Non-trophy Elk Hunting - worth it?

[Skerhunter]

I guess what I am really trying to find out - before I get too much older - is “what is it that makes hunting elk such a special thing that tens of thousands of my fellow hunters seem to build their lives around it?” Why do people spend years building points and planning to do this? Or spend $10,000+ for five days of hunting?

Various reasons and its different for everyone. For one certain people are drawn the the animal, maybe your not. Lots of great hunters out there that mainly per-sue one species of game!

Number one for me is when I get up in the morning my only goal of the day is to kill an elk - very stress free because you leave all of the day to day BS behind. Helps reset your mind and put everything in perspective.

It’s an adventure with great scenery!

You can choose the level of difficulty that you will enjoy the most. For a lot of people carrying camp on your back, calling in a bull, shooting it with a bow and packing it out can be the most mentally and physically challenging thing they do in their life - very rewarding in the end.

On the flip side I know guys who kill elk every year and can drive their truck up next to it/load it out whole. But they admire the animal and enjoy the meat!

 

[realunlucky]

I'll tell you a story.

Went elk hunting in wyoming with a bunch of guys local to there. Couldn't make opening day- they killed two bulls - spent the next 10 days never seeing an elk. Fresh tracks in the snow, bulges at night that sort of thing. We ground out the miles and dropped into those last ditch effort hell holes you assume no one else is going too. They killed another bull the day we left.

That trip was incredibly frustrating. Next year killed a bull on opening morning. I guess I'm saying without both experiences you can't truly fall in love with it. The highs and lows are what make a trip a lifetime memory to me.



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[180ls1]

Elk hunting is just hunting to me. Nothing more special about it than any other Western hunting. Just a different animal. People just get into things. Plenty of people just as obsessed with whitetail hunting, or fishing.

Yeah, you can get the full western experience hunting "lower tier animals" cost efficiently and with good tag availability.

Cow elk in the rut, spring turkeys (in the mountains), spring bear, upland birds, etc...

I've been doing this a lot more since elk tags are getting so hard to come by and it definitely scratches that itch.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Maybe this will be an unpopular opinion but the title of this thread is exactly what is wrong with the direction hunting has gone.

Hunting should be about feeding your family and enjoying the outdoors. Doing things our ancestors did. Now a days it’s all about shooting the biggest bull or the biggest buck. Who can spend the most money etc…. Etc…
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Did you read the first post? Or just the title? Or any of the subsequent posts?


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[svivian]

Did you read the first post? Or just the title? Or any of the subsequent posts?


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I sure did which is why i specifically stated the title as my gripe.


Edit: I’ll remove my rant not to derail your thread.

My apologies

 

[waspocrew]

I definitely enjoy elk hunting, but wouldn't say I build my life around it. It's an animal available to hunt, so I go after them.

Archery elk hunting during the rut is an awesome experience. I've had plenty of close encounters with bulls and chose to just watch rather than kill.

 

[Next Ridge]

sounds like you like what you have.

If your requirement is that you take one trip and it needs to meet all your expectations and be “worth it”, that is probably a high bar and less likely. Too many factors to consider and stars to align.

 

[WRO]

I just don’t like killing females in any population I would like to see grow.


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I wouldn’t kill a doe mule deer or blacktail, but there’s plenty of cows in many areas.


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[pacoalcracker]

I spent about 120K or so on an elk hunt, moose & caribou hunt, montana mule/wt deer hunt being successful on all, and 10 days in S. Africa taking 6 plains game animals there. All went well with very good outfitters. I'm mixed as to whether it was worth it or not. That said, I doubt I would do it again even though it wasn't a lot of money for me. Only hunting the moose really got me thrilled. Maybe I would do that again.

Q , if you hate spending big money you won't find it very satisfying afterwards. Stick to deer hunting around home.

 

[Bambistew]

If you have to convince yourself that it’s worth it, just stay in VA and hunt whitetails. Some people love what they know others look for adventure. No right or wrong reason.

 

[Jethro]

If I were you, I would not continue to explore western hunting. If you can’t decide for yourself if it is worth it to you, than it’s not. You thought about hunting out west all your life. Now you’re in a position you could do it, but don’t spend money on vacations or experiences. I find that odd.

 

[UKwildcatfan]

Not to be a smart a**, but sounds like you may be hard to satisfy. You may be happier in Va always wondering "what if" vs spending money trying to meet your criteria. You went on an outfitted hunt in OK, but didn't know how you were going to hunt?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Not to be a smart a**, but sounds like you may be hard to satisfy. You may be happier in Va always wondering "what if" vs spending money trying to meet your criteria. You went on an outfitted hunt in OK, but didn't know how you were going to hunt?

