Elk Tag Lotteries
 

I've wanted to go Elk hunting for a long time out in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah or where else. Now how do I enter the Elk Lotteries? How do they work exactly and how much does it cost each year??? If you dont get picked to you get a partial refund or soemthing? Can someone with experience or knowledge please help me out? I would love to take my brother and father out also, so is there a way to do "multiple" requests or something? Thank.s

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

In Wyoming you can actually draw online. You have to do it between May1-May31. I am not sure of the cost without looking it up for non resident. Here is Wyomings webpage you can get all the info you need http://gf.state.wy.us/index.asp Also you can draw as a party and yes you get your money back if not drawn.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

What is the typical waiting period before your tag gets pulled? Or is it a truly random lottery? Thanks.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Nevermind, just read its all about points. So i guess each year you apply you get a point? Plus you can pay for ponits? Correct or no? Have to print out the guide and browse through it. thanks.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

In most of the states you can have a pretty good chance at drawing a general elk tag, but drawing odds for some highly sought after hunting districts can be as low as 1 or 2 percent. In Montana you have to get the general elk tag first and then apply for the special area and so your odds are actually even lower than that for the special districts.

Montana's Deer/Elk Combo license has drawing odds of about 50% the first year and if you pay for the preference points your odds go up to about 75% the 2nd year and over 90% the 3rd year. The license costs $643 and a preference point costs $20. The license includes an uplandgame bird license anda fishing license as well.

Wyomings Elk license is $577 and a preference point costs $50. It also includes a fishing license. The drawing odds last year were 15% without a preference point and 91% with a preference point for the regular priced one. They have a "special" license that costs$1,057 and the odds last year on it were51%without a preference point on it and100% with a preference point. The interesting thing about Wyoming is that you can buy a preference point until September 30th for the next years drawing. Wyoming has some crazy rules on requiring a guide in some areas so take that into consideration when applying.

Montana and Wyoming have outfitter and landowner licenses that you can buy through an outfitter or landowner if you are going to hunt with them that both have about 100% drawingodds. Of course you will have to hire the outfitter or pay the landowner a fee to hunt on their property and generally the license is only good on that landowners property or with that outfitter so you can't get a license that way and then back out and hunt somewhere else. An outfitter can charge anywhere from $2,500 - $10,000 with the price typically based on demand and reputation of the outfitter.

I believe for general areas you can buy a license for Idaho over the counter with no drawing and I know you can buy a general license for Colorado over the counter with no drawing. I've never checked on those prices though but I would assume they are about the same.

In most states if you don't get drawn your money is refunded with a nominal drawing fee of $5 - $15 withheld. Most states do have group drawings where everyone in the group is drawn together. It doesn't really help or hurt your chances but it is an all or none situation. Some folks prefer to apply individually so then it is almost a lock that one or two folks out of a group will get drawn and then the other guys tag along to help out but just don't have a license.

Each state has all the information you would need online and most allow online applications. It just takes some footwork to figure it all out. Or you can subscribe to something like Eastmans Hunting Journal and they have a special research supplement that gives a summary of each states information. (at least that's what they say on their TV show, I don't subscribe to their journal) There are also several places that will do all the applications for you for a fee. If you are 16 or under several states have special youth licenses that have lower prices and better drawing odds as well.

And remember getting a license is the easy part! Knowing where to hunt and getting one is the fun part and after that it is work!

That's my free lesson on what I know.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

in Wyoming its best just to buy a point, then try to draw for the next season using that point you purchased. using a guide will help too. In colorado there are areas where you can buy over the counter. Some places you have to have a ton of bonus points before you even attempt to draw. It just depends, I would narrow down when and where you want to go, and start from there. Some states are easier then others.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

P.S. - Utah, New Mexico and Arizona all have great reputations for trophy elk but they are generally considered to be even harder to draw for than the big 4 elk states I mentioned above. They may have better odds if you go with an outfitter but I've never looked into that. Nevada also has huntable elk populations as well as Washington and Oregon and I believe North and South Dakota. Of course Alaska and Canada have huntable elk populations as well.

Another interesting thing is that some of the Eastern states are really coming on with huntable elk populations on public land. Pennsylvania and Kentucky have huntable elk populations and from what I understand it is real hunting on public land, not like hunting on a game ranch or something like that.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Wyoming, Colorado, Utah or where else.

Colorado does have OTC rifle tags, but in limited areas, not sure how their bow tag works exactly, but I'm builing pts in CO, actually in all 3 states.

All states work the same just about on principle, you apply, when you don't draw you get a refund, some states cost more than others, and that can vary immensely on up front fees, which may be out of your hand for a number of months...

I'd suggest applying/building pts at least in Utah and WY of those 3.

One suggestion I'd make is New Mexico, its very cheap to apply, but there are no pref. pts, therefore everyone has the same chance whether they've been applying for 1 year or 20yrs. So you can get lucky with an awesome tag your first year. Also if you're going with an outfitter, your odds are even higher, but you'll need his outfitter # before applying I believe.

Idaho has some OTC tags too, not sure exactly how they work.

WY!!! You may still be able to purchase a elk pref. pt this year....get online now and goto wyoming game and fish and try to buy a pref. pt. it'll be well worth it.

