# First Time Elk Hunt



## erhunter (Feb 13, 2019)

Hello All,
Looking at booking a first time Elk Hunt in Delores CO next fall.  Prices w this outfitter are 2K$ October for self guided hunt 4K$November guided.  Meals included. Tags and flights and packaging and taxidermy are not.  Guided hunt only available in Nov hunt 
(when bulls are reportedly not calling)

They’re reporting 30% success rate for self guided hunts (where they give you advice on location to setup) and 50% for guided. 

Anyone have experience w elk hunts in the fall in Colorado? Any general advice or opinion on the quoted Hunt is appreciated. I’ve never hunted elk before.


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## Huntmaster2 (Feb 14, 2019)

I haven't hunted there, but I have been applying and building points. I am planning to do a DIY hunt on public land.

If I were going guided, I would come up with a checklist of questions to ask the outfitter:
1) Is it an OTC tag? (I believe they have OTC for 2nd (Oct.) and 3rd (Nov.) rifle seasons)
2) If I need to apply in the draw, does the outfitter apply for me?
3) Public land or private (or both)
4) How will I get out an elk?
5) What kind of weather should I prepare for?

I would also ask for references of past hunters to contact.

You could try asking on Hunt talk forum , these guys have great advice and some locals may chime in about the specific outfitter.

Good luck! They say western hunting is addictive!


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## lampern (Feb 14, 2019)

What kind of elk do you want?

Just any bull elk or a "trophy" bull?


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## DWBMontana (Feb 14, 2019)

I would ask for references, specifically those that did NOT harvest elk. I would also want to know if it is private land being hunted and how much pressure.


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## NCMTNHunter (Feb 14, 2019)

A friend of mine did a similar hunt in that area. He had never elk hunted before but took the self guided route anyways two years in a row.  The first year he heard one bugle and saw no elk. The second year he didn’t hear or see an elk. He still says he wishes he had put both years budgets together and went on a fully guided hunt. He said that he got the feeling that the guides took clients to the places where the elk were and the self guided clients got sent everywhere else. 

If this is going to your one elk hunt I would at least go fully guided. That price is on the low side for fully guided.

If you want to make a habit of elk hunting and doing it on a budget I would probably just go diy instead of paying for a self guided hunt. Chances are once you go you will want to make a habit of it.


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## godogs57 (Feb 14, 2019)

Be very careful when considering “success rates” when quoted as a percentage to you! 

To many guides a “success” in this case translates to a SHOT OPPORTUNITY. Not a dead bull on the ground. To further complicate matters, what denotes an actual shot opportunity? It means different things to various guides/outfitters. Does it mean that he got you within a hundred yards of a feeding bull unaware of your presence? IE: no rush to shoot. OR, does it mean you had your “opportunity” when you busted a herd out of a canyon 600 yards away and they are hauling butt for the next zip code? 

I’d ask, “What does your 50% success on guided hunts mean actually? How many hunters did you guide this past season? Did half of them actually have a dead bull on the ground?” An easy way to inflate success rates is to count every sighting as an opportunity. Then you think you’ll be seeing bull elk behind every tree...which ain’t the case.

Those are the realities of dealing with outfitters and why DWBMontana’s post above is dead on. 

Another reality: if your hunt is on Public land and not private, count on seeing every Tom, Dick and Harry out there....CO public land hunts are crowded.  

Lots of great info posted here...read and study it carefully.


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## godogs57 (Feb 14, 2019)

NCMTNHunter said:


> A friend of mine did a similar hunt in that area. He had never elk hunted before but took the self guided route anyways two years in a row.  The first year he heard one bugle and saw no elk. The second year he didn’t hear or see an elk. He still says he wishes he had put both years budgets together and went on a fully guided hunt. He said that he got the feeling that the guides took clients to the places where the elk were and the self guided clients got sent everywhere else.
> 
> If this is going to your one elk hunt I would at least go fully guided. That price is on the low side for fully guided.
> 
> If you want to make a habit of elk hunting and doing it on a budget I would probably just go diy instead of paying for a self guided hunt. Chances are once you go you will want to make a habit of it.



