Elk hunting For Non resident

[pimes]

Hallo all together ...

I'm looking to do an elkhunt (bullelk 360+) in the next 2-3 years anywhere in USA (preferential New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado or Montana).
As an Europian hunter (Austria) for me it's not easy to find a way trough the "drawing-system" ...
The easiest way for me would be to look for a hunt, based on a "privat landowner tag" - so my question to you:
Can anybody gives me a good adress of a farm or recomand me an outfitter which offers such hunts?
Thanks a lot - BR

 

[Tgood1]

You may want to contact atcheson and sons hunting consultants in Montana.

 

[jpomazi]

Wow! 360" plus. I'll just keep my opinions to myself about the whole needing something to score a certain number of inches debate. Would you be okay hunting a fenced ranch? In my mind they are the only ones that can "guarantee" a bull of that quality. Any free range outfitter that will guarantee a bull in that category is someone I would definitely stay away from. Obviously there are outfitters who have the potential of shooting something that big but they would never guarantee such an animal. It would also cost in the range of $10,000 and up to hunt with one of these outfitters. A fenced hunt will be similar but I would say maybe slightly cheaper. I don't think I'm supposed to mention other websites on this forum so I would just say google, fenced elk hunts and you will come up with a number of options. If your heart is set on free range I would probably narrow my focus to outfitters that have private land or access to such as they have a pretty good idea of what they have to offer. Good luck on your research and a happy hunt!

 

[krish]

Try Ranching for wildlife in Colorado. It is a conservation program. No guarentee for 360+.
But Big Elks are taken fro there. It is north west of colorado. I assume it is migrating elks.
They have land owners Tag. No drawing. To draw for that area it takes many many years if at all in a life time.

 

[BourbonTrail]

From my knowledge: the size expectation for a single hunt...definitely sounds like a game ranch hunt. 350+ is usually a multi-season affair in public land or low fence private ranch.
There are multiple states with “over the counter” tags (no draw) but those are in low concentration areas typically.

New Mexico has big horns, so you could try Sierra Blanca Outfitters (they have the option of land owner tags). I haven’t hunted with them, but they target 350+ class with multiple guides/scouts to increase the odds.

 

[BnC 04]

My .02 worth of advice would be that IF you have your heart set on a 360" bull and have lots of time and open pocket book then there are areas/states that you could absolutely connect on such bull. If you have a more fixed timeframe ie 5 days and more limited budget, then a high fence operation would lend itself towards your goal.
The hunts (not high fenced) that held good numbers of 350+ bulls 20 years ago are now more inline with 320-330" but cost of these hunts have actually increased as with everything.
Best of luck on the hunt planning!

 

[Bhfs300]

If you want it to be a DIY hunt you wouldn’t have any sure thing on 360+ but the west side of Colorado is mostly over the counter tags are you looking at bow or rifle? The draw ranch tags in colorado are not land tags that a land owner can let you hunt on his land they are a draw tag so a person can hunt DIY on private land I have seven years/points on one of the ranches and haven’t drawn yet.
With that you could find a hunting guide in the west of the state that you would be guaranteed a hunt this or next year and it would be on private land but the hunt would include charges for that.

 

[JimP]

If you have the dollars to do it look into Colorado's Ranching For Wildlife or Utah's CWMU hunts. These are hunts on private ranches that also allow residents of the states to hunt through the states draw system. Neither are high fence and the animals are free to roam wherever they like.

Both will be fully guided and the expitadations of a 360 bull should be good with either one. However I doubt that you will find one to guarantee a 360 bull.

 

[Brianc74]

Canada Game Ranch.
Just putting it out there.

 

[DieJager]

Good question, not to hijack the thread what is the cost of an average free range elk Hunt for a foreigner in the the States.

 

[Firebird]

Check in with “wild country outfitters”. They have landowner tags for sale on some excellent private property-Deseret ranch for example. Also check ensign ranch for landowner tags that might be available. Finding private property that sells landowner tags is the way to do it, but it is expensive-

 

[Mike Van Horn]

Your best chance on a 360+ bull will be the Hill ranch southern Colorado or the Apache reservation In Arizona.

