Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting first time "hunt of a life time" elk hunt

Looking for ideas on where to look for a first time, one time only, once of a lifetime elk hunt-My brother and I are early/mid 50's and getting older every day-Would like to do this once in the next 2-4 years, but don't know where to start. What should we budget for? Where should we look?

id be looking at idaho, if yer a disabled vet they have discounts. orgon pretty much sux unless yer an out of stater

Wish you the best of luck. I had my once in a lifetime elk hunt in 1998 at 41. Hooked me big time. I tell everyone it’s my “cocaine” because I head west every year. Don’t let age be a hindrance to you….thats just between your ears. My 2021 elk hunt, we had a gentleman hunting with us that was 86 years old. He wasn’t the most nimble man in camp, but he was there, and hiking up and down hills as best he could. He exemplified “never give up”.

New Mexico, landowner tags can be a route you can pursue.

Just hunt some place in west Texas, out by Alpine. No draw, rifle hunt in the rut if you want.

The "good" guides elk hunts with guaranteed tags are going to start around 10k. The type of hunt that I'd consider a "once in a lifetime" would be in the 18-20k range.

What's tour budget Dave what kind of a hunt are you wanting and with what weapon?

rifle hunt, fair chase beyond that pretty open to what ever-

Found a guy around sonora, TX $13500 guided/meals/lodging...

There are plenty of options for different types of hunting but it depends on what you consider a “once in a lifetime hunt”….for me it’d be a horseback hunt in the mountains of Montana, Wyoming or Idaho. Arizona and New Mexico have some serious monsters and I’d be looking at outfitters that have guaranteed tags since drawing a tag can take a lifetime or two before being drawn. I’m not familiar with the tag situation in Arizona or New Mexico but I recall reading that the guides on the Indian reservations there have tags that don’t require drawing, only a thick wallet. Any great guides in all the great locations are going to require a thick wallet but for a true once in a lifetime guided elk hunt the one guarantee is that it ain’t gonna be cheap. 😉

I assume that a once in a lifetime elk hunt, at least for me, would be for FREE RANGE elk that are NOT behind a high fence. I don’t think there are any real elk hunters who are looking for a once in a lifetime elk hunt that would consider Texas for a true once in a lifetime elk hunt but everyone has their own ideas about what their dream hunt looks like.

I did a great (meat trip) cow elk hunt outside of Roosevelt Utah on the Ute Indian reservation years ago and I was truly amazed at the number of elk we saw and even more amazed/impressed at the number and SIZE of the bulls we encountered in that area!

There are some awesome FREE RANGE elk hunts in West Texas. Not all of the state is high fenced.
The mountains out there are very rugged too.
Wyoming would take some PPs to draw a license.

West Texas has a lot of elk these days, less than most western states, but fair chase is west of Sonora by a couple of hundred miles at least. Very skeptical of a true elk hunt there. Elk in Sonora are high fence or escaped pasture elk....

For 7k a hunter you can find a true elk hunt in the west, but as always what means more, antlers or experience? Experience is what you'll cherish and it's usually way cheaper....

I must be a dick. I know where I'd go but I'll be damned if I'm gunna advertise it on the internet!

LOL

I'd opine that you need to decide how you want this once in a lifetime hunt to happen, then what the goal is. These 2 decisions will lead you to the answer - assuming money isn't much of an issue.

The "how" boils down to: you want a ranch hunt (not the fenced varity)? Pack in with horse hunt? Pack into a Wilderness Area hunt? You simply want an elk and a fenced operation will do?

As had been mentioned, if you simply want the experience of waking up elk country with a good chance of killing any elk, that can be had way easier and cheaper. I'd advise for the 2 of you to go on several elk hunts before the once in a lifetime hunt. Simply do a ranch cow hunt (again not the fenced variety) in a western state.

Once you have the hang of elk hunting, hunting in the mountains, and have a bit of experience, go on your once in a lifetime hunt. A DIY drop camp is very affordable. This option will: A. Put you in elk country, B. Let you get the feel of elk country, C. Give you the whole experience.

