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Posted: 12/21/2015 2:47:38 PM EDT
Anyone have any suggestions ? I can save up and spend about $1000 total for an elk hunt including tags, gas, and food
Public lands etc Thanks in advance |
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[#1]
Check into the Custer Nat Forest in southeast Montana.............
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[#2]
I hunted Idaho this year. I think the tag was $300. That's probably the least expensive for a non-resident tag I've seen.
Plenty of national forests, so just camp out of your pickup. Good luck! |
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[#3]
Rifle or ? .....bull or cow?
You might be able to pull it off. Costs go down when you can find a decent friend or two. I give up on hunting partners, so I go solo anymore. |
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[#4]
It can be done if you plan it out. We do a trip from MS once a year out west. Splitting the gas 2 or 3 ways helps a lot. We also have our own camping gear so we save a lot of money on hotels. Colorado has over the counter tags for archery in a lot of units. One of their rifle seasons is an OTC tag as well. An elk tag is around $600-625 if I remember correctly. We hunt only public land.
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[#5]
All my elk come off public land. You need to go at least once, but you might get hooked for life. I'm fucked, it's all I like to do anymore.
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[#6]
Quoted:
Rifle or ? .....bull or cow? You might be able to pull it off. Costs go down when you can find a decent friend or two. I give up on hunting partners, so I go solo anymore. View Quote Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? |
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[#7]
Quoted:
Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Rifle or ? .....bull or cow? You might be able to pull it off. Costs go down when you can find a decent friend or two. I give up on hunting partners, so I go solo anymore. Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? Really hard to find good hunting partners, I had a couple, but one guy gave up cause it was too much work and one is still a good partner, but he only wants to rifle hunt and I started bow a couple years ago. Bow season is 4 weeks, and I am pretty well retired at 57. I like the weather much better in September , I set up a small wall tent 2 hrs from the house and leave it all month. Come home once a week. you might be better off solo. Just do not shoot an elk where you can't get it out alone . Lots of work to put on an elk hunt, most guys just don't want to work or pay their way. I get pissed when they want to leave a day or two early. They do not go with me again after that. |
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[#8]
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Really hard to find good hunting partners, I had a couple, but one guy gave up cause it was too much work and one is still a good partner, but he only wants to rifle hunt and I started bow a couple years ago. Bow season is 4 weeks, and I am pretty well retired at 57. I like the weather much better in September , I set up a small wall tent 2 hrs from the house and leave it all month. Come home once a week. you might be better off solo. Just do not shoot an elk where you can't get it out alone . Lots of work to put on an elk hunt, most guys just don't want to work or pay their way. I get pissed when they want to leave a day or two early. They do not go with me again after that. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Rifle or ? .....bull or cow? You might be able to pull it off. Costs go down when you can find a decent friend or two. I give up on hunting partners, so I go solo anymore. Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? Really hard to find good hunting partners, I had a couple, but one guy gave up cause it was too much work and one is still a good partner, but he only wants to rifle hunt and I started bow a couple years ago. Bow season is 4 weeks, and I am pretty well retired at 57. I like the weather much better in September , I set up a small wall tent 2 hrs from the house and leave it all month. Come home once a week. you might be better off solo. Just do not shoot an elk where you can't get it out alone . Lots of work to put on an elk hunt, most guys just don't want to work or pay their way. I get pissed when they want to leave a day or two early. They do not go with me again after that. True, I am 34 and most of my hunting buddies are your age. But yes I will make sure take couple of guys who are up to the game. |
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[#9]
Check out the Rokslide forums. It is a website mainly comprised of DIY western hunters. You can pick up a lot of information from there. There is a ton of stuff to learn on that site if you take the time to search and read.
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[#10]
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Check out the Rokslide forums. It is a website mainly comprised of DIY western hunters. You can pick up a lot of information from there. There is a ton of stuff to learn on that site if you take the time to search and read. View Quote That's a pretty good site, I'll be spending some time there. |
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[#11]
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That's a pretty good site, I'll be spending some time there. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Check out the Rokslide forums. It is a website mainly comprised of DIY western hunters. You can pick up a lot of information from there. There is a ton of stuff to learn on that site if you take the time to search and read. That's a pretty good site, I'll be spending some time there. On to it |
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[#12]
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Check out the Rokslide forums. It is a website mainly comprised of DIY western hunters. You can pick up a lot of information from there. There is a ton of stuff to learn on that site if you take the time to search and read. That's a pretty good site, I'll be spending some time there. On to it Their classifieds will cost you money. You will see things on there you absolutely need that you never thought you would use. I now own a $700 backpack thanks to that site. |
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[#13]
I got ya. I see what i did after joining arfcom. Learned a new rule 2 is 1 and 1 is none.
