The Current state of Elk Hunting

[trophyhill]

Not to be blunt to the OP but it sounds like if you lowered your "standards" a little you could be hunting elk his year if you wanted to. Personally there is no way I would wait 18 years for a tag and still be putting in for units that give me less than a 2% chance of drawing. I do agree that Elk hunting has gotten very popular in the last couple years and the prices that some people are willing to pay are ridiculous(in my opinion). But if a guy is willing to "settle" for a lesser tag, I think he can have a fun hunt every year in at least one state and harvest a bull every year. It's also nice that as an Idaho resident I can go buy a tag for cheap every year and the only thing limiting me is myself and the amount of time I have to chase the elk.

Trust me........he will be hunting somewhere

 

[SoDaky]

Can always hunt but overall a sad dam deal.

 

[lyingflatlander]

Awesome thread Beendare, I’ve thought about this a lot. It’s multifactored, but fatlander nails it. It’s a lot cheaper for us midwesterners to buy an elk tag then it is to buy or lease land. Honestly it’s cheaper to go on a guided elk hunt every few years then to buy or lease land here. Technology is a big factor, ten years ago we used maps and a first generation gps. Now you can exclusively use your phone with less fear of getting lost. Expansive equipment evolution in the last decade has made everything easier, my first backpack was an expensive Kelty from 13 years ago that is completely obsolete now. The industry has brought us many lightweight innovations, from clothes, tents, ergonomic backpacks, bows. Couple that with the mystique that surround elk, conservation success in growing herds, with better awareness and access given to us from our friends at RMEF and elk hunting is now on our radar. Throw in all your favorite trendy youtube guys making it look like anyone can do it and suddenly every fat guy in Wisconsin is crawling out of his treestand and heading out west to kill an elk sporting a new BRO hat and t-shirt.

 

[mtmuley]

because Washington...

And North Dakota, Pennsylvania, California on and on etc. They all come and hammer a dink and feel like it was a hunt. Not gonna change soon. At least elk are tougher to hunt . mtmuley

 

[Newtosavage]

My take?

I'm reminded of the old time pro bass fisherman who are all now fishing for redfish.

Whitetails have been "America's #1 game animal" for the past 2 generations now. Time to "up the game" and do something bigger and badder, so to speak.

Plus, there is more information available about Western public lands and how to hunt them, than ever before. That, and more disposable income than ever before, has a lot of long-time whitetail hunters looking West for their next challenge.

I have chased whitetails since the 70's. It's not the "big deal" it used to be, to me at least. I longed to hunt the West for 30 years and was finally in a position financially to do it about 5 years ago, so I did.

Just like a bass fisherman who catches his first Redfish and is never the same after that, a whitetail hunter who spends time in elk country will never be content with just chasing whitetails after that. Elk hunting is the new "common man's" adventure now, for better or for worse.

Want proof? How commonplace have whitetail hunting shows become? So much so, that you almost never see rifle hunts anymore because frankly they are too easy. But how common are quality elk hunting shows? So whitetails have become almost mundane to the average guy. Elk still hold some mystique.

Just my .02

 

[MtnOyster]

Same thing happened to waterfowl hunting around here 19 years ago...…….....TV shows, YouTube and social media will ruin it.

 

[SummitsCalling]

Wait until the economy tanks. Backcountry hunting is the new hotness, everyone has a job, gas is cheap, and there is no tomorrow...

I think you nailed it on the head. Economy is doing very well, but add to that the new "hotness" of going out west. Once the economy starts tighnting up and people can't afford their $1k/month truck payments, tags will be a little easier to come by. Personally I can't wait, people will be hawking everything they bought during the boom like in 2008, good time to invest.

 

[Newtosavage]

Same thing happened to waterfowl hunting around here 19 years ago...…….....TV shows, YouTube and social media will ruin it.

Ruin it for a few, encourage thousands more to enjoy it.

Us hunters are so tough to please. We b*tch about declining influence because of declining numbers, and then we b*tch when numbers increase.

 

[techmanil]

I think another reason the whitetail hunters are going west is the available acreage. Back home they are stuck on the 20 to 100 acre plots, because all of the neighbors have the game warden's phone number on their cell phones waiting for them to step across the boundary (intentional or not). No this has not happened to me (actually the neighbor tried but he had tree stands on my property - oops).

 

[MtnOyster]

Ruin it for a few, encourage thousands more to enjoy it.

Us hunters are so tough to please. We b*tch about declining influence because of declining numbers, and then we b*tch when numbers increase.

who enjoys hunting something that's not there...…………….running into one person after the other

 

[5MilesBack]

But how common are quality elk hunting shows?

Not very common.

 

[ElkNut1]

Personally, I wouldn't change a thing at present, Elk hunting is supposed to be tough! Problem is some hunters are pure lazy & some have no clue how to elk hunt, couple those two together & you're on a camping hiking venture at best.

