Elk, deer, both?

[Tiredofthebickering]

Tapping into the collective wisdom of HT here.

As I'm going through my research for this year, and remembering my couple of past western hunts, I've stumbled upon a conundrum: do I chase elk exclusively, deer exclusively, or try and split my time looking for one of each? So far I've held a tag for both species but haven't filled any lol.

Based on what I'm seeing, it some states the deer/elk seasons are not necessarily concurrent (looking at you WY). Plus, even if they are, having only one week out west seems like too little time to regularly be successful filling both tags. Do you guys typically focus on one species or the other for your hunts? Do you take separate trips to focus on multiple species? Is it a waste of time (and maybe money) getting a tag for a second species and hoping to luck out? What say you HT?

 

[Huntkook]

If you only have one week I would concentrate on one species. I think you'd be hard pressed to be successful on both with limited time. Not saying it can't be done. Without any scouting time you're going to need some luck.

 

[2rocky]

Usually a unit or part of a unit is going to be better elk country or deer country. Both in size and numbers. One is going to be easier to draw consistently than the other. (Usually the less trophy potential species). So you hunt the easy draw species to get to know the unit for when you draw the hard to hunt species.

On OTC units where you are a resident hunting 2 species concurrently is more doable at less of a cost. Usually a deer stalk happens during the evening elk hunt. I'd rather pack a deer at dark than an elk anyway.

 

[Oak]

Don't risk ruining a good deer hunt by shooting an elk.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Just concentrate on one.

 

[Clam]

Especially since you are limited to one week, focus on the Hunt with the highest probability of success for what you want to achieve.

If you aren't picky and want to fill the freezer, get the best variety of tags you can, to increase your odds of success for the area you will hunt. . If you are looking for a trophy, needless to say, probably better to focus on trophy hunting- one species. Whatever you like to do!

I don’t blink an eye at the cost of NR tags, I am grateful to have the opportunity to hunt such beautiful places.

 

[LuketheDog]

Don't risk ruining a good deer hunt by shooting an elk.

I drew my 1st choice deer tag and my 2nd choice elk tag for the same unit and season...I'm afraid it's not going to end well...

 

[Oak]

I drew my 1st choice deer tag and my 2nd choice elk tag for the same unit and season...I'm afraid it's not going to end well...

Luckily you can return the elk tag.

 

[LuketheDog]

Luckily you can return the elk tag.

Nope, my brain says I'm gonna shoot both...duh

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

So what do you guys do when you draw that elk/deer combo with MT like I have? Are y'all going on a couple trips? Taking a longer trip?

 

[jmveverka]

I hunt so infrequently out west that I want as many tags in my pocket as I can afford to have with me. That way if I see an animal I can probably shoot it. What you need to do though is go in with a mind set that you are on an elk hunt with the possibility of shooting deer, or a deer hunt with the possibility of shooting an elk. Set your expectations so that you will be fine with just hunting one animal and its bonus if the other shows. On a week long hunt, if your primary focus is elk, keep hunting elk until you get one, or get too frustrated with not seeing elk sign that you switch to deer.

 

[2rocky]

So what do you guys do when you draw that elk/deer combo with MT like I have? Are y'all going on a couple trips? Taking a longer trip?

Make the trip 5 days per species. Nice thing about the same unit is you don't have much additional travel time other than maybe move across the unit.
Many years I had a deer tag in Wyoming while my dad had an elk tag and we hunted together. Elk cover more ground and were our priority.

If you are hunting the elk rut, then mornings are spent chasing bugles. If you don't have a hot bull in your lap and spot a buck in a stalkable position then the Deer is a target of opportunity. The one year we both had Elk tags dad ran into a nice nontypical buck riding from one glassing point to another. Nobody had a tag.

The year I had deer and antelope the two were 80 miles apart. Started out bowhunting the deer for 3 days till a snowstorm forced me down to antelope country. After the three of us killed antelope, we went back up for deer and killed my buck the second morning with the rifle.

 

[Pucky Freak]

See 15:40

During the stare down I’m thinking, did you not get the combo tag?!

For me, I prefer to focus my mind 100% on one species/tag, and I am consistently more successful when I do that. I also like to have one or more tags in my pocket in case on stumble on another animal “just in case.” In practice my cutoff for that type of tag is $100 (e.g. CO bear, doe, resident tags), and I wouldn’t spring for a $300-$500 buck tag because I’d rather use that kind of money elsewhere due to limited budget.

 

[3855WIN]

Joined some friends on an archery elk hunt in Colorado years ago. Friend said, “don’t burn your deer points. We can get landowner tags from the rancher at a good price”. BUT....landowner didn’t get tags that year. Of course, I walked up on a P&Y buck who had no idea I was in the world. It was an easy 20 yard shot. If I’d only had a tag. @!?$;(

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Lots of variables to that questions. Folks definitely are able to take both in a trip... personally that sounds exhausting. If you shoot an elk day one you have to get it out and then deal with the meat for days in addition to hunting your muley tag or vice versa.

I've tried mule deer and pronghorn on one trip and felt like I didn't do well hunting either.

That being said when I hunt AK with a buddy whose a resident he typically gets tags for any species he can legal hunt in that unit + in AK you can tag down, we focus on one species but if the opportunity presents itself... our main reasoning there is he's new to hunting and I don't know what the heck I'm doing hunting caribou and moose so we need any luck we can get. I don't think it's ridiculous for someone to get a deer and an elk tag if this ^ shotgun approach is what your going for.

 

[Clam]

My limitation is my huntin grounds. The land I am familiar with has whitetail. I can only hunt a week, so I hunt whitetail.

I need more time off or to get retired so I can expand my horizons a bit.

 

[Phaseolus]

I’ve drawn both a cow tag and a buck tag for 2nd season, here is how I view it. I am primarily hunting for meat, it is a B tag so I will also hunt another elk OTC. If I see a really good buck I will shoot it, if not, I’m meat hunting. If I get a cow down early then I will be deer hunting but I will only shoot one if it is a great buck. I don’t like to eat deer so much and I want that little or middling buck to grow up.

 

[WyoDoug]

I hunt elk with an eye open for bear and mountain lion.

I hunt deer separate and exclusively but if I see a wabbit, I am poppin it unless I am seein a deer.

I also hunt antelope separately.

Deer and antelope both on the tags I got, both can start archery August 15 and pretty much ends December 31 depending on the tag itself.

 

[buck137]

I live in Montana and I'm primarily an elk hunter who will have a deer and bear tag in my pack, so if by chance I see one of the two other than elk, and I want to go after them, I can, and to be truthful, neither the bear or deer are high on my list to chase, it's more of a happenstance if I come across them and chase them.