The rut is on and the bulls were bugling this weekend and both our clients were successful.
One big bull down and one management bull- doesn't get much better than that.

Congrats to my hunters and thank you for coming out.
These are free range elk in far west Texas.
www.westtexashunt.com

ahhhhh.. The wonder of a canned high fence hunt. Only in Texas!

Those are nice! I see elk behind a high fence on Hwy 36 near Cameron, Texas, occasionally, but those are not free range - yet, anyway. Also saw a herd of American Bison there last week.

Mike

You've no clue what you're talking about.

I believe the elk in the Glass Mountains and a couple of other areas of Texas are free ranging.

Perry

dip schit we have free range elk here you clueless sack of chit.

STX, You took the words right out of my mouth. Rio7

Don't worry ol walt doesn't have a clue about hunting regulations in Alaska so nothing surprising here about him being clueless.

Are the Elk behind a big fence or are they free range? I read the web site and this is a high fence operation. It ain't hunting if it ain't free range.

The advertised ranches with Elk hunts are high fence so show me where I am wrong!

I believe Mulie Mike has several different ranches he outfits on. The Elk in far west Texas, the grand Pecos, are free ranging and were stocked about the same time Arizona and New Mexico were restocking their herds. Used to be an elk tag on the Texas hunting license up till the early 1990s.

Most Elk east of the Pecos river are either high fenced or escaped from high fence although I've heard of some escapee here's that are reproducing around rocksprings and of some I the panhandle that wandered in from New Mexico or colorado

Sometime In the 1990s the state got tired Of managing elk as a game animal west of the Pecos and as an exotic east side and just declared them an exotic state wide

Here ya go, mensen.
https://www.westtexashunt.com/exotic-hunts.html


It's a shame your wife doesn't let you talk at home.

From home page of website for the mentally challenged.

Poor Walt...

Clueless turd.

GFY

Maybe you should read the WHOLE quote. While TX does have high fence operations, there are areas of open public access for free range also.

Sir if you read the entire post you would have seen that these are free range not high fenced animals. Texas had the highest population of elk at one time. Do a little research and you'll see there are free range herds before you go bashing my posts. Thank you

Guess you read the wrong site. There are no high fences totally free range. Come on out and see for yourself. So please read in more detail next time.

If it wasn't so much trouble, and if anybody paid any attention to the "dissenter", I'd post some pictures of free ranging elk on a large ranch I did some work on South of Ft Stockton.

It's 335,000 acres and the State estimated the herd at 1500 animals.

There's not a high fence on the place and hunting is allowed for a fee.

Trophy Elk Hunt Pricing for 2017 *Shelley Ranch*
3 Day 1x1 Guided Hunt $7,495.00
Bag Limit: 1 Trophy Bull Elk

Have seen quite of few elk crossing the road between Fort Stockton/Marathon and Fort Stockton/Sanderson...no high fences. The Longfellow Range located in the triangle of those three locations has a healthy elk population that are free to jump fences as needed.

Define trophy.




P

Enough meat to fill a freezer.

Elk and eggs...mmmmmm

I am sure an apology will be coming soon.

NWA continues to provide proof that he is a complete idiot with no clue what he's talking about. This should surprise no one.

Like others have said, the fact is there are getting to be quite a number of wild, free range elk in the Trans-Pecos. I've also seen them near the Longfellow, S of Ft Stockton towards Marathon, outside of Alpine, near Ft Davis, Guadalupe Nat'l Park, to name a few.

Gues what stupidazzz Walt, we have free range desert bighorns too.

It looks like you guys have had some dealings with Walt.

Well thanks for hijacking my post Walter for the rest of you I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Beautiful animals.

Nice elk. Congratulations to you and your clients.


Just ignore Walt. He is a blithering idiot.

Nice bulls! FWIW, I'll vouch for muley mike, he's one of the good guys here! A class act all the way. Drove 400 miles ONE WAY last year (giving up home time with his family, mind you) just to meet myself and my group of hunters on a TX whitetail hunt! I would say there are very few outfitters that would do that!

Thanks John much appreciated

Good guy bump.

The damn fool never does. Pride of Glennallen... LOL. Makes me cringe every time I drive through Glennallen AK, wondering how many other idiots are out there.

