Looking for Some General Advice

[cpoplayer]

With my first Western hunt under my belt, I am already beginning to think about next year and beyond. Perhaps I am being too ambitious but, my first choice for a hunt next year would be for an elk. I don’t have any preference point in any states. Whatever I do next year will have to be either a leftover tag or an OTC tag. While researching, I found that there are some muzzleloader and 1st season rifle elk tags in Colorado that non-residents have 100% chance to draw. I know there are many units in Colorado that have OTC 2nd and 3rd season rifle tags. The thing that worries me about 2nd and 3rd season tags is the weather and road conditions as I do not have a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I do have a 4 wheel drive ATV and 2 wheel drive UTV. Still, the thought of driving treacherous mountain roads in the snow on an ATV in the cold is not particularly appealing but, it’s not out of the question. The thing that concerns me about muzzle loader season is the heat and meat spoilage since I would be hunting solo and having to make several trips to pack out all the meat. However, the thought of hunting rutting bulls with an open sighted muzzle loader sound like whole bunch of fun. I think the 1st season might be a good compromise but, the fact that the tags are less difficult for a non-resident to draw leaves me wondering “what’s the catch?”. I have also considered applying for an elk tag in New Mexico since I won’t have to play the points game there or buying one of the general limited opportunity elk tags in Arizona. I just want to be able to hunt elk so when my sons or myself have enough points to draw a good tag, I have some experience elk hunting. While I would be ecstatic to kill a giant bull, I am definitely not a horn hunter. Any bull would be a trophy to me!

I’d like to get some general advice/opinions/input from the more experienced folks here. I know I am probably over-thinking this but, I’d still like to hear what everyone has to say. Feel free to PM me if you’d like.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I started getting points in CO several years ago. I hunted OTC units while building points to gain experience. I now find myself in no-man's land for points. If I were to start over, I would build points for just a couple years and go more often in 1st season hunts. I'm not a successful elk hunter, but that's my thoughts with the experiences I've had.

Another note..I hear bad things all the time about Colorado OTC being overcrowded, but I never experienced that in my hunts. As long as I got a little ways from the road, I never ran into anybody. I recently went on a hunt in a unit in Wyoming which required several points. It was far more crowded than any OTC Colorado hunt I've been on. Then again, I've not been successful in harvesting (but close), so maybe I should've been looking for all the other hunters in CO

In whatever you decide, I hope it goes well. I'm looking forward to another great write-up next year!

 

[JohnCushman]

I started getting points in CO several years ago. I hunted OTC units while building points to gain experience. I now find myself in no-man's land for points. If I were to start over, I would build points for just a couple years and go more often in 1st season hunts. I'm not a successful elk hunter, but that's my thoughts with the experiences I've had.

Another note..I hear bad things all the time about Colorado OTC being overcrowded, but I never experienced that in my hunts. As long as I got a little ways from the road, I never ran into anybody. I recently went on a hunt in a unit in Wyoming which required several points. It was far more crowded than any OTC Colorado hunt I've been on. Then again, I've not been successful in harvesting (but close), so maybe I should've been looking for all the other hunters in CO

In whatever you decide, I hope it goes well. I'm looking forward to another great write-up next year!

PM sent

 

[Irrelevant]

MT or ID. Buy the tag, find some land, shoot an elk, drive home, it's really pretty simple

I would strongly encourage you to bring a friend. At least until to you've packed a couple off the mountain so you fully understand what you're capable of.

 

[el unit]

MT or ID. Buy the tag, find some land, shoot an elk, drive home, it's really pretty simple

I would strongly encourage you to bring a friend. At least until to you've packed a couple off the mountain so you fully understand what you're capable of.

Its not quite this simple. At least the shoot an elk part.

 

[cpoplayer]

MT or ID. Buy the tag, find some land, shoot an elk, drive home, it's really pretty simple

I would strongly encourage you to bring a friend. At least until to you've packed a couple off the mountain so you fully understand what you're capable of.

I had given some thought to both Idaho and Montana. But, after driving to Wyoming, I have to say that both of those states are out of range for me. New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado are within my ability to drive with only brief stops for naps which means less time on the road and more time to hunt. As for taking a friend....well, I don't havrany friends who are what I would call serious hunters. And of those, none of them have the level of commitment it would take for a trip like this. I have mentioned it several times to friends and none of them have seemed interested in it. I like to hunt at my own pace and do my own thing. I don't like the pressure of depending on someone else to make the trip happen or trying to make sure they are pleased with the experience.

Maybe I am setting sights too for next year. Maybe I should get a few more deer hunts in the books before attempting an elk hunt.

