Hey everyone.

If you were to start saving points with the idea of an elk hunt in, let's just say ten years.....

Where would you start buying points.

I have wyoming antelope and mule deer points (2 each currently) but need to start building elk points.

Honestly, trophy size isn't a concern. I just want lots of public land, and lots of elk.

I took a cow last fall and satisfied my itch. but I'd like to plan a hunt to take a bull, and want it to be a good hunt with lots of public access.

-Jake

Too late in Colo., IMO, with the new changes starting this year the point creep in this state will quickly turn into point sprint.
I'd say stick with WY.

You can buy one in Wyoming starting in July, they are a good buy. Colorado has lots of elk, but it will take more than 10 points for a great area as is the same in most western states. New Mexico also takes several points but I believe that they are also fairly reasonable. I know nothing about Montana.

New Mexico isn't a point state....

Utah has some kick azz LE Elk units.............

how old are you........?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

or...........buy an over the counter spike tag in July.........

apply for a cow tag in June.......hunt them both in same unit/same time frame.......

plenty of public land elk units......hike...atv access.....horseback.......big azz country.....

I’d tell ya but I just burned all my points this past draw, I don’t need the competition.
But on a good note I go into next years draw with 2 points already.

Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Believe it or not, there are some substantial elk in California's redwood country as well.


This was about 1/2 of the group.

I'm 28. The goal is to get this hunt in within the next ten years.

tikka, I took a cow last year and satisfied that itch. Want to look for some horn the next time I go. Not worried about chasing trophys. Just a nice bull.

I happily shoot 6 and 8 point whitetails every year, so that's what I'd be looking for as far as elk quality. Just average, legal bull.

Honestly location is more important than bull size. I dealt with difficult access on the cow hunt. Ideally, I'd like to be able to set up camp and hike out from there every day.

What do you mean by "LE" units?


-Jake

Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada,Utah and Oregon. Then Idaho over the counter with draws for premium units.

At 28 you have lots of time. I started at 25 and have over 10 + in the states mentioned above.
Check out hunting fool or something like it to give you a better idea of how u should start planning.
Nevada closes on the 16th. But they mine for cash LOL it was just shy of 300$ last night to enter everything but Antlerless and bear.

Colorado is now very-cheap. you missed it this time but I would buy their, ever year just because it’s close to you and cheap.

Colorado and Wyoming

This late in the g as me I wouldn't worry about points, I'd be putting in for new mexico and idaho for sure, as everyone is on the same playing field....

You could hunt MT, ID and CO every year for elk. MT would be less crowded than CO and closer to OH than ID.

You could scratch a check and buy an elk tag every year in NM, CO, UT and NV.

If are wanting to draw a tag that provides access to a limited entry experience where limited number of elk hunters in a specific area then 10 years is likely not enough anymore out West as a non-resident. I have been doing this close to 30 years and the costs go up and the tag allocation goes down. There will be the good old days in another decade but are not as good as a decade ago, etc.

NM draws for units with fewer tags are often over 1 in 100.

UT provides so few tags to non-residents that should expect will be 20 or more years.

NV offers fewer elk tags than UT. Could easily take 30 years and your odds will fall for the first 15 years due to the squaring process.

OR gives very few tags to non-residents and half go to outfitter pool. The better units run spike hunts during the bull hunts. Likely will wait 25 years for a tag not much better than CO OTC tag as long as they run spike hunts at same time as bull hunts.

CO is now a 30 year cycle to get a decent elk draw tag now that the entire tag fee is not required up front to apply.

WY is headed to 40 years and if they cut NR allocation in half will be 60 years.

MT has a two-stage draw and getting a limited entry tag is very difficult. You can buy points now but to actually apply and then find you did not draw a limited entry tag you are out a chunk of the cost as turn in the general tag.

AZ is a long wait.

If I was starting out and lived in OH then would focus on states in this order and not chase the primo tags but still the wait will be much more than 10 years and the annual fees to build points will add up so that you might be better off just scratching a check for a middling hunt in NM or CO or go the OTC route in MT.
NM is a cheap annual date and low, low odds to draw even a middling unit.
WY has point creep but the middling and lower demand units can be drawn in 10 years. The draw results are out prior to having to apply in MT. You will likely be over $2000 spent before get that middling tag in hand between points and tag cost.
AZ will be over a decade but you will be able to get a middling tag before 20 years.
CO will be over a decade for a middling unit.
I would not touch OR with a 10 foot pole. Nor WA. UT and NV are also not likely to draw and more expensive than focusing on NM for your lottery odds roll of the dice.

