How Hard to Join In an Elk Hunt with Others?

[Nala]

Hey all,

I have long thought about going 1 time and hunting elk.  I mainly would love to just see and experience those parts of the country.  I've never been west at all....or north.

Since there is absolutely NO CHANCE of my hunting buddy back home joining in and the 2 of us trying it, I figure my best shot at ever going on an elk hunt would be to join a group of hunters that are experienced, know where to go and what to do.  I'm wondering how hard it would be to get in with a group like that being that I have never, ever elk hunted or been in mountain country walking the hills.

The last thing I would want to do is get in with a group like the guy that I knew back home.  He owned a small bow shop.  He would go on elk hunts every year to Colorado with his best buddy.  He's an elderly guy, prolly in his mid to late 60's by now.
I asked him about his elk hunting and he told me that he and his friend had been going every year for something like 12 years to Colorado.  They spent most of their time there camping, I think.  After some small talk on how awesome I was telling him it must be to do something like that, I asked him how he and his friend had done in the 12 years they had been doing this.  He told me that they had never killed an elk.  Neither of them had ever had a shot at an elk.  Then he proceeds to tell me that in the 12 years that they had been going on these yearly excursions, they had only SEEN 1 elk and that was in the year before I had asked him about his elk hunting trips.
Only managed to SEE 1 elk in 12 years!!

I'm not saying that I am expecting to kill an elk when I go or something like that.  I am saying that in addition to seeing the beautiful land, I would at least like to SEE an elk in the time that I would be there.  Heck, I think I'd be tickled to death if I could even see one thru binoculars.

So...how hard would it be for me to go on a trip?  

Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks all for the time.
Larry

[Michael Arnette]

I like people like your buddy! They are the only reason there are any elk left in certain places lol! I'm sending you a pm

[Nala]

Haha....

Technically he's not a buddy, I just know him thru his tiny archery shop that I am pretty sure he opened and still maintains to give him an excuse to stay out of the house!!

I can't vouch for any of his skills, or lack of them.

I asked him a question, as he was telling me about his annual Elk "hunt," about whether he had ever got a shot at one, bull or female, and that's when he told me that he and his pal had only ever actually SEEN an elk 1 time and that was the year prior to me asking.  
In his defense....he did say it was a BIGGUN !!!!

After leaving I thought the whole way home why he continued going each year.  I'm pretty sure if I were going fishing every year at a lake for Musky and after 12 years had only had 1 follow up to the boat, I'd find a new lake to go to or a different fish to go after.  

Am I wrong in thinking that way about Elk??

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you Mr. Annette!!

Larry

[Orion]

Finding a good hunting partner is almost as hard, maybe just as hard, as finding the right spouse.  A two week stay in the hinterlands can bring out the best and worst in people.  

I've been hunting with the same person now for about 35 years.  We get along and have each other's backs.  Unlike your friend, we hunt different areas, states, and we do kill stuff.  Regardless, a hunting trip can turn sour real fast if folks don't get along, pull their own weight, or otherwise grate on each other. Too, a lot of times, folks take a newbie along, and the next year they find the newbie and all his friends hunting the area the newbie was taken to the year before.  

Though you may find someone to take you along, it's a lot to ask.  In truth, I think folks who would take a totally unfamiliar person along are more interested in the social experience than hard core hunting.  Nothing wrong with that, of course.

Might consider starting by broadening your circle of hunting friends.  Find one or two people you think you mesh with and try a few short hunts, weekends, etc., so see if you're compatible. If so, plan a major excursion out west.  

Good luck.

[tracker12]

I do highly recommend joining someone with experience on your first hunt.  As Orion said finding someone that has had success and can help you along is easier said than done.  The other option is to go on a guided hunt if that is i the budget.

[monterey]

The fellow who has hunted for 12 years and only seen one elk Is probably completely enjoying the camp and camaraderie with his friend.  You gotta give him points for being honest.

You could just do some research and strike out on your own.  Add on the partners you want with you on future hunts.

[Jim Wright]

I cannot imagine a much worse way for strangers to become acquainted with one another than an elk hunt. Well actually I can, a sheep hunt!

[Biathlonman]

Join the Professional Bowhunters Society and see who is going where.  Maybe invite someone to hunt your honey hole before expecting them to show you theirs.

[fnshtr]

While I had hunted elk several times with family, my eyes were opened when I went on my first "tradgang hunt". I met likeminded hunters with EXPERIENCE. Killed my first bull on that hunt.

This is a great place to connect with some great people.

[Rick Richard]

If it is your first time elk hunting, then I would highly suggest doing it with a respected and knowledgable outfitter. In addition to increasing your chances of success, you will probably share camp with folks who can possibly become future hunting partners.

[Chain2]

I was in the same situation you are. The first elk hunt I went with an outfitter. Great camp. Great food. The second and third trips I've went with the same outfitter. What I learned from the first trip is, I don't want to do everything that an outfitter does. It's a lot of work. As someone above posted, your first time, my advice would be, go with a good outfitter. And get in good shape. The only direction an elk knows is UPHILL.

[monterey]

Doing a hunt swap worked for me.  It was elk for turkey with some guys from Nebraska.  Both hunts were great and since then we have hunted together several times and always good hunts.

[Cory Mattson]

Larry - very good that you are honest enough to distinguish campers from hunters - you are headed in the right direction.
Orion, tracker12, Chain2 good thoughts - Jim Wright's comments EVERYONE read this TWICE!!!!!

If you are asking to join a group the first thing that pops in too my mind is what are you bringing to the group? In our group we each help pack out elk on our backs for each other without hesitation no question and we do this quickly. Do you own serious camp equipment? Can you cook? Maybe you can scout a new area and bring that idea to a group since things are often changing and a dedicated group might be interested to hear about a solid potential place to go. What do you drive and how much driving can you bring to the group?

