Just a Texas boy that has enjoyed hunting deer and hogs but has long wanted to go on a great elk hunt.  But where to start? I am not the biggest fan of elk hunts in Texas behind high game fences. I am looking for more of the experience then guaranteed success. 

So where to start looking? Utah, Montana, Oregon, Colorado? Is one state better than others on the ability for non-residents to draw an elk tag? 

Whats a realistic budget to expect for a decent elk outfitter? Looking online, some packages range from $4k to $10k and up.

Ideally I would love to hike into a mountainous area with a long range rifle and guide.  Primitive camp for 4-5 days and hopefully pack out any animal I take.  But I am unsure how realistic this is. 

I am in decent shape but plan to start hitting the stair master with a weighted pack to slowly start conditioning myself.  

Sounds like you need to listen to what @DVCER will have to say.  I'm pretty sure that's how he hunts.

Buy a guided hunt on the Jicarilla Reservation. Some of the best elk hunting available.

Colorado has some good hunting, the best public access units, with the bigger animals and fewest hunters will take you years to draw here, and you are too late for applying this year.
If you are still young enough, start applying next year and in 12-20 years you might have enough points to draw a great unit.

While we are waiting to get enough points to draw a limited tag, we usually hunt an OTC/over the counter/ unit.  That is most of the state, and rifle seasons are packed there with hunters within a mile of any trail or road.

If you are willing to spend the coin, and 5 k for 5 days is pretty typical I think, you can hunt some good country without the wait.  Lots of the state in OTC tag areas has miles of great public land that is mostly only accessible thru private land.  Often an outfitter will have that access.  

I've never hunted like that, but I think they all use horses to get you back there.  The horse would be nice when you look at packing all that meat out.   Packing meat in a ruck is not to be taken lightly, you could be taking days to get it out solo.

Go over to the rokslide forum too, lots of good info there.

Ideally I would love to hike into a mountainous area with a long range rifle and guide.  Primitive camp for 4-5 days and hopefully pack out any animal I take.  But I am unsure how realistic this is.  

This part, I'm not sure about.  Those guys love their horses, and usually they shuttle in a group of hunters on horseback to a remote campsite that is already set up, and hunt from there.  They leave early in the AM, haul you on horseback to some ground blind and leave you there with a sandwich and tell you to watch for elk coming out of the timber.

Find some buddies, read some books and articles about elk and hunting them, plan plan and plan your trip, go hunting unguided chasing elk and have the time of your life!  This is what I did about 8 years ago and return every year.  Never been on a guided trip and always hunt on public lands.  I am sure there is tons I still dont know but I have learned so much along the way and every year has been a new adventure.  Each year we would upgrade our plans, gear, approach, etc.

New Mexico has some giant elk. 

If you want guided, call Cathy Cranney at rawhideoutfitters.com  The website is a mess, but they are the best guides in Salmon, ID....Elk hunting on the Continental Divide at its finest.

Thanks for all the replies.  I will start reading up on all the suggestions. If you guys think of more info feel free to add 

I too am looking into elk hunting (Kentucky) for next year but with archery equipment. Aside from the miles on your boots, I don't think it will be that bad and you will have a better chance at a tag if you go with archery for a cow, at least that's what I am looking at.

Let me know if you want to go on a Kentucky hunt for elk or black bear in WV I may be able to swing something for you.

Like I said, I have never done a guided hunt.  But I ran into some hunters who were dropped at ground blinds at first light, and said the guides usually came around mid day to check up and then picked them up at dark.  For only 5k that could be you.

I would really try and find a friend or 3 and diy.

I bet a hunt like you are wanting would be 10k.

DIY is the way to go for most people, even if I had an extra $5k I would spend it on gear and still not use a guide. I'm not totally against it, its just something I won't do as its not for me.

Grit your teeth and start down the learning curve. A guided hunt would pay for an awful lot of nice equipment.

YouTube has some nice videos and podcasts on elk hunting. Just have to look around.

1. Read a lot about an area you want to hunt in.
2. Expect three times more people than the internet says.
3. Just do it! Elk success is low already.

