What's the most affordable way to successfully hunt an elk?

[teddy12b]

My cousin and I have always talked about going out west to go elk hunting. We are faced with two large problems with that. 1.) We're from Indiana and don't know exactly where to go. 2.)We can't afford to pay thousands and thousands to an outfitter.

I'd like to find soemthing where we drove to a place, rode an atv, or horses in the rest of the way and hunted away from everyone else. Does that exist?

What's the affordable way for two young healthy guys to hunt elk?

 

[dogdinger]

plenty of those....

....here in colo. i will try to give you a little help.....first off, define what kind of hunt you are looking for.....do you want early season archery, muzzle loader, or do you want to hunt rifle season? of course the rifle season is the most popular so that is when the most hunters are here....the highways are clogged with trucks pulling all manner of trailers full of ATV's for the week before the first combined rifle season....some prefer the later season, when there is more of a chance of snow. there is another excellent thread on this today but i cant remember the name....tenvol posted all the DOW info and websites......look for that thread...decide what kind of hunt you want and i will be glad to try and help you coordinate it....AJ

 

[dogdinger]

heres the other thread

backpack hunting/colo elk.....read that over


heres the CDOW brochures

Big Game Brochures - Colorado Division of Wildlife

 

[teddy12b]

I should have been more specific. We would be rifle hunting. Any part of the season would be fine with us. I'd like to use an atv to get to a remote spot then backpack from there.

 

[Rupe]

In Oregon you drive right upto some of the Wilderness area's and then backpack in from there. There is alot of public land in Oregon. The Wilderness area's are going to be your best bet. They are not crowded once you get in a couple of miles.
Non Resident hunting license is $76.50
Non Resident Elk Tag $361.50
controlled Hunt Application $4.50
Downing an Elk Priceless
sorry couldn't help it.


Hope this helps alittle.

 

[royinidaho]

Make sure the tags are not already all used up.

In Idaho ya just drive to the area where you think there are elk, from research and scouting + rumors then drive there and walk a mile from the vehicle.

You'll then be away from 98.9 % of the locals and most of the wannabees.

Be prepared for some snow up high (> 7500') and trudge your legs off keeping an eye way, way ahead of you.

Finally pray for beginner's luck, it may well work It has for others, biginners's luck that is.....

 

[CAM]

Royinidaho
When you get into the mountains past all the people, you need to drive a nail into your shoe if this don't slow you down drive one in the other shoe!!

Its not how much country you hunt it's how you hunt the country!!

If the elk aren't there move!!
Elk are big, noisy, smelly beasts with lot's of bad habits.
Get to a vantage point, find them then kill one!

Simple as that ?? maybe with luck !!
CAM

 

[dogdinger]

as royinidaho said.....

....after you get a little ways from the main roads you are usually away from most of the hunters.....ATV's are really not that usable here.....just about anywhere you can drive one of those, you can drive a fullsize pickup. there are some trails around that have a width restriction, keeping you from taking 4wheelers on them......some areas only allow you to use them during certain times for game retrieval, and dont even think of taking one into a wilderness area.....you will be drawn and quartered for that here.....best travel plan is on your own hind legs with enough gear to last a day or 2....horses are ok but are such a pain, they are hardly worth all the effort.....first rifle season is the best and it is draw only, so if you are wanting to hunt then better get online and scope out the appl process.....deadline is april 1st....do you have an area in mind?

 

[royinidaho]

CAM,

I hear ya.

I count silently very slowly 1 2 3 4 5 6 taking steps only on 1 and 4. The steps are far enough apart, in time, to keep you standing 2 to 3 times longer than moving.

Going up the mountain I find no need to count, those suckers are getting steeper every year. However, I do have a problem with a bad habit of looking to where my next step is going to be when going up the steep climbs. I know I miss some opportunities then.

After awhile ya get used to keeping your balance and don't have to count to maintain the pace.

The slow walk-stalk used to work better back when the elk weren't so spread out qne in such small groups.

Nowadays it seems to be better to get a spot with great visibility over a lot of mountain, learn to glass effectively and shoot a long ways.

 

[CAM]

ROY

Nowadays it seems to be better to get a spot with great visibility over a lot of mountain, learn to glass effectively and shoot a long ways.

Thats when you drive the nail into your shoe!!!! because you know the longer you sit and see all those places Elk like to hide and you want to go down there and get one, but now your foot hurts so you stay at the look out!! start seeing elk and have to fill your tag. But remember it's a lonnngg way to the truck!!

For about 2 or 3 years in a row my hunting partner said go ahead and hike down there, I'll stay up here on top and go fix lunch. When I get back to camp he said could you go get my Elk? I laughed, he said just drive down the dirt road you can't miss him, He killed them with in feet of the road and twice they were in the road!! I said how do you kill Elk on the road when I can't find them where they are supposed to be. He said don't look anywhere but on the road!! True story!!

I still have never killed one on the road !!
CAM

 

[teddy12b]

CAM just brought up a really good point and it's something that has been on my mind as well. It's all fine and dandy to hike in miles and miles from the truck, but the last I heard elk were pretty heavy and to pack one out can be as difficult as the walk back to the truck.

Before I go on an elk hunt like this I'm going to look aweful hard at one of those game carts, or sleds, but that's even more gear to pack in.

I do like the idea of shooting one on or near the road. I've read that a lot of guys try to do that with moose.

 

[azsugarbear]

Colorado - bar none. Tags are still relatively inexpensive when compared to other states. There is good access throughout CO, and last I heard, their elk herd count was over 300,000+ elk. Compare that with AZ at 35,000 head total! I'm sure some of the CO boys posting on this board could even recomend a few spots and come up with a map or two. Try your luck by posting something on the new "West" forum based on geography on this site.

 

[teddy12b]

A colorado non-resident tag is $500. Ouch, but do able.

 

[royinidaho]

the walk out w/game is usually much tougher than the hike in empty.

Go to someplace where the mountain angles are at 45* or better.

Park low, hunt or shoot high. Once you get the then sliding down, snow or no snow, be sure and stay out of the way. A fill sized elk can be slid down the open pine hill sides but those flat spots and close together trees are a real bummer.

A first tho't is usually to build a fire and start eating and eat till spring

When you finally get the thing to camp, you're definitely T I R D tired!

Your body will be flat shot but the lips will still be grinnin'.