Lol |
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[#15]
The SW corner of CO has some nice elk hunting. Almost all public land.
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[#16]
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The SW corner of CO has some nice elk hunting. Almost all public land. View Quote How far south are we talking? I drove through the 4 corners area on my way to Idaho, and the place looked pretty barren. I imagine it would get better if we went a little further east and closer to the mountains. Also, can you but OTC tags in that area? I assumed most of them were draw units. |
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[#17]
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How far south are we talking? I drove through the 4 corners area on my way to Idaho, and the place looked pretty barren. I imagine it would get better if we went a little further east and closer to the mountains. Also, can you but OTC tags in that area? I assumed most of them were draw units. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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The SW corner of CO has some nice elk hunting. Almost all public land. How far south are we talking? I drove through the 4 corners area on my way to Idaho, and the place looked pretty barren. I imagine it would get better if we went a little further east and closer to the mountains. Also, can you but OTC tags in that area? I assumed most of them were draw units. Durango, Bayfield and Pagosa springs area. Mostly OTC tags there. |
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[#18]
If you are up for camping in the national forest you can keep an Elk hunt in Colorado in the $1500 range including $650 for the tag as a non resident. Figure $300 for gas, $250 hotels on the drive, $250 for the butcher. If you go with a group it will split up the gas and hotel costs but you have to budget for getting one. Also need a taxidermy budget which will be at least $50 for an antler mount.
Draw entry deadline is early April. You have a fair chance to draw in a lot of good areas with no points for first rifle and archery. If you put in for a preference point this spring you will draw for several good areas in 2017. I have had good luck in unit 4 and have friends that like 24 in the flat tops wilderness area (need several strong backs or horses for this unit as the elk are several miles in and you need to have a plan to pack 200 lbs of boneless meat out) An over simplified hunting stately is to find a high mountain in the national forest and hunt the contour lines. If elk are in the area it will be real obvious since they are a herd animal and the dry mountain air makes fresh scat obvious. The further from. The road the better as not many will go very far. |
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[#19]
Driving from DFW i would prefer something in south Colorado which would be the closest. Anyone has idea on public land over there I found the following units over that region
83, 85, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142 |
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[#20]
Cost me about right at $1000 this year for a colorado bull hunt gas food tag ect its a 1000 miles from my door to my elk camp thats splitting the fuel with one guy driving my powerstroke
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[#21]
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Driving from DFW i would prefer something in south Colorado which would be the closest. Anyone has idea on public land over there I found the following units over that region 83, 85, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142 View Quote Their website is not loading, but I'm thinking unit 751 and 75 are the ones I used to hunt. Between Bayfield and vallecito res. and missionary ridge. 30 miles out of Durango |
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[#22]
I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas
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[#23]
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[#24]
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I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas I can help with that! do you mean the butchering and transport? |
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[#25]
Quoted: do you mean the butchering and transport? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas I can help with that! do you mean the butchering and transport? |
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[#26]
$1000 is about the rock bottom for a bull elk, but can be done. The tag itself is $600ish.
