Strategies for First Elk Hunt in 2025 - Guided Rifle

[SloppyJ]

First off, I'm a complete newbie to Elk and Western hunting. I have absolutely no points anywhere. I grew up in the south and finally have the means to make one of my bucket list hunts come true. My ultimate goal is to use this as a learning experience to gain the skills to go back yearly and eventually share the experience with my two little boys. Obviously, I'd love to take a bull as well. I'm not trophy hunting, I just want to be able to fill the freezer and break up all of the whitetail euros on the wall with something bigger although I know nothing is guaranteed.

Although I don't want to spend this much, my ultimate budget would be $10k. Over the past few weeks my head has been spinning looking at all of the different outfitters and ways to get out west to hunt. Seems like most people find a unit somewhere they're interested in and just keep applying for tags to build points and then find a guide. The other option would be a guide with landowner tags or someone who hunts in an OTC area which seems a bit risky to me.

I don't have a preferred state, I just want the best experience I can find. I've been looking in NM, CO, ID, and MT

Just a bit overwhelmed and would like to get my head spun on straight so I can make a plan to move forward. Also, any recommendations for guides is appreciated. What's you suggestion for me?

 

[SloppyJ]

MN elk tags are only available to residents.

Is this a change for 2025 because there are certainly non-resident tags listed on their website currently?

 

[LongWayAround]

@SloppyJ did you mean Montana (MT)?

MN is Minnesota. Not a lot a elk hunting opportunity.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Is this a change for 2025 because there are certainly non-resident tags listed on their website currently?

Think you need to learn your state abbreviations

 

[Tsimms]

Find a Colorado outfitter that has Ranching for Wildlife tags.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Sent you a PM.

 

[j_volt]

Lots of cool guided hunts on general tags in Wyoming…you just will need to wait a bit longer than 2025 to be able to draw. The coolest ones are booked out way past 2025, but spending that much coin is worth waiting for a good opportunity. In the interim, you can play the random game in New Mexico and see what happens.

 

[SloppyJ]

@SloppyJ did you mean Montana (MT)?

MN is Minnesota. Not a lot a elk hunting opportunity.

Sure did. I was rushing to get it typed up on my lunch break so thanks for the correction.

 

[nphunter]

Idaho and Colorado are your best bet if you want to come back annually and hunt. Avoid hunting elk on private land because most places private land elk hunts, especially rifle hunts are like shooting fish in a barrel and nowhere near the effort goes in as hunting public ground. The only thing you will learn shooting an elk on a private land guided hunt is what one looks and sounds like. They are literally like two different animals.

A wilderness hunt in Idaho is one that you can literally do every year and hunt exactly where the guides are hunting. You may not be successful on your hunt but will learn how to actually hunt and how to find elk, that is the hard part. If it were me I'd book a hunt with one of the outfitters in the Frank Church in Idaho, those tags can be bought every year and several of the outfitters hunt from relatively easy to access trail heads.

I want to reiterate that killing a bull on a private ranch is not really elk hunting, it's shooting elk. They know exactly where they will be and the elk do the same thing every day and you will just be sitting there waiting for them to pass or driving out and shooting an elk. I'm not trying to take anything away from private land hunters but it is not the same and you will learn almost nothing about elk hunting doing it. I know lots of guys who guide elk on private ground that couldn't kill an elk on public ground if their life depended on it.

 

[SloppyJ]

Idaho and Colorado are your best bet if you want to come back annually and hunt. Avoid hunting elk on private land because most places private land elk hunts, especially rifle hunts are like shooting fish in a barrel and nowhere near the effort goes in as hunting public ground. The only thing you will learn shooting an elk on a private land guided hunt is what one looks and sounds like. They are literally like two different animals.

A wilderness hunt in Idaho is one that you can literally do every year and hunt exactly where the guides are hunting. You may not be successful on your hunt but will learn how to actually hunt and how to find elk, that is the hard part. If it were me I'd book a hunt with one of the outfitters in the Frank Church in Idaho, those tags can be bought every year and several of the outfitters hunt from relatively easy to access trail heads.

I want to reiterate that killing a bull on a private ranch is not really elk hunting, it's shooting elk. They know exactly where they will be and the elk do the same thing every day and you will just be sitting there waiting for them to pass or driving out and shooting an elk. I'm not trying to take anything away from private land hunters but it is not the same and you will learn almost nothing about elk hunting doing it. I know lots of guys who guide elk on private ground that couldn't kill an elk on public ground if their life depended on it.

This is about exactly what I expected. I found some really cool outfitters who guide The Frank Church. Thank you for the honesty. As much as I'd love to kill a huge bull, I'm more interested in an actual representation on what to expect. Some of that type 2 kind of fun if you will where you actually learn.

I grew up hunting whitetails on public WMAs. These days I still do that but I'm afforded the luxury of having a few different private land spots as well. Admittedly, I hunt the private more out of convenience and the ability to manage. The sheer amount of pressure definitely changes the animals. Opening day of bow season on private they don't even know any better just lolligagging around and never look up.