Elk hunting in November

[treeroot]

I've been trying to figure out how to get the time off to go on a elk hunt before I retire. I think my only chance will be during a Thanksgiving break. Giving me 5-6 days of hunting. I know there are few states with otc tags, and fewer open that late in the season. The question is am I nuts? Do I have a honest chance that late in season?

[Rich M]

It all depends what you are hoping for/to do.

Hunt bulls up in the mountains - probably not as much.

Any elk down in the lower areas - high probability. The late season bull permits are tough to pull, cows move easily available.

Need to consider extreme weather too - possibility for significant snow & cold.

If you just want to shoot an elk, there are a lot of cheap 3-day late season cow hunts.

[stash59]

Plenty of states still have open gun seasons going until the end of November. Other than opening weekend. The end of November is often some of the best hunting for the gun seasons. You often get snow, and often enough of it to push the elk into lower elevations and or concentrate them in wintering areas. Even if the snow isn't deep enough to push the bulls down. If you keep searching you'll eventually find some bull tracks. Which you can follow or use to pinpoint where a bull is hanging out/hiding.

Finding bulls after the rut with no snow can often be worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. To conserve energy they don't like to move far. So they choose small pockets that provide security cover with plenty of food nearby. I'd say it's still a tough hunt compared to the archery season. Because just hearing bulls bugling makes it easier to keep pushing on. Where as trudging through snow, up and down steep terrain looking for tracks day after day can wear on you. But it is still doable. As long as you stay persistent and keep checking out new areas.

[treeroot]

It's been a dream to go for years so if you're saying there's a chance to get one I'm in. This isn't a trophy hunt, I'd rather have an either tag but I'll take what I can get. At minimum this is 2 years off for time to gear up and plan. I have a life long friend that will be joining me.

Any states you would recommend over others? Why?

[moondoondude]

It's been a dream to go for years so if you're saying there's a chance to get one I'm in. This isn't a trophy hunt, I'd rather have an either tag but I'll take what I can get. At minimum this is 2 years off for time to gear up and plan. I have a life long friend that will be joining me.

Any states you would recommend over others? Why?

I would suggest Arizona or New Mexico during this timeframe. Look into their draw systems and begin stashing a few points in Arizona and look at the seasons, by unit, in New Mexico.

[Bio1]

My daughter drew a late season muzzleloader tag in AZ and killed a very nice 6x7. She knew no different and was pumped but having hunted bulls numerous times during the rut I was totally disappointed in the actual hunt. Screaming bulls it was not - just a ton of glassing and then a stalk to get in muzzy range. If you can at all swing it go when they are bugling - there is no comparison!

Lee

[treeroot]

Forgive me for not knowing enough yet if I sound naive. I've never done a lottery of any kind. What worries me is this could be a once in a lifetime kind of hunt for the two of us, so not getting two tags is a deal breaker. I've only just started looking into otc states.

Honestly I never truly thought I could do it, so I've never looked into it. Now I have a learning curve ahead of me. So any and all info is greatly appreciated.

[camelcluch]

Is the time frame due to school schedules? If so, there are states with openers in August that may work as well. Oregon opens pretty early if that’s an option.

[treeroot]

Yes it's all based on school schedules. Which is why I never thought it was possible. School starts sep. 1 most years. The earliest break is Thanksgiving. Even with that requires me to risk it and call in 2-3 days. But I'll risk it, only live once.

[stash59]

It would be worth it to check out Randy Newberg, Elk 101, Born & Raised Outdoors and Hushin. They give alot of tips on everything. But mainly on how to use those hunting apps like GoHunt. These apps take away alot of the confusion surrounding the various states draws. They also do the leg work to figure out draw odds, success ratios,
provide bull to cow ratios and herd densities for all of the units, seasons in all of the states. So you can make the best choices to suit your personal needs/desires for your dream hunt. Corey Jacobson of Elk 101 has their Elk Hunting University subscription. It costs a fair amount, I think $70, and deals mainly with the bow/bugling season. But has also added some late season info by collaborating with Randy Newberg. For being part of the hunting industry/media. These guys are all pretty straight shooters and try to relate to the common man. And even though they are in it to make money. They really do seem to want to and enjoy helping others to become better hunters and have success.

