I am an NM fan, but if you don't draw a tag, you can spend more on the tag than you will on the outfitter in most cases. DIY in CO will be extremely difficult, and you might not even hear an elk bugle. Set your budget then do your research, if I can help send me a PM
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Originally posted by Pernell View PostI am an NM fan, but if you don't draw a tag, you can spend more on the tag than you will on the outfitter in most cases. DIY in CO will be extremely difficult, and you might not even hear an elk bugle. Set your budget then do your research, if I can help send me a PM
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If it’s your first hunt for elk, I’d recommend you seriously consider a guided hunt
You can save yourself a lot of headaches and mistakes going this route. Call and talk to a few outfitters and ask about where they guide, amount of acres they have access to and what has their success rate been in the past. Also ask how many years experience they have guiding as well as how many years of that experience is in the area you will be hunting with them. Going this route can teach you a lot about how to hunt elk as well as how to chose you hunting tactics, calling when and where, etc.
I’d recommend you look at New Mexico I think you would prob have a higher success chance there over Colorado.
Important = get in shape ! Be prepared to walk, a lot , be mobile during your hunt.
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Originally posted by ReydonPete View PostIf it’s your first hunt for elk, I’d recommend you seriously consider a guided hunt
You can save yourself a lot of headaches and mistakes going this route. Call and talk to a few outfitters and ask about where they guide, amount of acres they have access to and what has their success rate been in the past. Also ask how many years experience they have guiding as well as how many years of that experience is in the area you will be hunting with them. Going this route can teach you a lot about how to hunt elk as well as how to chose you hunting tactics, calling when and where, etc.
I’d recommend you look at New Mexico I think you would prob have a higher success chance there over Colorado.
Important = get in shape ! Be prepared to walk, a lot , be mobile during your hunt.
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I am going on the contrary to everyone else and say skip the guide, and plan and do everything yourself. You will learn 10x more than if you are following around a guide. Even if you find a great guide, willing to point out exactly what he's doing and why, I still think you learn more doing it on your own. That starts with e-scouting now, learning how to use a mouth call, learning elk calls, reading up on elk biology this summer, contacting local fish and game folks, following rainfall totals, finding local forums to follow, and taking a summer trip to your spots if you can swing it.
Don't let others slow you down if you want to go unguided.
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I would get a guide and make sure it is 1x1. I have been on one elk hunt in New Mexico and it was right in your price range. (I did draw a tag though.) We were in elk every hunt. Pull up in the truck in the morning, get out and you hear elk bugling. I did my hunt with Brian Newel with Top Notch Outfitters.
Whatever you decide, just go do it!
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Originally posted by WItoTX View PostI am going on the contrary to everyone else and say skip the guide, and plan and do everything yourself. You will learn 10x more than if you are following around a guide. Even if you find a great guide, willing to point out exactly what he's doing and why, I still think you learn more doing it on your own. That starts with e-scouting now, learning how to use a mouth call, learning elk calls, reading up on elk biology this summer, contacting local fish and game folks, following rainfall totals, finding local forums to follow, and taking a summer trip to your spots if you can swing it.
Don't let others slow you down if you want to go unguided.
I'm sure I'll have more questions as I dig into this, and I just wanted to start focusing in on what region to pursue.
Honestly I would love to get drawn for AZ, we lived in Flagstaff for (2) years and I never got drawn on a permit, but enjoyed watching the herds out camping.
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Originally posted by Kdog View PostI would get a guide and make sure it is 1x1. I have been on one elk hunt in New Mexico and it was right in your price range. (I did draw a tag though.) We were in elk every hunt. Pull up in the truck in the morning, get out and you hear elk bugling. I did my hunt with Brian Newel with Top Notch Outfitters.
Whatever you decide, just go do it!
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Contrary
Contrary to people who love hunting elk , I am not a high country lover
When I went , every body in our group got altitude sickness(base camp was 8500) everybody was successful in harvesting a nice bull but one guy who was to sick to hunt ,
We hunted private land in south central Colorado, west of Trinidad
It was a bucket list hunt for me so we went with a guide . And was really glad we did as having 4 sick guys in one camp was tough
I have hunted and fished up high before and elk hunting was the toughest hunt ever!Last edited by S-3 Ranch; 05-18-2018, 01:28 PM.
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If you are only going to go once, I think getting a guide is reasonable. If you are going to try to go every year or every other year, then go DIY in my opinion.
5-6K is enough for a unit wide landowner tag in New Mexico in a good unit.Last edited by El General; 05-18-2018, 01:51 PM.
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