Early 2023 Plans

[DKenn757]

This is my first post on the site other than a comment on an older thread so I will introduce myself first.

I grew up a whitetail hunter in Alabama and joined the Navy at 18. I am still active duty and currently deployed with a little over 25 years of service. I spent 15 years of my career on the West Coast were I got my first taste of Western Hunting. I have been on one elk hunt in Southern Colorado with a group of friends and it was not enjoyable. Too much of a must kill attitude without enjoying the hunt and learning on the hunt.
I am now headed to shore duty for the next 3 years and will be headed back West this year. I currently live in Virginia. Now, on to the post.

For 2023 I have been researching on gohunt and various fish and wildlife sites to decide where I want to chase elk. I was leaning heavy toward Colorado as I have enough points there to draw an archery tag in one of the Northwest units. My mind shifted to Wyoming after listening and reading numerous podcast and youtube videos about the 90/10 rule until I realized it did not include deer and elk, at least for 2023. In the planning process, my cousin has shown an interest in chasing elk as we grew up hunting together. Knowing that he has a good chance to draw a Big Game Combo with 0 points in Montana, we have decided to throw our names in the hat for Montana in 2023. In the next few months I will scour over locations using google earth and other map apps.
I do have 5 points to burn in Iowa and Kansas for whitetail, but I have not decided on whether I will burn those points this year or next.

I look forward to interacting with everyone here and learning the way of the Wapiti.

Dee

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum DKenn. We don't get a many active servicemen here. It is good to have you onboard. I joined the navy at age 17. At age 20 I met this beautiful young lady, and within months we started making plans to get married. That ultimately led me to civilian life and going to college.

The 90/10 rule is very true, but there are ways to beat the odds. As a new elk hunter, I would say you should think along the line of the rule being 98/2. You do not know your hunt area in hunting season or what the elk are doing. Let's see if we can get you some help here to put the odds a little more in your favor.

I would hunt with an experienced successful elk hunter. That may be a guide, or a friend. You can also go with one of Indian Summer's hunt plans. He has them for Montana. I.S's plans are a good investment, especially if you plan to hunt elk on your own for several seasons.
Be very patient and persistent. The vast majority of new elk hunters move to fast and too often. They feel they are on the right track if they see elk. Seeing elk is a far cry from eating elk.

If your main purpose if buying an elk tag is to get an elk, at least consider going with a tree stand and get the tree stand book. It was written to educate new elk hunters so they can fill their tag.
I go to new areas and get elk on a frequent basis. I have a slight advantage with about 55 years of elk hunting experience including 30 years in a tree. The important things I have learned are all in the book.

I hope others will contribute here. Best wishes.

[saddlesore]

Welcome.I am a Colorado resident.I have hunted CO for over 45 years

Wise decision to got to WyY or MT. Colorado has become overly crowded no matter what you hunt with. Even archery hunters are complaining about no elk and too many hunters. That led CPW to switch a few units from OTC to draw units.

By the time you for a qualifying license, Habitat Stamp, application few and then the actual cost of the tag, it is the the $800 range. IMO,that is a little to steep for what will amount to hiking around the mountains with a bow or rifle in your hand and finding no elk.
I believe archery success rate is down around 5-6 % now although CPW quotes it as higher.

[DKenn757]

Swede and Saddlesore thank you both for the warm welcome and great advice. I plan to learn all I can. I have sent an email to Indian Summer regarding his packages that you mentioned.

Where can I find the treestand book? I am very comfortable in a climber, hang-on, and for the last two years a saddle, so I am very interested in learning that aspect of elk hunting.

Thanks again for the welcome.

