If you were a NR starting from 0...

[Herding_Cats]

If you were a NR, starting from 0 for elk hunting, how would you approach getting tags, and how would you start? Guide? DIY? Pick a state/zone and fly out and scout it for a couple of years before tying to pull a tag? Go right into the general draws? Start banking PP?

My wife and I have decided to try to make an elk hunt happen in the next 3-4 years, and it looks like this is something that takes a fair amount of planning for a NR. I've been sifting through info and forums and YT videos for a few days now and the amount of information and considerations is kind of overwhelming. I thought I had a little bit of a handle on preference points, and then I see states where people have 20+ PP saved up, which just blows my mind. We are not new to hunting (25+ years of whitetail in MI for each of us) but have absolutely no experience with Elk or western states. Will probably have to be rifle since my shoulder strongly protests drawing a compound, and she switched to a crossbow to share when the kids got old enough to hunt so we weren't having to buy new bows/arrows every 2 years for the kids.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

first of all, welcome
secondly, there is a search function in the top right corner of the screen that will help you drastically. Most people on here are fairly hesitant to start dishing out all the goods to a brand new member from the midwest, especially being that tags are getting harder and harder to draw and there is 10 new members every week who join and ask the same exact question that you did.

 

[Herding_Cats]

first of all, welcome
secondly, there is a search function in the top right corner of the screen that will help you drastically. Most people on here are fairly hesitant to start dishing out all the goods to a brand new member from the midwest, especially being that tags are getting harder and harder to draw and there is 10 new members every week who join and ask the same exact question that you did.

Thanks. I did look through the first few pages and saw a lot of "I got a tag for X can anyone help me." Must have missed the pre-planning stuff. I try not to be that newb" who asks the same question that just got asked 3 posts down.

 

[NDGuy]

Save my money tbh lol

 

[HornPorn]

If you can afford to pay, go guided on private land. You can hunt Montana every other year, New Mexico every year. Do OTC hunts in Colorado in between guided hunts if you feel like you need to struggle some.

 

[MuleyFever]

In 3-4 years you wont have enough points to reliably draw an elk tag in any state but CO.

In ID you can try to navigate their online mess. If it goes to draw it would be random so no idea if you would draw. MT may be an option, actually. WY will take 4+ points but if they go to zones some could be easier to draw. UT is out unless you want to go for spikes or one of the any bull units that are very low success. AZ and NV wont guarantee you a tag. NM is random with no points and very low draw odds.

As mentioned you may be able to buy your way in with a guide or landowner tag in some places. You could also look at going guided in Canada.

I should add that this is for bull tags. You can get cow tags pretty easily in some places.

 

[NDGuy]

In 3-4 years you wont have enough points to reliably draw an elk tag in any state but CO.

In ID you can try to navigate their online mess. If it goes to draw it would be random so no idea if you would draw. MT may be an option, actually. WY will take 4+ points but if they go to zones some could be easier to draw. UT is out unless you want to go for spikes or one of the any bull units that are very low success. AZ and NV wont guarantee you a tag. NM is random with no points and very low draw odds.

As mentioned you may be able to buy your way in with a guide or landowner tag in some places. You could also look at going guided in Canada.

Yep the ship has sailed. I'm in 6 points across most states and just looking like it's pointless.

 

[wapitibob]

Apply in Utah, spanning 2 years with /license
Apply in Arizona spanning 2 years w/license
Hunt Wyoming every single year

 

[Indian Summer]

If you were able to draw a license next year or in 2024 would you be ready to hunt?

 

[Herding_Cats]

If you were able to draw a license next year or in 2024 would you be ready to hunt?

We could be. The major obstacle is the hunting gear we don't currently own, and even then, it seems like how much we would have to buy would depend on what style of hunt we decided on.

Even got in the queue for Idaho OTC tags yesterday on a whim to see how much of the website I could access (didn't have an account so I didn't bother once I got "in") just to see what it all looked like, and then realized that I was in over my head on understanding the zones and what was archery only, A and B tags, which season was which code, etc. Plus Idaho is a reeeeally long drive when you don't have any idea what you're doing.

 

[wytx]

Reduced price cow elk licenses in state that have them. Wyoming is a random draw for them. Cheap elk hunt you can DIy and learn quite a bit before drawing a bull licenses.

 

[wyosteve]

I'd suggest that it depends on your longer term goals. Do you want to hunt for a number of years, albeit, maybe not every year? If so, I think a OTC, diy hunt in Colorado would let you get your feet wet and start to narrow down your preferences. If you want to do this only a couple times over the course of years, then a private land landowner tag guided hunt would be my thought.

 

[cnelk]

Learn the leftover system for a few states. You can definitely hunt elk every year without PPs.
Granted, they may not have antlers, but you’ll be hunting elk

 

[SDHNTR]

Save money aggressively!

 

[Ross]

If elk hunting is too become your hobby, buy a tag and go every year any place. Start applying to build points for quality hunts For the future. Use otc hunts to learn how to hunt elk and refine the way you want to hunt them and your gear. 5years later you will be saying this is the greatest thing ever and you can’t wait for the next season

 

[Elkangle]

Shoot me a pm and maybe we can exchange whitetail thoughts for some elk thoughts

 

[wapitibob]

We could be. The major obstacle is the hunting gear we don't currently own, and even then, it seems like how much we would have to buy would depend on what style of hunt we decided on.

Even got in the queue for Idaho OTC tags yesterday on a whim to see how much of the website I could access (didn't have an account so I didn't bother once I got "in") just to see what it all looked like, and then realized that I was in over my head on understanding the zones and what was archery only, A and B tags, which season was which code, etc. Plus Idaho is a reeeeally long drive when you don't have any idea what you're doing.

You don't need much gear; sleep in a tent with blankets and a comforter, or a motel. You can buy a Kelty hauler for $150 and use a cpl dry sacks for the day bag and hunt spots from the truck or suv. Your WT cloths/boots/rifle etc will all work just fine. Get your ass out west and hunt some antelope or get a cow tag. Crossbows are legal archery gear in WY so you can hunt them in Aug or Sept depending on species.
It's like most things in life, the first time you can be a bit apprehensive but after that it's clear sailing.

 

[arwhntr]

I'd subscribe to GoHunt. Just starting out it's a fantastic resource that pulls all state info into one organized location. You'll spend countless hours reading up state by state, unit by unit info and strategy/application articles. For $150, you'll easily get your money worth out of it.

The opportunities to hunt elk out west are plentiful. A guy can easily put more tags in his pocket every year than he has time to hunt.

 

[160andup]

Buy a landowner tag

 

[Will_m]

At the rate of point creep, you’ll never catch up for the good units and OTC in most places is less about enjoying hunting and more about avoiding people and/or those awful sxs. Drop the coin and go on private.