A 4 day OTC elk hunt

[Joe5000]

I want to start building elk experience while I wait to build points. I currently have zero elk points in any state. I think I might be able to swing 4 days hunting this year. Needs to be somewhere that I can hunt 3 hours within a major airport. Needs to be a hunt that I can pull off with just 3-4 days on the ground. Realize this will be a hard hunt to set myself up for success but do not want to be completely wasting my time. Would also like it to a rifle hunt.

Anyone care to offer any suggestions of areas or states to look at? Thanks in advance!

 

[NV HUNTER]

Montana general tag. Pick up a deer tag as well. If you can't find a legal bull , you could kill a cow and deer hunt at the same time.

 

[realunlucky]

Should only need two days to hunt. Find them on day one and pack him out on day two. That will still leave you with two days for sight seeing Montana

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[Newtosavage]

Should only need two days to hunt. Find them on day one and pack him out on day two. That will still leave you with two days for sight seeing Montana

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[5MilesBack]

If your 3-4 days is hard, fast, and set in stone, then you'll only get 1-2 days of hunting in. The rest will be spent packing it out in order to get you back in time........maybe.

 

[Joe5000]

Should only need two days to hunt. Find them on day one and pack him out on day two. That will still leave you with two days for sight seeing Montana

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In seriousness I’m asking for a place with relatively easy access that is otc. Any serious help or kindness is appreciated.

 

[Kodiak]

Joe5000 Montana is probably your best bet with not points. The general tag is good for most of the state and there are elk within 3 hours of all the towns with airports. I do agree that you should pick a deer tag as well as it may be a little easier to fill than an elk tag.

4 days isn’t a lot to figure it out especially with limited experience. With Montana you will have 6 weeks for a bow hit and another 6 weeks for a rifle hunt if you can swing a second trip.

Of you are planning to hunt this fall you need to act soon and make a plan because most states are already in tags season with states like Wyoming being closed already for nonresident.

 

[Kodiak]

Also, go add a post in the FNG section and introduce yourself. You may get a little more help from the guys on here once they know you.

 

[tyeager2964]

Archery, 2nd or 3rd season in Colorado unit 28 or 17 are both OTC and about as close to Denver as you can get. With that time frame I would look at a guided ranch hunt as private land only tags are almost always attainable and maybe either sex. This will cut down on pack time, finding animals, etc. Easy access near a major city and OTC likely will mean pretty crowded as well if only hunting public.

It would also maximize hunting time. You can probably get an outfitter to pick you up at the airport for a cost and maybe help with meat shipping or packing for travel etc.

 

[Tenstrike]

If you are serious about a hunt this fall you have a few options, contact a guide and let him handle the hard stuff so you can show up and hunt. If this is DIY, you could sign up on Go Hunt and start some research, this will save you a lot of time getting up to speed on how the different states work. If you want to hunt Montana you have to apply by March 15 or hope for a left over licence. Your odds will be slightly better in Montana if you apply for elk only (Elk Combo) rather then elk and deer (Big Game Combo). Idaho and Colorado have several OTC units. Dive in and have fun.

 

[Joe5000]

thank you all!! Appreciate the help . Some things to think about

 

[Bulldawg]

With hard and fast time schedule like that I wouldn’t buy a tag just go hiking and glassing. Seriously, think of it this way.

You save a few hundred to a thousand bucks just in tags. Don’t have to worry about getting a gun through security either way. If you had only 4 days to be in the state you are hunting you only have 2 days to hunt, because you would miss your flight home if you killed on day 3 or 4. So without a tag, you would be able to go around with less stress and more likely be able to find some game and observe activity and learn and have a better idea where you could hunt next year when you decide to dedicate a little more time to a hunt.

Gonna sound harsh, but you’re not going to kill anything and I wouldn’t going in with any other expectations if you are going to go with that limited of time, not because people don’t kill on day one, but because if you are going to put this little of effort into the hunt you’re going to put very little effort into figuring out where to hunt and very little effort into the actual hunt.

Oh and btw, if someone had a spot that they could fly into, kill an elk, pack out and fly home 4 days later, I don’t think they’re going to send that intel over to you haha!


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[elkguide]

Welcome to Rokslide.
Good luck.

 

[Newtosavage]

With hard and fast time schedule like that I wouldn’t buy a tag just go hiking and glassing. Seriously, think of it this way.

You save a few hundred to a thousand bucks just in tags. Don’t have to worry about getting a gun through security either way. If you had only 4 days to be in the state you are hunting you only have 2 days to hunt, because you would miss your flight home if you killed on day 3 or 4. So without a tag, you would be able to go around with less stress and more likely be able to find some game and observe activity and learn and have a better idea where you could hunt next year when you decide to dedicate a little more time to a hunt.

