Gobblers Nightmare

I am interested in looking into going elk hunting out west and I really have no idea where to start, so I have some questions. How do I select a reputable outfitter? How much can I expect to pay for one? I shoot a 30-06, is that an effective rifle for elk? How far should I be comfortable shooting? How far in advance should I book a hunt?

If you have any tips or leads to good outfitters, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Gobbler

Hunter_59

Gobbler, if you're truly interested in hunting elk out west then start by doing some research on the web. There is a ton of information available. You first need to ask yourself some questions. Like how much are you willing to pay? Do you want an opportunity to shoot an elk for meat or are you after a trophy? What do you consider a trophy? Any racked bull or a 350 or above class? Lots of difference in money if you're booking an outfitter. What terrain are you wanting to hunt, steepmountains, flat ground? The 30-06 is sufficient to kill any elk but can you shoot it accurately out to at least 200 yards? You should plan on booking an outfitter at least 9 months in advance if not more. There are plenty of guys here to give you some guidance but do some research on the web and you can narrow down your interests. Good luck!

lethalconnection

Well i can only help you on a few of those. Is the 30-06 a good enough rifle? Well all i got to say to that is if you cant kill an elk with a 30-06 then you've got problems, just increase the grain of your bullet to about 180 and youll be fine and as for how far should you be comfortable shooting? Well thats all up to you but if your going during the rut you shouldnt have to shot to far if your guide can bugle good. But if it isnt rut be prepared to make shoots possibly up to 300yds but dont forget to practice with the grain of bullet that youll be using to hunt the elk with. Hope this has been helpful.

game4lunch

I'm in Wyoming and our nonresident ap dates and drawings have come and gone already so don't try and hunt here this year. That means an outfitter would not do you any good either. The only possibility would be the "leftover" drawing in July.
Probably would choose Colorado for first hunt. Lots of elk (most in any state); licences are "over the counter" so there is no drawing. What outfitter you go with would start with how much hunting experience do you have? Minimal experience, you need to find an outfitter that has private land, comfortable accomodations, one on one guides, that kind of stuff. Most would be a 5 day hunt probably. They will take care of everything except pulling the trigger and paying for taxidermy. If you want a more "bare bones" hunt, price would be much less. Both would most likely provide equal opportunity to shoot an elk. Picjing an outfitter is very tricky, I would suggest the best thing to do is attend as many local outdoor shows in your area you can. That way you meet who you are hiring, know what you'll be getting, and where, and can even put a deposit on your hunt to verify the trip. Very important. Word of mouth is O.K., but meeting and talking to them in person can not be duplicated.
You could expect to pay between $1500 and $8500. Give or take.
30-06, would be very adequate. I personallyprefer many of the 30 cal. rifles. Main thing, are you very confident in the gun and your ability with it? Or are you borrowing it from your brother-in-law? (lol)
I suggest sighting in 2" high at 100 yards. That way, you are in the kill zone out to 300 yards! Which you may have to pull off. (Don't want to, but mat have to) So practice at 100, 200, 300 yards. Use at least a 180 grain bullet. And I'm a big fan of balistic tips. They have good and fast expansion.

wyotimberghost

I'm not trying to start an argument here, but my father and I have both had great success using 30-06's with 150gr plain-jane Remington Core-Lokt ammo on elk. If you already have youe rifle zeroed in with 150 or 165 grain bullets or something similar save yourself time and money by just sticking with your current set up.

lethalconnection

i agree with you there wyotimberghost that 150 grain bullets do the trick its just that if you hit them in the shoulder it may dont have enough juice to do enough damage and as you may know that sometimes if you dont hit them elk just right they can run forever so some people fell more confident that they'll make a more humane shot with the higher grain and you also dont have to really worry about chasing the bugers down forever. I myself have used 150 grains bullet for moose and elk and it puts them down but you just have to be darn certain to hit them just behind the shoulder or all you might be doing if giving them a broken leg. Thats in my own opinion though.

wyotimberghost

If you shoot an elk in the front shoulder they are done for, even if it does not penetrate the vitals and kill them. They simply cannot get away because of the way they are built. I walked up on an elk last year deer hunting that had only been shot in the shoulder, and while he was still alive with an old wound I could easily have run up to him and pushed him over. (know poachers had been in the area a couple of days earlier and elk season wasn't close to being open, so the elk had probably gotten herd shot without the poachers' knowing) If you put one into their front shoulder you shouldn't have any problem jacking another round into the chamber and finishing them off. I know guys who "crowd the shoulders" when they are aiming for just this reason. Anywhere else you hit an elk if its not in the vitals, spine, or front shoulders, though, I agree you have problem. I had a cow get away from me in the timber this year because all I could see was its head and neck, so I shot it in the neck but all I ended up with was a chunk of meat about an inch in legth because I missed the spine. Unless someone else shot it later, that elk is running around healthy as can be right now.

txhunter58

Picking an outfitter can be tough. Don't know a fool proof plan, but keep checking on hunting sites. Should run you $3-4000 for a reputable outfitter with a good chance of shot opportunities.

Your 30-06 has killed more elk than all other calibers combined, so I think you are fine out to 400 yards. I would try 165 and 180 grain bullets and see which one shoots the best. Have a friend who shoots Hornady light magnum with 180 grain bullets. Has killed elk and African game up to Kudu sized animals, and rarely has to take more than one shot.

You should be booking a hunt soon if you want to hunt next fall.

Another option is to find a good tresspass hunt where you pay to hunt private land, but are not guided. Usually about 1/2 the price of a guided hunt.

Bob H in NH

First off you need to make a few decisions:

- how much are you willing to pay? cost could run from $1000 on up to probably 15-20K for a week hunt. The higher the cost PROBABLY the higher the chance for a big bull.

- What will you be happy shooting? Over 300, any bull, cow? This will help refine where you want to go, different states have different limits. BIG bulls will be more money and may require drawing a tag.

- Will you be happy with a "draw" hunt where if you don't draw, you don't hunt? some state are over the counter, some are draw.

Best way to find an outfitter? You really have a few options:

- Hit the winter sporting shows, a bunch will be there, the benefit is that you meet them face to face so can get a better read on them. Down side is limited selection.

- magazines, internet, etc. Problem here is you never know who to trust.

- booking agent (I have a friend who uses www.hunts.net he loves them). With a booking agent, you give him the information, he has a list of outfitters he works with and you sort it out with him. Benefit is that they help you through the paperwork if any etc, they have also usually hunted with the outfitter so have done some of the background info.

elk hunting is fun, first morning that a bull bugles back at you, you will be hooked!

SILVERTIP-CO

Amen.