OTC Elk Hunt Cost - Guys from the East Coast

[Muddler]

Trying to plan out an OTC Sept elk hunt in the next couple of years and trying to figure out what it might cost. IE how long to I need to save.

Price of tags is easy and can ball park fuel costs if driving. I assume that I already have most of the gear that I need other than a better pair of boots and probably an inreach.

So guys from the East (I'm in PA), how much do you normally spend going out west? Drive? Fly? Where do you stay (not specific locations)...do you camp out, get an Airbnb, lodge? Meat processing or take a chest freezer & generator? What else am I missing?

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I drive...I try to keep a $1000-$1500 for incidentals and processing fees, not counting fuel. Plus sometimes you see something cool you might wanna buy and bring home. I try to camp where I can but if it's raining or bad weather I will get a hotel. Plus flat tires and other truck issues can come up. I have found it easier to get the meat processed into large muscle groups by a processor and a good freeze on the meat. It will ride 48hrs in a cooler and still be frozen when you get home.

I just try to be flexible with my scedule and roll with any issues that come up...it is my vacation after all. I usually come back with money in my pocket but rather have it then not need it, than need it and not have it. YMMV

 

[Indian Summer]

I drive...I try to keep a $1000-$1500 for incidentals and processing fees, not counting fuel. Plus sometimes you see something cool you might wanna buy and bring home. I try to camp where I can but if it's raining or bad weather I will get a hotel. Plus flat tires and other truck issues can come up. I have found it easier to get the meat processed into large muscle groups by a processor and a good freeze on the meat. It will ride 48hrs in a cooler and still be frozen when you get home.

I just try to be flexible with my scedule and roll with any issues that come up...it is my vacation after all. I usually come back with money in my pocket but rather have it then not need it, than need it and not have it. YMMV

That sounds about right on the money. I drive from western Pa every year. Just divide your miles by the mileage of your vehicle for your fuel cost. If you are towing anything remember mileage in the mountains while towing anything sucks. That cost can vary greatly obviously depending on whether you’re driving to eastern Colorado or western Montana. Splitting travel costs with 1 or more partners really lowers the cost of hunting since gas is your biggest expense other than the license.

I never include food cost as an expense because I eat whether I’m hunting or back home. My gas is about $700 with one partner. Meat processing $250-$300 including vac sealing which I like. I buy about $35 worth of dry ice for the trip home. I might have a high restaurant/bar tab for one night after tags are punched. There are some highway tolls from Pa through Illinois as well. That’s about it for hard costs. Cheap!

And then there is the fact that every year there is some new piece of gear that you can’t live without. Lol

 

[SteveCNJ]

Last year I drove out to Jackson, WY by myself for a hunt. I stopped in Iowa and got lucky finding a place to stay for $45. I brought coolers and I didn't shoot one but my buddy and his son who flew out did. They had them processed and I brought everything home in 3 coolers. If processing is available that's great but if no time I would have deboned and loaded up the coolers with ice. I have a pickup and it was October so pretty cold. It took me 31 hours to drive home. I only slept 4 hours parked in a rest area. Not many extra costs. I brought sandwiches for the ride out and stopped at a grocery store before leaving and picked up a couple pounds of cold cuts and rolls. I did go out early to fish so I brought extra money for that. Make sure the oil is changed and tires checked. I have AAA in case I got stuck in the middle of nowhere. So other than known fixed costs I didn't spend a lot. If you're going to have your game processed either out there or here it's probably going to be in the same ballpark so bring that money if you want to go that route.

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[ChrisAU]

Splitting it 4 ways our last trip from AL to CO (3200ish miles roundtrip) was roughly this:

Tag (not split of course): $763
Gas: $100 each
Hotel: $120 each (1 night before hunt, 1 night after hunt, 2 nights on the way home, cheapest place we can find generally)

So thats about $1,000 all told in purely trip expenses.

We took 2 100 quart coolers, 1 110 quart cooler, and a 50 quart cooler and used almost all of the capacity for 1 bull elk, with the cape going the 50 quart. Got it processed back home.

 

[Billy Goat]

Lots of variables. Are you truck camping, back pack camping, or looking to stay somewhere and have a shower every night?

Food is an expense that you can moderate if you are driving out, pack your coolers with stuff before you go. If you are buying everything out there figure it costing more.


Anymore I like finding a place to rent, I enjoy a shower, still carry stuff so I can night out if I want, but usually make it back. Also makes it so I can move around and try different areas.

Flying this year and renting a vehicle. Planning on shipping a box of most of my hunting stuff to the cabin I'm renting before I go. I can check tracking and make sure it arrived, not worry about baggage getting lost.

It's cheaper to me to fly and rent than to put the mileage on my truck, depends on how you look at it but I put a lot of miles on my vehicles, that's 4000 miles of wear and tear I'd rather not deal with. Also makes it easier to split things up to be fair when your traveling with others.

You can fly or ship your meat home.

I figure $2500 to be comfortable all in. You can definitely do it cheaper, I'm just not so tight when it comes to hunting, it's supposed to be enjoyable. It's 34 hours of driving one way for me, I'd rather spend a little more and get extra hunting days, when I drive we go straight through, rotate drivers and make a bed in the back seat.

 

[fatlander]

Do you have more money or more time? Flying saves you a few days time.

Flying out then driving back if successful is the way I’ll go for now on.
Book a one way flight.
Rent a u-haul pick up for the hunt.
If you’re succesful rent a full size car or small crossover and drive home.
If not, get another one way ticket.

That’s slightly more expensive but you’ve get more hunt time and you’re not dog tired from driving across the country to get there. Plus driving home with an unpunched tag is another huge kick in the nuts after 10 days of hard hunting.

