Posted: 3/9/2023 2:54:50 PM EDT
[Last Edit: WIDeerHunter][Edited]
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If anyone is looking for a very reasonably priced cow elk hunt, this is where I went the last 2 years. All of us got cows and had a great time. Tag is $950 and guide fee is around $450. Includes the guide boning out the elk for easy transport home. I can recommend a great guide. https://www.jicarillahunt.com/ Bull hunts are over $7000 plus guide fee but they don't let you shoot anything under 320" so it's more of a trophy bull hunt. We saw a ~400" bull (magazine cover size!) while cow hunting. We aren't going this year as I booked a whitetail hunt in the midwest but will go the following year. I'm not on this site every day so feel free to email me if I can help with questions. |
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Looking at this now. How far in advance do you have to start the process? How much are the other fees like processing the elk? What other expenses should one expect? What are the accommodations like, camping? Lodge? Other? What type of hunting would it be? A stand, stalking, something else? @WIDeerHunter |
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A couple guys have PM'd me asking for more info so thought I'd share here: The guide's official fee was $450 per person. I gave him $550 plus a bottle of whiskey and I'm pretty sure the other 2 guys did the same. There were 3 of us hunting together. Got 2 cows the 1st day and the last cow the morning of the 3rd day. The guides have everything scouted ahead of time and know the land like the back of their hand. Guide fee includes the guide deboning the elk. In Dulce, the tribe has a skinning/deboning facility with walk in coolers/freezers you can leave your meat in until you leave. It was a blast hanging out at the skinning shack seeing the other elk and mule deer that were coming in all day and night. The success rate for cows has got to be over 90%. We took shots of 150-550 yards. The guide has range finder along with a tripod. If you get tags for the south, then we stayed in Cuba at a motel. For Horse Lake, probably Chama. The guide will say for sure as he will pick you up at the motel. Horse Lake is amazing. I'd say this would be the order: horse lake, res, and south but any of them would be cool. The hunt dates were more important to me. If you are on facebook, check out the Bucks of the Jicarilla page. The guides that I've used basically run that page. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048607457560 This the site that has the information and application. https://jicarillahunt.com/hunting You can submit a group application if there is more than 1 of you. Basically you submit application and they will call you after the drawing with your results. There are 3 different areas. Horse Lake Mesa is a high fenced game preserve but don't let the notion of a fence scare you off. They basically high fenced an entire freaking mountain. It's awesome. I've hunted there and in the south area. There are lots of oil pumps all over the res so the guide basically drives you around the dirt trails used to service the pumps in order to scout the elk. If you are mobility impaired you can shoot the elk from using the hood of the truck or jump out of the truck to try and jog to cut off the herd. Basically the guide can tailor the hunt to what you can handle physically. Happy to provide guide references but here is the official list: https://jicarillahunt.com/uploads/file_1701119468.pdf |
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Originally Posted By WIDeerHunter: A couple guys have PM'd me asking for more info so thought I'd share here: The guide's official fee was $450 per person. I gave him $550 plus a bottle of whiskey and I'm pretty sure the other 2 guys did the same. There were 3 of us hunting together. Got 2 cows the 1st day and the last cow the morning of the 3rd day. The guides have everything scouted ahead of time and know the land like the back of their hand. Guide fee includes the guide deboning the elk. In Dulce, the tribe has a skinning/deboning facility with walk in coolers/freezers you can leave your meat in until you leave. It was a blast hanging out at the skinning shack seeing the other elk and mule deer that were coming in all day and night. The success rate for cows has got to be over 90%. We took shots of 150-550 yards. The guide has range finder along with a tripod. If you get tags for the south, then we stayed in Cuba at a motel. For Horse Lake, probably Chama. The guide will say for sure as he will pick you up at the motel. Horse Lake is amazing. I'd say this would be the order: horse lake, res, and south but any of them would be cool. The hunt dates were more important to me. If you are on facebook, check out the Bucks of the Jicarilla page. The guides that I've used basically run that page. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048607457560 This the site that has the information and application. https://jicarillahunt.com/hunting You can submit a group application if there is more than 1 of you. Basically you submit application and they will call you after the drawing with your results. There are 3 different areas. Horse Lake Mesa is a high fenced game preserve but don't let the notion of a fence scare you off. They basically high fenced an entire freaking mountain. It's awesome. I've hunted there and in the south area. There are lots of oil pumps all over the res so the guide basically drives you around the dirt trails used to service the pumps in order to scout the elk. If you are mobility impaired you can shoot the elk from using the hood of the truck or jump out of the truck to try and jog to cut off the herd. Basically the guide can tailor the hunt to what you can handle physically. Happy to provide guide references but here is the official list: https://jicarillahunt.com/uploads/file_1701119468.pdf Thats a lot of fantastic info. I dont have anything to add except that you mentioned Chama. I have been there doing some winter fishing and it is a beautiful place. I would love to back to that region and do some elk hunting. I stayed in little motel that was about $100 a night and was nice enough. But everyone has different hotel standards. If it helps someone arrange a trip i can find the name. |
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| I used to live in NM and I heard some Native tribes are very open-arms to non-Natives who hunt respectfully, don't do the obvious like make a ton of noise and be drunk while hunting, disturb native residents heh... we can hunt peacefully and with companionship and comradery, to a degree. |
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We put in for this for this year but didn't get drawn. Time for plan B. But first we need to come up with a plan B. 
