Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting So You Want To Hunt Out West

You must have tried Idaho. The demand has far outpaced the supply of game. The IDFG has had to cap the number of non-res tags because of the high demand and now it's a real fiasco getting one, either deer or elk.

That's funny right there.

Some of the best Elk hunting in the U.S. is in West Texas no Elk tag required Free Range.

Elk are considered invasive species, buy a over the counter no resident license in most cases pay a trespass fee and hunt your little heart out, or you can buy a hunt with a outfitter & Guide. there's some big bulls is West Texas. and no BLM to bitch about. Rio7

Lol ya just a 10k dollar trespass fee lol. I'd rather deal the the blm and fs

Jackson Handy, Don't know where you get your information? but there are many places to hunt for a fraction of $10000, you might try looking. Rio7

Ya.....

It’s asinine that TX classifies elk as exotic, nongame animals. They are native to TX and there are numerous examples throughout the US of species being reintroduced to their native ranges and then managed as the native game animals that they are. Turkeys are a prime example. TPWD needs to get their S together.

Good to know. Thank you.

Those elk hunts are expensive to say the least and you're not going to just go out and hike the mountains to find them either, it is all private for the most part.

There is no shortage of hurtable public ground out West, getting the license is the hard part.

Tags are not hard to get in Texas. And in Colorado the hunting trips are free YAH Right. Rio7
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We all know tags aren't hard to get in texas, it's access that's almost impossible. Yes I'm sure if you have a buddy, whose uncle knows a guy, it's great. But let's face it a western elk hunt in the west (Mt, Wy, CO, ID) is nothing like an elk hunt out in the trans-pecos region of Texas.

Access is not difficult as the OP would have you believe.

I know Wyoming hunting trips are pretty dang cheap, Yah is right !!!

Rio knows full well that elk hunting in Texas is expensive if you don't have an "in", or just go high fenced. They do grow some big bulls out in West Texas.

Again plenty of access all over the Rocky Mountain areas.

Jackson Handy, I was Born in Meeker Colorado, raised on a ranch on the White River, my Uncles Have Ranch's West Of Craig, and West of Baggs, Wyo. my son has a ranch West of Durango, my Grandson has a place South of Silt, on Divide Creek, and I have a Small place on the White river just past Buford , East Of Meeker, I killed my first Elk in 1948 with my Grand fathers model 94 30-30, There's not a hell of a lot you can tell me about hunting North Western Colorado, I bought my first ranch in 1965 South of Jackson, Wyo. on the Hoback river, Guided for several ranch's in the area, Been there done all the stuff you guy's are always talking about.

North west Wyoming turned into a Liberal Schitt hole, worse than most of Colorado, so I sold out and moved to S.Texas, where all I have to put up with is ILLEGALS, beats the hell out of living with LIBTARDS. behind every tree. and the hunting and fishing is better here than there.

Rio7

That's cool and all but it has nothing to do with the topic at hand. Accessing public land has never been easier, which is relevant to this thread.

Good for you Rio sounds like you got out at a good time.
Has nothing to do with the cost of elk hunting in Texas either.

Disagree on the hunting here compared to Texas though, but we are all entitled to our opinions.
How often do you elk hunt in Texas Rio, low fence free range elk that is? What is your cost on said hunts?

I live in TX and I have not found anyplace that will let you hunt elk for a reasonable tresspass fee here. I can get a non res CO tag and drive up there to hunt for less than I can hunt free range elk here in TX. Granted I can shoot a cow elk or red dèer hind on a game ranch for less than going to CO but not a bull.

I am not saying there are no reasonable tresspass fees for elk in TX. But I havent found them. Perhaps someone can give me some contact info because I would be all over that deal.

^^^^ I would dearly love to hear about some public access lands for elk in Texas

Sadly , Rio will have no answer for you I bet.

Good way to get your feet wet is cow tags in Wyoming. Yes, we still have plenty of access.

The public should have access to public property. The government should just Eminent domain a right of way like they do for all public roads.

TrueGrit. I think in a perfect fair world you have found the solution but it’s really quite complicated legally. Eminent Domain is enforced by the Federal Govt, state and county law so you can see what a squabble would entail if the feds came in heavy handed and enforced this. There are several states that have no Eminent Domain laws on the book and in fact prohibit such. Idaho and Texas are two such states. However it is the Fifth Amendment of the constitution so unless the Supreme Court takes the case this problem will remain. I’m a bit vague on this but my readings indicate lower courts cannot rule on this right regardless. Eminent Domain requires three elements to be put into action but the first is public access to BLM governed lands.

The laws that govern BLM land states that access to their lands for the public including recreation must be provided. I think hunting and fishing would certainly fall in the category of recreation. Since the BLM already has Right of Way to their governed land I can’t imagine that they would have to pay a fair price for it but I’m just spitballing here. I’m thinking with a Right of Way already in existence it could be as easy as the feds just making a decree for recreational public to cross. But here we are today wondering why they haven’t ? It will take Congress to force this through and I don’t see anybody interested in pursuing this in Washington DC .

Below is an interesting legal review and summary of BLM access. A lot of this review just seems contrary to the conditions we are up against today

Rick

www.blm.gov
Chapter 3. —Resource Area Profile