Plains or Grassland Elk

[shannerdrake]

Hello Everyone, I hope 2019 is treating everyone well and everyone had a great season.

I wanted to reach out to the community and get some input/thoughts. For many reasons, I dream of hunting elk in a plains or grassland setting. I think I owe a lot of that to reading works like American Serengeti by Dan Flores and even some of Steven Rinella's work. I also am drawn to the high plains for reasons I cannot explain. I have been up mountains, down rivers, in the swamps, and on many beaches and I still prefer the plains.

I have had the joy of hunting deer in that setting and will hunt antelope very soon. However, I really dream of hunting elk in their native setting. The first time I saw elk on the plains was driving across eastern Colorado and it has stuck with me ever since.

I understand through research that eastern Colorado plains elk hunting is very difficult to do DIY and almost requires a guide or at least paying for access. Obviously, please correct me if I am wrong. I am currently accruing Colorado points.

I also understand that central Wyoming offers opportunities for a plains-like hunt. I know a lot of the places I am looking at take 8 or more points to draw. I am already accruing Wyoming elk points and I am prepared to wait for the opportunity.

A couple other places I am aware of are some of the New Mexico grasslands and parts of Region 7 Montana.

Are there any other places I am unaware of that I should be looking at? As mentioned, I am more than happy to play the long game and accrue points or wait to draw. Thanks in advance!

 

[bobbydean]

My wife driving back from Denver saw a huge herd of elk in grasslands of New Mexico east of Las Vegas and south of Cimmaron. It was during hunting season. I just chuckled at all the hunters in the mountains, while elk were on the plains. Not weather related, as it was in the 60's.

 

[JDH]

Someone who is more familiar will be able to answer this but what about NW Nebraska. Are there huntable elk in the grasslands there? I've seen elk in the Fort Niobrara NWR.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Someone who is more familiar will be able to answer this but what about NW Nebraska. Are there huntable elk in the grasslands there? I've seen elk in the Fort Niobrara NWR.

Only for Residents or NR via landowner tags.

To the OP, if you want to go for a unit that is known for that kinda hunt you are either going to be waiting for a long time or buying your way onto private. That being said there are units where elk can sometimes be found on the plans, and some OTC areas that have super low success rates... just kinda depends on the experience you want.

 

[Bigjay73]

The Colorado plains elk tag is what you buy if you have a tag for another species in the plains. Your chances of seeing one DIY are 1 in 1000 maybe. Now if you pay for a guide or access in 128, it a couple of other units, you have a decent shot at a plains elk. 128 is a draw, but theres always leftovers

 

[jtm307]

I've run into elk while sharptail hunting in eastern WY (area 3), but that's nearly all private land.

 

[Coyotes-R-Us]

We have jumped elk out shooting prairie dogs in central Montana many time.

 

[406LIFE]

Kansas and Oklahoma both have elk, I've seen hunts with grasslands backdrops. Difficult to get tags though.

 

[1_pointer]

Not sure if this meets your definition, but I considered the southern part of WY to be grasslands (albeit shortgrass prairie). Could take a long time to draw a tag, but I thought the country was cool!

Wyoming Elk 2015 by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

Wyoming Elk 2015 by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

Wyoming Elk 2015 by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

 

[WildWill]

Kansas and Oklahoma both have elk, I've seen hunts with grasslands backdrops. Difficult to get tags though.

Oklahoma tags are very hard to get but it cost $5 dollars to apply regardless of residency oh and did I mention that the same $5 also let's you apply for deer,antelope, and Turkey. Pretty cheap lotto ticket and the ODWC has a bonus point system so your chances do get better and there is no non resident cap. I know it's ridiculous especially when compared to other limited opportunity states where many don't even offer NR tags. It would be less upsetting if I thought it was done out of greed, all game and fish departments have a touch of greed these days, but it's just pure stupidity and mismanagement. Oh man when did I get on top this soapbox tirade over.

 

[shannerdrake]

Thanks everyone! 1_pointer - that is definitely on the right track!

 

[OKED]

In Oklahoma for a noresident to put in for special hunts u have to buy a 5 day nonresident hunting license, I think 65 dollars. The residents and nonresident have the same chance to draw, depends on how many points u have . They started with points in 95 and I have 24 points and haven't drawn yet . About 9000 people put in for about 110 bull tags so the odds aren't good.

 

[WildWill]

In Oklahoma for a noresident to put in for special hunts u have to buy a 5 day nonresident hunting license, I think 65 dollars. The residents and nonresident have the same chance to draw, depends on how many points u have . They started with points in 95 and I have 24 points and haven't drawn yet . About 9000 people put in for about 110 bull tags so the odds aren't good.

You're correct i forgot that you have to have a valid hunting license to apply for the controlled hunts. Sense Oklahoma has a bonus point system you do always have a chance to draw regardless of points but agreed the bull tags have long odds. Cow tags are a different story I believe the late hunt had around 1 in 9 odds before factoring in points. I have 8 or 9 points going into this year and will put the 1st cow hunt as my 3rd choice. I did the same for antelope in 2017 and drew a doe tag the first year applying. Have you ever considered putting in for a cow hunt? With 24 points it would be as close to a sure thing as you could get although with those points you're getting into pretty good odds for a bull tag.

 

[glass eye]

Then there are Tule elk, only native to CA. Slim chances drawing a tag but if you got the money you can buy a private land management tag.

 

[375H&H]

There are general units in Wyoming that offer plains elk to hunt. Can be tough, but it is doable and can be done more often than every 8 years.

 

[3855WIN]

I killed a bull several years back in Wyoming at 4,000’. This was on private land. Numbers were low but bulls were big.