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Originally Posted By fgshoot: Almost $1000 for a cow tag? Is that a typo? Surely nobody considers that reasonably priced.  In 2020 dad and I went on a cow hunt. We each paid $1800 for the hunt and ~$650 for the tag and $300+ for the processing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat without thinking twice and am actually trying to figure out a way to do it this fall - and get my daughter her first cow elk. I just need to scrounge up the $3000. 
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| Our elk draw results should hit today/tomorrow. I put in for a cow tag, 60 some bucks but it will not be the same near slam dunk as a reservation cow hunt. Used to be easy to drop a cow on public land out here. |
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Originally Posted By R3L04D: What's your suggestion or alternative for someone that doesn't live locally or have access to a range? Originally Posted By R3L04D: Originally Posted By fgshoot: Almost $1000 for a cow tag? Is that a typo? Surely nobody considers that reasonably priced. It’s a steal. |
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Originally Posted By whiskerz: Tagged for knowledge . I want to elk hunt in the future and I just had knee surgery. Good luck man. I have the local HS coach on speed dial. His guys would be my mules if I knock one down and need help packing it out. $$, but better than me blowing out a knee. These things are heavy even quartered. I’ll be cutting a hind quarter in half if needed. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: What’s the average weight of meat that ends up in the freezer off a cow ? I had a similar hunt lined up this year on private land thag fell through because the land has been sold. It’s been a few years since I killed one but would say close to 200lbs. But it’s really good meat so for me it’s more valuable than the best cow meat. |
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Originally Posted By SpeyRod: It’s been a few years since I killed one but would say close to 200lbs. But it’s really good meat so for me it’s more valuable than the best cow meat. off of an elk cow is what I meant. $1200 ish for $200 lbs of elk meat is a good deal to me. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: What’s the average weight of meat that ends up in the freezer off a cow ? I had a similar hunt lined up this year on private land thag fell through because the land has been sold. The big one that is only gutted was 360 lbs of meat, but mainly because we could drive it to the cabin and process getting every bit of meat. It was also a big cow. There are quarters in there too from a smaller cow, 205 lbs of meat. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By DVCER: The big one that is only gutted was 360 lbs of meat, but mainly because we could drive it to the cabin and process getting every bit of meat. It was also a big cow. There are quarters in there too from a smaller cow, 205 lbs of meat. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/857/IMG_0489_jpeg-3310288.JPG No way you are getting 360lbs of meat off an elk. You generally get about 1/3 of live weight from an animal into de-boned meat. A large mature cow weighs about 450-500 lbs live so more like 150-200lbs depending on shot placement. This from an article from the RMEF: https://rmef.org/elk-network/countering-the-argument-humans-do-not-need-to-hunt/. "According to a University of Wyoming study, an average bull elk yields 218 pounds of meat while an average cow elk yields 169 pounds of meat." This is in line with my experience on all big game animals. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: So we're looking at getting setup for the 2025 season? Can I text the guy and tell him I'll take whatever or do I need to pick a place and a day in advance? We dont do tags here in GA. I'd call him and hope he had a schedule started already that told what dates he had open. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: So we're looking at getting setup for the 2025 season? Can I text the guy and tell him I'll take whatever or do I need to pick a place and a day in advance? We dont do tags here in GA. As stated, call him. He will give you an idea of the season dates and if he has any booked yet. But remember this time of year a guide is in the field every day. Don’t get impatient about a response. |
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Bumping this with info from them. cow tags for 2025 are $1500. Guide fees are tbd or I guess negotiable depending on guide? I'd still like to try a hunt but now we're looking at $2k in tags and fees before I fly and stay and eat out there and then get the meat home and tan the hide. Im not sure about the juice/squeeze ratio. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: Im not sure about the juice/squeeze ratio. Even if experiences could actually be measured in dollars, it will never be cheaper in the future than it is this year. And if you wait, at the very least you'll be one year older when you do. Do it. The costs don't all hit at once. Lock down the tag and guide. Book the flight - watch for fare reductions at least weekly after you buy your ticket. Make two fully cancellable SUV/Jeep reservations in case one screws you upon arrival. Reserve your accommodations. Buy your coolers at Walmart when you get there. Go kill yourself the best meat you'll eat in your entire life. If you're flying in and out of Albuquerque, Green Valley Meats is the place to have your meat butchered and packed - they make a killer green chile elk jerky. Keep in mind that 25# of your meat makes 5# of jerky. Price-shop your meat shipping options - hang out in northern NM (Taos & Red River are cool towns) for a few days then take your meat home with you on the airline, or have Green Valley ship it home to you via FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, etc.. Once you're home, take a pressure washer to the hide and blast off the fat or scrape it off old-school with a hide scraper Then salt it and send it to Sebring Custom Tanning to have it tanned hair on or off. You will not regret a single dollar that you spend. 15 years later, I sure don't. |
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Originally Posted By flcracker: Even if experiences could actually be measured in dollars, it will never be cheaper in the future than it is this year. And if you wait, at the very least you'll be one year older when you do. Do it. The costs don't all hit at once. Lock down the tag and guide. Book the flight - watch for fare reductions at least weekly after you buy your ticket. Make two fully cancellable SUV/Jeep reservations in case one screws you upon arrival. Reserve your accommodations. Buy your coolers at Walmart when you get there. Go kill yourself the best meat you'll eat in your entire life. If you're flying in and out of Albuquerque, Green Valley Meats is the place to have your meat butchered and packed - they make a killer green chile elk jerky. Keep in mind that 25# of your meat makes 5# of jerky. Price-shop your meat shipping options - hang out in northern NM (Taos & Red River are cool towns) for a few days then take your meat home with you on the airline, or have Green Valley ship it home to you via FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, etc.. Once you're home, take a pressure washer to the hide and blast off the fat or scrape it off old-school with a hide scraper Then salt it and send it to Sebring Custom Tanning to have it tanned hair on or off. You will not regret a single dollar that you spend. 15 years later, I sure don't. getting the meat back is not a problem. I have a delta friend. |
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Originally Posted By flcracker: You will not regret a single dollar that you spend. 15 years later, I sure don't. I killed a small bull in 2010, a cow in 2020, a slightly bigger bull in 2023, and hope to go again this year or next. I agree 100% that I don't regret a penny I've spent. Elk hunting is the best hunting. Even if it's just a cow. 
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Originally Posted By billth777: Bumping this with info from them. cow tags for 2025 are $1500. Guide fees are tbd or I guess negotiable depending on guide? I'd still like to try a hunt but now we're looking at $2k in tags and fees before I fly and stay and eat out there and then get the meat home and tan the hide. Im not sure about the juice/squeeze ratio. Good Lord! Yeah, forget that guy. $1500 is bull tag area. You can get cow tags under $300 in multiple states. It's really sad some people think that's acceptable. It's your money, but hunting is way too quickly turning into a rich man sport. |
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So tagged. Thanks op. |
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Originally Posted By fgshoot: Good Lord! Yeah, forget that guy. $1500 is bull tag area. You can get cow tags under $300 in multiple states. It's really sad some people think that's acceptable. It's your money, but hunting is way too quickly turning into a rich man sport. I can get a half cow (grassfed, finished) cheaper and without having to get on a plane. |
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Originally Posted By fgshoot: Good Lord! Yeah, forget that guy. $1500 is bull tag area. You can get cow tags under $300 in multiple states. It's really sad some people think that's acceptable. It's your money, but hunting is way too quickly turning into a rich man sport. That sounds much more affordable to take my son with. Any links you might recommend? Thanks. Not a rich man. |
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Originally Posted By TxLewis: That sounds much more affordable to take my son with. Any links you might recommend? Thanks. Not a rich man. Not really, it depends so much on you circumstances. Veterans for example can get tags cheaper in some states. Other weapons such as bow hunting can be another variable. I can think of two states that offer non resident cow elk tags under $300 for regular firearms, I guarantee there are more out there. Don't listen to the guys blowing smoke up your ass. States asking $750+ for a cow tag are delusional. They don't want you there, all they want is to separate cash from rich suckers, unfortunately also destroying hunting in the process. |