Good luck and don't stress yourself out too much while trying to make your decision on when and where to go. But a word of caution. Hunting out west is like eating a potato chip. Hard to eat just one. Once you visit the mountains, they keep beckoning you back.

[treeroot]

I've started watching randy seems to have a lot of tips. I've been watching a lot of born and raised, very entertaining to watch. Randy seems to give some good advice for late season. I know I have a long road of learning to do. But I have roughly two years to figure it out.

Any recommendations on where to learn where elk are for aerial scouting?

General back country must haves?


My wife already knows I'll probably be an addict, I know this as well. Lol but what she doesn't realize is once I have all the gear the cost isn't that crazy to go back.

[justin84]

Newburg has a good YouTube series on e scouting for elk.

Search on rokslide.com for things like gear lists and late season topics there are plenty of conversations to read through.

[stash59]

Yeah Randy Newberg's YT channel had some e-scouting vids a year or 2 ago. And like I said Elk 101's Elk University has it now also. Not sure if they added anything not covered by Randy on YT. You may see something from BRO too in the future. They just shared 1 gun hunt and just started another. Just like some of Dan's YT material. Sometimes you can glean some tidbits out of the hunts they post. Not found else where. But that's alot of old content to watch.

[Uncle Lou]

what state you in? MN is easy drive to out west, NY and PA, or Fl not so much. Every post I read, I always want to know what state the person is in. It just adds so much info.

You say around teaching schedule and you are near retirement. Really, you can't plan to take a week or so once in your career? I thought that is why they make substitute teachers. OK so forget I ask, your probably the principle. Have you been out west? If not, consider taking the wife and family out in the summer and get a feel for things.

CO probably has the best opportunities, as it has the largest herd. Lots of seasons, lots of OTC tags, I would start there with your Thanksgiving period. Also, you say dream hunt, after you started by saying you had to likely do it in late season. If you are going to do it as a dream hunt, you might want to reconsider the substitute and go in bugle season with a guide. If you just want to go get your feet wet and try late season, should be plenty of opportunities in the time period you reference.

Now on gear, I don't think you need much more than you have unless you are doing a DIY drop camp, and need outfitter tents, cook stoves, cots, and all that. If not you shouldn't need much more than what you already have for deer hunting. A rifle, a compass, a backpack, a gps, rope, etc. Pick up a cow call or two.
Borrow a pack frame from someone you know that spent a bunch of money on buying a lot of gear to go elk hunting once. Or you can buy that and loan it to your friends. Gets some good boots and plan to walk alot, everybody says that, so I will cliche it too.

You didn't give us a lot to go on here, other than you want to go and have a late season time slot. I think you need to get an idea of what you want to spend. I have never been on a guided elk hunt out west, but hear they can cost $5-10K. I can drive out there, buy a tag, and hunt for a 3-7 days for $1000 to $1500. It depends if I am going solo or not on fuel. I have driven out west 4 times by myself, twice with my cousin, and once with another friend. I usually had a place to stay, so lodging is not included in my costs, but a week in a cabin or motel is not a ton of money. If money is an issue and you have to convince the wife for any reason, don't ever include food in your hunting costs. You are going to eat where ever you are. It should not cost more to eat because you are going hunting. If food costs are an issue, well then you know what to do, Pack a cooler and pack a lunch.

My only elk hunting advice is - Elk are where you find them. Not where the authors of Field & Stream articles say they are, or where all the You Tube channel guys say they are. They live out there and spend their lives year round to stay on elk. They don't realize it but they are just telling you where they found them. Listen to the locals, when they tell you things that the experts you have been studying differ. Always, and there are not many always in hunting, listen to the locals over the experts in Montana, when you are hunting in CO. I guess this is only for DIY, if you get a guide just ignore my sage advice, but know you will be listening to a local (the guide). So scratch my scratch, this rule holds. Always listen to the locals.

You'll scratch your head for sure. I heard things like the elk are low down by the reservoir. What? there is no snow to push them down, how could this be? The elk are in the Red Desert, my cousin in WY told me. No way, I told my other cousin. Guess where the elk were both of those times. You got it, where the locals said they were.

So first figure out if it is a DIY, or guided. Then start looking for states with seasons in your time slot. I find it fun to research this stuff on line when dreaming or planning a hunt. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Uncle Lou]

Oh, and one more thing. Stash was out there, so you can listen to him.