I'd be leery of spending a pile of cash on a once on a lifetime elk hunt if you've never done it before. I say this because the biggest single factor in enjoying your experience will be how good shape you are in. Elk mountains are big, steep, and high. And you'll likely need to cover alot of ground. You'll feel like a bag of smashed buttholes if you're not in shape. Spending your time in camp because you are sore/worn out/tired wont lead to a good experience. And I've yet to take someone on their first elk hunt who thought they were too fit/in shape. Alot of us chiming in train all year long.

As to the goal, ANY elk in a wild setting is a worthy accomplishment, esp if you DIY. If you have "a number" in mind for rack score, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, unless you have a pile of money. Places exist where you can stay in a ranch/cabin, horse back/4 wheeler in and look over numerous 300+ inch bulls. If that's the goal, cool, it just takes more greenbacks. I'd opine a 300 inch public land bull is possible with good guides and places. People have visions of 350 inch bulls because "they paid alot of money". It don't work that way.......

Hey dumbfùck, that's why I suggested far west Texas out by Alpine, because there is plenty of FREE RANGE elk out there. Know what you're talking about before running your suck hole.

for me a once in a lifetime hunt is pack in wilderness on horseback............in your shoes Id be looking at the Gila in NM as I think you can buy land owner tags for that area


the northern Rockies may have more of that sort of opportunity but you might get too old before you draw the tags

I did a once in a life time guided hunt in Alberta. It was a 6 point required area.It was NW of Calgary in the Red Deer River area. East side of Baniff NP.
Plan on at least $10K.

Guided Wilderness Elk Hunt in western Wyoming would be a nice way to go. Anywhere from $8,500-$12,000. Ride 20-30 miles of back mountain country on horseback to camp. Nice camps in the middle of wildlife with all the scenery and ruggedness one could imagine. The elk in these areas are mostly uninhibited by humans and can have some impressive bulls. Outfitters can typically get tags for hunters as Wilderness Hunt Areas require a Wilderness Outfitter for all non resident hunters. There are several listed on the internet.

A lot of wisdom and experience in this post. The only thing I will add is I would pick the “setting” in which you want to hunt first. Do you want the full mountain experience of the Rockies? Or does it matter to you? For me, it’s as much about the experience and the surroundings as it is in the actual elk.

8 or 9 days of Red Stag hunting in Patagonia in Argentina is $8000 - $9000 right now. With flights and tips, it is still cheaper than most guided hunts for Elk in the U.S.

For a once in a lifetime hunt I'd be buying a Wyoming commissioners tag.

In Idaho, non-res tags are hard to get as the demand is very high. In the draw hunts, NR's are limited to 10% of the total tags for any unit. In the hunts with OTC tags, they put a quota on NR tags and they sell them on Dec 1 of the previous year. They put them online and they normally sell out in an hour or less. There are some outfitter tags available but I don't know how that works. If you're interested, I suggest you call some outfitters now for the '25 season. It's unlikely that they'll have any tags left for this year.

In the draw hunts, Idaho doesn't have a point system. Each year it's a free for all. Your odds of drawing are determined strictly by the number of applicants.

The cream of the crop is White Mountain Apache reservation hunt. But, those are in very few budgets. I dont even have a guess for you on price, but, unless you are stupid rich, they are truly once in a lifetime hunts.

A portion of the information from The White Mountain Apache's on trophy bull elk:

SAYS THEY ARE SOLD OUT:

PACKAGE COST: $20,000.00 - 1st & 2nd hunts.

$18,000.00 - 3rd Maverick hunt

​

TROPHY FEE:

$3,000.00 for any Typical Bull that net, green scores 375 B&C points or larger or any Non-Typical Bull that net, green scores 385 B&C points or larger.

​

LEGAL TAKING DEVICE: Any legal firearm or bow and arrow as described in section R1.B.



HUNT PACKAGE: Fully guided/outfitted 7-day OR 10-day hunt (depending on camp), booked through the Game & Fish office which includes; tag/permit, lodging, meals (at Base Camps only), guide and hunt transportation.