[Swede]

Click on "TS Hunting RM elk" at the top of this page or go to Amazon books and type in "Tree Stand Hunting Rocky Mountain Elk". The Amazon book is a paperback updated version of the 2011 book. The older book is spiral bound for more outdoor use. They both have what a tree stand hunter needs, but I did a little more with the calling part, as it applied to tree stand hunting, in the updated version.
The problem I have heard with the 1st book was people calling from their stand. I think I said, I rarely call from my tree. For some people that was a green light to call several times a day from there. It is a huge mistake. I make a cow call or two after I shoot an elk. That is to calm the elk that was just shot so it does not run farther. It sometimes works and makes finding it simpler. Other than that, I go for years without calling from my stand.
In the new book I share where and when to call. I did not mean it was a good idea to call from your stand as some do. An elk knows precisely where you called from and will hang up out of range if they can see there is not elk there. Another thing I have shared here and in the new book is that it sometimes takes an elk two hours to come to where you call from. Sitting in my stand I have observed that numerous times. Only a tree stand hunter waits over two hours for an elk.

[Elkhunttoo]

Welcome to the forum! You have came to the right place! Thanks for your service and hope you have a great elk hunt this year

[Indian Summer]

Welcome aboard…. Again. And thanks for your years of service.

I don’t recall getting an email from you. If I did I replied. If you didn’t get a reply it was not received.

Headingwestelk@gmail.com

[Wyo67]

Welcome Dee -

You didn't mention Wyoming preference points. If you haven't already, I'd get started in collecting them as the number of points to draw a General license has gone up like gas prices. Will be interesting to see what happens with the proposed changes, but I suspect it will take at least 4 points to draw a General tag in this years in the regular draw. There's always a random chance though.

If you have any Wyoming questions, this former submariner Chief (1985-2006) can help.

Mike

[DKenn757]

Indian Summer, looks like I sent the email to an older address joe@headingwest.net. I will resend my profile over to the new address.

Thank you for the warm welcome.

Welcome aboard…. Again. And thanks for your years of service.

I don’t recall getting an email from you. If I did I replied. If you didn’t get a reply it was not received.

Headingwestelk@gmail.com

[DKenn757]

Mike, thank you for the welcome. I do have 3 points in Wyoming and figured I would have a decent chance to draw this year. Adding my cousin in to the mix, he has 0 points so I figured Montana would be the best bet.

Welcome Dee -

You didn't mention Wyoming preference points. If you haven't already, I'd get started in collecting them as the number of points to draw a General license has gone up like gas prices. Will be interesting to see what happens with the proposed changes, but I suspect it will take at least 4 points to draw a General tag in this years in the regular draw. There's always a random chance though.

If you have any Wyoming questions, this former submariner Chief (1985-2006) can help.

Mike

[>>>---WW---->]

DKenn: Another big thankyou for your service and (wELKome) to the wapiti talk forum. I live in northwest Colorado and have hunted it for 40+ years. Too old and bummed up to do it anymore. But if I could, I'd be willing to take a fellow veteran out hunting .

You mentioned you have enough points to draw in in one of the northwest units. That could be anywhere from 2 to over 20 . Regardless of where you decide to hunt this fall, I would encourage you to continue to apply for a preference point if you intent to hunt Colorado in the future. Especially if you are looking at one of the northwess trophy units.

[Lefty]

Welcome. Welcome.

ideas of an elk hunt plan all vary. As elk tags for residents and nonresidents are getting harder and harder to get in some areas.

It certainly can be addicting. Even if you don't draw, maybe there is someone or a group who will invite you to camp.

[MidwestHunter]

DKenn,

I was a new elk hunter in 2015. I didn't want to hire a guide as I would rather go out there on 3 hunts and have all the gear than just one hunt. We would also learn how to elk hunt by experience rather than roll the dice on whether the guide knew anything. I am not knocking guide services, but I believe the learning experience is what I enjoy the most. Just seeing elk and being out there was a win for us.

We hunted in Dillon, MT, General tag (over the counter during those years). Tough hunt, but had 2 spikes run up to us opening day of rifle. They both would have been harvested if spikes were legal, as that would have made for a very successful hunt in our opinions. I saw another nice bull for about 10 seconds, but my trigger pull was cut short by someone else pulling the trigger and the bull running off. To us that was a success.