ANd back on topic, very nice animals, good job and happy hunters.

only thing walts knows anything about is licking dick cheese off a foreskin.

Ok there goes my lunch plans

archery?

I'll admit when I saw Texas and elk I thought it would have to be high fence, didn't have an idea there were free ranging elk in West Texas.

Is there any public land in that part of Texas that they cross or is everything large ranches? One of my favorite things about elk hunting in the Rocky Mountains is the fact that they migrate over or live on public land and that you don't have to be a cattle or oil Baron to shoot a nice bull, just willing to put in some miles in the hills and woods.

Is the same true in Texas or is access pretty much determined by checking account balance? To be fair the outfitter seems like they do try and make it fairly affordable and out of state elk hunting isn't cheap even on public land.

This is a picture I took from a County [public] gravel road that runs thru the Longfellow Ranch. I passed thru no high fences and there obviously is no high fence between me and the critters.



Were you to buy land adjacent to the Longfellow and an elk strayed over to your place, you could shoot it.

There are some WMA's, Wildlife Management Areas, owned by the State out in the Trans Pecos but hunting is not allowed except for a VERY limited special drawing.

Mike,
I always look forward to your posts. The transplanted Alaskan has some serious issues most likely a result of being dropped on his head as a baby.

Elk are listed as a non-game animal in Texas.

To hunt anything in Texas, you must have a simple hunting license. But no further fees or tags are required. No draws either...

Fee to hunt the elk in this thread is about 15 times more than what a non resident would pay in Idaho, and about 170 times more than a resident.

Living in a free country has it's benefits.

You certainly aren't forced to go.

And the landowner isn't forced to let you trespass on his land, and kill stuff.

But to be fair, this is a guided hunt with lodging and meals included.

What does a multi-day guided elk hunt in Idaho, on private land, with lodging and meals cost?

Yep, here we're free to make a choice, there you pay or don't play.

And on 6x6 bull elk probably 85% more successful.

I have neighbors in Idaho that have killed same for the cost of a tag, gas and food. Of course they we hunting where nothing was guaranteed.

So.

Again.

What does a guided hunt on private land with meals included for several days cost?

No answer?

Whoosh!

And the choice in texas is?

there is public land open to hunting in that part of the state but its pretty much draw only there like a lot of other western states.

Here's a list of the draw hunts for this year, including aoudad, oryx, axis, gemsbock and waterbuck. I believe the Devils' River unit is one of the one's that hold elk. $3 for the drawing application and $130 for the tag if drawn.

https://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntw...ing/hunt-category-details.phtml?OCat=EXO


[edited because left referenced link off the first time]

Nice bulls Mike I always like your posts!

Walt & 700LH not so much...

No one on this end GAF if anyone likes it or not.
I have hunted and shot elk on public land, on private land. Have worked and spent plenty of time on ranches and private land that had elk there. Said critters were free to travel from Canada to Mexico if they so desired, but to try and say these hunts are truly free range is about as truthful as the Clinton campaign. I know a little about killing critters in that kinda situation.
Then again maybe that is how you guys see it in Texas, just don't expect everyone to swallow that BS.

BTW if I wanna go shoot a trophy elk and pay several thousand dollars all I gotta do is pay the bucks, drive about a hour and do it. There is even have a cabin for me to stay in if I want.. Then I can have it mounted, put on my wall and tell folks what a great hunter I am,,, just look everbody at the elk I kilt.
Gimmie a [bleep] break

Just a quick google,the prices are $4000 up to $9000 for a guided(1 guide-2 hunters) elk/deer hunt in Idaho. That was just two outfitters I looked at.

700lh:

How are the ones OP put up not free range? Unless you consider bob wire a high fence

Are those Texas elk eligible for the Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett book?

Why would they not be? Elk are native to Texas and these elk are free to roam all the way to Wa. state.

Of course they have more sense than to do it.

They are not as tame as the elk I've seen in Eastern Montana while deer hunting and those are eligible.

You don't "know" jack schidt.

The elk out in west Texas are indeed free range.

Elk were all but non-existent in southern NM years ago. They transplanted a good number of elk into the Lincoln Natl. Forest and the Mescalero Apache reservation.

