I want to take grandpa on a hunt of his dreams but I need some advice.

[Scorpion]

What part of the Midwest? You can always drive to Pennsylvania and go call the elk in in the north central part of the state.

You’re going to have limited options in your price range. There may be some options to do a rifle cow hunt on private but I’m not sure of any during the rut.

To be very honest, you may be best off planning an early to mid September camping trip and just plan to go looking for elk, even if you’re watching them from the road on a private ranch.

I don’t intend to come across as negative, but the realistic options in your price range generally equate to a high cost week of camping.

 

[Baddog]

Kind gesture.

At 26, I would not risk my own finances to fund a hunt for someone who never took the time to fund one for themselves at 70.

I am 50, every time I get sentimental about funding a hunt or fishing trip for my father I remember that the ****** has had 84 years to do something on his own.

I regretted going to Africa in 2005 by myself. It would have been great to go with him. He regrets not going on the hunt. If I would have paid for him to go, I would have never went. I told him I was going, and asked him if he wanted to go and he said it was too expensive.

A few years later I bought him a $3500 rifle.... like a dumb ass. He never really appreciated it. Then told me he was thinking of trading it off. I took it back, and he wasn't super happy about it.

Be careful what kind of things you fund for someone who has had their whole life to fund.

Old men are really rascally about being cheap SOB's be careful what you pay for.

I think this is fair advice. If he really wanted to do it he would have by now.

 

[Wallace]

I'm advising against this. I did it and the elk country up there is more brutal than the coastal rainforests of the PNW. You can't find two steps on flat ground. Plus you're in grizz country relying on a paid guide (mandatory) with a rifle for protection and you cannot carry a sidearm. Stick to OTC Colorado, find a local willing to help you out and throw some coin at him. Alberta elk country is a much harder hunt. Stinging nettles over your head. It was brutal. Oh and ya start out at 5am and hunt till late...long days! Archery season we hunted till 9:40pm. Only saw moose and deer in the AG fields.

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Alberta is a big province, it depends on where you go. I've hunted in the Peace River area twice. The first time I went, there were two other elk hunters in camp, all three of us shot elk in ag fields, a truck was pulled right next to each elk to take them back to camp. They ranged from 260" - 290". The second time I went it was just myself and a buddy in camp, it was a brutal hunt that I wouldn't recommend for someone older or not very mobile. We hiked the hills on crown land around the river, dead fall, steep climbs, thick brush etc, I killed a good elk, my friend missed. It really depends on where you go there.

Out of the guides and owner at camp that were life long residents of the area, they had seen 1 or 2 grizzly bears combined in that area, and most of them spend a ton of time hunting, running trap lines, and guiding. With that said, there are a ton of black bear, and fun to add on.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Alberta is a big province, it depends on where you go. I've hunted in the Peace River area twice. The first time I went, there were two other elk hunters in camp, all three of us shot elk in ag fields, a truck was pulled right next to each elk to take them back to camp. They ranged from 260" - 290". The second time I went it was just myself and a buddy in camp, it was a brutal hunt that I wouldn't recommend for someone older or not very mobile. We hiked the hills on crown land around the river, dead fall, steep climbs, thick brush etc, I killed a good elk, my friend missed. It really depends on where you go there.

Out of the guides and owner at camp that were life long residents of the area, they had seen 1 or 2 grizzly bears combined in that area, and most of them spend a ton of time hunting, running trap lines, and guiding. With that said, there are a ton of black bear, and fun to add on.

Where in Alberta is there an elk hunt for 3K-4K? Please...we all wanna know. I'll send my deposit today.

 

[S.Clancy]

Kind gesture.

At 26, I would not risk my own finances to fund a hunt for someone who never took the time to fund one for themselves at 70.

I am 50, every time I get sentimental about funding a hunt or fishing trip for my father I remember that the ****** has had 84 years to do something on his own.

I regretted going to Africa in 2005 by myself. It would have been great to go with him. He regrets not going on the hunt. If I would have paid for him to go, I would have never went. I told him I was going, and asked him if he wanted to go and he said it was too expensive.

A few years later I bought him a $3500 rifle.... like a dumb ass. He never really appreciated it. Then told me he was thinking of trading it off. I took it back, and he wasn't super happy about it.

Be careful what kind of things you fund for someone who has had their whole life to fund.

Old men are really rascally about being cheap SOB's be careful what you pay for.

This.

 

[bsnedeker]

What part of the Midwest? You can always drive to Pennsylvania and go call the elk in in the north central part of the state.

You’re going to have limited options in your price range. There may be some options to do a rifle cow hunt on private but I’m not sure of any during the rut.

To be very honest, you may be best off planning an early to mid September camping trip and just plan to go looking for elk, even if you’re watching them from the road on a private ranch.

I don’t intend to come across as negative, but the realistic options in your price range generally equate to a high cost week of camping.

Dude, you just hit the nail on the head: If he wants to go bugle in an elk, go find a place you can bugle in elk! The reality is he has an almost zero percent chance of killing an elk on public ground, and sorry, aint no way you are getting a guided hunt for 4K so just forget about the hunting part of it and book a trip to elk country in September!

Head into an elk refuge where you can hike, but no hunting is allowed. You'll be into bulls, you can experience what september is all about in elk country, and build memories for the price of a camping trip. That's what I would do.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

 

[String&stick]

To echo what others have said, if he just wants to bugle in a bull and get the experience I would do the following.

1. Throw some money at applying in NM and WY. Pick trophy units so if you hit the 1 in 5000 odds you know you'll have a good hunt. Also look at these trophy units and pick those with flatter terrain.

2. Buy some raffle tickets for hunts or attend some national hunting club events. (NWTF, RMEF, etc). National events typically have huge auctions with lots of hunts selling, occasionally you get lucky and get a cheap one. Probably still over 4l though.

3. Apply for cow tags on a trophy units and hunt the rut. . . Lots of bugling, easy to call in lightly pressured bulls, chance to kill a cow. Well within your budget!

4. Go on your own hunt and tell Grandpa all about it. He has had plenty of time to go, and it was a lot easier to get tags back in his day!

Ask him how important it is and see. Maybe if your willing to go with him he's willing to pony up some cash. You get 6-8k and your probably looking at some decent hunts (idk I'm strictly a DIY guy)

 

[fwafwow]

What happened to the OP?

 

[Wallace]

Where in Alberta is there an elk hunt for 3K-4K? Please...we all wanna know. I'll send my deposit today.

I paid $4500 for both of my elk hunts up there, I believe pricing went up to around $6k.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I paid $4500 for both of my elk hunts up there, I believe pricing went up to around $6k.

What outfitter was this?

 

[Wallace]

What outfitter was this?

Send me a PM and I'll pass the name of the group along.