Colorado vs Wyoming Elk Hunt
 

I have Elk Hunted Colorado quite a bit over the years and now I am going to try Wyoming. For those of you that have hunted both, I am curious if you have a preference and why.

Wyoming hands down---plenty of elk and a lot less orange!

Yes,Wyoming does a much better job of managing it's Elk
herd and limiting hunters to reasonable numbers in most areas.

Having hunted both several times I must agree. No comparison, Wyoming better by far. Less hunters and more wildlife.

Of course, it's been three decades since I hunted elk in Colorado, but I'm a little surprised by the preference for Wyoming.

I still think the general hunt areas here see excessive pressure, so I much prefer limited-quota tags. Once the elk move, the game changes very quickly. We're very much affected by private landowners who either lease their land to an "outfitter" (I think "pimp" is a better word for many of them - they don't rise to the level of the guides with strings of horses and a camp way back in the wilderness somewhere) or charge you a trespass fee to shoot a cow (then they'll complain to G&F later about how too many elk are raiding their hay lot). Much of the good public elk land is bordered by private land and landowners who don't want you back there in it. So access can be difficult and very physical (own good boots, good maps, and a sturdy pack frame - and know how to use all three).

But, when you find yourself alone at daybreak in a valley full of bugling bulls ... yeah, I know why I like elk hunting in Wyoming.

Colorado, because I hunt in Wyoming.

Not if we keep advertising it.

For me, it would be CO.

But, and this is a big but, I'm from there and have hunted elk there my entire life. I know where to go and I have access to some really good property. Mostly I'm interested in a nice tasty cow but I've taken more than my share of good bulls. I can fill a cow tag just about any weekend I want to hunt. Besides, my entire family is still there and the annual elk hunt is as much a family gathering as it is a hunting trip. The meat is shared equally after it is cut and wrapped so even if I fail to fill my tag, I'm going to have elk in the freezer.

That being said, if I wasn't a CO resident and wanted to hunt elk, I'd look to WY, MT or ID with WY getting the nod.

I think it's already too late for that. I don't know about you, but I don't think I know a single resident who'll pay the big trespass fees to private landowners - thus motivating them even more to charge to hunt. That practice is almost pervasive today, and it's a logical market-driven response to the "need" for easier hunting for those who have more money than they do skill, knowledge, or time.

That said, I don't believe that all nonresidents fall into that category, as I encounter some of the same people out in the woods year after year who come from other states. They know the ground, they're DIY too, and they put up with the same conditions and exertions that I do. And, not all of the "slob" hunters, "game hogs," and "road hunters" I run across wear out-of-state tags. More likely, they're residents - at least in my experience.

Although annoying, I can tolerate some hunting behaviors. The one I can't tolerate is when I've hiked in the difficult back door to a good piece of public ground, take my animal, and then have some "outfitter" stalk up and inform me that I had to have trespassed across his "easy-access" lease to get there. That's happened to me three times in the past ten years. On one occasion, he and his "clients" had ATVs parked at the forest boundary. When G&F describes a hunt area as "difficult access", it more often than not means the surrounding landowners participate in this kind of leasing operation.

I don't blame landowners for trying to make a buck, and I don't blame the city-dweller who's been saving for a once-in-a-lifetime hunt for having the money to pay for it. I blame the kind of "outfitters" who are taking advantage of both of them. And it's not just a Wyoming problem. They're not so much paying to hunt the landowner's property (which I have no problem with) as they can be simply closing down the access to the public land beyond (which I do have a problem with).

If a nonresident foots the bill for an out-of-state tag, they're a licensed hunter just like the rest of us residents.

I agree with Homers bro.
It's too late.
I spend nearly as much time keeping my fences intact and my gate locks in place during season as I do hunting for myself.

:)

Don't tell me that your fence repair kit doesn't include a rifle!? It's sad to think back on it now, but my hunting kit once included a roll of barbed wire, a stretcher, and a pair of fencing plarrrrrrrs. Permission to hunt generally also demanded one's presence at that annual pilgrimage known as "branding."

Fond memories of times gone by.
Now I often get approached by a new dude while I'm fixing damage from the last "dude", asking how much I will take to allow access.

My dad used to grant access to guys that approached politely and didn't tear stuff up. We landlock a huge chunk of NF and BLM. I can't afford to do that now. Wish I could. Some of those guys from the old days became friends.

Times change.

Oh great. Now I gotta add elk in Colorado and Wyoming both on my bucket list. Sheeesh!! You guys are makin this even more expensive. My life is just gonna get more complicated. ;)

Just draw an elk tag in WY area 34.
The rest is gravy. Just promise to close the gates and don't rut up the roads.

;)

Done and done. Heck, I'd even bring coffee. It looks like it's 3-4 years for a non-resident to draw in that area although pretty decent odds if you're a resident.

That they are. We never had stones enough to waltz up and ask a landowner how much they'd charge us to hunt. It nearly always started as one of those things where you'd hear somewhere around town that someone got hurt or was shorthanded and needed some help. You just went and helped. The feed afterward was always the reward. No strings.

But, then they'd hear we were coming up empty toward the end of hunting season and next thing you know you'd have a personal invitation from them to hunt their property. No strings.

Yes, times have changed. Maybe you should tell that next "dude" it'll cost him an honest day's work for an honest day's hunting? Maybe he'd have a little more appreciation then?

Dang, I've done both. Now what? :)

There's nothing in the world like sitting on a ridge listening and watching the elk bugle down below you. A good bucket-list item to have, for sure!

Fer shure dude. LOL. What will make it real interesting is the wife wants to move out of state (buh-bye CA) when we're both retired. She wants hunting for me and near water for her. Could get real interesting and will definitely be a lot of fun.

Cal,
My wife and I had the same situation when we came to retirement. She is the fisherman and wanted water so she almost got me to move to Alaska. I'm too heavily invested in WY to just pull stakes and go so she graciously agreed to settle for the local rivers and trout.
Hope you find your ideal place.

She likes the ocean but doesn't necessarily want to move there. She's good with a river, lake or stream nearby and has said she doesn't mind the cold. She doesn't like tornadoes or lightning storms but is okay with snow, etc. So far, it could be pretty much about any western state. Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Washington (state), Oregon and Arizona are all okay with her. We have a while and I'd want us to spend a little time in a state during different seasons before we chose to move somewhere. Both of us were born in Northern California and raised here. neither of us like the way they keep passing more restrictive laws. If we could separate CA into 2 separate states and keep the bay area and L.A. in the other 1/2, I'd be happy and we could get rid of most of these stupid laws. Since neither of us foresees that happening, we're considering other states. We have a few years before we're finally retired but it's definitely a decision that we'll research and make in the next 5-6 years.

If I ever move away from WY ( not likely ) I'll be headed for NW Montana.
Lincoln county or Flathead county.
Glad I have time left before I get too old. :)

Out of curiosity, what in those Montana counties would induce you to move from what sounds like a picture perfect setup (naive DFW Wardens aside :D) ?