Most hunters enjoy the art of hunting more than the act of killing. Enjoy the hiking, the freedom and the fresh air above everything else. Bagging an elk is special. Every single time in fact. It isnt any different than anything else you want to be good at. Just get started and expect some moderately expensive hiking trips for a year or two. Above all, dont expect a record bull...ever. Always have a cow tag in reserve just in case, they taste better anyways.

Edited to add... I wrote this the way I did to let you know you dont need a guide. WAY too expensive and it isnt the same experience.

Nothing to add, but definitely thinking along the same road and planning to scrape together a DYI hunt.  I'm hoping I can find 2-3 guys that will jump in the truck with me and drive over there for a week.  Can you guys give a recommendation on which state has the easiest access to land/tags for out of staters?  As silly as it sounds, the scenery is very important to me as well.  I'd much prefer hunting mountains with ponds and streams than arid hills and plains.  

More this:


than this:

OP, I would recommend getting a few people together and doing a diy hunt if you just want the experience. Guided hunts certainly have their place but I've always had the best experiences with a small group doing it diy. IF you bag something far from the road and by yourself, you're going to have a tough time quartering it and then packing out an elk by yourself. If you do it diy, consider having some information on hand for a local outfitter that you can hire to pack it out by horse.

There's so many options you can do as far as where to go as far as state, unit, etc. or place to camp that it would be hard to recommend something for you. Where would you like to go? I've had experience in the middle parts of Idaho and also the palisades zones of Idaho/Wyoming, others here can probably help you with other state recommendations.

Tag for info as well

I believe that Elk is almost always a lottery/draw system. The draw deadline here was in April.

I think the only exception is Bull Elk tags in Colorado are over the counter.  It's about $550 for an out of state tag the last time I checked. You must have proof of hunters safety.

Chances of a successfull hunt are slim without a guide or someone in your group who knows where the Elk are. Elk are much harder to find and stalk than deer. You will rarely find them in the open, during daylight, in public land, during hunting season.

No matter where you go, you need the right gear and to be prepared for rapid weather changes. Fall in the Rockies can get a few feet of snow pretty easy... On the same hunt where it was 75 degrees a few hours or days earlier.

It is a great excuse to get away, get outdoors, walk around with a rifle and see some beautiful country.

Check out the Gritty Bowmen podcast and Rokslide.

You have two options.
1. Go with an outfitter. You'll pay a lot more, but you'll have higher success as a beginner. Learn as much as you can while you're there, and use that info for the future.
2. DIY. Your success rates will be miserable for the first few attempts, just think of it as paying your dues. Eventually you will get on an animal.

I grew up with a casual hunter for a father, so I tagged along for a few western hunts as a kid. When I decided to get serious, I saved up and went with an outfitter and looked at it as a chance to soak up some knowledge. I've killed 3 cows and a bull on DIY public land hunts since then.

The best part of DIY hunting is that I hunt an average of 2-3 elk/antelope/deer/bear per year for the same price as one guided trip. Even with gas from Georgia, I'm still ahead.

Gritty bowmen is a great resource for the how once you get a tag.

For info on how to get that tag, find an area etc etc it's hard to beat the info Randy newberg has put together on his YouTube channel.  Also consider the Elk101 online course from Corey Jacobsen.  For someone in your position it's probobly more than worth the $99.

I know firsthand that there are landowner tags in NM for example that go unused and unadvertised on ranches where hunting is not a priority.  I suggest trying to get in contact with ranch formans in smaller towns if that is a route you might want to try.

I know of some private landowner cow elk tags being offered through the outfitter I usually hunt with.  Private landowner tags are the only cow tags available to out of state and will totally fill your freezer.  Success rate on these, if you can shoot 400 yards, is near 100%.  Guided is in the $2200 range or fully outfitted (guide provides RV camping, food, etc) is in the $2900 range.

i'm in the same boat as OP, although i have a friend i used to hunt with here that now guides (part time) in So Colorado,
so that may be my in one day

from what i've read (24hr Campfire) most all the guided hunts (with good guides) are booked 1-2 years out, with most
bookings coming from renewals after the hunt.

