100 Elk Harvested Myth or Factual

[One300wsm]

I keep seeing statements on social media similar to this but not limited to: So and so, it may be granddad, uncle Bob a friend of mine’s dad have taken over a 100 Elk with a 243win. I see the 243win a lot in these conversations but not limited to specifically, any or several cartridges used is acceptable.
I’m just curious to know if anyone on here has harvested 100 Elk or know anyone that has.
I’m not interested in guides that have guided a 100 kills just individuals that have actually pulled the trigger, all legally during Elk season not on a damage permit on private property not pouching.
Im not from the West so I normally have to draw an Elk tag, other than OTC in Colorado which I’ve taken several Elk with OTC DIY hunts. We are DIY hunters in the lower 48.
In my lifetime I have taken over a 100 Whitetail bucks in numerous states. I’ve probably taken close to 100 turkey gobblers in numerous states also a good many black bears we are hounds men. I have hunted Elk and Muledeer in numerous states over the last 25 years the last 15 with my wife. Combined over that time period we have managed to harvest 14 bulls and a 3 cows, also 10 Muledeer 160 and up we choose not to shoot raghorns. I have first hand knowledge of how hard Elk/Muledeer hunting is so when I hear or see 100 Elk harvested it seems like a lot to me. Whitetails and Turkeys are plentiful Elk and Muledeer are not and harder to find.
Is this just a myth or factual?

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Your average hunter this day and age isn’t going to have 100 elk kills alone, maybe in the family, or dad/grandpa hunting in the 60’s,70’s and 80’s when the tag system was a lot different (atleast in co).

But let’s say you hunt 3 states Montana, Wyoming and Colorado that’s probably 3 elk a year? 33 years to hit 100. Imo someone hunting several states isn’t just out to fill a freezer, maybe their homestead they get a bull and cow but other states I’m betting they are going bull only. Even killing 4 a year is 25 years and you have to be 100% successful.

Unless you’re a social influencer that’s main focus is elk it’s gonna be tough to hit that 100 regular tag mark. You got people out there like cam Haynes but I’d consider that type of stuff as a “paid position” so it would be essentially the same as a guided hunt, I mean they technically have guides with them on every single hunt.

That’s my .02 cents, personally I haven’t hit the high mark, I am a guide so I’ve hit that 100 mark but like you said that’s a little different and doesn’t really count haha I was just there to help. Personally though I will probably never hit the 100 mark just because guiding takes up a lot of your time


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[One300wsm]

Your average hunter this day and age isn’t going to have 100 elk kills alone, maybe in the family, or dad/grandpa hunting in the 60’s,70’s and 80’s when the tag system was a lot different (atleast in co).

But let’s say you hunt 3 states Montana, Wyoming and Colorado that’s probably 3 elk a year? 33 years to hit 100. Imo someone hunting several states isn’t just out to fill a freezer, maybe their homestead they get a bull and cow but other states I’m betting they are going bull only. Even killing 4 a year is 25 years and you have to be 100% successful.

Unless you’re a social influencer that’s main focus is elk it’s gonna be tough to hit that 100 regular tag mark. You got people out there like cam Haynes but I’d consider that type of stuff as a “paid position” so it would be essentially the same as a guided hunt, I mean they technically have guides with them on every single hunt.

That’s my .02 cents, personally I haven’t hit the high mark, I am a guide so I’ve hit that 100 mark but like you said that’s a little different and doesn’t really count haha I was just there to help. Personally though I will probably never hit the 100 mark just because guiding takes up a lot of your time


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Think you Sir I appreciate your knowledge and honesty.

 

[Poser]

I've most likely killed 100+ whitetails in my day as I cut my teeth in a state with a 3 doe a day limit and a 100 day rifle season, but 100 elk? If you killed 3 a season, which would likely require hunting at least 2 different states every year + having a reliable landowner tag or similar, that would be 25 years assuming 100% success rate, but realistically, even if you hunted 2-3 states every single year, it would take at least 35-40 years to rack up that total. Maybe if you spend a lot of time helping partners out and count those as your success pool, you could rack up 2-3 year including your own success, but I doubt there are very people hunting that much, that consistently over that long of a timeframe to count 100 kills unless they are a guide or 1% wealthy and extraordinarily motivated to go elk hunting and not do much else for 4 months out of the year.