These elk range in the Sacrameto Mtns. now. As populations increased and food and habitat decreased, the elk moved along the mountain range to the south, following the Brokoffs, and into Texas.

If they moved 2-300 miles, it seems to fit the definition of "free range" to me.

They used to come through parts of our west Texas ranch as well. I damn sure didn't fence them in or out.

Probably how he "knows" dimascraps aren't after our guns.

pay per hunt $7500 elk, yep, free range.

Ol' Mannlicher has a thread about Nebraska "wild rice".
HA! "Fenced in" rice since the day it sprouted. SOB!

I don't know if their listing as a non game animal in Texas would preclude their entry into B&C.

I have no doubt that Texas elk are bigger, wilder, smarter, more spooky and all around greater in every way when compared to elk from anywhere else in this nation. They're probably damn near impossible to kill unless you're a Texan with a .300 Ultra Mag.

In order to be eligible for Boone and Crockett, the state the animal is killed in must have issued a tag for the animal.

In the case of elk in Texas, they don't. So, it wouldn't be eligible.

Color me ignorant, I never knew Texas had elk. Do you know why the state decided to list them as exotics rather than as a standard game animal?

Because they aren't considered native game for purposes of management.

Yeah wild elk.

Right.

I bet.

Hmph.

That's what I was wondering. Thanks for the info Rockin.

A tag? Some states don't even have a tag system for deer. MS and AL come to mind.

You buy a license to hunt the animal?

What's the problem? why are some people pissed off because Texas, has free range elk? How many of you elk experts have ever been in West Texas? Rio7

From the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, which is the agency that regulates hunting.

Distribution
Historical evidence indicates that elk may have been present over much of Texas. By the late 1800’s, records indicate that elk were only present in the Guadalupe Mountains of far west Texas. Currently, free ranging elk exist over a large portion of west Texas and on high fence ranches throughout the state.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/elk/

Oh that simply isn't possible.

700LH told us it wasn't.

Very nice bulls for sure! Congrats.

And...

Don't ever [bleep] with Texas, Texans, or anything Texas related for that matter. LOL. And trust me I know. I've lived there, and, my girlfriend is a native.

Sounds like a cool part of the state to visit.

Lemme guess, if it were FREE you'd come running and brag afterwards about that fine Texas hospitality and FREE RANGE ELK? Why should a land owner give FREE hunts for any wildlife on his land??

The more elk in Texas the better, high fence or not IMO. I love elk. Elk transplant success stories are some of the best ones in American game management. How many more folks can listen to elk bugles now that were not there when they were kids?

Guess I'm kinda partial. Nice bulls, btw.

Google fu "high fence idaho elk hunts". Safe to say both states have both free range and high fence stuff when it's all said and done.

Seeing free range elk in TX is just plain cool...one has to think these things are adaptable and survivors.

Well said!!!

I reckon because it ain't Texas mindset.
Over the years I have taken game from birds to elk on maybe hundreds of private lands, and NEVER, NOT ONCE was an exchange of money EVER so much as mentioned.
It is either posted no hunting, permission not given, or it's FREE,
You people have a very screwed up perception of hunting game, that the public owns.

Texas is so close to what Africa has become, high dollars and clue less, Pictures and braggarts, hunting is so much more.

We really need to think a lot more about our sport, and a whole lot more about our lands and our kids.

In Texas, killing some game animals on private land without permission is a felony with hunting and fishing rights revoked automatically.

Tell us dumb ass Texas people how wonderful, South Peyton Place is. Rio7

Here's the LAW in Texas:

It is against the law to:

•Hunt an exotic without a valid hunting license.
•Hunt an exotic on a public road or right-of-way.
•Hunt an exotic without the landowner's permission.
•Possess an exotic or the carcass of an exotic without the owner's consent.

Penalty: A person who violates these laws commits an offense. Hunting exotic wildlife without a license is a Class C misdemeanor ($25-$500 fine). The remaining listed offenses are Class A misdemeanors ($500-$4,000 and/or up to one year in jail).

http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/nongame-and-other-species

The landowners with elk are not obligated to let strangers trespass on their ranch (posted or not) and the landowners are legally entitled to charge the going rate for elk.

Butt hurt really?

Is Texas any different than Africa?

