Newbie for the 2014 season...need advice for first out of state hunt

[QuackNSmack]

How's it going everybody, first off, Happy New Year to all! Anyways, I'm looking to take up Elk hunting for the 2014 season and have just broke the surface for gathering info. I'm a seasoned rifle hunter here in Ca for deer and have done 3 seasons with archery gear and decided to try my luck at an out of state elk hunt. This will be my first elk trip as well as first out of state hunt.

I am looking to head out to Utah or western Colorado, but have not gotten much further than that as far as location goes. I figure the first year is a learning experience so I'm just looking for info on general areas to start. I'm open to cow, spike and bull tag, basically what ever I can get my hands on. I'll try putting in for the draws to build points, but an OTC tag suites me just fine.

Looking for info on any and all aspects of what to expect, general areas to start looking for info on and anything else that may be helpful. I'm planning to take off from work 7-10 days for the trip and it will be myself and a buddy (also new to elk) and one other who is just interested in seeing what all the hunting hype is about.

My biggest challenge at this point is scouting. I won't be able to make it out to get my boots dirty and start glassing, so how do most of you who travel a good distance do this? I have huntingGPMaps to locate land boundaries and I figure google earth satellite imagery, along with my nat geo topo program all layered together I can get a good feel for the land?

I'm use to a day trip of 6-10 miles hiking up ridges and down canyon when chasing bucks so that's not too much an issue. I'm in decent shape and use to fight fire in the Trinities, so I know steep and rugged terrain, along with elevation factor, but what else should I be expecting or researching.

All info is greatly appreciated, sounds like putting in for tags start at the end of the month for UT so I'm pretty pumped! Thank you in advance.

 

[slowpoke]

My buddy and I picked an area that had terrain we liked from google earth that had cow elk tags, called the biologist for the area and listened closely to what he told us. This has worked for us both times we have done it with filling our tags the first day on public land cow elk. The reduced price cow/calf elk tags (Wyoming) are a great way to get to learn an area and everyone in the Fish and Wildlife from the state has been very helpful.

 

[Calif_Mike]

Pretty much what slow poke said.

All I know about Utah is the general seasons are very, very crowded. Not even sure if they are OTC. I hunt southern CO every year. Bull tags are OTC, cows are one to three points depending on unit and which season you hunt. Plan to spend several years hunting one unit to start learning it. If you score in that time frame its a bonus.

Elk are a totally different game than deer. Took me a couple years to quit hunting them like deer and start getting into them.

 

[Aught-SixGuy]

I'm batting .500 on public land elk. I hunt northwest Colorado, in GMU 12. Home to the largest elk herd in the US. Bull tags $600 OTC, cows $350 through the draw or leftover. The big thing is get away from everybody else. Look for north-facing slopes with dark timber, benches, and no roads.