Hopefully I can get some direction here. I have come to the conclusion I want to try elk hunting. Now I have never been elk hunting, but I know a bunch of people who have, but I really don't want their advice. Most of the people I know who go elk hunting usually don't kill an elk and most see very few elk.
Call me a wimp if you must, but I am looking for an elk hunt they is a back pack trip into the deep wilderness sleeping under the stars. With that said a high dollar outfitted hunt is not what I am looking for either.
I have heard that there are some really honey holes out there, ranches that just charge a trespass fee that would love you to shoot one that has been eating their alfalfa all summer. A cow elk hunt would be perfect. I am not opposed to spending a few bucks on a hunt I just at least want to see elk and hopefully get an opportunity to send an arrow at one.
Thanks,
Scott
Come out to CO, we have the most. A huge amount of public land is open for OTC tag holders for either sex or cow only. North western and Southern parts of the state are where I'd start researching...Good luck once you start, you'll be addicted just like the rest of us!
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Order the elk nuts videos on calling and what calls and sounds to use in various situations. They came highly recommended from several guys on this site and I ordered them and you will learn a lot. Money well spent.
If you check western states Department of Natural Recources or their equivalent sites that provide hunter success ratios for elk, you will find that there are VERY few units that do not have low success rates, the lions share of them are less than 20% and many are well under that. Anything is possible but I suspect if there are private land opportunities with a lot of elk to be taken, outfitters have them leased.