You really don’t need a truckload of stuff to hunt elk. Basically you need a backpacks worth of gear and a bow. Anything else is creature comfort.


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[7Bartman]

I fly out every year. Like others have said, costs will vary, but $1500-$2k is pretty reasonable. If you get an elk figure another $500 to that depending on options.
I put this video together a few months back and you may find it helpful.

 

[GunsAreFun]

The biggest variable is gear. Tags and gas are easy.

You can outfit someone for a backpack hunt for $500 or $5000+. Same for a base camp.

 

[Fridaythe13th]

Last year was the cheapest year yet. We brought a pop up camper with a shower and refrigerator and heat. $1127 that is all we spent that enclude tags, gas, food, total trip. 3 people, 1 truck switch drivers everytime we fuel up, 20 hour drive straight through. We have a freezer full of food for the days we hunt, a generator, screened in 12x12 mess tent, extra cooler, grill, couple of tarps and what ever well fit in the truck and camper. The best part it was hour and half set up time
Take 2 people out of the equation you could add $500 to the trip. Fuel and tags are the most expensive part of the trip.
And I agree with not adding food to the trip because we eat at home, but I did add to this trip because 1 person was in charge of all the food and we split it 3 ways. Other wise we bring so much food.

This was a September archery hunt. 7 days of hunting 3 days travel

 

[timekiller13]

First year my Dad and I went. Fuel, tags, food, incidentals total cost was just a little over $1200. That's driving from NC. Doesn't include gear cost, but those were minimal. We camped in USFS primitive campground, cost about $10/night. Total round trip mileage was 3800 miles.

2nd year it was myself, Dad and Uncle. Splitting fuel 3 ways reduced overall trip cost to under $1000.

 

[Marble]

We dont freeze our meat, never have in 20 years. It takes us about 36 hours give or take to leave CO and get to CA and deliver the meat to our butcher. It will be in hole quarters, insulated with old sleeping bags and bagged.

For entire trip including lodging, tags, fuel, food, entertainment and incidentals I figure $2500. And il always have some left over. And of course, the more that go the cheaper accommodations, food and fuel are.

 

[Dos Perros]

Tag price + $1000 covers a hunt for me, driving from KS, and mostly camping and eating my own dehydrated food, and that covers some pieces of gear I might get ahead of the hunt.

 

[Jahvette20]

Last year for me from se pa to past glenwood and all over and back was $700 in fuel, split accordingly. Plus just shy $700 for tags. Food I may have spent $150 which is on par with what it cost to eat at home for 15 days. Sleep for free. Like said above, gear is a big variable. Oh I bought a $60 bottle of scotch too...

 

[ashanks52]

This year I'm planning on flying for around $600 total, purchased as one east flights with insurance. Going with 4 people, renting a vehicle for around 400 for the week, or $100 per person. Have all my gear already. Eating pretty cheap, planning on $15 a day for food, and a motel room on the front and back end for around $60 a person each night. So after gas and everything around $1200 after gas and incidentals. If we kill something, mail the gear home, pay $200 in heavy bag fees, and fly home with frozen meat in cheap coolers from a Costco or WalMart in Bosie. If I kill a bull worth mounting, then I'm canceling my flight home and driving the antlers back with the meat by myself in the cheapest car I can get, hopefully for under $400 total. So worst (or best case) is probably $1600, and maybe a few unpaid days off from work. Idk I can't justify driving 20 hours for that cost personally, plus I can only take a week off work, and flying gets me 9 days of hunting. To help with time I wasn't to take a long weekend trip to the unit I'm hunting to get my bearings and find some camping sights, and check water levels and such.

 

[Muddler]

Lots of good info here. Thanks guys. I would probably be more flexible with time and try to keep costs down by driving. Hopefully I'd be able to round up 2-3 other guys to split costs, but I haven't ruled out going by myself either.

 

[Brendan]

From Boston MA.

Driving: Figure ~5000 miles round trip to Western WY / MT. 700-1000 in gas and driving expenses. Do you care about wear on your truck? Are you driving with someone else?

Tag: Montana is about $1K. Wyoming Special about $1K. Might kick this down to $600-700 with Colorado, but not really saving a ton.

Gear: Up to you. You don't "need" much.

Food: Dehydrate and prep your own is probably the cheapest, but go look at mountain house prices for 10-12 days.

Basically, I've always figured around $2K - $2.5K driving solo from Boston not counting gear.

If you fly, you gain time, lose flexibility, can't bring as much gear, and have to figure out how to get meat / rack home if you're successful. I prefer driving, bring my own truck and gear. I can leave on a Friday after work, and be hunting Sunday afternoon.

 

[Ckiko3]

I drive out to Colorado from NE Ohio every year. Usually hunt and split costs with 2-3 others. Tag, gas, food, etc. usually around a $1,200 trip. Not bad for a 10 day vacation.


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[Sdieffen]

Driving from FL pulling a horse trailer. Fuel appx $1000. We buy food when we get there, I bring a freezer that I run off solar. Tags are what they are. Process everything myself. Total around 2500. That's including wife and kid tagging along(fishing license for the wife). As someone else said, tags and gas are the biggest expense. Just do it!

 

[Poser]

Driving from FL pulling a horse trailer. Fuel appx $1000. We buy food when we get there, I bring a freezer that I run off solar. Tags are what they are. Process everything myself. Total around 2500. That's including wife and kid tagging along(fishing license for the wife). As someone else said, tags and gas are the biggest expense. Just do it!

Question o have wondered for a long time:

How do you deal with horses on a trip that long? Do you let them out of the trailer at rest stops?