If I wanted to elk hunt...

[Outwest]

One other thing you have to think about is what are you going to do with an elk when you are 1000 miles from home and it is 80 degrees outside.

John

[Gaff]

wow roger, that sounds like an amazing trip! man, you were gone almost 2 mos!!! thats what im talkin about...

gaff

[rtherber]

I call out there and check on the mosquito situation and if I get a green light from the Forest  area allotment rancher I head that way. Its hot,muggy in August  and nothing to bowhunt here in TN except squirrels and its too hot to want to shoot one. Load and go,no real itenerary until the archery opener. The small town merchants are friendly and helpful. Trout fishing is good and plenty of hiking trails or new places to scout so time blows by. I try to get my money's worth out of the trips-stay during the best weather conditions-then come home for Fall season here. This year I'm moving over to the middle of the state and return to my old backpacking hunting spot. Got too crowded in the SW area I've been going to the last 3 yrs. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the old local merchants I hung around at when I return to my old area this year. I used to stay 12-14 days before I retired in '04 but since the chain and ball has gone I've been making hay while the sun shines. Looking at Alaska for '10-May thru August-Amtrak to Bellingham-Ferry up to Alaska-rent a vehicle- fly home-fish and bowhunt/sightsee/goof off/anyone done it that way?

[ishiwannabe]

I hear ya Outwest, the cost of cooler space and other variables are a big part of trying to plan something like this.
Man, Alaska is another dream. Better focus on one at a time or my wife might shoot me.    
She is already looking at me like "How much?!"

[John Scifres]

I've done 5 trips out west. CO twice, UT and then ID twice. You can do it for $1500 or less.  Flying is the only way I'd go.  The drive from IN is a killer.  I can't imagine from NY.

If I had to start all over again, I'd find a spot in CO and buy $250 cow tags until I knew it intimately and felt good about killing a bull.  Elk hunting is so completely different from deer hunting that $6-700 tags are expensive lessons.

It would be nice to find a local that you can trade a hunt with.

[nurayb]

Depending on the draw this year, I might do a little recon out in the desert.  There are not a lot of animals but are very easy to pattern.  I took my dad out there this November, and we killed a cow in about 2 hours of hunting.  If someone would like to accompany me for a hunt I'd be willing to show them around the elk "woods".  Several large bulls have been killed in this area in the last 10 years.  You can also hunt antelope and deer OTC.

[PAPA BEAR]

you're welcome to come hunt with ben and i in the eagle caps ishi,i pretty much have these elk figured out although i do get a little to excited when the bugles start flying.trip in and out is 1200.00 each hunter,supplied drop camp.we split food cost so it wouldnt cost you an arm to go.i'll teach you all i can and what mistakes to watch out for.as an example i drew back on a big spike one year and failed to tuck my cow calls (2)into my shirt before drawing my 70 pound compound and let me tell ya it hurt like .... having two nylon strings wrapped up in my bowstring when i shot.    let me know if you are interested..you won't find a more enjoyable hunt in my opinion.true wilderness

[No-sage]

You can't count food in your cost Jamie, you eat when you're home don't you.  Food is a wash.

39hrs drive from NY to SW CO, John is right, it's a killer.  We did it with 3 men, non stop, twice..... never again for me.  Either I'm taking more time on the drive out or I'm flying.

I also agree with him on the cow tags.  $500 is a lot of tag to be bringing back home with you when you're learning.  

I'd jump on elkherders offer if you can swing it.  Wish I had as generous a one when I first went.

I did the whole shebang for less than $1000. I had fun and I did get into some Elk, but I had no idea what I was doing.  It's beautiful hunting for sure.  Depends what you want to get out of it.

After, I wished I'd have just bought a fishing license and fished and scouted and learned.

[longarrow]

I hunt Idaho every year, OTC cow/Bull tag with your Lic about $500.00.  My DIY hunts runs around $1000.00..Beware.. myself and lots of other people can put in a position to see lots of ELK both C/B...This is hard hunting, up and down with nothing in the middle!! I hike 2 miles from base camp. Then comes the good part, getting the animial out!! No ATV's/wheels in most of the better area.  Good Luck!  

[Whip]

There are lots of possibilities when it comes to hunting out west.  You can take the easy way and just book through an outfitter, or you can do the research and figure out how to do it yourself.  This thread is a great starting point, and loads of great info here!

It seems overwhelming at first.  So many States, so many different units and different regulations for each.  Just start breaking it down and check it all out.  It can be done, it just will take some work.  But the planning and anticipation is half of the fun, so enjoy it all!