DIY hunts are possible, but local knowledge is best as a +$500 OTC tag (if not drawn) is tough to chew.

check out 24hr Campfire; along with this site (except GD) it's the best knowledge base i've found for gunz & hunting

There are a ton of great forums for hunting information.

I haven't spent any time on 24hour campfire, but Rokslide, Eastman's, Monstermuleys, and most especially Onyourownadventures, are all fantastic resources for learning about DIY hunting. Now that we are a couple years in I can honestly say that buying tags and going hunting with a little self education and some decent gear is money well spent.

I started as a woodsman though. Buyer beware, if you haven't been outdoors much a guide may well be a good idea. We haven't killed much, but our knowledge and skills are improving at a breakneck pace now.

Here is a great article that talks about the basics.

http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/Before/PlanforGrand.aspx

thanks for the heads up on the other sites; can't have too much info

Here is a thread I did last year that should help answer a lot of your questions:  http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_2/686810_Help-With-DIY-Non-resident-Idaho-Elk-and-Mule-Deer.html

Basically I decided to do a spur of the moment elk hunt in Idaho (actually 2 hunts).  I studied the ID Fish and Game maps as well as Google Earth, picked a spot and drove there.  On my way through Bosie I stopped at Cabela's to get a topo map of the unit I was going to be in.

The archery hunt I chose allowed me to harvest either a bull or a cow and was open for a month, including during the rut.

I like Idaho because you can get both elk and deer tags OTC.  I think CO might have OTC deer tags but if I'm not mistaken, they are whitetail only and I wanted to hunt mule deer.

In ID, you can buy either a general deer tag which allows you to hunt either mule deer or whitetail, or a whitetail only tag.  Not all units in the state have mule deer and some of the units are draw only.

Guided hunts don't interest me but that's a personal preference thing.  

The unit I was in was very mountainous with heavy timber, streams, and a lot of mountain lakes with trout.  One nice thing about ID is that you get a 3 day fishing license with your hunting license and there are plenty of rivers, streams, and lakes to try out along the way to your hunting spot.

I also chose to hunt in a wilderness area so it wouldn't be crowded out with vehicle hunters.  There were plenty of trails to use.  Most of the other people hunting there were doing so with horses.  

If you don't have friends going with you or you don't want to carry out an elk on foot, consider asking around in the nearest town for people with horses that you can hire out if you are successful.  If you are doing a public land hunt, there will probably already be plenty of people with horses in your area that might be willing to help you for a few bucks.

If you don't have access to horses and you hunt in a wilderness area like I did where you can't use a vehicle to get closer to your kill, I would strongly advise not trying to kill an elk more than 5 miles from the nearest trailhead/vehicle access.  Even that will be hell getting out by yourself on foot if you kill a big bull.

My hunt wasn't easy and I didn't fill my tag, but I had a great time camping out by myself for a couple of weeks.  If I had more time once I figured the elk out I think I would have tagged out.  I know of at least 3 monster bulls that came out of the area so even public land, OTC hunts have the possibility of landing a nice trophy.

I plan to go on another similar hunt as soon as I have the time and money.  Unfortunately, I don't think it will be this year.

FYI, an OTC ID elk hunt for a non-resident will run a little under $600 for the tag and license.  If you want to throw in a deer tag, that will cost you another $317 or so.  You can also buy OTC wolf tags and your deer and/or elk tags can be used to harvest a bear or mountain lion as long as you take the animals in the same unit and during the time period your tag is good for.  There were also tons of grouse where I was hunting, so that's another plus.

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That's freakin' awesome.  Thanks for your post.  I'll be sure to read through you posts about your experiences.  

Beautiful pics!  I'm leaning western Montana in hopes of finding similar terrain.

Not OTC, but the Montrose/ Gunnison, CO area has tons of Elk and beautiful scenery. Tags are fairly plentiful. They used to do cow tags OTC. Some of the outfitters will do a drop camp for a few hundred bucks - tent, stove, bear box, they pack horse you in and out.

Study topo maps, find plateaus with draws. Google Earth helps a lot.

I'm unsure how out of state hunting works in OR, but for us archery is OTC and like $45 for a bull elk tag and $45 for a deer tag. Tons of public land to hunt on. I drive an hour and see elk often.