CONTACT INFORMATION
Jesse Palmer
Wildlife Biologist

(928) 338-4385

Whiteriver Office

jpalmerwmat.us

Chadwick Amos
Acting Director

(928) 338-4385 ext. 228

Whiteriver Office

ChadwickAmoswmat.us

I have been doing my “once in a lifetime” hunts since 2003 with I think 3 seasons that I didn’t elk hunt. Since there are no guarantees as to the length of a lifetime, any hunt could be your best/last. The guys have posted some good suggestions. Good hunting! 😎

guided elk hunts can be the best bet to tag a decent Bull was for me i went with a bow and arrow got a huge bull that scored 376 B.C. . but a few years later son and i started going out west and did well by ourselves but it takes plenty of time and hard work we were bowhunters , son being very fit killed some nice bulls including one bull that was bigger than my bull with his bow too ,i called that bull in. if your only going on one elk hunt do some research and hire a good guide .good luck ,Pete53

A "once and a time elk hunt" and "Texas" don't belong in the same sentence.

There’s no such thing as a “once in a lifetime elk hunt.” Once you go, you start planning your next trip on the drive home.

That’s because there are a lot of ways to hunt elk. You can snipe them across big alpine bowls ass-deep in snow, stalk them through black timber with an iron-sighted lever gun, call them during the rut with a bow, backpack in (and out) to kill them where they live, etc.

There are also different species of elk: Roosevelt in the Pacific Northwest, Tule in northern California, Manitoban in Canada, and Rocky Mountain everywhere else.

So pick a species and decide how you want to hunt them. Then you can start looking for outfitters in the part of the country where you can do the kind of hunt you want.


Okie John

I'd be thinking of a wilderness, horeseback hunt in WY, ID, MT or BC.

BC would be at the top of my list.

I don't know if it is any cheaper or not to do that but I sure don't regret going to Argentina 10 years ago and shooting a free range stag, balls deep in the 'roar'. It was awesome. It wasn't a backcountry gaucho style hunt in the Andes, which I do plan to do someday. It was more like hunting in western South Dakota but it was still a hell of a good time.

OP, are you willing to shoot a raghorn? I presume you have no points built up anywhere so that would limit options to some extent but there's still plenty of realistic options especially if you're not stuck on a 300+ bull. Once you get into private land and landowner tags, the sky is the limit but dollar amount also will go up, in a general sense.

Same. Quintessential elk hunt.

Although I wouldn’t turn down a chance to go and try it out to see the country they live in.

West TX may not be the high mountain hunt many think of when thinking elk hunting, but they are killing some great free range bulls.

Agreed to both the above, but not at all what I'd consider the "hunt of a lifetime" for elk.

For sure. I bet it would be fun though, pretty neat to me they're there.

If money isn’t an issue I’d buy a gov’s tag in WY. Several good areas there that take lots of points to draw so not an option on a limited budget or want to go in next couple years. The White Mountain res would also be a great hunt if your budget can handle it.

If once in a life time means this is the only bull elk hunt you and your brother will go on and you want to make sure you get a great bull then yes find a reputable outfitter with guaranteed tags and high % success rate. But if both of you are in your 50's I wouldn't sell myself short on just one hunt and spend a lot of money on it, rather do your homework in different states such as Oregon, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado and see if you can find rancher that charges a trespass fee or sell their landowner preference tag and hunt on their land. You can contact Fish and Wildlife Dpt in different states and ask them about cooperating ranchers. You can even try DIY hunt on public land. At 50 years old you have a lot of years to get a great bull.

I think one could approach this by

a. pick a firearm or bow
b. pick a state that has seasons which work with your general schedule (Wyoming generally earlier than Colorado/Montana, for example)
c. start accumulating preference points
d. start looking at outfitters and preparing to book a few years out

I'm 55 and have gone every year for the past 12 years and am not planning on quitting any time soon. I've gone on horseback with outfitters and have done DIY as well. I found a place etc that suits me. If the goal is to "kill an elk" that is one thing; if its to experience horsepacking into the San Juans or the Thorofare, that is something else. Look at it as an experience and then seek offerings accordingly.

