Bare bones elk hunt... how?

[Dingus]

While I can still hike at the 10-12,000 ft. level, I’d like to try to do an elk hunt.  Since I have seven kids total, with three still at home, I’ll have to do this on the cheap.  I know we’ve touched on this a few time, but what are the recommendations for the cheapest (non-resident) elk hunt in the Rockies?  AZ, NM, CO....?  No frills, guides or horses.  I’m talking bare-bones camping and humping the meat out.

Dingus

[Whip]

AZ - very hard to draw, and more expensive.  NM, a bit easier to draw a tag depending on the unit.  Great hunting if you do your homework.  CO, cheaper tags, over the counter units available means you know you will go and can plan farther in advance.  But the number of hunters on public easily accessible land makes it tough hunting.  If you can pack in two or three miles you can get away from the vast majority of them.  
Whatever you decide, you have the right idea - do it now while you still can!!!!!!  Even the worst elk hunt can be done in some beautiful country.

[Dingus]

Joe: Thanks for the input.  I know what you mean by the "worst elk hunt".  A bad day in the woods beats a good day in the office by a long shot.

I can do the two - three miles from the road.  Did a week solo in the Pecos of NM two years ago.  Did two peaks at about 12k each.  Had elk at 20 yards and mules at 30-35.

What about costs?  Any help or hints there?

[ChuckC]

A Colorado elk tag is around 500.  Gas cost is dependant on price and distance and if you have riders.   You eat everyday anyway so eating can be relatively cheap.  If you have camp gear, you may be set.  Look at the Colorado reg's and see which areas are over the counter tag areas.   I took a map and transfered the areas using colored highlighters.  Now get yourself a Gazateer ( topo map  road map combo) and go thru the pages that correspond to the OTC areas.  Look for public areas, look for areas that are limited access (roadwise) and that are in restricted zones.  As I understand, some of Colorado is open to pretty much unlimited quad use, while other areas are not.   I like to find areas that have a lot of drainages per ridge, not just a long mountain ridge.  If you bump some  animals and they leave the drainage, they can settle in the next one.  Once you find a couple or more "maybe" areas, call the local game manager / biologist and warden.  Find out their e-mail address so you can ask away and they can answer at their leisure.  Works better that way.  They know the area, the game numbers, the terrain, the hunting pressure.   The fellow I spoke with was a gem.  I treated him professionally and he was.   Then...go get them.

I am not certain you always need to go three or more miles in.  My favorite honey hole is about 1.5 miles from the trail head.  

On the other hand....I very often get passed by the folks that are packing in....3-6 miles by horse back, camel back, donkey back...all the above.   Sure,  they see animals up there...but I always do also.

ChuckC

[Big Sneaky]

All good info from above.  Colorado is probably your best bet for an el cheapo elk hunt.  You should be able to do it for less than $1000.  If you have to buy a bunch of gear it will cost more.  Study wilderness areas as there is no motorized vehicles allowed.  The farther away from trails and roads you can get the more elk you'll find.  This doesn't always mean they are 10 miles from the road, I think Chuck had it right at 3-6.  Just remember, you have to pack that thing out yourself and it will take 4-5 trips.  We bivyed in about 8 miles once and it would have been a tough pack out had we killed one.  Good luck and GET IN SHAPE!

[Dave2old]

Good advice, esp. ChuckC in general, and BS's pointing you to wilderness. On the latter, be aware that you don't have to enter wilderness  from the same crowded trailheads as everyone else. Many wilderness areas have miles and miles of roads adjacent to them; if you're prepared, you don't need no sinkin' trails. I like to follow small creek drainages uphill into wilderness or a motor-free roadless area. The creek provides a trail, as it were, to keep you oriented, and a steady supply of water so you can get by with carrying a filter bottle only. And the pack-out will be downhill. First and foremost -- determining how far you need to get away from a road -- is to find a place where no ATVs are allow and none are going illegally. In CO, the worst-motorized forests are the Umcomphagre and Rio Grande. You can buy a otc elk tag for cow only for $250ish, or either sex for twice that. Just find a way to do it, while you still can. Dave

[beyondmyken]

Look for wilderness areas as above, but with a terrain feature that discourages some hunters. We have a spot where we camp on National Forest, then hike down the canyon and back up into the wilderness area to hunt.  Too steep for the horse crowd but only 1/2 mile (as the crow flies) to camp.  Did take 2 hours to bring back a hind quarter though.

[elk ninja]

Three words.... Eye - Da- Hoe.  Come on over.  Most wilderness area outside of Alaska, OTC tags in every area you'd want to hunt.  My camp is always open to other Trad Gangers.  PM Ausable (his real name is Tim) and ask him about his Idaho experience.  Downside of Idaho?  Wolves.  ATVs are becoming a real headache.  Downside of Colorado?  People.  ATVs.  Same with Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas.  Nevada and California are long shot draws, NM is has fairly good draw odds unless you put in for a premier area, Arizona is unbelievable IF you get drawn.  All in all, you CAN do it.  Get together a few other TG'ers from all over, or from a certain area, do you homework, and get into some roadless areas.  
MIke

[kojac]

I would do Idaho way before Co. if your looking for OTC tags and a cheap hunt!!

[Adirondackman]

2 friends and I go out to Colorado every year. We are travelling from New York and we still spend less than $1000.00 each. These hunts have been great. We have all had many opportunities to harvest an Elk. We hunt wilderness areas only and get into Elk every year. The country is beautiful and the weather is still good that time of year. You should start to make plans to go now. You will really enjoy this type of hunting.

[fingers]

Or you could try Oregon. With over the counter tags and a choice between Rockie mountain or Roosevelt elk(Coast range has Roosies). The Blue mountains have good hunting and alot of public lands while the  Coast range is heavier cover but that's good for getting close. Roosies don't run too far when spooked(probably because they are so big bodied), but aren't quite as vocal as RM elk although they do talk when things are right. Road access is fairly decent, topos are a must as well as GPS units.

[Whip]

Great advice above.  Pay attention to what is being said here and you'll be in the mountians next September.  Take the advice, and start doing your homework.  

If you can partner up with someone it can make the trip more enjoyable, save money on gas etc. by splitting expenses, and maybe most importantly, have help for the meat packing!  Just make sure it is the right person and that both your goals and expections match up.

If you do have to buy any gear watch the classifieds here, Craisgslist, and that auction site.  Don't buy cheap stuff - shop for used if need be to to get quality stuff that lasts.

Oh, and one other thing that you probably know if you've backpacked in the Peos, - Get In Shape!

[Jeff Holchin]

If you enjoy hunting with others and a nice Tradganger like Elk Ninja invited you to his camp, you might jump on that offer right now!

If you like hunting solo and want a relatively "cheap" bowhunt for elk in not-too-difficult country with OTC tags (deer tags are available too, might as well hunt them too), don't overlook Utah.  There is surprisingly good hunting in the spike/cow elk areas, with tons of elk in certain areas.

[JDinPA]

I've been thinking about this the last few years as well. I'm looking at 2009 as a definite, but 2008 as a maybe. I'm from Pa

[John Scifres]

Utah and Colorado are the cheapest tags.  If it were me, and it has been several times, I'd do CO in the White R. National Forest OTC areas.  Plan on company but there are elk there.  Get in shape and make sure and test all your gear for the year ahead of your hunt.  Keep it simple and don't buy into the gear head hype.  Nothing wrong with it if you have the money but seems you do not.  Make sure and take a day or two at less than 8000 feet to acclimate to the elevation.