wifishkiller, like a few others i have made the DIY trip out west. i did Colorado in 94, 96, 99 & 01 and Utah in 97. i can't remember the exact cost on any of the trips but i have never spent more than $1200 for the entire trip. in 01 i did the drive thing from Virginia. 32 hours non stop on the way home. should have bought some stock in mountain dew first. with the cost of tags, flight and rental car you should still be able to make it for less than $1500. for a DIY elk hunt.
if there was a down side to all of my DIY hunts it would be the amount of game seen/taken, if that's a down side. the upside is i have seen some of the most beautiful country and have some wonderful photos and memories of it to remember.
a few things to take seriously. be in shape, pack as light as possible and do your home work on the area you plan to hunt. find a good partner to make the trip with. i have no problems going alone, but if you get back in the middle of no ware having another person for safety is just smart. i do this as much for my wife and kids as anything.
each time i went on a hunt i learned something that made my life easier on the next hunt. part of the learing curve when you go at without the help of a guide. the rewards are much greater when you don't have someone holding your hand imo.... go for it, you will not be sorry. i'm looking at Idaho for this fall if anyone is looking to share a camp fire. >~Rob~>