BK has good advice. Unless you are hunting for a bull only, lots of choices every year.

Yep!

Have been hunting elk in Montana since my teens, as I was born and raised and grew up here--but have also hunted them in New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho and British Columbia. The BC hunt was 10-day horse-packing trip in the Prophet-Muskwa area, about 100 miles south of the Yukon border, in early September. Had elk, moose and caribou tags, and saw all three--though never saw a caribou I wanted (had hunted them in several other places). Got a "good" moose and elk, but the real trophy was riding over 100 miles in some of the most spectacular mountain country in North America, with all that entails, including hiking considerably after dismounting. Also saw a bunch of Stone sheep (the main camp was where L.S. Chadwick camped when he killed his famous ram in 1936), along with an average of a grizzly a day--one of which was a 2-year-old that followed me and my guide up a side-canyon after we'd tied up our horses.

Have been lucky enough to go on a number of "wilderness" hunts in places from Alaska to Africa, but that would be in the top three.

The outfitter is still doing top-grade hunts: https://www.olmsteadhunting.com/

Bingo on BC. I had an extraordinary trip in 2008 with Stone Mountain Safaris out of Toad River. Moose and elk with an almost on mountain caribou. Breathtaking.

Ed,

Yep, there's a world of difference between "wilderness" elk hunting and killing a mature bull!

Plus, have also done horseback wilderness hunts here in Montana, and while they were great, they haven't been anything near the BC experience. It's a different world, like the difference between, say, South Africa and the Okavango Delta of Tanzania....

At $26,000 for a 300" elk, it better be a hell of a horse back trip. Folks have lost their damn minds...........

Evidently you're one of the many "hunters" who believes B&C score is more important than the total experience....

If I'm wrong, please explain why.

"The total experience"... this in a nutshell John. I'd rather shoot a 300" six point in Northern BC wilderness than a 360" bull on some ranch hunt.

Some know the price of everything and the value of nothing...

Yep!

But might also mention that if you've never been on horseback much, a real wilderness HB hunt might not be a good idea without at least SOME horse experience beforehand. I wasalso lucky enough to grow up in Montana when horses were even common inside Bozeman. First rode a horse at age 3 in my parents' back yard--and also fell off when the big mare broke into a trot. (Eventually got a lot better, partly due to my first job out of high school as a ranch hand in eastern Montana.)

While horse-hunting outfitters tend to have very mild, well-trained stock, it helps a lot to at least do a little riding before going on a horseback hunt, which can be done even in many eastern, urban areas. But it also helps to due some up-and-down hiking "sideways," to strengthen both the inner and outer thigh muscles.

John,

Funny you mention the horse riding. I worked to be in pretty good shape but my prior ride on a horse was in 1981 and a leisurely one at that. Hard to condition the ride if you don't have access to a horse (my lame excuse). My 30" legs, with multiple stirrup adjustments, just ached at the knees for most of the trip as the horses were pretty stout. The tailbone blister was not good either. All to ultimately make the trip my most memorable.

I was lucky enough to grow up hunting elk via horseback and have also done a lot of backpack trips and river raft trips for them. Flew in on a DeHaviland Beaver on floats for one elk hunt and several moose/caribou hunts, all DIY. Rode well over 100 miles in the McKenzie Mountains on a guided horseback hunt. Been on the Arctic sea ice via snow machine and dog sled with subsistence hunters out of Barrow.

I won't pass an easy opportunity when I stumble onto one, but I certainly am prouder of the critters that I got to experience the whole schabang for. Some of my bigger antlers are thrown out in the corner of the barn, with 'lesser' trophies in the house. Just how I am, I guess.
Good luck to the OP, whichever route he takes.

With tranportation to the camp and getting meat and head out that hunt is well over $30,000.

I am sure it's pretty country but a Wyo Commisioner tag and horse back hunt is going to save a few bucks and way up size the bull.

