Easy elk hunt

fellerr

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 21, 2020
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154
I am sure you rolled your eyes at the title…but please read below.

My dad has always wanted to elk hunt, but any sort of hunt requiring much physical exertion is out of the question. Everything is bad…knees, back, neck, etc. He is highly susceptible to skin infections and constantly has issues there. We did a fly in moose hunt but with the swampy area he was pretty limited on how far he could go. I am just afraid that his years of being able to do something are slowly declining. He seems interested in a raft hunt in Alaska for moose (thinking you just float and shoot from the raft), but i told him that was probably more work than the fly in trip we did.

I still would love to try to get him somewhere to have a shot at killing an elk.

Does such a hunt exist? Any outfitter recommendation someone has used?

If elk can’t happen is there anything else “easy” to take an adventure out west or to Alaska?
 

KHNC

WKR
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Jul 11, 2013
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NC
I guess that depends on your budget. If its pretty high, then call Gila & Apache outfitters in Reserve New Mexico. Ask about a rifle elk hunt. This will involve buy a landowner tag in 16A as your father has less than 1% odds to draw a tag in the regular draw. That will add 10-15k to the cost of the hunt unfortunately. Their rifle success rate is out the roof on big bulls though.
 

ROKnROAL

FNG
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Mar 21, 2023
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That’s not hunting, it’s shooting. Plenty of high fence and private property opportunities in both the US and Canada.
That’s why I said ‘justifiable’, bud. Didn’t say I agreed with it, so didn’t have to come in immediately with your high-horse answer
 
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A late season cow elk hunt might fit the bill. Colorado's Ranching For Wildlife tags have some great opportunities after the elk herd up on private land for the winter.
 

def90

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Aug 12, 2020
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Plenty of guides that can provide that. My cousin from Wi goes to some place near Maybell Co, they pretty much know where the herds are and drive you out there and you walk the last quarter mile and shoot an elk. Costs $$$ though and not what I’m interested in.
 

The_Jim

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Sep 20, 2021
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Nebraska
It's not elk but there are some nice mule deer shot on private ranches in the Nebraska sandhills every year. I'm sure they could accommodate your dad. The sandhills aren't the mountains but they are really unique and beautiful. Also, some of those ranches have really nice accommodations.

I met a guy at work who's father works on one of Ted Turners Ranches south of Gordon, he was showing me pictures of some of the deer that were shot. There's definitely some big deer running around the sandhills.
 

dtrkyman

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Oct 2, 2014
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Definitley can be done on a ranch somewhere, definitely here in New Mexico. I was involved in a dozen elk kills on a ranch, only had to pack out one, the others were driven to and winched into a truck!

Easy terrain for elk, and potential for short stalks!
 
Joined
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You're doing a good thing trying to get a last hurrah and victory lap for your dad. Good on you.

In general, responding with comments early in a thread, and say you never even saw the post? Come on guys, read the room and know what the context is.
 

mxgsfmdpx

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Central Arizona
You're doing a good thing trying to get a last hurrah and victory lap for your dad. Good on you.

In general, responding with comments early in a thread, and say you never even saw the post? Come on guys, read the room and know what the context is.
You should take your own advice and read, to know what the context is.

I posted a general comment to OP. Someone then quoted me, thinking I was talking to them, even through I had never even seen that persons comment in the thread until the quoted me for no reason.
 

grfox92

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NW WY
Private ranch with an outfitter in Wyoming or Montana would a no Brainer.

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk
 

WCB

WKR
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Jun 12, 2019
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I believe the Mule Shoe Ranch in Eastern WY may work...I think it is them that have some shooting housed set up over grain fields. Otherwise it is a ranch real close to them and they would know.
 
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The post reads a high fence opportunity cheapens the experience that the op is trying to find for his father, he isn't in a situation to do a typical hunt most of us could. Good on you editing. Unfortunate it's what got quoted before the editing.
 
Last edited:
OP
fellerr

fellerr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
154
Lot of good advice. Gave me some direction to look further into. Thank you for taking time to respond!

We grew up always hunting…but only deer in Iowa. Always dreamt of an elk hunt. Went on one to Colorado years back. Dad couldn’t make it very far and basically stayed at the base of the mountain the whole trip. Never seen an elk. Since then we haven't been back. Went on one moose trip that was tough for him. Time isn’t slowing down and the window of opportunity gets less and less every year. Time to quit delaying, making any sort of excuse, lay out the hunt for him and all he has to say is yes or no. Past that I can’t force him to go. I know it is something he has always dreamt of, there just seems to be some hesitation for some reason.
 
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When you don't feel confident in your body to get the job done, it's a tough thing to get over. Keep encouraging your father, and if it comes to be, that's going to be memories forever. If it doesn't come to be, remember all the good times you've had in the field.
 
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