The Oklahoma hunt was an experience with a bunch of brother officers. I had no part in the planning of it. A mentor of mine put the whole trip together.

As part of the trip, we also went up to Show Me Birds in Kansas. That was phenomenally fun.


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[Marine4life]

Saying this from one Marine to another. Save yourself the trouble and money and continue to do what you are doing. Just my opinion, but in reading your posts you seem to find an excuse for every comment. The fact is for every elk hunter that finds a way to hunt elk every year there are a lot more people that have tried it once and never do it again. Elk hunting isn’t for everyone.

Obviously don’t know you but based on your questions and comments, I don’t think you are missing out. I think you have very narrow expectations for a successful elk hunt and will be disappointed if you go because the chances of you meeting those narrow expectations on your first and probably only elk hunt is unlikely.

It also sounds like the mountains didn’t call to you, like they do some, while you were hiking in the Tetons.

Not trying to be an ass, just providing my opinion while answering some of your questions.

If you decide to go and want some help then feel free to message me and I would be happy to try and help. I am a DIY and not a trophy hunter.
Kill.


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[Q_Sertorius]

If I were you, I would not continue to explore western hunting. If you can’t decide for yourself if it is worth it to you, than it’s not. You thought about hunting out west all your life. Now you’re in a position you could do it, but don’t spend money on vacations or experiences. I find that odd.

There are thousands of people who spend thousands of dollars to sit on a beach, race sailboats, go to Disneyland, gamble in Las Vegas, traveling the world, etc. I’ve tried most of those things, without having to spend too much on it and I didn’t get the appeal for most of them. I may be hard to please, but really I just enjoy simple things. A “pure” experience is hard to come by these days.


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[ndfb35]

Correct. I am definitely not going to get into the points game.

My current inclination is to keep doing what I have been doing.

I guess what I am really trying to find out - before I get too much older - is “what is it that makes hunting elk such a special thing that tens of thousands of my fellow hunters seem to build their lives around it?” Why do people spend years building points and planning to do this? Or spend $10,000+ for five days of hunting? That’s not a judgement on those who like it, I’m really looking for what about it hooks you. If it is something that I have to experience to understand it, then I guess I just have to try it out.


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If you are a service member then you get what it is to be in the suck. A mobilization is the ultimate suckfest. Elk hunting gives people that difficult thing that most service members get frequently and from my experience those memories are some of the fondest even though they were the worst things to go through. I think that is the draw for folks to elk hunting.

 

[UKwildcatfan]

I just don’t like killing females in any population I would like to see grow.


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You're missing out on some good eats. I personally leave it up to the states biologist and F&G depts to dictate what their plan is for herd management. Tags increase and tags decrease on their management model.

 

[OKHunter84]

I grew up listening to stories from my grandpa of him going to the mountains with my uncle's, hunting elk and mule deer in Colorado. My dad had epic stories about hunting elk where it was so cold they'd have to stop and build a fire to keep from freezing. He found an old 45-70 rusted shell casing up on top of a bluff he was glassing from, liked to imagine some other guy had done the same thing he was doing years before him. I would watch Jeremiah Johnson and dream of going someday.

All I wanted to do after my first mule deer hunt was find a way to do it again. If you've been up that way and don't feel it calling to you to go back, there's nothing wrong with that. Might not be for you. It's definitely hard and can eat up money, vacation time, my wife's patience, among other things. I just don't see myself stopping as long as I'm physically able.

Sorry about your Oklahoma hunt. As a born and raised Okie, I can say that there's definitely a few guys that hunt like you're talking and you have to be careful with outfitters out here.

 

[Steven.Elmore]

I would say if elk hunting or hunting out West doesn't call you then keep your money and don't take a tag away from someone who enjoys it and feels passionately about it.

If most of the people that don't feel passionately about it, the ones that do it just for an IG post, or the ones that go out and give up on the 2nd day would do this it might get a little easier for those of us who have a strong desire to hunt elk every year to be able to do so.

 

[Slickhill]

I do it for many reasons, but mostly for the different experience. Different terrain, different animals, different weather, different hunting methods. It’s all part of the adventure. If hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains or hunting moose in Alaska was like hunting whitetail deer around home here I probably would never go back, but both offer a different style of adventure and I’ll be going back this fall along with hunting deer and elk around home.

Adventure and variety are the spice of life for me. I sincerely hope to die someday far into the future remembering the adventures I’ve been on and the people I shared them with as opposed to wondering why I saved all that money I never spent. YMMV