 

[wytx]

In our 39 years of hunting Wyoming, between the 2 of us I bet we've taken close to 100 elk. Not quite but close.
At least 1 general or LQ license each year and at least 2 cow tags a year.
It adds up if you shoot a bunch of cows.

 

[Slickhill]

Why wouldn’t private land or damage permit elk count as data points? I’m not sure what you’re really asking for is it caliber/cartridge info or just how it would be possible to kill 100.
I know in my grandad’s case that back in the 50’s party hunting was either legal or just accepted. They were gathering meat and doing it as efficiently as they could within reason and the rules. Not elk but I know he talked about killing 7 bucks one year when they had about 30 tags in camp, I could see elk hunters of the day doing the same.

I hunt 2 states annually for elk. The limit is 1 in one state and 2 in the other. Plenty of years I could have killed 3 if I’d wanted but I’ve always stopped at 2 because we don’t need that much meat.

 

[dirtshooter]

I don't even think Casey Brooks or Cam Hanes have 100 elk kills....

 

[Hnthrdr]

I don't even think Casey Brooks or Cam Hanes have 100 elk kills....

What about Joe Rogan?!

 

[dirtshooter]

What about Joe Rogan?!

Not even close cause he only started hunting less than 10 years ago it seems.

My point was even the big influencers seem to be short of the 100 mark.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Not even close cause he only started hunting less than 10 years ago it seems.

My point was even the big influencers seem to be short of the 100 mark.

I know I’m yanking your chain, not much of Hanes follower but watched him hunt about 10/12 years ago and he was guided asking the guide if a 250” rag horn was a good bull… I don’t think is much of an elk god… now a fit guy who can shoot a boy sure…

 

[Weldor]

Nope, to do those numbers in those time limits that is 100% success rate. I don't know anyone who hunts that has a 100% success rate, Deer or Elk.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think if you are shooting several cows a year it’s a possibility, but bulls… in the modern era. Would be mighty tough to just get that many tags and hit all the seasons in different states and tag out. Probably take 50+ years of hunting hard to hit 100 bulls solo

 

[BAKPAKR]

I think if you are shooting several cows a year it’s a possibility, but bulls… in the modern era. Would be mighty tough to just get that many tags and hit all the seasons in different states and tag out.

^^This^^

 

[Weldor]

Sad thing is it has become a numbers game, not about hunting and enjoying the outdoors. Bummer.

 

[Skerhunter]

I believe most states only allow 1 bull and 2 cow/calf tags per resident. To harvest more than that you would need damage permits or access to private land in multiple states.

50-75 is probably a more realistic number for guys that consistently get after it and fill multiple permits every year within their home state.

 

[StupidLightweight]

...100 kills just individuals that have actually pulled the trigger ... not on a damage permit on private property.

I think the only way it would be possible to kill 100 elk would be by stacking up cows on private land during the late season. From what I've read on here, the people that claim high numbers of elk admit this.

I would love to get in on that action. I'm 40 and have killed 10 bulls I believe and zero cows. Antlers are cool and all, but having a bunch of cow elk meat in the freezer gets more appealing every year.

 

[rclouse79]

It is hard to believe someone could hit 100 unless they were a dirtbag poacher who was skilled at not getting caught. I guess if you had a family of 12 you could go through that many elk a year. If weren't trying to feed a small army, what would be the point?

 

[Golt199]

Let's say a hunter starts at age 12 and hunts hard every single year until he's 72. That's a 60-year career. To get to 100 elk, he'd have to average 1.6 elk every single year. Not just some years, but every year for six decades. In my world, where I'm eating tag soup more often than I'd like to admit, where a good year is one bull and a bad year is a lot of beautiful country and sore feet, that kind of consistency is... well, it's superhuman.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Cool so in 25 years of elk hunting I'm 12% of the way there.

 

[Ready2Rut]

I know I’m yanking your chain, not much of Hanes follower but watched him hunt about 10/12 years ago and he was guided asking the guide if a 250” rag horn was a good bull… I don’t think is much of an elk god… now a fit guy who can shoot a boy sure…

Wait, Hanes shot a boy? Must have missed that particular YouTube episode.