The advantage of the MT general draw tag is you can plan your hunt out West and go with friends or family with you all having a tag. You could likely do the same in ID though is a bit longer drive from OH. The advantage of scratching a check in NM for landowner tag is you also can plan for your hunt sooner than if are waiting on a draw tag that is low odds in a given year.

Wow

Posts like the above really make it sound hard. Someone doesn’t want more competition for tags. In reality if you are willing to hire a guide there are lots of good units you can draw in 10 years. If you want to go on your own its going to be harder but no impossible

Pick two states that don’t cost much to build points and get started. I am building in 4 presently

Az and UT for the long term

CO and WY for the shorter term hunts

My first hunt will be in 5-6 years in WY I won’t give the unit but one of my friends shot a good 330ish bull his first trip out. Unit is a mix of private and land locked public and some public.
I also am building points for mule deer in all of the same states the Goal is to be able to hunt ever 2-3 years for one of the other and continue to build points for the real premium units

I also say there are people who dream of hunts out west and those who actually hunt out west Get started now and you can be in the latter group

I’ve been on hunts in Arizona 4 out of the last 6 yrs, this year will be my turn.
Those other hunts were my fil and sons hunts so our “hunting” average for Arizona alone is at least 80% between the three of us.
And my fil is an Az resident.

You're so close, I would put in for PA elk tags every year. I'm pretty sure it closes in Aug. You could easily drive it and there are some MONSTERS. There are good "guides" that will only set you back $1500 or so. Odds are VERY low, but it only cost you about 3 min of your time online and about $10-$15.

28 YO ?

you're a young pup..........

plenty of time to draw a Limited Entry (LE) permit in Utah.....AZ......NV.....

Utah OTC 'any bull tag'

6 units or so statewide....go on sale in July......

pick the one with most public land.....

https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting-in-utah/hunting-information/big-game.html

In Colorado at least,I firmly believe that in the foreseeable future they will change their preference point program.They talk about it in every meeting I go to, but can't figure out how. Even right now,the guys that have 25-26 points are getting screwed by Colorado's Hybrid Draw that gives hunters with far less points a chance (although small) to draw one of those tags,essentially taking a tag away from the high preference point guys

Save your money for ten years and go with a ranch hunt in NM. The permission slips are guaranteed and all you have to do is lay out the money for the state permit. You don't have to worry about point issues, and there are fantastic elk in most units. Wyoming, and Colorado etc. can be a crap shoot, unless you go with an outfitter and get a Ranching For Wildlife tag. If I was wound up about killing a bull elk, I would go to New Mexico.

All of the states have gotten too pricey for me, and I could not care less about antlers anymore, so I will not be competing for any bull permits. Now cows may be a different story!

Ranching for Wildlife tags in CO are for residents only

Lot of good advice here, thanks.

A few things: I know I can hunt and be successful and "go every year" by using OTC tags etc. That's not what I want. I took a CO cow last year and scratched the itch of just getting an elk. I don't desire to go every year.

Saving money and paying for the NM Ranch hunt might be the better idea... However, does it feel like the traditional elk hunt you read about in the magazines, etc?

I have been applying to PA every year for the last 8 years. I figure I started young enough, and if I stay healthy, eventually I'll draw there. But that's a long shot. It's also not the traditional elk hunt that I'd be after.

Again thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll start researching all of the suggestions!

-jake

The public ones are, but not the ones controlled by outfitters. They are for anyone putting out the money.

New Mexico ranches are just like hunting on public. If they have elk, they are in pretty country. The only difference, is that you are guaranteed access and a permit. Some charge quite a bit, though, which is just economics, as people are willing to throw them the money. Many sell all of the access to outfitters, but I think that you can still find some on your own. Game and FIsh may even help you.

Tough to tell what things will be like in 10 years. Wyoming is a solid bet and so is Utah if you don't mind waiting more than 10 years.

16 years ago I started applying in Utah. At that time the area I was after took about 10-12 points, obviously mucho higher than that now as I still haven't drawn. Well, maybe this year...

An area that takes 10 points now will likely be in the high teens 10 years from now.

I'd save $100 a month and just buy a landowner tag in a good unit when you could afford it. Seems like most states offer those and it would eliminate donating money to 5 or 6 states and hoping to draw someday.

Buying a RFW/CWMU/Landowner tag is probably the best way to go if you intend this to be a once or maybe even twice lifetime thing. If you want to go more, build points in lots of states and be sure to apply every year to the ones that don't have point systems (ID, NM).

Learn to archery hunt.

Over the counter baby.......over the counter.

Saddlesore
I think you hit it on the head, Colorado hybrid (or welfare point system) was a sucky way to cheat the people with years invested in attempting to get a tag. If only 9 tags were available and they pull one of two for welfare tags, your odds really change. This is what happens when the bean counters are pushed to come up with more and more money.