The Hunt
So you want to go elk hunting. Welcome to the club!
A brief note of WARNING (disclaimer) from a long time elk hunter. ELK HUNTING IS ADDICTIVE. You may contract AEHD or Addictive Elk Hunting Disorder. I have hunted with hundreds of great hunters and talked to thousands and most agree that when they went on their first elk hunt, well...it was just supposed to be another hunting trip. Truth is...elk hunting gets in your blood and is very difficult to get rid of once it sets in. Currently there is no known cure for AEHD. So be fore-warned.
If you are still up for it, here is a brief description of the general types of hunts that are available to the average hunter. As you will see, the basic difference is the price and the opportunity for success.
Fully Guided Elk Hunt
A guided elk hunt is the pinnacle of the western big game hunting experience. It is also the hunt that offers the hunter his or her highest probability for success. Why, because you hunt where the elk are and you hunt with a knowledgeable guide who knows the area and how the elk move in that area. In general outfitters offering guided hunts provide: a full-time guide for the hunter (generally two hunters per guide), lodging, food, transportation during the course of the hunt (motorized or horseback) and care of your harvested game. What is not covered in the price of the typical hunt is: Tip to your guide (avg. is 10% of the price of the hunt is the guide did a good job...but this is not required), Tip to the camp cook (average $75+), butchering of your meat (can run $250+) and preparation for shipping, any taxidermy work you may want done (full shoulder mount can take up to one year and cost $800+ not including shipping to your home). A typical guided hunt offers five full days of hunting (some offer longer hunts so ask your hunting consultant or outfitter). You will arrive a day prior and leave the day following your last day of hunting. If you are new to elk hunting and can afford this type of hunt, it is your best bet for success. Most of our outfitters average a 65%-70% shot opportunity. Prices average between $4500-$6500 (2014) per hunter. This does not include the price of your hunting license. Most guided elk hunts book one or more years in advance. If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Trophy hunts for bulls in the 330 B&C range or better can cost $7500-$15,000 (2014) per hunter depending upon the property and the quality of bulls available on that property. Many of these properties have minimums that prevent the hunter from harvesting a bull under that minimum. That is how they manage the herd for trophy caliber bulls. Trophy elk hunts are in very high demand and you can expect to wait in line two years or more (after paying your 50% deposit) for your hunt. ElkCamp.com and Hunt Connections are dedicated to fair chase hunting. Fair chase means that game is free to come and go on the property and there are no fences capable of keeping the game on the property.
Private Land Trespass Hunt
A trespass hunt is a do-it-yourself hunt on private land. In most cases in exchange for your payment the property owner grants you and your group the keys to the property for a period of time...usually 5-7 days. The property owner generally does not provide any additional services. The advantage is that you get to hunt on private land that is off limits to all other hunters. In some cases a property owner may offer additional services for an additional fee.
If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Public Land Drop Camps
Drop camp hunts are do-it-yourself hunts offered by an outfitter. Most are on public land that is accessible to the public. The major values of the drop camp are that 1) the outfitter generally provides all the camp essentials including tents, wood stoves for heat, cooking gear, water storage and purification gear. Pretty much everything an elk hunter needs except for his personal gear and weapon, food, and license. 2) The camp is far from most public roads and difficult to access on foot thus reducing the numbers of competing hunters by as much as 80%. This last advantage is huge as hundreds of thousands of hunters descend on public land every fall and the competition can be fierce. Most drop camps are accessed via horseback. You really don't need to know anything about horseback riding, but you do have to be OK with sitting on one for the ride in and out of camp. The average 2014 price is $1950-$2400 per hunter depending up the outfitter and additional services that may be offered. For hunters who are comfortable hunting on their own and navigating the area, drop camps offer some of the best affordable elk hunting opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Public Land Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Hunts
DIY elk hunting is clearly the most popular form of hunting due to the lower cost per trip. There are no fees paid to outfitters or a landowner. The key to a successful public land DIY hunt is knowing the area you will hunt and how the elk historically use that area. Where do they feed? Where do they water? Where to they bed down? Where do they go when pressured by hunters? What travel corridors do they use to move around? At this point it is important to let you know that elk country is measured in HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES and the elk use every bit of it. While the elk may be in one area today, they may be 10-20 miles away tomorrow, or they may have just moved over into the next drainage. Either way the hunter needs to know this. Public land DIY hunting is the toughest hunting there is and if you are a bow-hunter it is even more challenging due to the vast area that elk inhabit and the limited range of your bow.
Scouting is critical to the DIY hunters success. The newby elk hunter who fails to gather information on the area prior to the hunt has, IMO, less than a 2% chance of getting a shot. By scouting the area and learning how the elk use that area the same hunter can increase his chances to 12-13% which is about the average.
Options: Hunt Connections/ElkCamp.com offer DIY kits that can get you right to that 12-13% or better range without having to leave home. The price is a very affordable $499-$699 per kit. How? We have done the homework. Our kits supply the hunter with the key information like feeding areas, bedding areas, travel routes, escape routes, stand sites for specific areas in Colorado that we have hunted successfully for years. For more information on these DIY Kits, click here.