Link?  All I've seen is a few THOUSAND bucks.

I'm in New Mexico and I see land owner tags go up for sale every year. Unit wide cow tags usually go for $700 and bull tags go for $3k+ depending on the unit. All of it is diy but you can also hire a guide if you want. The only thing that sucks is that we only get 5 days to hunt. 

The best thing about New Mexico is no Preference Point system. Everyone has the same odds every year.

And some amazing elk on massive areas of public land. Just so far away from us.

They say everyone gets the same odds but I know guys that draw out every year on a bull tag and buck tag and guys that don't get anything year after year. I was lucky enough to put in with my fiancé and she drew a cow tag this year. 

For those that don't mind spending a little bit for convenience, check out (https://www.gohunt.com/states) 

It costs a bit to join but it lays out all the season dates for each species, units, draw odds, harvest odds, controlled hunt info, fees, application dates, etc. You can find all the same information if you go to each states website and do a lot of digging but it takes a lot of time to collate all that data and then map it out for a visual reference. The cost is well worth the price, it really simplifies things for someone that is coming from far away or new to the process.

Couple that with a map like (https://www.onxmaps.com/) and you can really plan something out and then save/download it all to your gps/smartphone.

Ya, somebody here in SD drew a really coveted tag for elk with no points. I know guys chewing through nails over that.

 I know guys with 16 points.  System needs a serious revamp.



OP, I know a group of guys who are headed out in November for their 21st season of elk hunting in Colorado.  Some years they hunt draw units, and if they don't draw, they hunt OTC units.  Their average success rate on cows is 50% and 25% on bulls year to year.  My suggestion is find some peers that have made multiple trips and ask if you can join up.  Take note of the gear that seasoned elk hunters do and do not take.

SDGFP has a really good video about the he draw. Explains it very well. Basically, if you only give tags to people with double digits points right now no one else will draw a tag for decades. Decades.

If someone really wants to hunt elk that bad there are plenty of options.

Elk tags are over the counter in Montana. Some areas require special tags, and are worth putting in for. If you can afford it, get an outfitter. It won't guarantee your success, but will improve your chances. The outfitters will be very familiar with an area and know where the elk are.

@portablegorilla

Could you clear your inbox? I was going to message you with some questions.

I'll just add it sucks packing a heavy long range gun on a mountain hunt. I packed my ctr one day then it never left the side by side this last elk hunt. Light is right.

That’s why I’m hesitant to bring my .308. It’s a 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD. It’s a pig. I’ve got two Ruger M77 Mark II’s in 30-06 and .270, but they don’t shoot as well as I’d like.

Hell if they shoot 2moa or under you'll be fine.

Leave the heavy gun home.  Bring one of the others, either will be fine.

The .270 is FUBAR. It used to be a 1 1/2" gun at 100 yards, but now it's shooting 6" groups. I've cleaned it and checked everything I know to check, but it's still not shooting like it should. One of these days I'll take it to a smith and see if they can figure it out.

The 30-06 has always been a 2 MOA rifle. I could use it, but I wish it shot better.

Sounds like you should sell or trade both of those rifles and get a .270/3006/300WM/etc with the profits that can shoot and is not a pig.

If you can hit a 10” target at 300 it will be fine.  I have flopped over a lot of elk with the 06.   You will absolutely hate that bull bbl gun after day one.

QFT

I have the same rifle, and I hate carrying it from my truck to the bench!! Mine is about 12ibs.

Have you removed mounts and scope, reinstalled correctly, and tried a proven scope? DNZ one piece is a great mount.

Different ammo in the 30/06?

They both have too much sentimental value. The .270 was my first deer rifle. I carried it for 25 years. I killed my first deer and my first hog with the 06.

I’ve reinstalled the mount, rings, and scope. I’ve also removed and reinstalled the action in the stock. The scope is currently on the 700, so I know it’s good.

I’ve tried 8 or 10 different factory loads in the 06. I’ve never tried anything heavier than 168gr.

Nope. No good hunting here. Best to go to Wyoming or Utah or Idaho or New Mexico or really anywhere but Colorado.