Not sure which.
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wtrfwlhunter
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One idea may be to look at cow elk hunts.
Bonasababy
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Are you applying for the PA elk lottery? Needle in a haystack I bet but looks like it doesn't cost much to apply.
If I understand correctly Montana has some OTC tags for non-residents. Maybe other states do too.
SAJ-99
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No OTC. Not deer or elk tags. Pretty sure CO is only state with OTC?
Forkyfinder
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You are exactly correct
Corn king 60
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New for 2026 and beyond. Everyone must purchase a regular hunting license to be able to apply. Non residents capped at 10% and residents or nonresident bull tags are OIL .
Good luck to everyone.
Nick87
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That changes a lot of things.
SAJ-99
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Check Idaho. They have an outfitter tag system that might be what you are looking for. I’m not sure where it stands in the 2026 draw process l given we have passed a couple of dates already.
Nick87
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If your gonna do a one time thing then I'd recommend going with the outfitter. New Mexico guides have tags you can buy. So does colorado for some hunts. Wyoming some outfitters can get you drawn as well with little to no points.
longtail55
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Not sure on Montana?
Colorado has many options. PLO (Private Land Only) tags are common and easy to draw through the normal draw Just would have to find an outfitter. They also have Ranching for Wildlife tags that are available directly through outfitters/landowners. again, you would need to find an outfitter.
Wyoming you would need to apply through the normal draw. As far as I know there are no available set aside only for outfitter tags.
New Mexico has many options. again, find an outfitter, do some research.
You can hunt out west every year. just have to dive in and start doing some research and I feel there is kind of 2 paths to take. Either the DIY public land hustle or if you have deeper pockets and less time go the private land outfitter guided.
I'm at the age where I don't want to wait around building points either.
Would suggest you hook up with a good booking agent like WTA or Atcheson and they can tell you what is available without going through a point draw system. These outfits will also help you get your licenses, etc.
There are still a few places where you can hunt big game without going through a draw & point system, and in some places bound to the draw & point system you can get around it using landowner tags. This will cost a little more money than figuring it out all on your own, but worth it in my opinion.
And use an outfitter rather than trying to do it yourself on a first hunt. You hear lots of horror stories, but every guided hunt I've been on where I went through a reputable booking agent was successful. We got our game and had good experiences.
Would suggest you hook up with a good booking agent like WTA or Atcheson and they can tell you what is available without going through a point draw system. These outfits will also help you get your licenses, etc.
There are still a few places where you can hunt big game without going through a draw & point system, and in some places bound to the draw & point system you can get around it using landowner tags. This will cost a little more money than figuring it out all on your own, but worth it in my opinion.
And use an outfitter rather than trying to do it yourself on a first hunt. You hear lots of horror stories, but every guided hunt I've been on where I went through a reputable booking agent was successful. We got our game and had good experiences.
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IDiot
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Be careful with this. I don't know about specific companies but I have run into people using services to get tags that got fooled.
Some companies take your money to get you a tag through a draw, leftover, or OTC and there will be no accessible game in that unit. There may be some elk that wander into the unit or off private once every three months. Locals can sometimes fill those tags because the season is long and they can drop everything to take advantage of those occasions. For people driving across the country to hunt for a week your chance of getting an animal is very low.
My advice is, if it sounds too good to be true (any elk tag, good amount of public, long season) you should be skeptical and do a little of your own research. There are areas of Wyoming and Idaho that come to my mind when I say this. But I'm sure there are places like this in every western state.
My Friend and normal archery elk partner here lives in PA. Granted, his job is flexible enough where he can spend a month out here in CO and still keep on top of work, which is not everyone's average situation. And while not a fun drive, it's doable. He is generally out 2X/year in the fall and once in the summer.
A driving and hunting partner would help you. If you've never hunted the mountains, especially for elk, Solo hunting presents it's own whole set of challenges, logistics, and other issues. There are a number of threads on here that address that. General advice - Fly to scout (as noted above, even a summer weekend driving around your unit is a HUGE advantage vs showing up blind), Drive to hunt.
Flying to an elk hunt is a logistical problem given the gear needed, dealing with a rental vehicle on bad roads/remote areas, and the possibility of needing to get hundreds of pounds of elk back. Sure, you can ship stuff both ways, but still a lot of planning and time lost from a variety of those things. I'd recommend driving at least the 1st time to get an idea of what it takes and pay attention to what you'd have to do differently if you flew. The camp gear you'll be able to bring alone will constrict your choices for lodging.
But, if you want to go, you can go this year or next without jumping into a point system, some good pieces of info on that above (and on the Fresh Tracks Youtube series as @Elktrack mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/@Fresh_Tracks )
Yeah don't bother. It will just be a waste of your time and $$ and the next thing you know you'll have a collection of 300 preference points just like someone here who I am not allowed to name.
Bullshot
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I was a little more encouraging in my first post of advice to you. But as things seem to be leading you down a realization that the time, effort, expense, driving, etc is not necessarily that appealing to you given your goals and alternatives, I am also in agreement with others encouraging you to just book a private land guided hunt, let them do the work. If you love it and want to do it again, then maybe worry about the different state processes. Just know you are competing with many people, including those on here, who will gladly spend thousands just on license and application fees each year (before even drawing a tag), drive solo thousands of miles, camp in uncomfortable setups, eat subsistence food for a week or two, and even fail to harvest on a regular basis. If all that's not in your DNA, then a one and done outfitted hunt truly is your best bet. And no shame in knowing that. Investing the time and mental energy at the full process starting at 55 if you are lukewarm to the rest of what that entails, is probably not going to make you happy, and might lead to real problems. I can assure you that the DIY cross country endeavor is not for those lacking a true desire to do that and a willingness to put up with a lot of crap and money spent just to get out west, see the mountains and smell the sage. Harvesting an animal is a true bonus for those types, but it is not for everyone.
Zim
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Especially at your age, I’d suggest only buying points in WY, CO & AZ and spend them in low tier 3/5 point units. Possibly ID and/or MT but I don’t apply to those so don’t know the values. You could add NM random if you like but be aware those are single digit odds across the board. Anywhere else would be poor investments.
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That is very helpful. Thank you!
I have a couple of times. It only costs $11 per tag to apply. The odds are very low with 140 tags and 50,000-75,000 applicants and their points.
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