My father has said for a while that he would like to go elk hunting as a bucket list kind of item.

I'm kind of thinking it'd be cool to plan a trip for him/us. Neither of us are big hunters but both of us have been deer hunting in south Texas a few times, dove hunting, that sort of thing. He's a great shot (USMC) and if needed he'd love the excuse to buy another rifle.

So... has anyone done this recently? Any recommendations on guides/guns? There's lotteries or something in some states, right? How do you navigate that? Can anyone give me an idea on what I should expect this to cost?

And feel free to turn this into an elk hunting rifle gun pron thread.

I'll let experienced elk guys chime in, but I've done a fair amount of research on this the last couple of years as I'm prepping for a hunt.

Certain items that will affect your search somewhat:

1) Caliber of elk that you want to kill;
2) Public land v. Private;
3) Guide vs. DIY.

In Colorado there are areas with over the counter tags, so it needen't be hard to get a tag. Then again, for BIG bull units, it can be very difficult (particularly in NM/AZ/UT) and can take a decade(s) to get drawn.

In some units where it is easier to draw it is because there is very little public land. So you either need to hire a guide that has access to private land, or pay the landowner some type of trespass fee, etc.

I really know nothing of guides so I won't be much help there as I'm usually a DIY type guy. But if you're looking at a once in a lifetime trip with your Dad then a guide is 100% the way to go and some other guys will chime in with good options. Heck some of the guys that chime in probably ARE good options.

Most of your standard calibers will do just fine for elk from .270 to .300WM. Obviously it all depends on shot placement, etc. Most will probably nudge you towards some type of .30 round. But then again I'm a bowhunter, so I'll let the experts direct you there as well.

We're the STX deer hunts high-fenced or low-fenced hunts? We must first judge you and express an appropriate level of outrage if needed before we can give you reasonable recommendations.

Not sure about his, my only STX hunt was on the Callaghan. I did shoot it with a .243, if that tickles the outdoors board's fancy.

I more or less did the same trip with my dad last fall. We used Coyote Outfitters out of Durango, CO and both had a great time and successful hunts each taking 6x6 free range elk. They only book one elk hunt per year normally and prefer it to be during the first rifle season. This was all leased private property hunting but there are no high fence areas. Lodging and meals were part of the guide service and you can choose to stay in Durango or out in their cabin near Hesperus. I highly recommend them. My sister and brother-in-law also hunt with this outfitter for mountain lion and mule deer.

I did a DIY rifle hunt north of Glenwood Springs last year with an over the counter tag. It was a hard hunt, but we were successful in killing a 5x5.



I can give some more details if you want. Feel free to email me at username@gmail

He was dinner last night and all week.

If you just want to kill an elk, hire an outfitter or book a hunt at a game ranch.

If you want memories that'll last a lifetime, I recommend a DIY pack in hunt in the Bob Marshall wilderness of Montana in mid September. Montana draw odds aren't terrible and, if you buy bonus points, you should be hunting no later than your second application. I've done it a number of times and have a couple of nice bulls (280" & 330") and albums filled with pictures. Can't recommend the experience enough.

I get that, but why does it have to be either/or?

Neither of us are avid hunters so the DIY thing seems a little "advanced".

Doesn't necessarily have to be either / or. Matter of fact, if you aren't comfortable riding or don't have access to horses and mules, the DIY pack in route may not be for you. Probably isn't.

That said, there's an outfitter in the Bob that will pack you in, put you up in a nice canvas wall tent, and guide you. It's basically the same experience, but comes with a little steeper price. We actually camp about 2 miles from them, so I'm familiar enough with their setup to say that it looks like a great operation.

Their Cooney Creek camp is the one I'm familiar with seeing. It's in good country.
http://www.wtroutfitters.com

Excellent, thanks.

I have spent more hours in the saddle than I could count near Ingomar, MT but we definitely fall into the "don't have access to horses and mules" category.

Cheff's Guest RanchThese guys are another option. Very good family operation good guides and in the Bob. Start soon, I believe Montana still has tags left but you should get right on it. I highly recommend this outfit.

Unless you are in really good shape (Log), or like carrying very large chunks of meat (Log), you'll probably want access to horses/mules at least for packing out.

If I could afford it, I'd jump on Cowboy's recommendation in a heartbeat.

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Cheff's Guest RanchThese guys are another option. Very good family operation good guides and in the Bob. Start soon, I believe Montana still has tags left but you should get right on it. I highly recommend this outfit.

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The Hubs knows the family. Great choice, if they have the space available.

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Unless you are in really good shape (Log), or like carrying very large chunks of meat (Log), you'll probably want access to horses/mules at least for packing out.

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This. Start training yesterday and 5x harder than you think you need to.

Look into San Juan River Outfitters. They do a lot of guiding in New Mexico for Unit 34. John puts together a very nice camp and hires a good group of guides. You would need to draw a tag or buy a landowner tag.

I have hunted elk in Northern New Mexico for decades. They changed their draw system a couple years ago which makes it more difficult to draw a tag. However, we decided to give it a try this year and drew our first choice hunt. We hunt in Unit 51 which is near Tres Piedras. The DIY hunts are so much fun.

Every elk I have shot was dropped in its tracks using a .270. My cousin uses a 7mag. The other guy in our group uses a 30-06.

We drag our campers up there and set up camp on the side of the mountain. You don't need a bunch of expensive equipment to be successful. Hell, you don't even need a 4-wheel drive vehicle (although I highly recommend it). You hunt the Carson National Forest and there are good dirt roads all over it. You can park your vehicle and walk a short distance to find great hunting spots. If you are successful you will need a way to haul out your kill. We have 4x4 trucks and use an electric winch to load them in the back. You can also use a come-along.