To each their own but for $30,000 it's not hard to get a big bull hunt in awesome country on horses. Might cost a little more to go 1st class and have good riding mules.

Elk are magnificent animals and of course it’s very nice to take one of these regal animals; they are one of the greatest game animals in all of creation IMO. And superb on the table. But as discussed there are elk hunts and then there are elk hunts, varying by different aspects and in degrees of the whole experience.

In the rear view mirror, my two greatest experiences were hunts where I didn’t see a hair over the 6-10 days though others did. Both were wilderness hunts, one in the Bob Marshal of Montana and the other in the Wind River range of western Wyoming. Both were 8-9 hours in on horseback in spectacular scenery. Were they failed hunts? Not even in the slightest way.

These are a universe apart from a private ranch hunt using vehicles or Atv’s or even horses. There are many things to prioritize in your search and only you can put them in order.

Well stated George!

Same here. Big inch bulls are pretty cool, don't get me wrong, but a big 6X in BC would be a wicked experience.

Definitely agree with John. I did a horse back hunt in Alberta years ago. Tagged a 300 bull. I have done horseback/muleback hunts my entire life.I have taken a few bulls bigger than the one I took in Alberta. I have hunted elk for 57 years, only missing 2 or 3 season. All of them run together, but I remember the Alberta hunt the most clearly

This is an outfitter in Colorado with whom I have hunted twice when I lived in Los Angeles. Great camp, guides, food, and beautiful Weminuche Wilderness location. Plenty of elk but this is high country (thin oxygen) so take that into consideration. Also that weather can change on you in a couple hours from "bluebird weather" to "Ohh shidt!" This is a horseback hunt/camp. Rifle hunt for $9,000.00.


https://overthehilloutfitters.rezdy.com/catalog/32246/hunting

Good luck.

L.W.

One of the other things I've suggested to folks going on their first horseback hunt, with relatively little (or even no) previous time in the saddle is hiking up and down steep country sideways. This exercises the inner and outer leg muscles far more than straight-ahead hiking.

My long-time friend Dave Petzal (who was born and raised still lives in the Northeast) also took along a sheepskin pad, complete with wool, to put on the saddle on the few occasions he went on horse hunts. This did a decent job of preventing butt-blisters.....

Unless I’m just lucky, with enough horseback (or on a mule) elk hunts, the time will come when the transportation will become an adventure in itself.

One horse would pause at the slightest trickle of a stream, then leap over it as if it were a fence in an equestrian event. The first time was ugly, but then I knew what the pause meant. Another would like to turn his head to the left and back and try to nip my leg, no doubt conveying his affection for me.

A very memorable one was a big white, draft animal that scared me half to to death as he was being unloaded. I don’t remember if I was even able to look over his back. He was the most docile and tractable horse I’ve ever been on. He had a strange habit though of occasionally sitting down in the snow. Sitting down? Yes, I mean sitting down. That, fellow elk hunters, is a strange and frightening experience the fist time. Can you picture sitting in the saddle on a horse that takes a little break and sits down in the snow?

One last thing to do before you ever take the saddle — double check the cinch. The grouse got up under her nose and she reared up high. My saddle and me rolled over 90* with my off foot caught in the stirrup. Hanging on to the reins, I inadvertently pulled her into a tight circle with a buck or two thrown in. Ah, how to disembark without hoof prints up my back?

Now this part is also true. My best friend, a man of many talents none of which match his unsympathetic sense of humor, went into his rodeo announcer mode introducing me by name..coming out of chute #3…

Then there was my one and only mule, a huge animal…the smoothest ride I’d ever imagined.

Good luck L-Dave.

Sent you a pm

PM sent.

Osky

I would look in Florida or Texas 😂

Shot a nice 5x5 public land, general tag bull on opening day this past fall. 90 yard shot with a 308. 15 miles from home. Seems kinda boring with all these stores I hear. If someone wants to pay me 20k, I could put them on elk. I gotta get into that business. Jeez

Rarely is horse packing not an adventure—some are just more epic than others.

