If you had the chance would you...........
 

Let's say you had a good friend in Colorado and you had a chance to go hunt in an overthe counter either sex elk tag zone on a DIY hunt on public land, for a super cheap price (tag + airfare). You had the ability to time the trip perfectly for the peak of the elk rut in this area as well for an entire week.

Your a hardcore northeast whitetail hunter though, and this elk trip would mean only weekend hunting for the entire whitetail season that year because of lack of vacation. No 3 day weekends, and no week off during the whitetail rut.

Would you pass up the opportunity for some outstanding whitetail hunting to go after public land elk in Colorado DIY?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

that is a hard one to decide. i would hunt go and hunt elk, just becasue it is such a good opertunity anda good deal like thatmight not evercome aroundagain

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Tough call dude....The perverbial rock and hard spot.........I THINK I would probably go elk hunting. In my world, that is a one time shot, would never get the opportunity again.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Take the opp hands down. I'm a big believer in trying something new and unique, expecially when you may never get the chance again for awhile. The whitetail deer hunting will likely be there next year. Can you say the same about the elk hunting?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

You can always hunt whitetail. They aren't going anywhere. I would take the trip and hunt elk. Spot and stalk hunting elk is just about as good as it gets IMO.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Rick... If you are from the Albany area, I would go on the elk hunt... It's not like we'd be missing whitetail hunting in OH or IL or something...
That seems like a very good opportunity.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

If i could take a bull, i would probably go on the elk hunt, if it was cow only, then it would be a tough call for me. Since elk hunting would probably not happen all that often for me, i think i would want to do it going after a big bull. Wow, that is a tough call, the more im thinking about it the more i dont know what i would do. I do like to try new things though. Good luck with your decision.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Do it. Wouldn't think twice. I love whitetail, but the elk hunt would probably be a one shot chance for me.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Depends on how many times you've got to do each of the activities in question... If you've partaken multiple times in chasing whitetails, why not give the elk a shot just once?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

It wouldn't take me but about 2 seconds to dial my buddy and set a date that I'd be there. :D

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

No question in my mind, I would do the elk hunt. Opportunities like that are rare, so you need to jump on them when they come along. Let us know what you decide.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

For me, I'm deer hunting! Elk are something that interest me, but not a DIY public land hunt that means missing the whitetail rut. When I decide to go elk hunting, it will be with an outfitter of some fashion.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

There is ALOT of meat on an elk ... if the odds were good to kill one, I would go in a second ..... unless I had my eye on a big boy that I knew was still lurking on my land ........

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

The votes have been counted... it's elk city.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

A lot depends on what you think you can accomplish in weekends for whitetails. And what you are willing to potentially miss out on. Elk hunting probably one of the coolest things I've ever done, I'd say go for it, even if your odds of success are low.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Absolutely! Elk hunting is the best animal to hunt IMO. I love hunting whitetails but I would go Elk hunting even if I had to just hunt on the weekends.

If there is no vacation there are always sick days! Cough, cough!!

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Someone that doesn't live in elk country and isn't independently wealthy doesn't get an opportunity like that to come along and bite 'em in the butt very often. And since the weekends are still free for deer, you'd only wind up regretting it if you stayed home. Maybe not this year or the next but, as the years go by and no other opportunities for elk come your way...

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I would go on the Elk hunt. The chance may not come up again. I know the chance to hunt deer will still be there.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Are you practising your elk call yet?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Yikes thats a tough call. It would probably depend on the class of bucks I had seen earlier in the year. Meaning, if had not seen any really really nice bucks compared to previous years then I would probably go Elk hunting. If I had seen a monster for the area Im hunting I may consider sticking around. How often will you have the opportunity to go Elk hunting versus whitetail hunting?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I'd go whitetail hunting. DIY hunts just don't interest me that much to miss prime rut.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Go on the elk hunt!!! I did this very thing(except we drove there) in '05 and its well worth the trip for several reasons other than getting an elk.

1. Camping/hiking in the wilderness
2. Scenery is magnificent
3. A new big game animal to hunt
4. A different place to hunt
5. If you like challenges, the physical aspect alone will do it
6. You don't know what will happen in the future.....do it now
7. DIY hunts are very tough but satisfying
8. As you say, you can still hunt whitetails at home on weekends

Do it now!!!

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

dude, elk hunting, come on, and aren't you single? Co. has a lot of nice looking fit women. its a no brainer. you'll remember the trip forever.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Elk for me, probably a one shot deal

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

ELK!

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I would go elk hunting every weekend and take a week for white-tail. With all kidding aside, a week in the wilderness will show you what you are made of. Don't count out any DIY hunts............ I have always been the one to go see what else there is out there, and have never regretted anyadventure.

Look at it this way, when you do get settled down and have a kid, alot of things will change and your chances will be far less. Do it now while you have a chance........and hunt each day like it may be your last, just like the guy that I have elk hunted with for the last several years, he will spend this elk season pouring liquid into his stomach through a tube. Get out there and see what the heck the other part of the world does when archery opens!!!!! And never pass up a good opportunity...

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

i'd go elk hunting because i've never been.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

Funny you asked. A friend of mine and I have just starting to plan an elk hunt like you. It will cost me my week of whitetail, but I figure how many chances have I had at elk: 0. So, I have to jump at it. I’ll still have weekends.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I'm kind of in the opposite situation. I hunt elk every year close to home. For me, a whitetail hunt would be something to dream about. Or better yet a hog . . . . .

But in your situation, the elk hunt sounds pretty good. A lot of it depends on just how connected your buddy in Colorado is to the elk hunting world. There are some really good spots on public land that hunters keep real quiet about. Does you buddy hunt enough to have one of those areas all scouted out? Is this person proficient in calling and archery elk hunting in general? Not that a harvest is the measure of success here, but I would want to know we weren't just wandering around the mountains . . . . . .

You might go back to some of the discussion a month or so back where Greg/MO was inquiring about this same subject. Good luck. Roskoe.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I would do it in a heartbeat. Heck yeah...

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

YES I WOULD GO ELK HUNTING!!!!!!!!!

The deer will be there when you get back.

Are you packing yet?

You better get in shape there isn't much oxygen up on those mountains.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

thats a hard decision right there. if it was the 1st time of me going elk yes id go.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

There is nothing on this planet more magical than hunting elk during the rut. It is a time of the year I always look forward to, and I always seem to find my way home. I wouldn't miss it for all the tea in China (even if It meant hunting a weekend)! I'm not saying that the whitetail rut isn't cool, but it is not the same. I would do the elk hunt in a New York Second!

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

It's been a few years since I elk hunted. I liked it and the meat was superior.

For me, I would have two conditions:

1. I would have to KNOW that my buddy was onto the elk. This sounds simple but public land in Colorado is vast and (especially bowhunting) you could get skunked very easiliy if he is not prepared.
2. It would have to be an either sex tag so I could shoot if a bull if I found one and shoot a cow if it got to be the last day.

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

do the elk hunt, there is nothing that I have ever experienced hunting that was better than hearing a bugling bull in the peak of the rut. The scenery will be spectacular and you will still have weekends in PA and NY

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

I must say I would have never expected to see this response. Not saying there is anything wrong with it, it just surprized me. Would a guided hunt interest you then?

RE: If you had the chance would you...........
 

It's a no brainer for me. Get out there and enjoy the opportunity to hunt a new species and spend some time in the mountains.

When I was in my late teens and early 20's I spent a lot of time in western Montana. That's the greatest thing I miss about my summers and falls is not seeing the mountains. I missed it so much that I'm heading west on my first elk hunt this fall.