Posted after my comments. NC your observations are dead on...and very common sense. They are not going to put their self guided guys ($) in the best spots and their guided clients ($$$) in the not so best spots...it doesn’t work that way. 

Guided elk hunts are one of those things where you really do get what you pay for in most cases. The costs the OP stated are very much low end prices. 

Elk hunting is my cocaine, so to speak. I went on my trip of a lifetime in the early 90’s...my one and only elk hunt....or so I thought. Driving back to GA all I could think about is “I’ve got to find a way to get back here”. One time out there and you’ll be hooked.


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## DWBMontana (Feb 14, 2019)

I do not  want to hijack your thread, but I will tell you this, I lease a 11,000 ranch here in Montana, I have leased to 3 groups of 4 bowhunters during archery season, it was $2500 a hunter for a week,thus, $10,000, they have the ranch all to themselves, no guiding, they provide their own food and lodging and licenses of course. I believe this is one of the best areas of Montana for elk, even the country. I know outfitter bordering on the west side charges over $9000 per hunter guided.


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## NCMTNHunter (Feb 15, 2019)

Something you may also want to consider is putting in for tags in a limited draw unit some where like New Mexico. New Mexico doesn’t have preference points so you are just as likely to be drawn as any other non-resident. New Mexico also makes you more likely to get drawn if you have a contract with an outfitter before you put in for tags. Then if you don’t get drawn you can still go with the over the counter tag hunt in Colorado.


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## NMH5050 (Feb 15, 2019)

It really is in your best interest to save a few more years and just do it right with a reputable outfitter. Especially on your first elk hunt.  If you are going more for the experience I'd go the drop camp route. If you do look for a drop camp try to find one on private land that backs up to public. 

I have elk hunted with an outfitter and DIY in Colorado. With the outfitter we saw elk everyday and I was able to take a large 6x6 on the second day and it was worth every penny to me for that experience. My public land elk experience was great but i also went home without seeing an elk. 

Another thought to break you into western hunting is going after a mule deer. Your chances IMO are much higher on deer than an elk for DIY public land.

Good luck


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## shotgun (Feb 15, 2019)

I hunted in Western Colorado in October on  $5000 hunt. When it was all over it cost me $7000 and I got taken BIG TIME. Remember you are buying a hunt not a ELK.


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## C.Killmaster (Feb 15, 2019)

DIY on CO public land can be done for $1,500 all inclusive (tag, travel, food, etc.), just go several times and figure it out.  There are lots of units with >25% success on either sex, with 12 to 15% on bulls.  There are several unit's/seasons that fit this bill that require no points to draw.  If you treat it like a process, rather than an event, you'll have more fun and what you kill will mean more to you.


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## Big7 (Feb 18, 2019)

I would take at least one back up rifle. If you don't have two in Elk caliber, I'd borrow one.

It would be bad to go through all that hassle just to find out something brok-ted.


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## erhunter (Feb 18, 2019)

Thanks for all the advice y’all.  I’d really like to hear the elk bugle. So I may just save up points and try to do it guided year after next. Or learn as much as possible and DIY in a couple years.


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## C.Killmaster (Feb 21, 2019)

erhunter said:


> Thanks for all the advice y’all.  I’d really like to hear the elk bugle. So I may just save up points and try to do it guided year after next. Or learn as much as possible and DIY in a couple years.


If you want to hear bugling I would go in archery or maybe muzzleloader.  They are mostly done by October when the first rifle season starts, we didn't hear any bugling until the last day of the season despite plenty of elk in the area.


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## DWBMontana (Feb 21, 2019)

I hear bugling here in Montana even opening week of general rifle usually, fact is, even a couple years they have been as vocal or more so then earlier September, not all cows are bred their 1st cycle, and competition for remaining cows can be good.


