Value of an elk

elkguide

WKR
Joined
Jan 26, 2016
Messages
4,606
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Vermont
I live in Southwest Montana where we would be hunting. He lives in Minnesota. I have a truck and he has all the necessary gear to hunt elk. It would cost him about $200 in gas round trip if he takes his little car out here and we just use my truck for the hunt. We would split food, and elk camp doesn't cost anything. All set and done I'm pretty sure the guy could get it done for $500 or less, but that's because I'm located where we would be hunting and would be able cut out a lot of expenses one would have when hunting out of state.



$500!

What a cheap vacation with the potential for some awesome benefits.
Getting an elk would be an incredible bonus.
Think of all of the fun you guys will have and oh, the memories!!!!!
 
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frankrb3

WKR
Joined
May 10, 2016
Messages
529
Location
SW Montana
$500!

What a cheap vacation with the potential for some awesome benefits.
Getting an elk would be an incredible bonus.
Think of all of the fun you guys will have and oh, the memories!!!!!

I was a little off with my initial estimate. Looks like the cheapest he could get an elk tag as a non resident is more like $850. Add fuel and food on to that and it's looking more like $1200 total. Still a great deal, I just don't think he can swing that kind of money right now. Oh well, he can always still come with me and carry out my meat while I watch him sweat.
 

johnsd16

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
336
Location
North Idaho
I'm pretty sure you can put in to draw only an elk B tag for some areas. I have a patient that hunts the breaks and only spends $280 or something for his cow only tag. We had a friend come join us in SE MT last year for deer and bought only a whitetail B tag. He had to buy a general hunting license and something else but was out the door for like $100 with a doe tag. I would look at the B license application closely, as I'm pretty sure you can hunt cow elk on a B tag in several places without have an elk or big game combo.
 

jdk81

FNG
Joined
Jul 19, 2017
Messages
74
Location
IA
My wife says that elk meat is a "bargain". After adding in the cost of all of the gear, etc. I have purchased I'm paying about $200 / lb for "free" elk meat. I tell it gets cheaper every year (until I need to start replacing gear) :)

So, assuming an average of 200# off of an animal, your saying you spend $40,000 per animal? doesn't quite add up :p



As far as assuming you shoot one every year and every hunt, you can do it for less than $1,000 every year not including gear.. so assuming success, around $5/#. Its all about the hunt in the end anyhow!
 

muddydogs

WKR
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
1,099
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Utah
If you have to justify the cost to elk hunt you might as well stay home, I'm sure I could have purchase a herd of beef cows for what I have spent over the years to hunt. Just this year alone I have over $1000 in tags not including gas and gear, that $1000 would buy a whole lot of beef and a fair amount of commercial elk meat. Figure in all the expenses and I could probably buy a whole processed commercial elk to put in the freezer.
 

dsclowers

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
168
Location
Montrose, CO
So, assuming an average of 200# off of an animal, your saying you spend $40,000 per animal? doesn't quite add up :p



As far as assuming you shoot one every year and every hunt, you can do it for less than $1,000 every year not including gear.. so assuming success, around $5/#. Its all about the hunt in the end anyhow!

Well, it was a joke with my wife. I got into elk hunting when we moved back to southwest Colorado 4 years ago. After my first cow I was bragging to my wife about all of the "free" meat we would be eating since the tag was only around $65. Then she said, what about all of the new clothes, backpack, rifle, bow, optics, etc. It's not much fun to haul everything in a little jeep so you have to look at a truck, etc. The cost of that "free" meat really adds up quick. :)
 
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