 

[gizmo]

I can absolutely guarantee an opportunity at a 360 or better bull here in Texas. It is an estate hunt but you will have a wonderful hunt and experience. Here in the states there is nowhere that can guarantee 360 bull outside of estate hunting. Even Arizona which has areas that are legendary for big elk they can not guarantee a 360 bull and it would take near a lifetime of preference points to get a tag.
You have 2 options
1. Do an estate hunt here in Texas and you can be guaranteed the opportunity at a 360 or even bigger bull.
2. Lower your expectations of size and book with a reputable elk outfitter. You probably won’t get a bull near that size or even may not get an elk but it will be what is considered a traditional mountain elk hunt. They are fun but you have to be realistic in your expectations on those hunts. If you killed a 320-330 bull then you did really really well. Likely you’ll take something smaller than that by quite a bit depending on how picky you are.

 

[gizmo]

Your best chance on a 360+ bull will be the Hill ranch southern Colorado or the Apache reservation In Arizona.

Agree with the Hill ranch but even there you won’t have a guarantee at a bull that size. I did work on the Hill ranch for a few years (not for Bobby Hill but on the ranch when I was in the oil and gas industry). I know that ranch very very well. They have amazing elk and some that will go over the 360 mark however, the waiting list is long. I also have a client that has hunted the Hill ranch several times and is extremely picky about what he shoots. He has taken a lot of bulls there and only 2 broke 350. I mounted the first one and the 2nd is in my freezers waiting to be mounted.

 

[Brent in Az]

An Arizona public land hunt will require many years of accumulating bonus points as a non-resident. The Apache and San Carlos tribal land hunts have big bulls, but it is costly, and there is normally a waiting list.

Montana has outfitter sponsored tags thru the draw process. Success on a 360 bull would normally require hunting Private ranches known for producing big bulls, or backcountry hunting with a lot of luck involved in finding one. Outfitted ranch hunts near Gardiner, MT when the Elk are migrating out of Yellowstone park can net some good bulls.

Lowering the bar below a 360 class bull will open up much more opportunity.

 

[gizmo]

The reality is that a 360 class bull is enormous. 99.9% of all elk hunters will never even see a bull that size, outside of estate hunting, let alone have a shot opportunity at one. People really don’t realize exactly how big a bull that size is until they actually see one in person.

 

[Brent in Az]

If you are wealthy, you can bid on the Arizona Governors Elk Permit. It allows you to hunt for 12 months, with any legal weapon, in most hunt units. A good outfitter could help you get a 390" - 400" Bull.
I believeLast years high bidder was $225,000.00 USD

 

[375Fox]

Another option for a nearly guaranteed huge bull is to buy the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Pennsylvania auction tag. There was one year it went for $85,000. I think PA’s current record still sits at 442.

New State Record Nontypical Elk in Pennsylvania

Get the inside story on how Bill Zee killed the pending Pennsylvania state record elk.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[375Fox]

Hallo all together ...

I'm looking to do an elkhunt (bullelk 360+) in the next 2-3 years anywhere in USA (preferential New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado or Montana).
As an Europian hunter (Austria) for me it's not easy to find a way trough the "drawing-system" ...
The easiest way for me would be to look for a hunt, based on a "privat landowner tag" - so my question to you:
Can anybody gives me a good adress of a farm or recomand me an outfitter which offers such hunts?
Thanks a lot - BR

A serious question, how did you come up with 360+? Many areas fully mature bulls will never reach that number. Many experienced elk hunters here could advise you towards a more reasonable number on a trophy wild bull. I’ve never had opportunity to hunt bull elk.

 

[JimP]

There are a few units here in Colorado that have quite a few 350 inch bulls but it will take a non resident 20 years + to draw the tag. They all have lots of public land. But you can get a landowner tag in them usually through a outfitter