced tame elk, but this is so well accepted and unquestioned, go figure..

Bottom line is the whole world is a fairly tale.....

I could not have summed up your advertising practices any better! You should go post up those giant mule deer pictures on the "Trophy Mule Deer" thread in the Deer forum Ray. I added a few pictures myself

Also, Texas has Carmen Mountain Whitetail, not Coues deer, just FYI

HS