Help Choosing Out of State Hunting

[Bookworm007]

Do in two years I finally graduate from college, and to celebrate being done I want to go on an out of state hunting trip for elk. It will probably be my last chance to be on a hunting trip with my father, brother, grandfather, and best friend all in the same camp. Back in the day my father and his went on a similar trip to hunt Elk in Idaho. The results of the trip are hanging on the wall at home. Where would you go for a drop camp style hunt for elk to have the best chances of success? And are there still good drop camp wilderness areas that you can get over the counter tags for? I know it will be expensive, but I figure hunting is not going to be getting any better and I would really like to have the memory of getting to hunt with all those people near and dear. I am open for anything as far a Colorado, closer is good too. It just can't be special draw since I have zero points in any other state than Washington. Thanks for your help everyone!

[huntnphool]

I have gone with Bill Mitchell http://www.billmitchelloutfitters.com/hunting1.htm before, highly recommended for drop camps.

[vandeman17]

We are going on a drop camp hunt in NE Oregon this year. I am pretty excited and can give you an update of how it went when we get back. 

[Pathfinder101]

...not too late to build a couple of points in Wyoming.  Only problem there is that to hunt designated "Wilderness" you need a guide.  I still think you could find a good hunt there with two points though...
I think Montana has some good general hunt areas that you can hunt on an OTC tag (been OTC lately anyway, you have to draw, but the draw has been 100% since they almost doubled the prices a couple of years ago).
 
Idaho is OTC, but wolves have really done a number on the elk in the best parts of the state.  People still have good hunts there though if they know where to go (I don't).

Good for you planning this 2 years in advance.     What will your degree be in?

[Bookworm007]

I have gone with Bill Mitchell http://www.billmitchelloutfitters.com/hunting1.htm before, highly recommended for drop camps.

Thanks! their rates look very reasonable. Which wilderness area did you end up in? Did you manage a successful hunt? What year did you go on the hunt? (in other words were wolves an item then?)

We are going on a drop camp hunt in NE Oregon this year. I am pretty excited and can give you an update of how it went when we get back. 

Looking forward to hearing about it! Make sure you take lots of pictures and give us a great write up!

...not too late to build a couple of points in Wyoming.  Only problem there is that to hunt designated "Wilderness" you need a guide.  I still think you could find a good hunt there with two points though...
I think Montana has some good general hunt areas that you can hunt on an OTC tag (been OTC lately anyway, you have to draw, but the draw has been 100% since they almost doubled the prices a couple of years ago).
 
Idaho is OTC, but wolves have really done a number on the elk in the best parts of the state.  People still have good hunts there though if they know where to go (I don't).

Good for you planning this 2 years in advance.     What will your degree be in?

True there is a little bit of time to earn some points, I just assumed their draw tags were like ours where you needed a miracle to get one when you wanted it. Which states would you guys narrow it down to given the wolf issues and the fact that we would be driving. I figure it takes the better part of 2 years to get everyone on board and money put away and then its party time! 

I will be graduating with a Mechanical Engineering Degree, and then just have to find a job to pay for all these hobbies! 

[bobcat]

For a once in a lifetime type of a hunt, I would probably go to Colorado. It's a bit of a drive but they have more elk than any other state.

[vandeman17]

I guess I should have asked what weapon you guys will be using?

[Bookworm007]

Sorry should have put that in, Modern Rifle. That is what I have heard about Colorado, it is 24 hours of driving but if its worth it why not. What is the Tag process like in Colorado? I know they have OTC tags but for good units do you still need to get drawn and is it hard to get drawn? Or do they have guaranteed outfitter tags? Does anyone have a recommended outfitter in Colorado?

[6x6in6]

Having elk hunted every western state, except Cali and Nevada, and multiple times over 35 years, my #1 choice would be New Mexico hands down.
Unless you have built up points in NM, that is probably not a viable option for you to "plan" for.  NM has a similar type of points system as we do here - it's a crap shoot to draw.
My 2nd choice would be Wyoming.  They too have a points system.  2 points can get you certainly a General tag and in some cases can even get you a special hunt tag for a specific area that can hold some very fine bulls.  A WY Gen tag can get you a decent shot at a very fine bull too.  2 years away, consider WY as an option.  Their points buy time comes up in July so you could go as early as 2014 and certainly 2015.
If you do not want to play the points game, that pretty much leaves you with Idaho and Colorado.  You could throw Montana in that mix too given the recent past history of not selling out their licenses.  I bought a MT deer/elk combo last mid-October and went hunting in early November for example.  My personal choices for these three would be in this order:  MT, ID, CO.  No specific reasoning, just my order of preference.

Good luck, have fun!!! 

[vandeman17]

Sorry should have put that in, Modern Rifle. That is what I have heard about Colorado, it is 24 hours of driving but if its worth it why not. What is the Tag process like in Colorado? I know they have OTC tags but for good units do you still need to get drawn and is it hard to get drawn? Or do they have guaranteed outfitter tags? Does anyone have a recommended outfitter in Colorado?