 

[brymoore]

I had given some thought to both Idaho and Montana. But, after driving to Wyoming, I have to say that both of those states are out of range for me. New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado are within my ability to drive with only brief stops for naps which means less time on the road and more time to hunt. As for taking a friend....well, I don't havrany friends who are what I would call serious hunters. And of those, none of them have the level of commitment it would take for a trip like this. I have mentioned it several times to friends and none of them have seemed interested in it. I like to hunt at my own pace and do my own thing. I don't like the pressure of depending on someone else to make the trip happen or trying to make sure they are pleased with the experience.

Maybe I am setting sights too for next year. Maybe I should get a few more deer hunts in the books before attempting an elk hunt.

Fly and rent a truck.

 

[mtmander]

go for the elk hunt , apply to the states you want but also look at OTC tags to get some experience elk hunting

 

[5Speedjim]

You might even think about getting a cow tag. Easy to get and high success.

 

[JohnCushman]

A lot of Colorado is OTC for archery. The weather is usually much better if you're worried about driving in the mountains. You can get either sex, or in some units you can opt for just a cow tag. I agree with 5speedjim about trying a cow tag to start with. Also, you can catch the bulls being vocal and rutting during archery. As far as meat spoilage, get if off the bone and in the shade ASAP and you should be ok.

 

[LCH]

I think you definitely have the right attitude. I have the same trouble with finding serious, committed hunters to share trips with. At some point, you have to stop letting others control your plans and just go it alone.

As far as a solo diy elk hunt being "too ambitious," I think it's all about your outlook. If you're looking for a great experience in awesome country, and are fine with possibly eating a tag at the end of the hunt, go for it. If you gauge the successfulness of the trip on whether or not you bring home a big set of horns, then it may be a tough order to fill.

One thing that I like to do is hunt areas where I can get tags for multiple species (elk and deer, deer and antelope, etc.). It makes the trip a little more expensive, but coming from so far away I feel it gives me more "bang for the buck" and increases the odds of bringing something back.

 

[cpoplayer]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement everyone! It is much appreciated. I have no problem eating a tag at the end of the hunt as long as I feel I did everything possible to fill it. Sometimes it's just not in the cards. I have come to realize that I enjoy the preparation and planning that goes into a hunt as much as the hunt itself. In Wyoming, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed just walking through new territory and seeing new territory. I found myself constantly wondering "what's around the next bend in the trail" or "what's over this hill."

 

[wytex]

Cow tag would be a great starter , cheaper tag. I personally would not go hunting in a 2 wheel drive vehicle but I know some who do. Extremely rough, rocky roads, snow and mud all make for the 4 wheel drive argument. Elk can be undertaken solo but be prepared for the work involved.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

I did CO muzzleloader elk on a leftover tag this year as my first ever elk hunt and would not recommend Colorado in general unless a unit takes a few points to draw. Elk were clearly pressured by September 12th just by the archery hunters. I worked really hard hunting off my back up 3 different drainages and ended up covering 60 miles in 5 days of hunting with 9k trailheads hiking in up to 13k which is where I ended up finding elk. The management I experienced was for the greatest amount of elk tag dollars the state could bring in by volume. Statewide Colorado elk success is under 15%. My personal opinion having hunted antelope, mule and elk driving from the Midwest is that a lot of the OTC elk tags aren't worth the time and expense for such low odds beyond a year of going elk hunting work out the bugs of gear and planning. I've done 3 years of OTC antelope and western mule deer/whitetail trips with no shortage of abundant opportunity and OTC elk was very much not that way.

I don't think you need a 4x4 to elk hunt, but you need to pick your units and where you hunt based on not having a 4x4. I elk hunted this year out of my Subaru Impreza and the limiting factor is ground clearance just to get to the trailheads. Of the 4 places I would consider hunting in the unit I went to 1 was off limits without a high clearance 4x4. Walking, not where your vehicle can go is what ultimately determines success IMO. There are definitely going to be units where not having a 4x4 is more of an issue.

Hunting elk solo is not something I would recommend having done it and I haven't even gotten into the situation yet of getting one out solo miles back in. Driving 20 hours and then hitting the trail in the dark carrying all your gear is hard. A great example was how after driving 20 hours solo I put on all my nice technical clothing to realize 3 days later I still had my tshirt I drove out in underneath it all. You basically lose a day of hunting (or gain one driving) based on the sleep deprivation of doing the drive solo vs a group having done it both ways. A big qualifier for me to solo elk hunt again would be flying out instead of driving and it would mean I could solve the 4x4 issue based on what I rented.

I think you have to apply for limited entry elk in every state you can afford and then wait a year or 2 to get a Wyoming general elk tag on points if you don't draw anything else. The success rates are much, much higher on a Wyoming general season hunt than any OTC hunts. Going from 12% success to 25% success rates means you only need to go out for 4 years instead of 8 to get your first elk just basing everything around numbers alone. I personally think a high motivated NR elk hunter can be successful within 3 years of focused effort once you start playing the game and develop a multi-state application plan of attack.