Its all pay to play, and the rich pay and the rest......

If you were lucky enough to have a grand father who scratched out a living trying to keep his cows alive where rabbits died,right up until the oil wells hit, well then lucky you.
But never brag about hunting in a place that damn few will ever get a chance, simply because of their name, or their income.

no, i never pay to hunt, unless i choose too.

Jimy, Go cry some where else, you don't have a clue what it takes to ranch in Texas, or any where else, no oil wells here, just hard work. Rio7

Sounds like your own personal problem to me. Some love hunting here, some do not. Take your pick. I'd bet the majority of folks who whine about it, or make assumptions, have never been down here.

Yes, in MS and AL you buy a hunting license, but you don't get tags.

I made enough of a living to get the fu~ek out of there.

There are places in America that even have trees, trees that a man can't see over the top of, meadows with water and beavers, and the craziest thing of all is the birds, some of the birds float on those big pools of water, water that team with fish, that a man can actually eat, and forest that are free for any man to hunt or lakes to fish, America is a great place.

Oh I miss Texas, no really I do...... I can't stop laughing as I type that, its like missing a bad some thing......I can't think of what it is that I miss, maybe thats why I have never been back.

I spent the day outside and saw nary one Mexican, how hard is that to believe?
It is nice to know some one likes Texas, hopefully enough to take it back form the Mexicans at least one more time.

Well nice elk. I don't know about fences and such! Pay to hunt happens everywhere!

It does seem strange to those of us in states with big expanses of public land that almost everything is private land in Texas. But probably fair to say that the best hunting in every state is likely on private land.

I wish my cattle ranching great grandfathers and uncles had held on to their place in the mountains in southern CA but they didn't. We still have a small place and I always had better opportunities than public land hunters so hard to complain. I have let friends and brand new hunters or kids hunt the family place for deer and the place I live on for turkey and never charged a dime, but never allowed or invited any jackasses either.

I can hunt elk on public land in CO for about 1/4 the cost of west Texas and by putting in the extra miles and packing them out boned instead of whole from a couple miles in have better than 80% success on killing at least one elk, cows are very tasty and make a nice consolidation prize if you don't get a bull. For $25K I can hunt/kill a bull not in high fence but pretty much contained a couple of hours away that I'm sure is similar to the West Texas hunt except it still has very rugged terrain.

I don't think that I would ever kill an elk in a petting zoo high fence operation but when I can't climb the hills any more a flat ground hunt in Texas would be an OK option as would some in the other states where Ranch elk are hunted. Heck the same herd we bust our ass to hunt can be hunted from flat ground guided if you write a check for $5K but then I'd have to deal with a rancher who I know is a complete jackass.

I've hunted a fair amount in Texas, and also public lands in California. Saw some wonderful country in California; only managed one mule deer while I was there. A couple different times I was in a "premium X" zone, and was covered up in other hunters.

One year I'd drawn a good zone, scouted it hard, and hiked in a good distance to a meadow with lots of feed and deer sign. I got into it on opening morning, well before dark. I nearly stepped on a another hunter walking in, then got in position. As the sun came up on this premium zone, I was at the edge of the meadow ~300 yards in diameter. There were eight orange spots around the meadow, of guys who had the same idea.

I'm sure I'll do western hunts again, but the private land stuff is a lot less frustrating.

Because Texas is largely private land, people tend to make this sort of discussion about "Texas".

In reality, it's about private land. No matter where it is.

No matter what state it's in, if someone with private land has good hunting, they charge a fee.

It's just the way things roll.

Just because the public owns big game animals doesn't mean any landowner needs to let you on his land for free.

We miss you too!


specneeds.....have you ever been to the "flat ground" called the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas?

There are a few elk on our place in Burnet Texas. I'm sure they are escapee's from high fenced area during a flood. They come and go as they please. We have s low fence. Its cool to see them.

Same in South Llano county on Cedar Mountain. Result of 2005 flood.

Very nice animals Mulie Mike.

Somewhere in Alaska an idiot is sighing the sighs of relief after opening his piehole.

I lived in beautiful downtown Odessa, and worked and "hunted all over west Texas.
Worked the gas plant in Hobbs N.M. and Monahanns fields.
I have some great friends down there, but no desire to ever go back.