You will get out of it what you put into it. With the way of the world these days guys want maximum results with the least amount of effort put forth & they want it now.

You want to be a successful elk hunter year in & year out with OTC public land tags, learn to call, glass & be persistent with that 'failure is not an option attitude', It will carry you a long ways.

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Fridaythe13th]

Wait until the economy tanks. Backcountry hunting is the new hotness, everyone has a job, gas is cheap, and there is no tomorrow...

A good recession would help, but I really dont want one.

 

[cnelk]

To the OP question of 'Current state of elk hunting'

Due to the popularity of elk hunting, I think we are on the cusp of seeing OTC elk tags going away.
We are already seeing 'Bull Only' licenses, and split season for bulls and cows in some units

I foresee in the next 5-10 years, there will be big changes

 

[deerkiller]

And North Dakota, Pennsylvania, California on and on etc. They all come and hammer a dink and feel like it was a hunt. Not gonna change soon. At least elk are tougher to hunt . mtmuley

tell us what a "dink" is ….. THAT is one BIG reason why elk hunting has become so expensive, it's the "I want a 400 bull" crap just like with so many other factions of today's "society", it's all about the BIG stuff whether it's a bull elk, a salary, a college, houses, cars/trucks and so it goes on and on and on - In one form or another it's all about GREED
I've killed many bulls in my lifetime, no boone & crockett "trophies" BUT not one single elk, not even a spike would I call a "dink" OR a "raghorn" ….

 

[deerkiller]

To the OP question of 'Current state of elk hunting'

Due to the popularity of elk hunting, I think we are on the cusp of seeing OTC elk tags going away.
We are already seeing 'Bull Only' licenses, and split season for bulls and cows in some units

I foresee in the next 5-10 years, there will be big changes

"already seeing bull only and split seasons" ? we call these thing "herd management" - Yes, I see the "if it's brown it's down" crowd falling on harder times in LEGAL hunts

 

[cnelk]

No one said ‘herd management’ wasn’t part of the current state of elk hunting

 

[Beendare]

It’s good to take a break sometimes. I couldn’t hunt a couple years ago with shoulder surgery and couldn’t hunt a number of years due to deployments. Anyone whose been applying for 18 years and isn’t hunting has made that choice for themselves- especially Given that there are elk tags you can draw in Wyoming as a second choice for instance and unlimited tags in Colorado.

There’s plenty of elk hunting available still this year- it just might not be the rarified air you like breathing but if elk hunting is your priority (like it is for so many tens of thousands of people) you WOULD have at a least one tag in at least one state.

That’s the state of elk hunting today.

I share your positive attitude...and of course its true....plenty of elk hunting opportunities. I was speaking to the increased popularity of Elk hunting. There were many years back in the day we bowhunted OTC Colorado and didn't see another hunter. Its gotten a lot more popular.

I haven't missed an elk hunt in over 3 decades....I plan on being in the rockies in September every year for as long as I live.

I think elk is so popular due to the Youtube vids and social media....

..

 

[Beendare]

Have fun in CO Bruce!

I've arrowed a lot of bulls in Co....and the country is fantastic. ...I love that state.

Something about those Aspens turning in the fall....

...

 

[juan trueno]

I’m 41- gew up in the south east- flyfishing and hunting. Started taking seasonal summer jobs “out west” when I was 16 through family friends. Later the forest service. I Moved to Washington state when I was 19 because it had mountains right down to the edge of the water and had steelhead. I didn’t hunt elk until 22. Took 3 years of living and playing fulltime in “elk country” and having run ins “all the time” too get past the absolute indoctrination I had received from age 9 at the hands of David petzal, jim zumbo, etc etc etc. it took 3 years for me to figure out it wasn’t mandatory to save for a lifetime, hairs a guide, ride horses 20 miles etc etc etc. 3 years of total immersion to figure out I could just go- and I already had extensive prior knowledge of planning out of state fishing trips and public land use by 1996, using the blue pages in the phone book etc etc.

So I get what your saying. There’s a decent population 15 year old kids in Alabama and georgia now days who think the only thing standingbetween them and a dead 6point bull is high school. Then you’ve got of course the adult onset guys who can’t use a compass but are damn good on the smart phone- so yes. The world of elk hunting is like the rest of the world now “smaller” and more crowded even though access and elk are as available as ever in some form or fashion.

We will continue to see tag availabity go up and down over the long term I’m sure but I expect over the next 5 years to have to start scrapping a little harder to get tags. I hunt exclusively on otc, leftover, 0 point, 1 point and second choice tags. Not looking forward to paying to wait in line for tags for years. I’m not a trophy guy though. I figure out where I want to hunt and then figure out the most direct and shortest route to a tag that doesn’t involve payin a premium.