I may be going Elk Hunting!
 

Well boys looks like I may be going Elk hunting next year.

Ive got a Angus Heffer that I have to sell this spring. Shes bred, And the way the market is it looks like I may get $2000 out of her.
I dont really need the money right now, So I'm finally gonna be able to afford to head out west for an Elk hunt.

To say the least, I'm verrryy excited!!!!

Do you have any idea where you might go? The reason I ask is that about the only states with OTC tags for Rocky Mountain elk are CO and ID (some areas and they are already for sale first come first served). Montana has had leftovers the last few years after they dropped their outfitter sponsored tags and raised their license fees that are close to $1000 for an elk tag. All the other states either need a number of preference points to draw a tag or you would need to buy a landowner tag in some of the states that offer that (UT, CO, and NM to name a few) and they are expensive! I would strongly suggest you get on it and do your homework right away because it's getting so you need to plan a year or more ahead on a lot of the western hunts to get a decent tag.

nice teaser. where are you looking to hunt? and what weapon? what month. guided, diy?cow ? bull? wegotstaknow. lol.

Yea I know alot goes into just the planning for an Elk hunt. Colorado seems like the obvious choice to me, Being as it looks to be the easiest place to buy tags. A bunch of my friends have made numerous trips to Colorado over the years, They've got a place down by Pagosa that they've hunted for 20 some years. I could just never afford to make the trip. I'm not gonna lie though, besides the research I've done online. I dont know just a whole lot about it. So any tips on tags, or where you would hunt are greatly appriciated. Ive got a year to plan, It looks like I'm gonna need every bit of it.

Being in good physical condition is important. You'll hear lots of different stories on this. Take advice from your buddies who hunt around Pagosa Springs. They will know. Some would have you believe you need to be able to run a marathon in record time and dead-lift 500 LBS. If you can do that, it would help. But many successful elk hunters can't get into that kind of shape. Train for endurance. Elk hunting is an endurance activity. Getting through the first day isn't enough. I walk 2.5 miles every day with a 50 LBS pack (50 LBS bag of sand in the pack) and add a more intense exercise after the walk: rowing on a mechanical machine one day, strength exercises the next day (push-ups, sit-ups, dumbbell work, lunges, squats, knee-lifts, etc.). I tend to do this exercise year round, adding more walking distance and increasing the intense exercises as the elk hunting season draws closer. My regime is NOT the super aggressive marathon running/500 LBS dead-lift regime. But it works for me. Lose weight if you are overweight. Don't start your exercise routine on September 1. Start now or start on February 1, if you want to give yourself a Christmas break.

You should have good boots. You will probably do a lot of walking over uneven and rocky ground. If you are lucky, you will be doing a lot of walking over uneven and rocky ground carrying a heavy pack full of elk meat. This walking calls for stout soled hunting boots with good ankle support. I like Meindl Perfekt Hunters from Cabela's. Other suitable boots are available.

Wear clothes that can be layered and that are warm when wet. A wicking base layer (long underwear of polypropylene or merino wool or some other fabric), wool pants (can get M-51 Army Surplus wool pants cheap on-line), wool shirt (Pendleton wool shirts can be found cheap on-line sometimes), and a warm breathable parka. You may also like to have a heavy wool vest or fleece vest. You will sweat in these clothes. If they don't wick the moisture off your body, this sweat will keep you wet and make you cold. Also, you may get wet from various causes -- blizzards, rain, splashing/falling in a water course. Wool remains warm -- or pretty warm -- even when wet. It is quiet when moving through the woods. I'm not saying there aren't other clothing alternatives by the way, just providing one detailed alternative. Have a warm hat.

A .30-06 shooting 180 grain bullets is enough gun. Other cartridges also suffice.

There is a lot of other stuff involved, but you can start exercising and building your clothing stash now.

If your buddies are planning a return visit to the Pagosa Springs area, I would see if you could go with them and get the feel of things as a newbie to the sport. It would also really cut down on your expenses and be much safer than trying to do it alone. Having a few people to get an elk out and back to camp also makes it a lot easier on everyone as they are a big animal. Two of us took a load apiece 2 miles back to the truck this year from the kill site and then 4 of us brought out the second load. It was all uphill with a 600 foot deep canyon we had to go down in and up the other side on the way back and forth.

Good luck on the elk hunt. Fun's over when you knock one down..

Congratulations , great to get the ball rolling.

Washington has OTC tags for elk with some areas being "any elk" areas!!! yes there are draw hunts available

Way to go!!!
 

Elk hunting has to be my favorite pastime. Yeah finding a place to hunt that has tags, a good number of animals, and enough space you’re not hunting on top of somebody is hard to find. Public land is getting so crowded going private property is almost the best bet. You might have to pay more, but your options are better. No matter what you decide to do. Good Luck and Good Hunting.