We were able to do an archery hunt, again general tag the next year. I was able to see about 90 head of elk, sneak to bow range of 5-6 nice bulls, and had one shot I wish I had back. Bugled a bull in and he came on a string. Slung an arrow at 40 yards, and the edge of the back shaft hit the edge of bark and deflected. Happily was a clean miss, but sadly was a golden opportunity that haunts me. Ate tag soup again.

2021 my dad and I both drew elk b tags. I was able to get one on day 2 (based on knowing the terrain from the archery hunt). Next time out, we got to within 15 yards of another cow, but my dad wasn't able to see through the willows for a clear shot. The elk disappeared the next 5 days, so we moved. After walking, we went to a wilderness area and found sign everywhere. We were about a week late, but found some stragglers. We were able to get close to a couple more elk before heading home.

Montana is a good choice, even on a general tag, but I don't have any other states to compare it to. Colorado seems too crowded from what I have heard in talking with other hunters I have encountered on our trips. Wyoming seems to be harder to draw tags, but I could be mistaken. Wherever you go, best advice I could give from my only few years is if you don't find elk or fresh elk sign, keep moving until you do. Enjoy the hunt.

[saddlesore]

Elk move in big circles always looking for better forage. If there are no elk where you hunt one day, they may be there the next or two weeks from then. Finding fresh sign means the elk were there they may not be there tomorrow, or in two weeks.Elk don't read the rules. If a hunter is constantly moving, the elk sure enough are.The chances of both being in the same location is slim,and Slim already saddled up and left. I have killed elk in areas that had no tracks or beds.Trust your instincts.

[MidwestHunter]

DKenn,

I have been doing research on Wyoming. I have came to the conclusions that general units take 3-4 preference points. I am starting to apply this year, and will try drawing a reduced cow tag to learn those areas before drawing the General or other permit if i go that route. This is assuming I don't draw a Montana tag. Looks like there may be leftovers for cow tags that are usable which would be a last ditch effort before thinking about Colorado OTC.

[Indian Summer]

DKenn,

I have been doing research on Wyoming. I have came to the conclusions that general units take 3-4 preference points. I am starting to apply this year, and will try drawing a reduced cow tag to learn those areas before drawing the General or other permit if i go that route. This is assuming I don't draw a Montana tag. Looks like there may be leftovers for cow tags that are usable which would be a last ditch effort before thinking about Colorado OTC.

3 definitely won’t draw a general license. It barely did last year with 45% odds. In the 2023 special drawing my guess is it’s going to take a few decimal points over 4. Such as 4.25 or 4.333. Even 4.1 will be a better bet than 4. I don’t think 4 even will guarantee a license this year.

In the regular drawing you’ll need 5 points this year.

We need more threads about how hard elk hunting is and about how expensive and low success elk hunting is. Lol The internet killed drawing odds!

[MidwestHunter]

DKenn,

I have been doing research on Wyoming. I have came to the conclusions that general units take 3-4 preference points. I am starting to apply this year, and will try drawing a reduced cow tag to learn those areas before drawing the General or other permit if i go that route. This is assuming I don't draw a Montana tag. Looks like there may be leftovers for cow tags that are usable which would be a last ditch effort before thinking about Colorado OTC.

3 definitely won’t draw a general license. It barely did last year with 45% odds. In the 2023 special drawing my guess is it’s going to take a few decimal points over 4. Such as 4.25 or 4.333. Even 4.1 will be a better bet than 4. I don’t think 4 even will guarantee a license this year.

In the regular drawing you’ll need 5 points this year.

We need more threads about how hard elk hunting is and about how expensive and low success elk hunting is. Lol The internet killed drawing odds!

It is all of what you mentioned (difficult, expensive, and low success) starting out. Hopefully less so once you get some years under my belt.

Have you been drawn for the Pennsylvania elk hunt yet?