 

[cpoplayer]

Thanks for bringing up Wyoming Flatland Crusoe. Sorry your Colorado trip didn’t work out.



What is everyone’s opinion on the Wyoming General Tag? It is a bit farther than I want to drive but, there are a couple advantages that I see. First, The hunt dates would allow more flexibility and I would have to take less time off work. From what I have found, the hunts in New Mexico and Colorado I have been considering are Saturday thru Wednesday hunts. With one of these hunts, including travel time, I would have to take 7 days off work or 8 days in order to have a scouting day. With the long General Season in Wyoming, I would be able to do the trip only taking 5 days off and be able to hunt Monday thru Friday when there is less hunting pressure. Second, draw odds for non-residents are 100% for the “Special Tag”. However, that tag is a bit over $1000 which I suppose is not too bad considering it is all but guaranteed. Also, I see some of the units that are included in the General Tag allow for the taking of an either sex elk which would give me more opportunity to take home some meat if bulls are hard to come by.



But, I suppose if I am willing to drive to Wyoming and spend $1000 on an elk tag, I should just drive a little further to Montana and spend the same amount of money. I could get a combo tag to hunt deer and elk.

 

[LCH]

Check out the Medicine Bow units. Probably not much farther for you than most of Colorado. I killed a cow there in 2013, was a fun hunt. I had a cow tag, deer tag, and 'lope tag, for about the same money as the special priced either sex elk tag, and filled all but the 'lope tag (ran out of time).

 

[Thomas11]

I'm from Alabama. I was kinda like you when I first got interested in western hunting a few years ago in that I didn't know a lot about it and didn't grow up there., I've been elk archery hunting 5 times all DIY. I've yet to kill one. It is beyond difficult at best. But it is the most fun hunting ive ever done.I've had opportunities. Plenty of them and should have killed several Bulls with my bow. I'm leaning for next year going to CO first rifle. These are by far the most successful of all the CO elk hunts. If you want to talk about other states or CO fill free to PM or call 251 769 6061. I apply in other states as well and hunt CO when I don't draw elsewhere. Btw, roll tide! Ha! Thomas

 

[CubsFan]

Another note..I hear bad things all the time about Colorado OTC being overcrowded, but I never experienced that in my hunts. As long as I got a little ways from the road, I never ran into anybody.

This was my first year hunting in Colorado but this was my experience as well. I hunted 2nd season deer in an OTC unit and then 3rd season elk in a different OTC unit and saw very few other hunters. Granted I didn't have success so maybe I was just in a bad spot others knew not to go to. At some points I was hoping for a little pressure sitting up high thinking that it might at least get some animals moving around that I could spot.

I appreciate this thread because I'm looking for some tips/ideas for a high chance of success hunt as well. I'm fortunate to live in CO so it sounds like a good plan would be to build a few points keep doing OTC then apply for a 1st season rifle in a few years. I'm also looking at WY because I'll definitely be heading there again next year for pronghorn.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Its worth noting I saw only 1 other group of hunters that wasn't right at the trailhead or road in 5 days in Colorado which was good, but in doing so I was intentionally in some really rough country. Most of my hunting was 4-7 miles of hiking from any roads or trailheads and there was definitely a feeling I was in over my head being in that far solo. I had good gear and was in decent shape but I just underestimated the difficulty of such a hunt solo in a lot of ways.

If there is anything a person should take away is that a successful antelope or mule deer hunt out west on their first try is not an indicator that you will do well with elk especially without a good draw or a well timed trip as far as weather or bugling, etc. An antelope or mule deer hunt does help work out the logistics of such a trip in my opinion, but not much more for elk hunting. A lot of firearm deer hunts out west have success rates north of 50% and antelope north of 75% success rates where as the going rate on elk is 20% or so. A successful DIY antelope or mule deer hunt is an indicator that you can put together pretty basic pieces of a puzzle and can work through a system. A successful DIY elk hunt is an indicator of years of dedication and focus and a little or a lot of luck on your side.

I think the things to do would put yourself in a situation for a decently high opportunity elk hunts in the next 5 years would as follows.

1) Apply every year in NM. Odds are low, but everyone has the same odds unlike some states locked down by point holders.
2) Buy a point for Wyoming to hunt the general season in 2 years or limited entry in 5 years or so. In my experience Wyoming balances opportunity and quality better than any state.
3) Build points for Colorado so you can pull a first rifle hunt in a good unit in 4-5 years rather than chasing max points units.
4) Hunt OTC somewhere (ID, MT,CO) if you don't get lucky in the first few years, but treat it as an armed scouting trip. Keep good notes and analyze everything you could have done better or differently over the long cold offseason.

 

[cpoplayer]

Thanks again for the input everyone! I think I have a strategy mapped out. I have no illusions as to killing and elk my first year but, it won't be for lack of hard work and positive attitude.