Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk hunting noob recommendations

Evening gents,

For over 10 years I’ve desired to harvest an elk. Don’t care from where or with what tool, but I would like your thoughts on the matter.
I’m well versed with bow, rifle, shotgun and handgun hunting. I’ve guided deer, turkey and coyote hunters... now for the plunge into what I consider my dream animal. I have no doubt once I go, I’ll be returning every year going forward.
I know Colorado is probably the easiest route for over the counter tags/license, but I’m willing to either go with a drop camp, semi-guided or guided hunt. I would be happy for a cow for the experience, but in heaven to get a decent to massive bull.

Physically, mentally and financially I can go either route, but looking for the best bang for my buck and not blow cash if I don’t have to.
I’ve been leaning towards Utah or Wyoming, but I would love you experienced elk hunters thoughts.

Feel free to post here or PM me. If you have good recommendations for outfitters/guides, please let me know via message.

Thanks guys for any/all feedback.

If I was doing it myself,I would go with Montana, and Colorado. If looking for a guided hunt and for a little better quality animals,I would pick a Wyoming wilderness hunt. The mountain experience is really worth it. I live in Montana, and hunt the wilderness here and in Idaho.It depends on how remote you want it. I spent 5 days in a tipi last week hunting deer. Saw 5 different bulls that I could have shot. Lots of opportunity for elk in Idaho too.

Just go for the bull tag. Believe me, this happens every time, well 2 years in a row for me at least. I have a bull tag last year and I see 20 cows before I see the bull I want to shoot. This year I had an antlerless tag and be damned if I didn't see 5 nice bulls before punching my tag on a bull calf (mmmmm yummmmmy).

I like the "any" elk tag if possible.

Just for the statistics, in Montana the average for a hunter to kill an elk is around 17%. Out of that 17%, around 80% of those guys do it almost every year, so that means that 3.4% of the hunters that just get lucky, actually get an elk. Out of that 3.4% the amount of bulls varies from raghorn, to decent to large. Even then, there isn't a very large % of the 3.4% that actually get a decent to big bull. Tough statistics, but it is real. Las Vegas has about the same odds, but the people keep going to Vegas hoping they will be the next big winner. The lights in Vegas are paid for by the people that hope to strike it rich.

I've shot 3 6x6 bulls and I consider ANY elk a trophy. It is an epic hunt that you must experience.

If you can afford it go the classic guided hunt in the wilderness in Wyoming on horseback. The experience and adventure sounds like what you are after. I haven’t scratched that itch yet myself but need to in the next couple of years. After that you can hunt diy public land in Colorado like we do for under $2000 a year since you will have the bug.

I get an elk most years but more cows than bulls - first legal elk for me fills the freezer and I draw for a cow tag then buy otc bull. I waited until I was in my 40’s to hunt elk, my 12 year old grandson gets hi first trip with both tags this week. The sooner you start the more elk hunting you get in before you are too old or infirm.

I read in an outdoor magazine awhile back that the unguided success rate for a non resident elk hunter in Montana was 3%, I would do a guided hunt or two before trying it on your own (if you could afford it). Good luck.

Do you want the experience of a backcountry type elk camp, to just get an elk or something in between? Everyone has their own expectations and thats what you need to figure out. You can go on a cow elk hunt, close to what I would call a shoot, for around $2000 in NM. A buddy does this every few years and is happy, gets out for a few days and elk meat in the freezer. Unguided DIY can be great trips, but as posts here tell, more than likely will not result in a filled tag. Some of my best DIY hunting trips have resulted in an unpunched tag come end of the trip. On the other end of the spectrum, if getting a monster bull is a must, plan on ponying up some $$$$ and going to a place like Vermejo Park. Which ever way you decide, be careful, it can turn you into an elk-aholic right quick. Good luck in your quest.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

My first time would you recommend archery or rifle? I would like to bow hunt them and bugling to bring them in close.

Obviously a rifle might up my chances since closing the distance is always an issue.

If you can bugle elk and shoot a bow well, I would recommend the archery season.

My sons do it every year...

I was in the same place 3 years ago. 3 weeks ago, I went on my first elk hunt, a guided wilderness hunt with horses and tent camp. This is what I saved several years for and I enjoyed it immensley. Can't wait to go back one day! Good luck.

Wow what a bull!!!

I'd think about how often you plan on doing this hunt. I know you say that you'll make it out for a hunt every year once you go for the first time, but you've already waited 10 years for the first one. If there won't be many elk hunts in your future, I'd blow a wad of cash on a fully guided hunt. If you truly see more hunts down the road (and I hope you do), I'd go with a drop camp/semi guided hunt since you won't be able to do your own scouting. Do you have points built up in any states?

Back in the '70s, I was at a dinner seated next to Henry Kissinger's brother, who had just come back from a horseback elk hunting in Wyoming, exactly as you describe. He and I got to talking about hunting and he made it sound wonderful.

I've always wanted to do that, but I too am finally going to get my feet wet with just a cow elk hunt. A neighbor who is a lifelong NM resident (and frequent hunter throughout the state) and I have signed up for a hunt on Vermejo Ranch, owned by Ted Turner and with tons of elk near Raton. From past posts, I know many here are quite familiar with that place.

