Elk hunting options by state

[Andrewlonghi]

Do what everybody else has suggested, but scrub Idaho off the list. There’s no elk here anymore - the woofes ate them all.

Lol...long time before I would be able to pull a idaho tag....I think

 

[BackofBeyond]

Lol...long time before I would be able to pull a idaho tag....I think

Well, hate to let this secret out, but we don’t have points. You’ve got the exact same chance as everybody else putting in for a controlled hunt tag. We also still have NR “OTC” tags that go on sale every December,!which is an absolute shit show every year.

But there’s no elk here, and the MD got hammered last winter, so there’s only 3 or 4 of them left.

 

[cgasner1]

Look at cow tags in various states.

Nobody’s watching that YouTube episode

 

[Thehillbilly]

I’ve decided to get my feet wet going after cows til I can get lucky or accumulate points somewhere. Last time I checked they’re still just as much elk as the bulls are. Plus tags can be cheaper.

 

[Sheltowee]

Nobody’s watching that YouTube episode

Kind of want to do a year of hunting nothing but cows/does.

 

[fmnjr]

ID - online first come first serve. Buy one the day it opens. You may waste an entire day online navigating a janky system.

NM - Random

AZ - Very small chance to draw w/o points

UT - General elk and spike hunts. You’ll have to research details.

CO - There are units you can draw with 1 PP

WY - There are units you can draw with 0-2 PP.

MT - A percentage of general tags are set aside to draw with zero PP.

NV - Very tiny odds with no points.

WA - General tag, but really CO OTC is a better option.

OR - You can get an archery coastal tag if you’re up for a major challenge.

AK - Random draw, but logistics are difficult and expensive.

Without knowing if it’s archery or rifle, or if you want to gamble on a quality hunt vs guarantee opportunity, and how much time you have to hunt, it’s hard to know what to recommend. Here is one possible plan that balances quality and opportunity:

Dec - try to get the ID tag you want. If you get a high queue # or the site freezes or boots you out you have to decide if you want a less-desirable tag or pass.

Jan - If you didn’t get an ID tag, put in for WY tag random pool.

Mar - Put in for NM random pool. They’re non-refundable so you have to decide if you’re OK drawing a WY tag as well, which is also non-refundable.

Apr - Put in for MT general IF you’re bowhunting. You find out shortly if you drew. NM draw results out.

May - WY results out. If you drew WY and/or NM you can return the MT tag if you wish.

If all else fails, CO OTC.

Also, there are return lists for many states. Often it doesn’t cost you anything to get on it, but requires you to be flexible and possibly plan a trip in a short time period.

Lastly, all above is bulll/either sex options. There are cow hunt options that are easier to get than bull options in ID, UT, MT, CO, & WY

Thanks!

 

[Westelker - W. Colorado]

Regarding CO only! There are numerous units that, as a NR, you could draw for cow or either sex... mostly for the later rifle seasons in the NW and central west part of the state. Lots of units for the 2022 draw were zero NR points and quite a few were one point. I personally think your best bet is to split your applications between a cow hunt and a bull hunt for same season and unit. Most units with just one or two points your chance for pulling a bull tag is slim. But drawing a cow tag would be a good bet. And, as mentioned, the OTC bull tag is or should be available. If you want meat, then a CO cow application is what you should do in my opinion.

 

[Trickyricky]

ID - online first come first serve. Buy one the day it opens. You may waste an entire day online navigating a janky system.

NM - Random

AZ - Very small chance to draw w/o points

UT - General elk and spike hunts. You’ll have to research details.

CO - There are units you can draw with 1 PP

WY - There are units you can draw with 0-2 PP.

MT - A percentage of general tags are set aside to draw with zero PP.

NV - Very tiny odds with no points.

WA - General tag, but really CO OTC is a better option.

OR - You can get an archery coastal tag if you’re up for a major challenge.

AK - Random draw, but logistics are difficult and expensive.

Without knowing if it’s archery or rifle, or if you want to gamble on a quality hunt vs guarantee opportunity, and how much time you have to hunt, it’s hard to know what to recommend. Here is one possible plan that balances quality and opportunity:

Dec - try to get the ID tag you want. If you get a high queue # or the site freezes or boots you out you have to decide if you want a less-desirable tag or pass.

Jan - If you didn’t get an ID tag, put in for WY tag random pool.

Mar - Put in for NM random pool. They’re non-refundable so you have to decide if you’re OK drawing a WY tag as well, which is also non-refundable.

Apr - Put in for MT general IF you’re bowhunting. You find out shortly if you drew. NM draw results out.

May - WY results out. If you drew WY and/or NM you can return the MT tag if you wish.

If all else fails, CO OTC.

Also, there are return lists for many states. Often it doesn’t cost you anything to get on it, but requires you to be flexible and possibly plan a trip in a short time period.

Lastly, all above is bulll/either sex options. There are cow hunt options that are easier to get than bull options in ID, UT, MT, CO, & WY

Thank you. This is a well thought out plan for us who do not know the ropes.