Your chances of getting one are somewhere between 0-20% (you can stare at unit's success rates all day until you go insane), but can increase that if you backpack hunt and get away from the vehicle hunters. |
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[#27]
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[#28]
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$1000 is about the rock bottom for a bull elk, but can be done. The tag itself is $600ish. Your chances of getting one are somewhere between 0-20% (you can stare at unit's success rates all day until you go insane), but can increase that if you backpack hunt and get away from the vehicle hunters. View Quote Thats the plan my friend. go out there and away from vehicle hunters who stay on tracks or close to roads. |
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[#29]
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How do u plan to do it ? I can tag along for experience I guess View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas How do u plan to do it ? I can tag along for experience I guess shot 4 elk... 2 of us flew back to DFW, the other 2 had driven to CO so they could haul all the meat in a refrigerated trailer back to north TX for our a local processor |
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[#30]
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shot 4 elk... 2 of us flew back to DFW, the other 2 had driven to CO so they could haul all the meat in a refrigerated trailer back to north TX for our a local processor View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas How do u plan to do it ? I can tag along for experience I guess shot 4 elk... 2 of us flew back to DFW, the other 2 had driven to CO so they could haul all the meat in a refrigerated trailer back to north TX for our a local processor Refrigerated trailer is a really good idea. Was it rental or your own ? $$ ? |
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[#31]
Quoted:
Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Rifle or ? .....bull or cow? You might be able to pull it off. Costs go down when you can find a decent friend or two. I give up on hunting partners, so I go solo anymore. Rifle, and bull. Over the years I am really getting weary about taking people on hunt, most are lazy and have a deserve mentality. Not to mention not even willing to split the gas cost for the road trip ? You shit an AZ tag, I'll go with you. |
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[#32]
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Refrigerated trailer is a really good idea. Was it rental or your own ? $$ ? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I am flying from DFW to Grand Junction this weekend to fill up to a dozen cow elk tags on private land... it could turn pricey getting lots of elk meat butchered and hauled back to north Texas How do u plan to do it ? I can tag along for experience I guess shot 4 elk... 2 of us flew back to DFW, the other 2 had driven to CO so they could haul all the meat in a refrigerated trailer back to north TX for our a local processor Refrigerated trailer is a really good idea. Was it rental or your own ? $$ ? my buddy's trailer |
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[#33]
I had been looking for an article Randy Newberg wrote for RMEF. It is about planning an elk hunt on a budget. I found the link to it. Here you go:
http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/Before/PlanforGrand.aspx |
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[#34]
Biggest obstacle is going to be finding them second is being in good enough shape to get them back out. Being a flat lander I really had no Idea what I was getting into my first trip
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[#35]
Quoted:
Biggest obstacle is going to be finding them second is being in good enough shape to get them back out. Being a flat lander I really had no Idea what I was getting into my first trip View Quote I have had elk I could have killed, that got a pass, since they would have needed to be carried out of a drainage 1200' up. I quit hunting places like that, even tho a lot of animals are in there. |
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[#36]
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I have had elk I could have killed, that got a pass, since they would have needed to be carried out of a drainage 1200' up. I quit hunting places like that, even tho a lot of animals are in there. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Biggest obstacle is going to be finding them second is being in good enough shape to get them back out. Being a flat lander I really had no Idea what I was getting into my first trip I have had elk I could have killed, that got a pass, since they would have needed to be carried out of a drainage 1200' up. I quit hunting places like that, even tho a lot of animals are in there. Ive shot one I really regretted what it didn't run down it rolled down but in the end of the day me and a buddy had it packed out and if givin the chance Id kill another there |
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[#37]
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Biggest obstacle is going to be finding them second is being in good enough shape to get them back out. Being a flat lander I really had no Idea what I was getting into my first trip View Quote This. Colorado is tough with the higher elevation. I live at 9200ft in the mountains and it's still hard hiking the steep crap. Most people don't get away from roads/people enough and/or aren't looking in the right place for the season. Elk aren't like whitetail deer which stay relatively in the same general area their whole lives. Elk can migrate miles overnight into a totally separate drainage. Be prepared to hike, glass and search for fresh sign just to get yourself in the right areas. |
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[#38]
Quoted:
$1000 is about the rock bottom for a bull elk, but can be done. The tag itself is $600ish. Your chances of getting one are somewhere between 0-20% (you can stare at unit's success rates all day until you go insane), but can increase that if you backpack hunt and get away from the vehicle hunters. View Quote success rate is a crap shoot. It all depends on the effort you put in getting yourself to an area where they are feeding/bedding. If you plan on driving roads and puttin around on an ATV all day your success rate will be close to 0%. In CO the "easy" private land/ranch hunts can throw off the success rates. |
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[#39]
Quoted:
$1000 is about the rock bottom for a bull elk, but can be done. The tag itself is $600ish. Your chances of getting one are somewhere between 0-20% (you can stare at unit's success rates all day until you go insane), but can increase that if you backpack hunt and get away from the vehicle hunters. View Quote This. We drive from NY and it takes a while! We drive straight only stopping for fuel, food, and the bathroom. We backpack as far in as we can and tent camp. We use hauler packs and its hard work but can be rewarding. 4 of us go together... In 2014 one guy in our party got a really nice bull elk. It was a lot of work and we did a combination of still hunts and stalking. I was able to get a small mule deer in 2014 as well. In 2015 my father bagged a slammer mule, and I saw plenty, but didn't have a tag. It can get expensive quick trying to get an elk and mule tag, then drive from NY. I think we are going to try our hand at bow season in 2017. The elk seem to move like ghosts during 2nd rifle season. |
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[#40]
Anyone can give me a clue on what unit or what part of southern CO should I head or is there anyone who I should call to get some kind of general direction.
