Colorado is the only state you can buy over the counter elk licenses. Out of state cost is pretty high though ($480 for a bull tag). They raised the price to limit the number of out of state hunters and it worked. If you apply early in the spring, you can get special hunt tags, cow tags, etc. and the cow tags are only $225.

Don' t expect elk hunting to be like you see in videos, with huge bulls running around bugling willy nilly. Do expect a lot of hard work in high altitude and a good deal of dissapointment until you learn the skills, the area, etc. Elk hunting is totally different from deer hunting. You also need to know that virtually every area containing elk is seasonal in nature, meaning the elk don' t stay there all the time. You have to find an area where the elk will be during the season you elect to hunt. If you hunt early during the rut, the elk are likely to be in the high alpine meadows and deep timber. Late in the season, especially after heavy snows, they will migrate down to lower and more accessible areas.

It helps to rent horses because the area you can cover is larger and easier than on foot, but not everyone is comfortable on a horse. You also need horses acclimated to the mountains or they get as winded as you will.

If you wish to shorten the learning curve, I suggest a drop camp. Your outfitter will get you into territory which contains elk during the season you select, saving you all the investigation and trial and error, etc. They may also assist you in getting the elk out. Besides a large gut pile, if you kill one you might find out it can kill you getting the beast packed out from some remote canyon miles from a road or camp.

It took me three unguided hunts before I learned enough to be successful at killing an elk, but then some are lucky enough to get one on their first try. It is fun to just be out there, and you will likely enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. You may or may not enjoy much bugling depending on the season, amount of elk, etc. Good luck and good hunting.