Most of all, figure out whatever it will take, and then make it happen.  Plan, budget, scrimp and save, hoard vacation time, whatever you need to do.  I haven't met a person yet who is getting any younger, and waiting until later in life to make your elk hunting dreams come true is NOT a good idea. The mountains are tough, and each year will get harder.
Do it now!

[Duckbutt]

Uhhhh....Mr. Whip, you must be getting younger cause you're battin a thousand for the last two elk seasons last I checked.  

[Whip]

If we throw out those six "practice" years that would be OK- but the darn mountains STILL keep getting steeper!  My memory is short though, and I find myself pouring over hunting regulations lately....  :rolleyes:  
Come on September!!!!!!!!!!!

[Missouri Sherpa]

I think you have plenty of advice about cost planning and such.  I have little to add that would be of much use to you about what to pack or where to go. I hunt elk on a regular basis (every year for the past 15 years) but use horses, and I take stuff that you likely will not be able to get to camp on your back.  

I would suggest that you take a summer vacation to Colorado, with your family, and spend some time in the mountains, hiking, fishing, picture taking and camping.  Get a map and find a place to go and explore it.  You will get a feel for the place and be better able to plan for hunting there.  I can tell you some places to go but I would be upsetting some one for giving up their spot.  Go to the Colorado DOW website and find the OTC units, pick a couple and look them up on google earth, and a topo map site.  There is no substitute for walking the ground and laying eyes on a place, you will learn a lot and you will have more educated directed questions to ask to further your journey into elk hunting.  If you do that you will be on your way and will have to return as often as you can.  I would not recommend going out totally cold and planning a trip without knowing what to expect from a prehunt trip.  Get into the best condition you can and just go.  If you pick out a few places you might want to go on your scouting trip and want to visit about those areas I would be happy to share some general information if I can.  Good luck.

[Whip]

That is great advice John.  I've done that a number of times myself and it sure does help immeasurably to be able to hit the ground running when you finally get out there to actually hunt.  And to top it off, those summer camping trips are some of the best trips my wife and I have ever enjoyed together.  She looks forward to them as much as I do.

[arrowit]

Elkherder, I couldn't of said it better. Amen to that.

[OkKeith]

Jamie,

I have been looking at a DIY elk hunt for a few years myself. The wall I kept running into has been mentioned, a first "learning" trip is expensive.

Here is what I have been doing and my planning process:

I take 2 weeks each year and go out west to fish. I had the bright idea that I might want to go elk (or mule deer) hunting, so I switched the area I fish in to a decent area for elk and deer. My trip this year will make 5 years I have hiked and fished the Shoshone Nat. forest in Wy. I think I MIGHT know some of the area well enough to hunt it. Each year I pick out a new spot to fish/scout as well as hit places I have been. I am moderatly confident that I could find game if I went to hunt now.

I realize this may be a long process, but a fishing license is a heck of a lot cheaper than tags and such, and the sccouting is fun (and the trout are delicious!). I know it is time and money well invested for when I take the plunge for a hunt.

Another good source of information is the Eastmans Bowhunting Journal. They are pretty much wheel bow types, but once a year or so they print a guide to hunts in the west with info on states and units in those states with emphasis on DIY hunts. It references cost, density of game, when you have to put in for draws and where ya can get OTC tags and such. Good info.

I guess my advice boils down to, if you can't get a local to help you out, a scouting trip (flyrod in hand no doubt) would be a good investment. It's also a lot of fun.

Good luck!
OkKeith

[ishiwannabe]

Great info everyone. I REALLY thank you guys.
I have, at this point, no timeline, no anything really. I started this thread to get what Im getting.....great info.
The offers are amazing, and I may end up going that route...think I would be a fool not to. LOL.
Thanks again everyone...and keep it up.

I would like to ask about the set ups now. I shoot 56@28 and draw an even 28. Im thinking heavy arrow, with a hefty two blade?

[Whip]

That set up will be good elk medicine.  I used 57# @ 29" and am very confident in it.

[Smallwood]

ishi... sent ya an e-mail with a list.
just remember that my list is for camping out of a travel trailer, just modify it as you need to.
sammy

[TradBowyer]

This will be my 4th year elk hunting solo...jsut my opinion, if you are going to spend $1000-$1300 to go, pay the extra $250 for the either sex tag..cause you know what will happen if you don't have one in your pocket...LOL...prepare yourself for a steep learning curve but its hte best...the second year I went, I called in a bull to 25yrds..couldn't get a shot and it walked off. I jsut sat down and revelled in the moment of my first bull in range..what a rush..