Best public elk hunting?

[Taco John]

I've never done any elk hunting (or any Western hunting for that matter), but I'm interested in giving it a try in the coming years. Curious what states have the best options for public hunting ground? I'm open to spending a few years building preference points if it will get me into quality hunting ground.

You've arrived a little too late.


Much like gold miners arriving to the 1849 cali gold rush in 1863.


The tags you can get - you dont want.

The tags you want - you cant get.





The best way to elk hunt now is networking, or paying your way onto big private ranches.

 

[TaperPin]

Define “quality”.

I helped a foreign student buy a used car once when nothing about the process, or anything about different options made any sense to them. You just have to jump in and kick tires until what fits you makes more sense. There’s nothing keeping you from scouting multiple states every year.

 

[S-3 ranch]

Mexico has Quality wild elk on private ( no point system to deal with or long term waiting)
Western USA public is a absolutely crapshoot, and unfortunately the residents and authorities are clowns,

Very big competition for prime units which are few and far between

 

[wyogoat]

unfortunately the residents and authorities are clowns

 

[Balderdash]

Put in for PP and draws in a bunch of states. Eventually you'll draw a handful of awesome tags in lightly hunted units. In the meantime, hunt OTC and left over tags. Ive had some good hunts in a few states on leftover tags. I tend to look for cow tags in draw units. Have already killed a couple big bulls, and am not going to throw any more money at taxidermy unless its something really, really big, so it suits me fine. Hunter numbers are more limited sbd game sightings more frequent.

 

[TradLife406]

Illinois has elk and no tag needed

 

[Idaboy]

CO and MT