I started elk hunting 6 years ago in colorado. I have always put in for a cow elk, my family loves the meat. I have been very fortunate to get an animal ever year. Out of the 6 years I have gone I could have had 3 shots at Bull elk, 2 where in the 1st year and 1 was 3 years ago. of coarse I didn't have a bull tag. This year I did purchase 1 and never saw 1..
The 1 thing I can tell you ever since I have had the chance to hunt colorado I have lost most of my interest in white tail deer hunting here in CT. Part of it maybe picking 100s of ticks off myself.. The other is walking and hunting and not seeing a house or a road for miles in the colorado national forest. It's something I would recommend to any hunter. It's not cheap but worth every dollar I spend on this trip.

I have a few sets of elk horns one even scores 374 typical that I shot with bow, give me a cow elk any day now the cow elk meat is so much better.ya I was young once and had to always go after those bulls ,now I just want a medium cow elk shot close to the road.

That's for sure. I let the young guys kill those stinky old tough bulls. They appreciate them more.

Hunting big bulls never gets old..tell yourself whatever you want

Wait until you have killed 4 dozen or so elk and you will change your tune. I have killed big bulls,small bulls and cows. Now I only want a nice young, tender, tasty, cow to fill the freezer. As stated , younger guys get the thrill and fulfill their dreams.I have already done that. I would rather help one of those young guys kill one that do one myself now days. You won't appreciate or understand this for several more years yet.

I hunted Montana for the first time this year as a non resident.

I was supposed to into the Bob Marshall but the fires put the kybosh on that deal.

The tag was about 850 bucks, included tag, archery,rifle, fishing,bird hunting. Statewide.....cows,mature bulls, no spikes. Ample rifle and archery season. It beats the ever loving snot out of Idahos ( my resident state) hands down. I absolutely loved it! Bought the tag on line during the excess tag sale in May. If I can afford it.......I think I am gonna keep going. Highly recommend Montana 4 elk!

MUCH wisdom here.

I hunted Roosevelt elk on public land in Washington state off and on for a loooong time. I read books about them, asked wildlife biologists and park rangers about them, looked at them in the zoo, scouted hard in the summer, all of the stuff that you're supposed to do. Some years I actually saw an elk during the season, but never anything legal.

When I finally hired an outfitter, I got to spend several days with people who actually knew how to hunt elk. We hunted less than a dozen miles from where I had done my self-guided hunts, and on Opening Morning, I saw more elk than I had in all of my previous elk hunts combined. These guys had grown up in the area, and the hunt was purely fair chase. They were just a lot smarter about how they hunted, and they approached the problem in a completely different way than I ever had. Pretty much everything they did was different, and all six hunters in camp got bulls that year. Based on what I learned hunting with them, I realized that while I'm a pretty good deer hunter, I had no freaking clue about how to hunt elk.

As a result of what I learned, I believe that I could now go out and get an elk on my own around here. So you might think of the cost of a guided hunt as an investment in your future hunting success.

You can read about that hunt here: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11892277/1


Okie John

Yep. I sure haven't killed that many, but got over antler fever a long time ago.

After packing out enough antlers that serve no purpose other than taking up space, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that bulls just aren't worth the trouble. Cows = better meat and less useless headgear to pack out of the hills. Or just leave the antlers there. Less crap taking up space in the house or wherever.

I'm kind of surprised that none of you guys in the know have not recommended muzzle loaders in the Colorado early season. As I understand it from the guys who have been out there that muzzle loader season follows the bow season when the bulls are still bugling and there are more of them on the hoof because it is before the rifle seasons. We always hunted the third gun season out there and needed the weather to push the elk. We were out there with a bunch of guys with cow tags and when everyone in camp fills up with their cow, there is lots of pressure to be thinking any bull will do and then we can all leave together. Our group leader with the ranch in Wyoming said the same thing about the best meat being from the cows and he was always hunting for a calf of the year.

Muzzle Loader season is during archery season. Archery opens about the last weekend of August and runs thru the last week of September almost.Muzzle Loader season usually opens the week end after labor day. So it is about mid way thru archery season.It is not quite peak rut yet,but elk will be bugling some, but it varies.

Best bet is to draw a "B" cow tag for muzzle loader season and then buy an "A" left over or OTC bull tag for one of the rifle seasons. You could also buy another left over "B" tag which is usually a cow tag. That way you can hunt two full seasons.. I do that,not so much to shoot two elk,but to be able to hunt longer in the fall. Lot of different combination scan be had.

Spike bulls are fairly good eating,but there are not many areas that they are legal since lot of the state is 4 pt or better.Yearling elk are about the best.There is a lot of good meat that turns out bad due to poor field care after the elk is down

I dont know saddlesore.. I edited a long post, that more/less made me look like a prick. Guess I'm not ready for the Internet.

I sure didn't take it that way Roscoe. I chased bulls for 20 years or so with a culmination of a tag in CO 201 unit that took 21 years to draw..After that I figured I had done it enough .That is why I commented that young guys appreciated them more. No worries here