Elk newbie

[chargersfan]

I have nearly 30 years of backcountry deer hunting under my belt and have finally decided to try an out of state elk hunt. I am thinking Utah since it’s a much closer drive than Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, etc. Any suggestions on where to start in Utah? I don’t mind shooting a spike or a cow either. Thanks for any help!

 

[cjack]

Public or private? I know that in January there is no shortage of landowner cow tags available at reasonable prices in both Colorado and Utah. The cost of an out of state license and tag in Arizona is comparable to any landowner tag in the two states mentioned.

 

[Bondero]

http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/western-states-over-the-counter-elk-tags-non-residents/
Here is a helpful article on DIY Elk hunting. I'm doing the same thing but in Oregon.

 

[canamrider07]

I don't know anything about Elk, but GO CHARGERS!!!!!!

 

[Aught-SixGuy]

I'll be honest, there are more elk in Colorado than anywhere else in the country. If you're gonna try for your first time, go where there is more opportunity. The White River herd is the largest herd in the country and they hang out in GMUs 12, 23, and 24 near Meeker. Utah is cool and all but we just don't have as many elk around and not a lot of opportunities for bulls unless you wanna wait 20 years for a tag. Spike hunts are popular here but the spikes are harder to find than Cali bucks lol. A landowner cow tag here is another decent option, it's just gonna cost you $500 more for the trespass fee. I'd suggest shelling out the extra funds and gas and go to NW Colorado. Cow tags there are ~$400ish, and there's tons of em if you do your homework and don't road hunt.

 

[chargersfan]

Thanks for the input everyone. CJack, I plan on hunting public land. Bondero, thanks for the link to a great article. Aught-Six-Guy, I see your point about Colorado and will definitely look into it. I think we’ll only have a few days to hunt so I was thinking of a closer location to cut down on drive time. The research continues!