We are doing archery which, at least in Oregon, allows us to hunt many of the units OTC where as for rifle they are permit only. I will still keep you posted on how we do. I will second the other guys statements about picking a place and building points. We did it in Oregon and Montana so we have a chance to draw some of the better tags. Have you thought about just picking an area to hunt and then acquiring your own gear over the next few years so you can do it yourself? For the cost of a nice wall tent, stove etc it would be the same as one of the costs for a drop camp yet you have the gear to use for years to come. The only problem with that is you would be required to then find your own spot and learn the area. The nice part is you have time on your side.

[Bookworm007]

We have all the gear to do an elk camp. Our norm is to pack up the trucks with wall tent, stove and all the goodies for a week out in the woods, but we don't have horses or knowledge of out of state areas to make best use of our time. I would do a DIY hunt out of state, but it has taken me 5 years of hunting Washington to find good consistent spots and paying for tags out of state sounds like an expensive learning curve. I do a lot of scouting and hunting in Washington but it seems like it gets harder and harder to get away from the other hunters. That is why I like the idea of the drop camp hunt where we still get to stalk the animals but get to experience a remote area away from most other people. I would love to snag a Big old Bull to hang up, but would settle for a hunt with a little bit better odds than what I would face in Washington with out a special draw. Just finished poking around the Colorado site now onto Wyoming!

[vandeman17]

We have all the gear to do an elk camp. Our norm is to pack up the trucks with wall tent, stove and all the goodies for a week out in the woods, but we don't have horses or knowledge of out of state areas to make best use of our time. I would do a DIY hunt out of state, but it has taken me 5 years of hunting Washington to find good consistent spots and paying for tags out of state sounds like an expensive learning curve. I do a lot of scouting and hunting in Washington but it seems like it gets harder and harder to get away from the other hunters. That is why I like the idea of the drop camp hunt where we still get to stalk the animals but get to experience a remote area away from most other people. I would love to snag a Big old Bull to hang up, but would settle for a hunt with a little bit better odds than what I would face in Washington with out a special draw. Just finished poking around the Colorado site now onto Wyoming!

Perfect. We were in the same boat before choosing to go with a packer this fall. We had the same thoughts as you and decided we liked the idea of getting packed in 11 miles to an area that has been proven to hold animals. Good luck in your search and keep us posted!

[Pathfinder101]

I have gone with Bill Mitchell http://www.billmitchelloutfitters.com/hunting1.htm before, highly recommended for drop camps.

Thanks! their rates look very reasonable. Which wilderness area did you end up in? Did you manage a successful hunt? What year did you go on the hunt? (in other words were wolves an item then?)

We are going on a drop camp hunt in NE Oregon this year. I am pretty excited and can give you an update of how it went when we get back. 

Looking forward to hearing about it! Make sure you take lots of pictures and give us a great write up!

...not too late to build a couple of points in Wyoming.  Only problem there is that to hunt designated "Wilderness" you need a guide.  I still think you could find a good hunt there with two points though...
I think Montana has some good general hunt areas that you can hunt on an OTC tag (been OTC lately anyway, you have to draw, but the draw has been 100% since they almost doubled the prices a couple of years ago).
 
Idaho is OTC, but wolves have really done a number on the elk in the best parts of the state.  People still have good hunts there though if they know where to go (I don't).

Good for you planning this 2 years in advance.     What will your degree be in?

True there is a little bit of time to earn some points, I just assumed their draw tags were like ours where you needed a miracle to get one when you wanted it. Which states would you guys narrow it down to given the wolf issues and the fact that we would be driving. I figure it takes the better part of 2 years to get everyone on board and money put away and then its party time! 

I will be graduating with a Mechanical Engineering Degree, and then just have to find a job to pay for all these hobbies! 

Two points in Wyoming should get you into a decent hunt.  The good news is that in WY you don't have to buy the license when you are building points, just the point ($50 for elk, I think).  Closer than Colorado too. 

The good news is that with a degree in mechanical engineering, you should be able to land a good job.  Maybe even one in a state that has good hunting...

[6x6in6]

PM sent Bookworm....

[Bookworm007]

Thanks I hoping my future leads to better hunting too! But I do love Washington! I also love scuba diving, the beach, snowboarding, and fishing which Washington has all of those.
Okay not to give WDFW too much credit, but is it just me or does Washington have one of the better hunter report systems? From one page I can see how many animals were taken with which weapon and how many points, plus how many hunters hunted the unit. And its in a format that I can easily copy into excel. Everyone else has everything scattered 

Looks like Wyoming is out unless we DIY hunt, you have to have a guide in wilderness areas which bumps the price up to 5k+  So now looking at Idaho, Montana, and Colorado