Glad to see this thread is not in the Elk Hunting section of the forum……..is there a reason…just asking?

I was invited by a friend once to whitetail hunt with him in Texas on a high fenced ranch. I remember riding the ATV to the shooting hut and climbing the ladder so we had a great view of the feeders. (Don’t know why they hadn’t installed elevators.) And by the way…….the hut was very comfortable with very comfortable chairs. I remember waiting until dawn when the bucks started appearing a few yards away under the feeders…nice big bucks. I didn’t pull the trigger…just wasn’t right for me. I have no problem with my friend who killed a nice buck that morning and was happy for him. Different strokes for different folks and I will not criticize those individuals who enjoy this type of hunting.

After reading through all of this thread I decided to Google Elk Hunting in Texas. Man there are some huge elk killed in Texas. I saw one site where they classified the bulls as Record Book 400-425, Monster Elk 376-399, Trophy Elk 350-349 and the lowly Colorado Elk 300-349……….priced accordingly. Accommodations were outstanding with gourmet meals included!

Another ranch offered kangaroo hunts……don’t know how they are scored…but may put it on my bucket list……….nah!

Maybe some of us judge Texas hunting….fair or not……by these things we read and hear about hunting in Texas. I am glad there are free ranging elk in Texas and hope they will continue to flourish as they are in other states…from Pennsylvania to Arkansas.

According to the Manager of the large ranch mentioned earlier, and possibly one you reference, over 80% of their elk hunts and mule deer hunts are sold to out of state hunters.

And, s far as high fence deer hunting in Texas, the majority of high fencing is done by guys wanting to allow bucks to live long enough to produce decent racks and they are not for client hunters.

Of the commercial high fence hunting places, I'll bet the majority of their clients are from out of state.

I will say Texas has some fantastic quail and dove hunting, the kind of things that can't be fenced in.

That isn't my style either Hunt41Ram, FWIW.

There ya have it... explains a lot about Walt & 700LH.

They're socialists.

Private property shouldn't be only for those fat rich bastards who can afford it; they need to share.

My son and I were hunting public land one year and came to the back of the chubk where the line was posted. He got PISSED and indignant but when I asked him how he'd feel if someone cut through our yard to get to the street behind us, or how he'd feel if someone started shooting squirrels in our yard w/o permission he got it.

You own the land you get to say who is on it. I've met many generous enough to share and done business with many who make part of their living selling access, and never balked at either nor have I ever figured the former made the latter look bad.

Freedom isn't convenient and you're always gonna have some a$$clown like Walt or 700LH or Black Lives Matter welfare recipients b!tching even as they maintain rights to privacy on their own land.

No land owner has an obligation to let anyone on their property, with one caveat. If public lands are encircled by private property I believe easement should be granted to the public land. Whether by cooperative agreement, purchase of easement rights or eminent domain as a last option. I don't see how public land is public if the public has NO access to it. I know that isn't the case in tejas since they don't have nor believe in public land.

As far as high fence hunting, if it's legal and someone wants to hunt that way they should. It's not for everyone, I've not done it but that's what makes this country special, options.

As usual you missed it completely, did you miss the part about public owned critters, has not one thing to do with personal property rights.

GFY,

I will bet that the same is true for Colorado Private Ranch hunts……..80% or so are non-residents. I don’t have any issues with the ranchers making a living anyway they can off their property……..whether raising cattle, corn or exotic animals to hunt.

We get a large number of NR elk hunters in Colorado each Fall. Some good and some not so good hunters. A few give up and say it’s too difficult or there are no elk and opt for the higher odds of a private ranch hunt. It’s their choice and glad there are all the options out there.

I am fortunate to live in Colorado and have horses to access difficult spots. I can also ride the country during the summer months ahead of season. I pack into the West Elk Wilderness every year and there is a group from Texas that I always see at the same trailhead. They trailer their horses up and pack into the same general area I go. Great guys that work and hunt hard……..and usually have as much success as my camp.

And I am sure the apology to the OP is coming from NWA

So it's ok if I come to your house and shoot the publicly owned game that resides there?

Didn't think so...

Sure bring a tent, you can camp in the front yard, squirrels in the big maple are a PIA anyway.