Gonna sound harsh, but you’re not going to kill anything and I wouldn’t going in with any other expectations if you are going to go with that limited of time, not because people don’t kill on day one, but because if you are going to put this little of effort into the hunt you’re going to put very little effort into figuring out where to hunt and very little effort into the actual hunt.

Oh and btw, if someone had a spot that they could fly into, kill an elk, pack out and fly home 4 days later, I don’t think they’re going to send that intel over to you haha!


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With enough money, all things are possible.

There are people who fly in, kill a monster animal, and fly out within 24 hrs. All depends on how much a person is willing to spend really.

 

[swampokie]

If ur gona buy deer/elk in Montana ull need money

 

[Southforkguy]

I want to start building elk experience while I wait to build points. I currently have zero elk points in any state. I think I might be able to swing 4 days hunting this year. Needs to be somewhere that I can hunt 3 hours within a major airport. Needs to be a hunt that I can pull off with just 3-4 days on the ground. Realize this will be a hard hunt to set myself up for success but do not want to be completely wasting my time. Would also like it to a rifle hunt.

Anyone care to offer any suggestions of areas or states to look at? Thanks in advance!

Boise, Helena, Denver, Salt Lake City.. go

 

[Maverick940]

I want to start building elk experience while I wait to build points. I currently have zero elk points in any state. I think I might be able to swing 4 days hunting this year. Needs to be somewhere that I can hunt 3 hours within a major airport. Needs to be a hunt that I can pull off with just 3-4 days on the ground. Realize this will be a hard hunt to set myself up for success but do not want to be completely wasting my time. Would also like it to a rifle hunt.

Anyone care to offer any suggestions of areas or states to look at? Thanks in advance!

Antlered or antlerless, or does it make a difference?

 

[realunlucky]

With enough money, all things are possible.

There are people who fly in, kill a monster animal, and fly out within 24 hrs. All depends on how much a person is willing to spend really.

He's not that guy or he would have reached out to mossback instead of Rokslide.

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[Peaks&Creeks]

With hard and fast time schedule like that I wouldn’t buy a tag just go hiking and glassing. Seriously, think of it this way.

You save a few hundred to a thousand bucks just in tags. Don’t have to worry about getting a gun through security either way. If you had only 4 days to be in the state you are hunting you only have 2 days to hunt, because you would miss your flight home if you killed on day 3 or 4. So without a tag, you would be able to go around with less stress and more likely be able to find some game and observe activity and learn and have a better idea where you could hunt next year when you decide to dedicate a little more time to a hunt.

Gonna sound harsh, but you’re not going to kill anything and I wouldn’t going in with any other expectations if you are going to go with that limited of time, not because people don’t kill on day one, but because if you are going to put this little of effort into the hunt you’re going to put very little effort into figuring out where to hunt and very little effort into the actual hunt.

Oh and btw, if someone had a spot that they could fly into, kill an elk, pack out and fly home 4 days later, I don’t think they’re going to send that intel over to you haha!


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I’m gonna agree with this. 4 days is not much time at all. Day 1 and 4 are gonna be spent traveling, which will take longer if you’ve never been to the area you “Internet scouted”. Day 3 you’ll spend looking for elk, and unless you get real lucky and stumble into them first thing that mornin and get one on the ground, you’ll spend the rest of the day cleaning and packing all the meat back to your rental car and into the coolers you hopefully bought at Wally World. Day 4 is getting to the airport and spending a s$&t load of extra money sticking your 300+ pounds of boned out elk meat into the airplane.

Not trying to be a dick here, but that’s your best case scenario. I would think this out a little more thoroughly and maybe save some dough this year and plan a nice 1 to 2 week hunting trip via car and hunting buddy next year. Not sure what your hunting experience is, but putting down elk deep in the woods by yourself is no grab and drag like deer can be. It’s a lot of work and you’ll be at altitude.

I wish you the best of luck with what ever you decide.


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[cnelk]

I’ll chime in with some perspective.

I can be elk hunting in just 2-3 hrs from my house and I’ve hunted the areas for 30 yrs.
For the past 20 years I’ve never missed opening weekend of archery elk.

With scouting most weekends during the summer I know where the elk are.

In 2017 was the first and only time I killed an elk opening day.

Do what was suggested above but bring a camera and document your 2+ days in the elk woods.

You will be so much further ahead when you can spend more time.

Best of luck