Elk Hunting?

[VirginiaCoyote]

Hey everyone. Thank you all very much for your responses to all my questions!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif Here goes another. I've wanted to take an elk for some time now. Let's say a nice 6x6. What would be the most cost efficient means of doing this since I'm obviously going to have to go out of state? I've searched the internet via search angines and one of the cheapest hunts I found was like $6500.00. Should I expect to pay this? It's just going to be me no one else? What would you guys recomend for an affordable %100 succesful trip? Including preparing the mount? Do I bring cape and all back home with me to a taxidermist or how does this work as well? Thanks everyone.

 

[Longcruise]

There are some high fence hunting operations that will offer you 100% chance. You can probably go out to the pasture and pick the one you want and then shoot it once it is herded away from the rest of the animals.

Somehow, I don't think that is the kind of hunt you have in mind and suggest you beware of the promises made by any outfitter/guide.

My suggestion is to research hunter and harvest stats for the state of your choice and zero in on a hunting area. Get maps of all scales available including topos. Then, arrive a week or so in advance to scout and prepare for the season. You may not get a 6X6, but you may find yourself having the hunt of a lifetime without having to measure it by tine count.

 

[bowjunkie]

dito on above ... but if you chose to go with an outfitter get references the more the better some outfitters will give you a list of all clients for last couple years and then call em all ...references references references...

 

[songdog]

I agree with the above, BUT if the elk you're hunting isn't inside a high fence, there is no such thing as 100%, no matter the price, especially for a 6X6! If money is no problem, look into applying for AZ. or NM. The Indian res. hunts have very high success on big elk, BUT you pay through the nose for those hunts, $12,000 or higher. Your $6500 cost is probably the middle of the road for a good quality 5-7 day elk hunt. There are many cheaper routes though!!
Colorado has the most elk, and has plenty of outfitters to choose from. Do some research and decide how much your willing to pay for success. If time is no option, I'd suggest a "do-it-yourself" hunt here in Colorado. Find some locals that would be willing to help you out in locating some possible good areas, and maybe hook up with someone to hunt with. Then if you get a bull, you'll have help getting it hauled out.
The taxidermy thing can be done a couple of ways. It would be cheaper to ship your skull/rack if it is un-mounted/raw. You would need to do the capping and get the cape frozen before shipping it. And you would need to get the skull cleaned up a bit and wrapped/boxed accordingly to ship. Or you could do some research and find a taxidermist locally to where you are hunting and have it mounted there and then have it shipped in the mounted state. It won't be cheap to ship it. There will be a charge even to box it for shipping, probably. If you're driving from home to where you hunt and back, then you could haul the rack and hide with you, just keep the hide very cool and dry.
Same with the meat. If you are hunting a long ways from home, it would be best to have the meat processed locally to your hunting area, and have it frozen and shipped to you.

 

[NONYA]

The White mountian Apache hunts start at 10,000 for a small bull,6x6 is not a gaurantee,there are many outfits that advertise no kill no pay but most of them are canned hunts.

 

[MAJay]

Hey Virginia, coming from the east it is nice to "wish for" a nice 6x6, but the chances for one are a lot like some guy out west asking you what are his chances for taking a real big 10 pointer in your area of Virginia? Could it happen? Absolutley. Is it 100% guaranteed? Not a chance. Your options are as stated, a pen "shoot" which is 100% but not hunting and over $10k. You can do that in Virginia I bet. A guide in a prime area, which may give you an honest 50% shot at a nice bull, but will run from $5k to $10k total. The other option is to do a lot of research and make a ton of phone calls and apply for a draw or over the counter license in a Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho or even maybe Washington or Oregon. Your chances are going to go to about 10% to 20% tops on an elk, maybe under 5% for a mature bull depending on where you go. You'll still spend at least $2k on licenses, tags, transportation, gear and everything else. Do it that way and you may not get a 6x6 but you'll be hunting elk and expereincing a pretty heady "adventure" for a guy who grew up in Virginia!

Good luck, and my advice to a fellow east coaster would be set a date be it next year or the year after and commit to going. The toughest part is finally just "doing it". Once you are 100% committed you will find guys on sites like this very helpful, you can call local biologists and call a bunch of Fish and Game officers and all will help you make it happen if you are committed.

 

[BigJim]

I just skimmed over this issue so if I missed someone saying this...well then I'm sorry..

Expect to pay more than what they are asking. I have never done a hunt like this but I have heard you are supposed to tip the guide...Don't think thats cheap either.

I just keep putting in for elk tags in my area where I know there are big ones and let the points add up...It might take some 5 or so yrs to get pull a permit but chances are high of getting one if you do.

 

[Lonny]

For less money, you could hop a plane to Quebec, stay in a nice camp, and shoot a couple dandy caribou bulls. Elk hunting in the west with a good outfitter, in good country, is expensive, especially if you after the big bulls. If a big bull is really what your after you will have to enter drawings in several states and hopefully get drawn. That can give you the best chance to hunt country with quality bulls. Or you could plan a do-it-yourself-hunt save thousands, hunt public land, and possibly bag some sort of bull.