In the hills mules are great………

I travel from Texas to MT each fall now with a couple buddies to hunt elk. This all started 4 years ago on what was our lifetime group hunt. Now, like stated by others, each end to a hunt brings on the dreaming and planning for the next one.

We hunt DIY on public land. We are the idiots you see bumbling around halfway lost, but, we do manage to kill an elk each year and even got two this year. Being from Texas where everything is privately owned and fenced up, my appreciation for the scale of the landscape that is there for exploration is overwhelming. There is more to hunt than I could hunt, and this is hunting the same unit 4 years in a row. Each year we venture further, or explore different drainages. To kill any bull is icing on the cake. Packing them out on your back is a thrill itself that brings joy while simultaneously causing breathlessness and achy or wobbly muscles.

I see the picture from hunts in Texas, and I see a lot of short sleeves, blue jeans, massive shooting tripods, etc.. To me it seems more like the deer hunting that I am familiar with here at home.

Texas is missing the mark when it comes to managing their elk heard. I cannot think of any native animals that have been restored to their native range, and then treated like an exotic animal. I wish that would change. It sure would be nice to see healthy elk herds running freely through their native range in west Texas. If that could be accomplished, then I don’t see why Texas couldn’t be a destination elk hunt. A lot would have to change to get there, but until that happens, hunting elk in Texas is like hunting any other exotic animal in Texas as far as I’m concerned. Pay your access/guide fee, shoot your animal, pay your trophy fee and go home. A totally different experience than a DIY hunt on public land and one I have little interest in, regardless of the size of the antlers on the bulls in Texas.

I agree with mule deer, like he I lived nearly my entire life in Wyoming , kept horses and mules ( mules are far superior in rough country) . Hunted some of the most beautiful rugged country you can inmagine, my favorite is thr thorofare up against Yellowstone park. Wyoming nonresident has to hire guide to hunt wilderness. As many have mentioned, make your choice based on your budget , expectations, and abilities. If you have never ridden horses, take lessons or hunt afoot or atv. If you would be pleased with a 320-330 bull, nice 6X6. Your options are immense, in any of the western states with a reputable guide, Incidently 330 class bull is a damn nice bull anywhere. If your after the truly trophy class bull 350 and up, likely you will have to play the lottery and start put in for tags in those premium units in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico or bite the bullet buy a governor’s tag or hunt one of the better Indian res. In my mind there is no better hunt and experience than a horse back pack in hunt, wall tent , wood stove, in truly remote country in any of the mountainous states. If you are lucky you will see moose ,deer, elk,and bear daily , hear wolves and coyotes howl and elk bugling , perhaps keeping you awake at night. It’s truly a grand experience. Other thing to consider is elevation, if you come from the lowlands , hunting at 8000 fat and above could be difficult until you become acclimated . Short of it, for such a wilderness experience, I like mule Dee suggested, would chose a wilderness outfitter in British Columbia or Alberta, a good 6X6 bull , in the 330 class is very doable. Incidently Wyoming elk unit 60 is I think still over the counter, opens Sept 10th,if you get a good outfitter to take you back in 20 -25 miles from trail head the bulls as a rule are so unmolested they can be cow called into spitting distance, although I haven’t been in there since 2006, do to my age. Whatever you chose I wish you a fabulousl hunt. You will be hooked.

Mohall,

Thanks for your perspective!

Will also mention that on that BC pack-trip I saw several bigger bulls than the one I got. One was standing 150 yards away in very dim light at the end of the day--so dim that even through binoculars neither my guide or I could be certain the bull had the legal 6 tines.

Another was heading up the far side of a timbered draw, pushing his harem at 500+ yards.

There are plenty of 350+ bulls in that area. Though if somebody absolutely HAS to have higher-scoring antlers there are also plenty of high-fence places to provide those, maybe even at lower prices.

Again, it depends on what you want.

Hey John: yah I think for the money and quality of hunt and trophy quality BC is hard to beat, I hunted moose and mtn caribou clear back in 97, and was amazed the number of elk that far north even that mamy years ago, and understand it even better now. Hope you guys are doing well, and enjoying your retirement. Don Chase