Elk Hunting Cost and Gear List

[seldomseensmith]

Did you consider flight, rental car? I know SWA gives you 2 free bags at 50# each and then charges for each additional bag. I'm not trying to monday morning quarterback anyone but for the future.... The way I see it you save several days travel and it has to be cheaper. Based on a trip I took this summer I would say $375 for the ticket and lets say $100 extra baggage fees on the way home. Rental car for a week is $225-$250. Gas sub $100 easy. No hotels either way. Once again, just curious.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Did you consider flight, rental car? I know SWA gives you 2 free bags at 50# each and then charges for each additional bag. I'm not trying to monday morning quarterback anyone but for the future.... The way I see it you save several days travel and it has to be cheaper. Based on a trip I took this summer I would say $375 for the ticket and lets say $100 extra baggage fees on the way home. Rental car for a week is $225-$250. Gas sub $100 easy. No hotels either way. Once again, just curious.

It just didn't make sense financially or logistically for me. If you go with $375 for the ticket, $500 for two weeks on the rental car, $60 in gas, and $150 for extra baggage fees ($75ea, but not sure if there is a weight limit on that) that comes to $1,085. Not to mention the extra fees for transporting coolers to the hunting area, or buying them once I connected. Plus the fees for rescheduling a return flight early. Then keeping in mind that I am at least two and a half hours from the closest airport, so now I'm either getting dropped off or paying $196 ($14 a day)for parking.
I know there are plenty of people that do it, and it works well for them, but it just doesn't make much sense for me.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Yeah that all makes sense to me. I'm just a tinkering SOB. Even if works I'll still do it differently next time. Glad you found a way to get it done.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

I crunched the numbers and came up with roughly $1300 per year for gas, food, tag, and yearly gear needs. If you're looking to buy decent clothes(not top of the line, but not Walmart cotton and denim), a top end pack, top end boots, and good camping gear, you will spend roughly $2700 on gear alone. I look at it like this, $4,000 for the first year and $1,200 each year after that with certain things needing to be replaced here and there.

I compare all of this to the price of "day hunting" whitetail and exotics in Texas. For a nice WT, you'll spend at least $2500 on the trophy fee alone. Add $100-200 per day in "day fees", guide tip, gas, and food and you have yourself an extremely expensive whitetail. I can spend LESS money hunting elk in Colorado than I would hunting whitetail bucks here in Tx.

 

[clarkbnd]

This helps us rookie Easterners a lot. Thanks,

 

[hobbes]

Great thread. This is the kind of info I looked for back when I first traveled to Colorado. I think its still useful for seasoned guys to compare notes.

From my experience, back before I decided I'd just stay in elk country, it isnt just the cost that holds most folks back. Some folks are just scared to try something new. In addition, a lot of guys say its the cost, but in reality it's the cost combined with no guarantees. Most guys will shell out the cash if they are guaranteed success.

I had multiple coworkers that ridiculed me for driving all the way to Colorado a couple times and not killing a bull. A common statement was "You could have went guided one time and already have your bull." They couldnt grasp anything more than a bull for the wall.

Ive friends and family back home that Ive invited out and they use the money excuse, but the reality is they dont see me killing elk as consistently as the whitetails they are accustomed to. If I was posting a 6 pt a year (some of you do), I wouldnt even have to ask.
I recognize thats not everyone, but there is a good number of folks that arent really worried about the cost, but instead want a guaranteed bull.

 

[seldomseensmith]

I walk out with my head held high and tears in my eyes every time, regardless of success. To your point.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

From my experience, back before I decided I'd just stay in elk country, it isnt just the cost that holds most folks back. Some folks are just scared to try something new. In addition, a lot of guys say its the cost, but in reality it's the cost combined with no guarantees.

Very well said, I tend to agree.

 

[justinspicher]

After reading this I'm grateful I live in Colorado!

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

After reading this I'm grateful I live in Colorado!

This thread illustrates one of the reasons I want to move to Colorado or Wyoming.

 

[rgroves79]

I'll be between $1100-$1200 for tag, food, and gas (gas split with hunting partner). This will be our first time out and I had to buy backpacking gear from scratch. The gear purchases hurt the wallet but the trip itself is more than affordable every year even if I factor in some gear upgrades here and there each year. I should go back and calculate what my total gear spend was but I'm not sure I really want to know