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## mrsturkeyman (Feb 21, 2019)

erhunter said:


> Hello All,
> Looking at booking a first time Elk Hunt in Delores CO next fall.  Prices w this outfitter are 2K$ October for self guided hunt 4K$November guided.  Meals included. Tags and flights and packaging and taxidermy are not.  Guided hunt only available in Nov hunt
> (when bulls are reportedly not calling)
> 
> ...


when you shoot elk holler run toward the truck


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## cam88 (Feb 26, 2019)

I've been looking to do a DIY hunt in the next couple of years out there. All this info helps out a bunch. I plan on just doing the OTC tag route.


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## NCMTNHunter (Feb 26, 2019)

Here is pretty decent summary on different tag draw systems. It’s a pretty daunting subject at first but with a little research it becomes a little less confusing. 

https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/big-game/big-game-tags-understanding-license-draws


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## cam88 (Feb 27, 2019)

The meateater one is a good read also check this website out if you haven't already.

https://www.backcountrychronicles.com/western-states-over-the-counter-elk-tags-non-residents/


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## plumber_1969 (Mar 11, 2019)

This will be our third year elk hunting. The first year we went on a limited draw in Colorado and had a blast. Did not kill an elk, took three days to hear one bugling at us and if you are bow hunting, you BETTER understand that the winds swirl 360 degrees about the time you are ready to draw. Unless you have a personal recommendation, I would not spend my money with a guide. We saw, smelled and had elk bark at us. Walked over 30 miles in 5 days up and down the mountains and enjoyed every pain and ache with it. Like others have said, success rates are very deceptive. My success was 100% once I crossed the Rocky Mountains and spent 5 nights in a tent with the crisp mountain air and low humidity in September. I could have filled a semi with mule deer we walked up on. When buying your gear, buy once and cry once. It is not cheap for good gear but some it is not necessary either.


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## sea trout (Mar 11, 2019)

plumber_1969 said:


> When buying your gear, buy once and cry once.



Very very well said! Very true!


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## Mac (Apr 11, 2019)

I have hunted twice DIY  San Juan NF, north of Delores.  Once 2nd rifle and once ML,  the weather can be a big factor during the 2nd rifle, it was on our hunt terrible weather.   The ML hunt was lots of bugling but on private land joining the NF.  Saw cows and bear several days, but no harvest.

IMO, I would not pay for a guided hunt on public land.  They have no control of who and how many folks will be in the area.  Also, San Juan, you have the issue of ATV's riding the trails and roads.


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## godogs57 (Apr 18, 2019)

C.Killmaster said:


> If you want to hear bugling I would go in archery or maybe muzzleloader.  They are mostly done by October when the first rifle season starts, we didn't hear any bugling until the last day of the season despite plenty of elk in the area.


I generally go to Northern  NM the first week of rifle season, Oct 1-5. Every year I've been fortunate to be covered up in bugles,  fights, and having a ball calling em in, mostly with my mouth alone! The latest I've heard bugling and responding to calls has been October 17th. 

Nothing can compare with elk hunting during the rut. Nothing.


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## swamp hunter (Apr 18, 2019)

My 2nd Bull..Grouse hunting, 12 Gauge with Slugs....Check out that Camo


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## Limbhanger2881 (Apr 19, 2019)

DO not go with a guide. You get more satisfaction killing a bull without a guide. Elk are not hard to kill. Go in September and go as high as you can even if it is above the tree line. Best piece of advice is DO NOT OVER CALL. Bulls will bugle all year long. Also, if you can find a limited entry hunt or hunt Montana, migrating bulls are fun to hunt. I saw 150+ bulls in November and December this year. I saw 45 bulls on Thanksgiving.


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## C.Killmaster (May 1, 2019)

godogs57 said:


> I generally go to Northern  NM the first week of rifle season, Oct 1-5. Every year I've been fortunate to be covered up in bugles,  fights, and having a ball calling em in, mostly with my mouth alone! The latest I've heard bugling and responding to calls has been October 17th.
> 
> Nothing can compare with elk hunting during the rut. Nothing.



Do you hunt private land?  Looks like it would be hard to draw a tag every year in NM.


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## godogs57 (May 1, 2019)

C.Killmaster said:


> Do you hunt private land?  Looks like it would be hard to draw a tag every year in NM.


Yep. Unit 55A or 46....alternate each year.


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