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[#41]
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[#42]
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Anyone can give me a clue on what unit or what part of southern CO should I head or is there anyone who I should call to get some kind of general direction. View Quote I haven't hunted there for a few years, but beaver meadows rd. Between pagosa spgs and bayfield on hwy 160 head N on beaver meadows, go in at least 4-5 miles. Lots of camp spots in there. Elk too. |
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[#43]
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Anyone can give me a clue on what unit or what part of southern CO should I head or is there anyone who I should call to get some kind of general direction. Outfitter or self guided hunt? Self guided sir |
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[#44]
Did you apply for a tag, going with OTC bull, or waiting for leftover list?
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[#45]
Very cool thread, this is something I would like to do as well. There was an article about this very thing a few months ago in recoil magazine, it opened my eyes to how affordable it could be.
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[#46]
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[#47]
I remember the first year I went elk hunting, I met up with two guys I deer hunted with in the past. We all split the money for buying the tent, and food, and tags weren't near as expensive either back then. I was already used to hunting vast public lands in rugged country where they hunted small tracts of private land, so I was ready to pound the mountains the first day. Only one of us had 4wd, so I was restricted to where they went(never again). Took 2 days for them to want to venture out after seeing no elk, and once we did, I hiked back a good long ways and came into elk. Couldn't get a shot before they bolted on me(they nearly ran over me) meanwhile my partners wandered around the truck, only getting about 500 yards away. I must have scared them, because they never wanted to go back to the same area again. That was the last time I wasted my time hunting with them, and have never gotten to use my share of the tent since. They do come out and hunt every couple of years, but they never look me up. Only reason to take dead weight partners with you, is for someone to call for help when you get hurt. If you can rely on them that is.
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[#48]
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[#49]
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$300 for a Bull Elk tag??? Man, I may consider looking into this. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I hunted Idaho this year. I think the tag was $300. That's probably the least expensive for a non-resident tag I've seen. Plenty of national forests, so just camp out of your pickup. Good luck! $300 for a Bull Elk tag??? Man, I may consider looking into this. looks like its just over $400 as of 2015 http://www.petersenshunting.com/big-game/elk/the-nonresidents-guide-to-planning-an-elk-hunt/ Some states require a guide for non residence. |
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[#50]
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looks like its just over $400 as of 2015 http://www.petersenshunting.com/big-game/elk/the-nonresidents-guide-to-planning-an-elk-hunt/ Some states require a guide for non residence. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I hunted Idaho this year. I think the tag was $300. That's probably the least expensive for a non-resident tag I've seen. Plenty of national forests, so just camp out of your pickup. Good luck! $300 for a Bull Elk tag??? Man, I may consider looking into this. looks like its just over $400 as of 2015 http://www.petersenshunting.com/big-game/elk/the-nonresidents-guide-to-planning-an-elk-hunt/ Some states require a guide for non residence. I wouldn't do it if I had to get an outfitter. I will never use a guide/outfitter. Ill stick with my AZ Bull tag this yr then I am a big backpacking hunter and have slayed 5 elk out of 6 tags cause of it. I won't lie tho, you can't get into the deep country light hearted. I have gone through 4 hunting buddies between AZ Elk and AZ Couse Deer cause the hiking in the canyons and hauling game out is just to much. I love the challenge and will do it as long as I can. Luckily at 27 years old, I have lots of hunts ahead of me that I can still do this for. If you want cheap, go with bare minimal that you need to get by and butcher your elk on your own. Tag in AZ for resident is $148. I can easily hunt in state for under 400 bucks if I do everything myself including gas and food. I tent camp and cook everything at home so I only have to thaw it out in the field. I always bring extra food and water. Plus I have my celebration meals as well. Ill eat steak, eggs, and pancakes the morning after a kill. I bring the fixings for good stuff back at the HQ. If you have to purchase a bow or rifle still, you will be well over 1k for a hunt. I acquired my gear over the years of hunting so I don't include that into the cost. Another thing is scouting, I didn't include that into the price either. I usually scout 6-8 times before the hunt. Out of state hunt, I guess I wouldn't scout sense I wouldn't have the cash. Working for the state, I don't make very much money. Even with 400 bucks, I come home with extra money. I always bring cash cause you never know when you bust a tire and have to get a tire from a town shop with no credit card reader. So roughly 250 bucks is what I use for gas and food. Usually bring some cash home. |
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