So depending on what you're looking for, trophy vs. just any elk may affect which states you want to go for. But none the less you should goto websites and reasearch state info. And at least build pts in states where you want to hunt, whether it be states that produce trophies, or just somewhere you can draw and hunt an elk soon.

for $100/yr you can subscribe to the hunting fool magazine, they'll go in depth over all the various states, etc...

so what I suggest, is look to WY, Utah, and NM. Buy that point in WY if you still can, be quick because the deadline may be close or over.

Utah would be my dream trophy elk state,
Wyoming as my quality elk trophy after a few years for applying etc...
NM as the wild card, could draw any year a great tag
So you'll have short, mid, and longterm covered....and eventually you'll be hunting elk in 3 states! and learning alot along the way!

hope this helps.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Wow. Thanks everyone for all your input and advice. I wouldnt be going any tiem soon as I'm stuck on the East Coast and would have to probably go with an Outfitter, so I guess if I went that route I most likely woulnd't have to worry about the drawings huh? You guys are great and so knowledgable!

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Haven't heard anyone mention South Dakota yet, I'll share my experience with that area since that's where I've done all my elk hunting, in the Black Hills region.

You apply online just like Wyoming, you pay the price of the tag and check online to see if you got drawn. If you didn't, you get a refund in the mail.

I always hunted the experimental forest area, around HWY 385, kind of between Silver City and Rochford. There's a ton of elk in that area, just watch out for mountain lions.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Here, Kitty, Kitty :) .

So Wiggy, I see you're from Tennessee did you hire a guide/outfitter or do you know someone local? Just wondering how you came across your "spot" to hunt?

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

You must have lived in SD in the past?? Because the elk population is minimal, the tags are for South Dakotaresidents only.

Check the 1st paragraph: http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/BigGame/Elk.htm

Even if you are a resident, good luck getting drawn. I've got 10+ years of preference points and have never been drawn.... ;)


For minimal cost and such, you can't beat Colorado. Many of the other states offer some type of preference point option, but it can get expensive fast when you are having to purchase $100+ hunting licenses just to apply! I shot a decent 6x6 on public land last year in CO and have seen plenty of elk while out mule deer hunting too... Many of the units are notgoing to be considered 'trophy' units, but they stillhold somerespectable elk.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Bigwilly, you still have to worry about the drawings in some states. An outfitter will make it easier but not guaranteed. In Wyoming for example you still need a bonus point first. Most outfitters will advise you to get a bonus point, then the next season you will submitt your money for the draw using the outfitter #, this works most of the time if you have a bonus point but not always, there are some cases every year where people still dont get drawn. It depends on the area you hunt. The big thing is to know where and when you want to hunt. Then pick an outfitter, the outfitter will tell you what you need to do exactly for the area he hunts. But if you have never elk hunted before i do advise you to use an outfitter the first time, you dont have too, but its a good idea.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Yeah I would definitely use an Outfitter as I have never hunted Elk before, I think it would be a fun time for my father, brother and I. Expensive, but a good time. I'll have to start an Elk Hunt fund if the wife allows it :)

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

I used to live in Box Elder (please don't hold that against me) when I was stationed at Ellsworth years ago. I always saw a lot of elk, not so much around Silver City (although I did see a few in Jenny Gulch), but off of Experimental Forest Rd, all the way through into Rochford. Last time I hunted there I had a cow tag, and saw half a dozen bulls and probably that many cows in one morning. Me and my buddy both tagged out within a day of each other. I didn't know it was "resident only" though. When I hunted up there, I was a resident...It's a shame, it would be a good spot for a DIY hunt. If nothing else, the whitetail hunting is the best I've ever seen there, although I know of an even better honey hole for whitetails not too far from there too.

BigWilly,
It's public land up there, I don't even know if there are any outfitters in that area. It's a fairly easy area to navigate too. The public land is usually clearly marked. And if one were to get turned around, there are many, many game wardens around to keep everything in check.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

You might as well apply etc...

If you wait until you're ready to go ona guided hunt, you may never go...

Last year my dad and I weren't planning on going elk hunting, but we drew great tags our frist year applying and went, and it was awesome.

This year, he drew a once in a lifetime buffalo tag, again, wasn't planning that hunt, did plan to be antelope hunting, but didn't draw a tag we thought we were assured to draw, but ended up with a surprise.

So apply, won't hurt you to build points, and when you draw a tag, you'll end up forcing yourself to go, that or eating a Non-res elk tag, which not sure many of us would want to do.

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

You can buy a tag OTC here in Idaho. Do your research, pick a unit and put down the cash!

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

Hey Big Willy.

I just found this on on the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation web site. Its brief but has good info for a lot of places

http://www.rmef.org/Hunting/Features/Articles/Forecast.htm

RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
 

The info Windog put up is really useful. Take your pick. FYI i have lived in California most of my life on and off, and i can tell you that you dont have a pray getting a tag there. Im still waiting for mine. Biggest bulls you'll ever see up in northern cali, impossiable to get a tag. But all the other states listed give you an idea, and then just visit the states website and look for a reputable outfitter.