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For those of you complaining about the price....of course you can get a public land cow tag for cheaper. Getting a cheap tag has never been the issue that I'm addressing. My goal when hunting is to have an amazing hunt not a week of banging my head against the truck window wondering why we haven't seen an elk in 5 days on some over hunted public land that I've never been on. You can save $1000 by getting a public tag but when you are going on a once every 5 year elk hunt, why the heck wouldn't you spend the extra money for an amazing experience? These reservation elk hunts have over a 90% success rate and that would be more like 100% but some guys leave after only hunting 2-3 days out of a 5 day hunt. My goal as a hunter is the experience not only the kill but being in amazing country, seeing incredible animals every day, learning from a guide that is a true expert of his craft, the thrill of an animal in my scope, and enjoying a elk steaks for the next year. I would happily deliver pizzas for a couple months every Saturday night to afford the difference between having a crappy hunt and an amazing hunt. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.....You only get 1 time around this rock. |
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Originally Posted By WIDeerHunter: For those of you complaining about the price....of course you can get a public land cow tag for cheaper. Getting a cheap tag has never been the issue that I'm addressing. My goal when hunting is to have an amazing hunt not a week of banging my head against the truck window wondering why we haven't seen an elk in 5 days on some over hunted public land that I've never been on. You can save $1000 by getting a public tag but when you are going on a once every 5 year elk hunt, why the heck wouldn't you spend the extra money for an amazing experience? These reservation elk hunts have over a 90% success rate and that would be more like 100% but some guys leave after only hunting 2-3 days out of a 5 day hunt. My goal as a hunter is the experience not only the kill but being in amazing country, seeing incredible animals every day, learning from a guide that is a true expert of his craft, the thrill of an animal in my scope, and enjoying a elk steaks for the next year. I would happily deliver pizzas for a couple months every Saturday night to afford the difference between having a crappy hunt and an amazing hunt. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.....You only get 1 time around this rock. You're absolutely right and when people start talking about how much cheaper it is to hunt public land, I just assume they don't understand the conversation and move on. I have nothing against hunting on public land. I *want* to do more of that as time goes on. But there's times that I want to go somewhere with a lot of animals and little pressure and *shoot* something. 
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Originally Posted By WIDeerHunter: For those of you complaining about the price....of course you can get a public land cow tag for cheaper. Getting a cheap tag has never been the issue that I'm addressing. My goal when hunting is to have an amazing hunt not a week of banging my head against the truck window wondering why we haven't seen an elk in 5 days on some over hunted public land that I've never been on. You can save $1000 by getting a public tag but when you are going on a once every 5 year elk hunt, why the heck wouldn't you spend the extra money for an amazing experience? These reservation elk hunts have over a 90% success rate and that would be more like 100% but some guys leave after only hunting 2-3 days out of a 5 day hunt. My goal as a hunter is the experience not only the kill but being in amazing country, seeing incredible animals every day, learning from a guide that is a true expert of his craft, the thrill of an animal in my scope, and enjoying a elk steaks for the next year. I would happily deliver pizzas for a couple months every Saturday night to afford the difference between having a crappy hunt and an amazing hunt. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.....You only get 1 time around this rock. I'm trying to get the *best* meat I can in the freezer for the *best* price. 200# of elk for ~$1200 is pretty good. 200# of elk for $2200 no longer worth the squeeze. I can get a half an organic grass fed/finished cow cheaper and 30 miles away. I dont have a lot of spare money. Food costs are my largest expense period. If I get a neat hunt out of it, bonus. |
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Originally Posted By billth777: I'm trying to get the *best* meat I can in the freezer for the *best* price. 200# of elk for ~$1200 is pretty good. 200# of elk for $2200 no longer worth the squeeze. I can get a half an organic grass fed/finished cow cheaper and 30 miles away. I dont have a lot of spare money. Food costs are my largest expense period. If I get a neat hunt out of it, bonus. I live out here in elk country, and a public land cow used to be an easy bet. Used to count on one. Last 6 years nope. They have really gotten smart about hanging out on private, and our elk numbers in Colorado are nowhere near what they claim. Then *I’m guessing * probably 30% are un huntable along the front range. |
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Originally Posted By arowneragain: You’re gonna have a blast and eat like a king this winter. I figure I will order a deep freeze big enough to hold it all on the drive home... |
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