A brief note of WARNING (disclaimer) from a long time elk hunter. ELK HUNTING IS ADDICTIVE. You may contract AEHD or Addictive Elk Hunting Disorder. I have hunted with hundreds of great hunters and talked to thousands and most agree that when they went on their first elk hunt, well...it was just supposed to be another hunting trip. Truth is...elk hunting gets in your blood and is very difficult to get rid of once it sets in. Currently there is no known cure for AEHD. So be fore-warned.
If you are still up for it, here is a brief description of the general types of hunts that are available to the average hunter. As you will see, the basic difference is the price and the opportunity for success.
Fully Guided Elk Hunt
A guided elk hunt is the pinnacle of the western big game hunting experience. It is also the hunt that offers the hunter his or her highest probability for success. Why, because you hunt where the elk are and you hunt with a knowledgeable guide who knows the area and how the elk move in that area. In general outfitters offering guided hunts provide: a full-time guide for the hunter (generally two hunters per guide), lodging, food, transportation during the course of the hunt (motorized or horseback) and care of your harvested game. What is not covered in the price of the typical hunt is: Tip to your guide (avg. is 10% of the price of the hunt is the guide did a good job...but this is not required), Tip to the camp cook (average $75+), butchering of your meat (can run $250+) and preparation for shipping, any taxidermy work you may want done (full shoulder mount can take up to one year and cost $800+ not including shipping to your home). A typical guided hunt offers five full days of hunting (some offer longer hunts so ask your hunting consultant or outfitter). You will arrive a day prior and leave the day following your last day of hunting. If you are new to elk hunting and can afford this type of hunt, it is your best bet for success. Most of our outfitters average a 65%-70% shot opportunity. Prices average between $4500-$6500 (2014) per hunter. This does not include the price of your hunting license. Most guided elk hunts book one or more years in advance. If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Trophy hunts for bulls in the 330 B&C range or better can cost $7500-$15,000 (2014) per hunter depending upon the property and the quality of bulls available on that property. Many of these properties have minimums that prevent the hunter from harvesting a bull under that minimum. That is how they manage the herd for trophy caliber bulls. Trophy elk hunts are in very high demand and you can expect to wait in line two years or more (after paying your 50% deposit) for your hunt. ElkCamp.com and Hunt Connections are dedicated to fair chase hunting. Fair chase means that game is free to come and go on the property and there are no fences capable of keeping the game on the property.
Private Land Trespass Hunt
A trespass hunt is a do-it-yourself hunt on private land. In most cases in exchange for your payment the property owner grants you and your group the keys to the property for a period of time...usually 5-7 days. The property owner generally does not provide any additional services. The advantage is that you get to hunt on private land that is off limits to all other hunters. In some cases a property owner may offer additional services for an additional fee.
If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Public Land Drop Camps
Drop camp hunts are do-it-yourself hunts offered by an outfitter. Most are on public land that is accessible to the public. The major values of the drop camp are that 1) the outfitter generally provides all the camp essentials including tents, wood stoves for heat, cooking gear, water storage and purification gear. Pretty much everything an elk hunter needs except for his personal gear and weapon, food, and license. 2) The camp is far from most public roads and difficult to access on foot thus reducing the numbers of competing hunters by as much as 80%. This last advantage is huge as hundreds of thousands of hunters descend on public land every fall and the competition can be fierce. Most drop camps are accessed via horseback. You really don't need to know anything about horseback riding, but you do have to be OK with sitting on one for the ride in and out of camp. The average 2014 price is $1950-$2400 per hunter depending up the outfitter and additional services that may be offered. For hunters who are comfortable hunting on their own and navigating the area, drop camps offer some of the best affordable elk hunting opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about guided hunts or want to discuss booking your next hunt, CLICK HERE.
Public Land Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Hunts
DIY elk hunting is clearly the most popular form of hunting due to the lower cost per trip. There are no fees paid to outfitters or a landowner. The key to a successful public land DIY hunt is knowing the area you will hunt and how the elk historically use that area. Where do they feed? Where do they water? Where to they bed down? Where do they go when pressured by hunters? What travel corridors do they use to move around? At this point it is important to let you know that elk country is measured in HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES and the elk use every bit of it. While the elk may be in one area today, they may be 10-20 miles away tomorrow, or they may have just moved over into the next drainage. Either way the hunter needs to know this. Public land DIY hunting is the toughest hunting there is and if you are a bow-hunter it is even more challenging due to the vast area that elk inhabit and the limited range of your bow.
Scouting is critical to the DIY hunters success. The newby elk hunter who fails to gather information on the area prior to the hunt has, IMO, less than a 2% chance of getting a shot. By scouting the area and learning how the elk use that area the same hunter can increase his chances to 12-13% which is about the average.
Options: Hunt Connections/ElkCamp.com offer DIY kits that can get you right to that 12-13% or better range without having to leave home. The price is a very affordable $499-$699 per kit. How? We have done the homework. Our kits supply the hunter with the key information like feeding areas, bedding areas, travel routes, escape routes, stand sites for specific areas in Colorado that we have hunted successfully for years. For more information on these DIY Kits, click here.