Bwamplin

Hello fellow hunters!

First time posting to this site so I'm not sure if it's in the right area but I'm curious if anyone out there can help me getting started into elk hunting. I am an avid hunter that lives near Kansas City Mo. I hunt everything from whitetail to waterfowl, bows and guns. I've never had the fortune to know/meet anyone that is an elk hunter. I have read up on it some and would just like to find a good guide/diy drop camp for just a cow elk. I'll have around $2000 for the trip and have most all of the equipment I would need. I'm really just looking to find out if anyone knows of a quality cheaper outfitter for a cow hunt, or some info on a diy drop camp. Any help would be appreciated!

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Do a search of these forums. This topic has been discussed pretty in depth.

Champlain Islander

My advice is to hunt Colorado and put in for cow tags for 2017 or try to buy left over tags this year. There is a lot of elk along with open hunting land in Colorado. I am not sure 2K will cover a guided or drop camp hunt so you might want to try a DIY with tags amounting to about 1/4 of your budget for a bull tag and a little less for a cow. Living in KC area you are just down the road from good elk country. Our trips out to Colorado take 3 days. We found hunting elk to be similar to deer hunting in a lot of ways. Once you find them they are usually in good numbers but are very wary and if you do bump them they are gone. Getting them cut up and out is when the real fun starts. Good luck.

TwoBear

I largely agree with CI, exception being elk and deer are similar.;-). If you are looking at a cow elk, I would also recommend Colorado DIYer hunt. No sense in paying for a drop camp. Might want to look into spending money on a ranch trespass fee, for cows I imagine its pretty reasonable, and cheaper than a drop camp.

Bocajnala

Twobear, looked at your page and it looks like you guys have a good thing going there! Maybe when the kids are a little older I'll give ya a call!

I also suggest looking into a DIY Colorado hunt. The drive is pretty close for you, and there's lots of OTC tags available in Colorado. With that budget you could get a cow tag for around $400 I believe and use the rest for your trip, and possibly a scouting trip out there one long weekend also. Take a look at this link.... Might be helpful....

http://www.backcountrychronicles.com...-otc-elk-tags/

-Jake

Champlain Islander

I guess I should explain my elk and deer hunting to be similar. My first trip was with 2 other died in the wool eastern whitetail hunters who had never hunted or even seen a wild elk. We hunted DIY in south central Colorado and basically hunted the same way we hunt deer by still hunting. Perhaps it was luck or possibly providence but on day 2 I stumbled on a herd at first light and bagged my first elk a fat cow. That group of cows had some bulls that were bedded just over the rise and at my shot they all took off towards where my buddies were hunting a mile away. First one then about 5 minutes later another shot and when we got connected with our radios we discovered we all had one down. 2 Cows and a bull. The two animals are definitely way different but moving into the wind, going slow and using terrain to hide is the way we hunt deer and it worked well for elk at least for us. Following years we became a little more familiar with elk and the type of places they like and worked calling into the hunt. Deer are often alone and the area we hunt the elk at that time of the year are usually grouped up so there are a lot more eyes and ears on watch. I found elk were similar to deer in several ways. First of all their sense of smell is very good and with the changing western winds they definitely have an advantage. I feel their eyesight is good but what makes them harder to hunt than deer IMO is they aren't curious. Deer when jumped will often only run a short ways and might even stop and look back. Elk are long gone to the next county when jumped with one exception. We found that often when we jump some if they didn't really bust us a quick series of cow calls will settle them down and sometimes will actually stop them. I had a whole herd all around me on a steep hill in the dark timber and then they stopped and could see the bull coming over the edge down towards me and luckily the wind was calm. A spike bull was about 25 yards to the side from me and was looking my way knowing something was wrong. I was down in the snow on my knees crouched as low as I could go. A cow with calf just up hill started to bark and I knew the gig was up. Just for chits and grins I reached into my pocket and hit a hoochie mama and the whole herd just went back to walking down past me and then along came the bull. I am not an elk expert by any means but am a pretty good eastern deer hunter that brings some of that luck out west when I get the chance to use it.
And to the OP...your KC Cabelas is a good one that we have visited each year for the past 10 that we have gone out. The muley room is something to behold.

Alsatian

Try to find someone who has experience elk hunting and attach yourself to them. If you can't join their hunt, ask for specific advice. Do your own research on WHERE to hunt: most successful elk hunters don't want to give up their hot spots. Colorado has the most opportunity if you want to hunt elk. Other states may have higher chances for trophies -- but you may need to wait a few years to get a license.


Elk are up high until deep snows drive them off the mountain and down to winter range. This means above 10,000 feet. This is relevant in choosing what game management unit you choose to hunt in. Don't choose a low altitude GMU for a second season hunt; don't choose a high altitude GMU for a late season hunt. Be aware that low altitude GMUs are mostly private land, so you would need to have permission to hunt.


I would say that some aspects of elk hunting are difficult to learn from the Internet or from reading books. You can learn a lot by being on the scene, in the mountains. You could look at a first hunt as an exploratory hunt where you aren't likely to bag an elk (rates of taking elk are about 20% of all licensed elk hunters in Colorado), but you can learn a lot about what you need to do to succeed in a future trip.


I made my first hunt in 2006 and did many things wrong. My next hunt in 2009 was much better and I took a bull, took another bull in 2011, was prevented by heavy snow from success in 2013, took a cow in 2014. Since 2013 I have gone out every year. I'm 60 years old, so I'm conscious that my elk hunting days are limited in number. It is extremely rewarding to hunt elk in the high country of Colorado in October. It is beautiful country.

Champlain Islander

One thing that the internet does well is videos. Watch and learn the gutless method of taking care of a downed elk. Our first few elk were all field dressed like a deer which due to their size is difficult and can be messy especially if a small delay between death and dressing one out. The exploding guacamole is kind of funny except when it happens to you.
If you do a DIY hunt get some good pack frames and have help. It would be very hard to haul one out alone. Of the 15 to 20 elk our group has killed we were only able to get the truck near 1 of them as I recall. Like Alsatian said it is a difficult hunt due to the altitude and terrain. Best to be in good shape and get some good leather boots.

Bob H in NH

I'd second what CI said above. I have exactly 1 elk to my credit, but as a NH deer hunter, when I walked up on that dead bull, my first thought was "holy crap he's big". They are the same family as deer, but man are they bigger.

TwoBear

[QUOTE=Champlain Islander;4271043]One thing that the internet does well is videos. Watch and learn the gutless method of taking care of a downed elk. Our first few elk were all field dressed like a deer which due to their size is difficult and can be messy especially if a small delay between death and dressing one out. The exploding guacamole is kind of funny except when it happens to you.
If you do a DIY hunt get some good pack frames and have help. It would be very hard to haul one out alone. Of the 15 to 20 elk our group has killed we were only able to get the truck near 1 of them as I recall. Like Alsatian said it is a difficult hunt due to the altitude and terrain. Best to be in good shape and get some good leather boots.[/QUOTE



Hey CI, if you guys are using traditional back packs to pack meat, let me introduce you to the BVA Pac Bag. I bought out the owner and we are going into production on some next month. I use them in camp and liked them so much I bought the company out. Small local outfit nothing big. We make them right here in the valley. If you PM me your address, I will send you one for free as long as you promise to give me some feedback. Thanks.