Elk tags

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Thanks guys. If I go the OTC route, are their guides that I could hire to help me get my feet wet? If so, does anyone have any reccomendations?

 

[Dosh]

If hunting from out of state, consider your cost of applying with even one state times number of years applying. The total is usually a large sum of money. Perhaps as suggested, a guided hunt on a landowner tag would be your most effective purchase. Good luck

 

[26Reload]

Lot of good suggestions here....
You say your hunt isn't quite time sensitive....but it is...whose to say your health doesn't take a turn for the worst after you have applied for ten years and you can't make that once in a lifetime hunt...
I say figure out you finances....a true adventure does not have to be a DIY..sometimes it's the opportunity to meet a guide and fellow hunters on a guided hunt....lots of people here critize others for buying cheap and complaining afterwards...."buy once cry once" is what they say I believe...
If your dream is a 400" bull..thats a tough one..but your best bet is guided...
Then even if you don't find that particular animal on hoof..you should have many others to choose from on a guided private property hunt....
Credit cards are famous for these situations.......
I know a guy hunted allover the world on his credit card...if somehow he died on the trip there wasn't a bill to pay........not saying your card is set up like that...but things happen.....

 

[TG-5150]

I'll throw this out there. Wy publishes the draw odds for each year. Look at the last 2-3 years. You can easily see how many points are needed. They also show success rates and average days needed. Compare the 2. Look for a unit with good success rates and reasonable draw time. That will get you going.
Bruce

Along with this, you could draw a typ 6 tag here in Wyoming. It's a cow/calf tag and any leftover tags go back into a lottery for a second draw. I don't think this hurts your preference points either(type 6) for an either sex tag.
If it were me, I'd use that cow/calf tag to come out and scout and maybe do an antelope hunt as well or maybe deer too. Provided I am right about the type 6 cow/calf tag not hurting your preference points.
As a resident, in October you can purchase an additional preference point that applies to the fallowing season(s), not sure if a nonresident can double up too. Something to look into.
ALSO— as far as I understand the hunting regulations, there are no OTC elk tags available for nonresidents in Wyoming. Just bear and lion and possibly wolf.
Hope this helps
Edited as I didn't include Wyoming in the last paragraph

 

[dirtytough]

Thanks guys. If I go the OTC route, are their guides that I could hire to help me get my feet wet? If so, does anyone have any reccomendations?

If it was me I would skip the guided route and hunt more times for the same money. Lets say a guide costs $4500 which is on the lower end. And thats not counting tags, travel, tips, etc. If you go diy you could easily do an otc elk hunt for $1500 a year. Since you will be spending about the same on tags, travel, etc if going guided then you could do 4 diy hunts for the price of 1 guided hunt. I would rather have 4 times the memories myself. Plus there is a certain sense of satisfaction accomplishing stuff on your own.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

That's where I'm looking at this from. I just need some tips to be abke to do a diy hunt.

 

[TG-5150]

If it was me I would skip the guided route and hunt more times for the same money. Lets say a guide costs $4500 which is on the lower end. And thats not counting tags, travel, tips, etc. If you go diy you could easily do an otc elk hunt for $1500 a year. Since you will be spending about the same on tags, travel, etc if going guided then you could do 4 diy hunts for the price of 1 guided hunt. I would rather have 4 times the memories myself. Plus there is a certain sense of satisfaction accomplishing stuff on your own.

Exactly..... DYI is much better, with apps like OnX and a little studying it's sure not a chip shot, but way more rewarding.

 

[dirtytough]

If you want to hunt Colorado I could help you out on areas. I've hunted there 3 times for bulls on otc tags and once for a cow on a draw tag. I've always had decent luck and put in the time and effort to tag out there. The main thing is being in good enough shape to hunt hard the entire hunt. Not just the first couple days then coasting the rest of the hunt because you are tired mentally or physically.

 

[26Reload]

1500$ for a DIY.....i drove back to Indiana and picked up my travel trailer...even with the price of gasoline from eastern Rockies to Indiana almost a dollar less expensive..it still cost me a 1000$ in fuel to make the trip.........and now to add license and tag fees qnd then the cost of food and housing......1500$..not even close.....
I bet you be closer to 3000$.....without any out of ordinary issues....
And if you need to have the animal processed you are looking at another 1000$....
Whichever way you go .....good luck....have fun....

 

[TG-5150]

Elk processing is .79 per pound, on the rail after lower leg head and hide are removed. $25.00 skinning fee. At least we're im at in Wyoming. $249.00 for a decent sized cow. Didn't get any bling bling made, just burger and steaks.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

It's 868 miles from me to Denver. At 15 miles a gallon in my truck, that's 58 gallons of diesel. At $3.00 a gallon, that's $174.00 in diesel. I believe the $1500 diy number.

 

[dirtytough]

1500$ for a DIY.....i drove back to Indiana and picked up my travel trailer...even with the price of gasoline from eastern Rockies to Indiana almost a dollar less expensive..it still cost me a 1000$ in fuel to make the trip.........and now to add license and tag fees qnd then the cost of food and housing......1500$..not even close.....
I bet you be closer to 3000$.....without any out of ordinary issues....
And if you need to have the animal processed you are looking at another 1000$....
Whichever way you go .....good luck....have fun....

For 1 you don't need to bring a travel trailer. For another I do out of state hunts for less then $1k every year. Also it looks like the op is from Texas. Not sure where but he isn't that far from southern Colorado.

Here is a quick estimate.
Tags $700,
2400 miles/20 mpg*$3.00=$120 for fuel. (my f150 gets about 22mpg on a trip like that)
Food you have to buy anyway. But lets add an extra $20 a day. That's $200 for 10 days.

We are at $1020. Camping is free on NF and BLM. You have a $400 cushion for incidentals, a hotel room in the middle of the trip to shower, etc.

If you really want to hunt the west and you are on a budget you can make it happen.

PS I forgot about the processing cause I always do that part myself. Its probably cheaper to pay someone to do it time wise, but I know I'm getting my elk back that I took care of compared to who knows what.

 

[26Reload]

That mileage is easy then....my round trip was 3400 miles....
And is the animal going to hang before processing and then have to be shipped....and .79 a pound is a heck of a deal....hope you end up with your animal...not someone else's that wasnt taken care of properly in the field.....

 

[TG-5150]

I know our butchers personally. They take animal X out, cut and wrap it, whip down and grab another.
I live here local in Wyoming. Aging meet is for another thread that will go farther than a 6.5creed thread, only faster.lol
I'd maybe cut meet for a $1.00 on the rail, that's good money. Usually cut my own as fast as it's cooled, this year life got in the way. Couldn't have done a cleaner job myself, and I'm fussy

 

[TG-5150]

dirtytough is right, if you bring processing gear and some decent coolers and dry ice(if needed) mid day can be spent cutting meat.
Guess I'm picturing a couple or hunting partners coming out together, which splits the travel costs and packing game out chores considerably.