The one time only strategy ??? I would probably not bring someone in - no offense but the prep - work - endurance - are way more than most can get a feel for. Guys going with outfitters seems a better solution in that situation.

Good Luck<><
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[kevsuperg]

If you have a GPS, you can camp in my yard( I have a camper) and run the mtns all day.
 I might even let you in the house. Ha ha.
 I only get out for the elk on my days off which are usually 2-3 days in a row. Be happy to go with ya keeping in mind this is my second season elk hunting so not an expert.

[jabodnar]

I am going on my first elk hunt this year. The hardest part was just meeting the right group of guys.

Since it looks like you are also in Texas I'll offer this up. The Texas backcountry hunters and anglers chapter is about 2 years old. They have hikes and events going on across the state.

I have friends that hunt, but are not into a week + long backpack hunt. Going to these bha events has allowed me to meet a lot of like minded folks and make some good buddies which invited me to come along with them for my first elk hunt.

[centaur]

Become friends before going on an elk hunt. Elk hunting is nothing like what you might be used to with whitetails; they can be all around you today, and miles away the next day. They can climb mountains in minutes that would take you hours, and, in the off chance that you get one on the ground, the real work begins. A hindquarter on a bull will weigh close to 100 pounds, and packing it over tough terrain is not for sissies.
I live in elk country and killed some years ago and packed them all out piece by piece by myself. I was a younger man then, and in really good shape, and it always kicked my butt.
For several years, I photographed elk rather than hunted them, but in the past 10 years, I have hunted them again. I haven't killed an elk in several years, but I spend a lot of time chasing them in September.
As an old guy, i now hunt them alone, and have had opportunities to shoot elk, but thought better of it due to the harsh fact of packing them out after the kill. They are both frustrating and exhilarating to hunt, and there are few things that I love more than being around them.
Your acquaintance that has seen one elk in all his hunts is not that abnormal. Depending on where the hunt occurs, the country can take the  wind out of the sails of a flatlander pretty quick, and staying around camp might be better than humping 10 or 15 miles every day.
I have known of first time elk hunters that go out and stumble upon a huge bull opening morning, and kill it 100 yards from a road, but they are by far the exception to the rule of elk hunting.
I will agree with others that a guided hunt would probably be a good solution for getting your feet wet with elk. While there are no guarantees, your odds for success will be better, and you will have someone along, probably with horses, who can get your elk out if you are successful. Trying to tag along with some new found friends on an elk hunt might work, but I wouldn't give it huge odds for success.
In Wyoming, success rates for elk hover around 40 percent annually, but that is gun and bow. Archery success rates are around 15 percent; hunting with a guide ups your odds considerably, not to mention that you hunt, and don't do camp chores, wrangle horses, cook, or chop firewood
I suppose you could hook up with some guys that you have never hunted with before and have a great time, kill a huge bull, and think that I am full of crap, but after wearing out numerous pairs of boots watching, photographing, hunting, and packing out elk over many years, I'm skeptical. I would highly recommend that you go with an outfitter, or go with friends that you have shared campfires with during your hunts in Texas. You never know somebody well until you have spent a couple of weeks in the backcountry with them. Having been snowed in for over a week (twice) with good hunting companions, I can't imagine how miserable it would be to be stuck in a wall tent with somebody I didn't know well.
And, Jim Wright's comment is, I believe, spot on.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Biathlonman's advice is best: in recent years the PBS has had  elk hunts in CO and UT open to any member, up to ten hunters total I think, and elk were killed on these hunts.  I attended the one in Utah twice and had multiple opportunities each time.

The other option if you are a decent bowhunter is to start hiking with your pack now, shoot your bow every day, get busy researching the cow/spike areas in UT, pack up your bow and equipment, buy an archery tag and go hunting solo with the expectation of just getting some experience but being prepared if you do kill an elk.  I did just that in 2001 and ended up with a cow elk in the cooler and a big boost in my confidence.  PM me and I will give you a starting point.  On that very first elk hunt I saw over 100 elk, had Bulls screaming in my face, and became forever hooked on elk hunting!  Just do it!

[N. Idaho Dan]

I met my elk hunting buddies in my traditional archery club here in north Idaho. One thing about elk camp is that as hard as the hunt is every day,(and it does test your nerves) we all go back to camp and have a good time having a couple cold ones and rebuilding morale for the next day.

Also, while I'm not a member, I hear PBS is a great organization to belong to, and subsequently the opportunity for hunts come often.

[kadbow]

I am really hesitant to take new elk hunters with me. I have heard too many stories of guys just wanting to tag along and then the next year they show up with eight of their closest friends and your spot is basically ruined. I have done it but grow more leery with age.

Most of my life I could not afford to go hunting out west.  A few years ago I want to see what it would be like for me to try, so I went with a camera.  I found elk and moose in the Bighorns, I did not get good pictures. I went after sheep and goats north of Yellowstone.  I got pictures of sheep, but where goats live is no place place for an old cripple like me to be.  I saw them white specks on the opposite ridge, then a freezing mist came over the ridge and things got very dangerous for me.  I do not believe that stalking elk is as tricky as stalking an Iowa whitetail, but there is a lot more hiking involved to get it done.  Something that I am not very good at is hiking across steep terrain. I was planning on heading over HHA on that trip, but I got hit with a bad case of vertigo when I was in the goat country and my right leg kept going numb.  Before I will go elk hunting I would want to be sure that my back, heart, lungs and legs would be ready for it.  A long and steep Iowa river slope and a Wyoming or Montana mountain are not the same.