How much is an elk hunt worth to you ?

[Rooster52]

Just looked at an elk hunt on a ranch in southern Colorado . Cost $12,500 for the hunt plus $2500 kill fee if successful . That is just incredible to me that there are folks that will pay that kind of money.

That's $7000 more than I paid for my first house !

 

[Jwill]

That's like 7+ elk hunts for me...

 

[SFC B]

There is a ranch out east of Castle Rock that charges 15K. That being said, if you are from Texas or (insert Southeastern state here) and have enough money that you want to be SURE to get a big bull it is a real producer. I am saving elk points to get an RFW hunt on that ranch in a cool 19-21 years

 

[npaden]

The trophy elk tags on San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation go for $30,000. They require that you hire a native guide, not sure how much that is in addition to the price of the tag.

 

[shrapnel]

This is what pay hunting has become. People that want to shoot bulls like the "Spider bull" several years ago and then there is this ridiculous bull that has been posted all over the outdoor sites. Money isn't an object for these people and how or where they get it doesn't matter either. Until the emphasis on monsters is tempered with sportsmanship, this will continue to get worse and more expensive...

 

[mtmuley]

Just looked at an elk hunt on a ranch in southern Colorado . Cost $12,500 for the hunt plus $2500 kill fee if successful . That is just incredible to me that there are folks that will pay that kind of money.

That's $7000 more than I paid for my first house !

Vermejo Park? I don't have a problem with the free range wild hunts. It's their money. So what? mtmuley

 

[Nameless Range]

I think it's a complex subject.

I was just talking to a buddy who shot his bull on public land neighboring a ranch that charges a 2500 dollar trespass fee for elk, where hunters basically go and shoot their bull off of irrigation pivots. According to the warden they took nine opening day.

To each their own but we both figured two things. If you're spending thousands of dollars for one of those bulls it probably:

1. Isn't about the meat at all.
2. Isn't about what most people typically consider "the hunt".

In the specific instance of this ranch, it is about cash and antlers and little else, which is a motivation that can consume any elk hunter.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Fifteen grand for an elk hunt? My pockets are nowhere near that deep. 15K would be 20 years of elk hunts for me.

 

[Rocky176]

We use to go on guided hunts in the 80's, when I booked a hunt with an outfitter in SW Montana and before we got there I had references call me and the owner telling me you don't shoot anything besides a 6 pt the first couple of days, I bought the line. When we arrived we were told if you see a spike you better shoot it. Then to add insult to injury, I was in better shape than the guide. From that point on I have been a DIY hunter. I do not always harvest but I have a heck of a good time. Just to be clear there are some very good outfitters out there. I would just rather be on my own.

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like to try a guided hunt some time. Fact is I have no where near that much extra cash to spend so I am "reduced" to hunting public land and BMA's (which may as well be public land). Highly doubtful I'll shoot HUGE bulls / bucks consistently on the lands I hunt, but I won't complain about the opportunities I have.

 

[mtmander]

As long as people are willing to spend money there will be people willing to take it.

 

[deer_shooter]

Back in 2001 I went on my only guided hunt, a 5 day bowhunt for elk near gunnison. I paid $2200. Food and accommodations were good and we were into elk almost every day but no shots. I looked at it as a learning experience. i don't have much interest in another guided hunt at any price. Like other have said, $15 grand would cover my hunts till I'm too old to go!

 

[TheJason]

To each their own. I'd rather pay $1k for my tag and wander the hills by myself for a week and shoot a cow than to pay several thousand bucks to shoot a bull out of a hay circle.

 

[sbhooper]

To each their own. I'd rather pay $1k for my tag and wander the hills by myself for a week and shoot a cow than to pay several thousand bucks to shoot a bull out of a hay circle.

This. I could do two moose hunts in Newfoundland for that much, too. I will stay with my does and cows and save the money.

To each his own, though, if you have the money that you want to waste on a hunt like that. My buddy just did an elk hunt with Q Creek in Wyoming that was less than $5000 and he had a great hunt. It is not necessary to pay that kind of money.

Speaking of Vermejo Park ranch, I was having coffee and a donut a couple days ago, while waiting on the wife. I met an old cowboy that has been guiding there since before the ranch was bought by Turner. He lives a couple hours north of me and I am going to go have lunch with him some time, just to look at his pictures. He said most of the people on those hunts are fat desk jockeys and could never hunt, if they could not drive to the elk.

The Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico, I believe, would be a better hunt for larger bulls and it is $15,000 for a complete package.

The only reason those prices are what they are, is supply and demand. There are lots of rich people that want to spend that money so that they can brag on their hunting prowess.

 

[mtmander]

quote from above 'The only reason those prices are what they are, is supply and demand. There are lots of rich people that want to spend that money so that they can brag on their hunting prowess.'
Agree , and the size of the antlers makes them better hunters

 

[Pinecricker]

Its hard to say that you really "killed" one when some one else did all the work, from scouting to packing, for you. Especially so when you're "hunting" at the zoo.

Just looked at an elk hunt on a ranch in southern Colorado . Cost $12,500 for the hunt plus $2500 kill fee if successful . That is just incredible to me that there are folks that will pay that kind of money.

That's $7000 more than I paid for my first house !

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Spending lots of money while hunting isn't really unique or a new concept its always been a game for the wealthy in most of the world save for the US and a few other places. If I can show you a sold out outfitter charging $800/day for ducks and $7k/week to deer hunt spending 5 figures on an elk hunt isn't a stretch.

For people with a lot of money time is much more valuable than money. I don't really like the concept of guided hunts myself but I understand the concept of limited time as someone who operates on 2 weeks vacation 12-18 hours drive away from elk hunting opportunities. It definitely changes the mindset vs being able to scout/hunt elk after work if you got out a little bit early. While there is a vast amount of wealth floating around trust fund babies there are also plenty of people working 80 hours weeks to have made the money they have.

One other thing to think about with elk is there is a very established eastern hunter mentality that you do once or someday vs an annual thing. I think anyone here would think differently about spending on their once in a lifetime trip to Europe against their annual trip to the lake.

For one reason or another there is mentally a huge hurdle for a guy who has spent his entire life sitting in deer stands to hunt spot and stalk in the mountains. Part of that is fear of the unknown and part is that deer hunting the east doesn't really provide any transferable skills to hunting out west.

The problem today is that outdoor media is fed by record book animal pictures without any regard for the how and only regard for the result. No one got on the cover of outdoor life for saving their money and vacation for years to drive 24 hours though the night to shoot a respectable branch antlered bull that they hunted for 10 days while living out of a tent on mountain house.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Based on the extreme examples, I think the title of this thread should have been "How much is a shoulder mount of an elk big enough to prove you are better than your friends, but don't really want to work to get it, worth to you?"

IMO, you really aren't paying for a "hunt" based on the paradigm most of share.

To be honest, I kind of feal bad for these guys, as they are missing out on what I consider the best part of the hunt.

 

[genesis273]

And my wife thinks I'm crazy for spending around $2500-3000 (that is total of everything involved) to go on public land DIY to kill a 300" bull. Which I will take any day over paying a fraction of the guided hunt cost to kill a 350"+ bull.

 

[shrapnel]

And my wife thinks I'm crazy for spending around $2500-3000 (that is total of everything involved) to go on public land DIY to kill a 300" bull. Which I will take any day over paying a fraction of the guided hunt cost to kill a 350"+ bull.

The difference here is that I won't pay anything to hunt elk. I've gotten mine on my own. At least that's what it seems like until I realized how much it costs me to live in Montana. I could live anywhere else and make a lot more money. I will pay for my elk in a differently, and I wouldn't have it any other way...