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Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 10:46:35 AM


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Title: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 10:46:35 AM
I'd like to ask some advice going into this season to begin preparing for next year. I would like to try a draw a cow tag to bag my first elk. Ill only have 5 points going in and am open to just about anywhere in the state. I don't know much about good units or access and am looking for anything from general pointers to having one tied to a tree so to speak!  :chuckle: I'll be shooting either a 270 or 308 and can tent it or hotel it. Not a back country guy. So, if you were me, looking to make some meat, where wpuld you suggest a guy puts in for. Heck, I'd be willing to pay trespass fees ir consider a guide if my success opportunity went up. Thanks, H20.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: WSU on September 07, 2017, 10:54:20 AM
Are you going to hunt general season if you don't draw?  East or west?
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 10:59:17 AM
Most likely no, I would probably fall back my known deer haunts. I may be wrong in that line of thinking as I need to become more educated on general season access, areas, etc. My thoughts going in are that a draw permit may give me better odds due to less pressure during that tag.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: emac on September 07, 2017, 11:04:06 AM
Most of the cow elk permitts are suring the general elk season so there will still be tons of pressure

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Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 11:05:03 AM
Got it, thanks for that. I'm learning already!
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Mark Brenckle on September 07, 2017, 11:08:29 AM
Most of the cow permits are good for the regular season, they just allow you to harvest a cow (or whatever bull is legal for the area). With that said, it still greatly increases your odds of filling your freezer!
  Good luck with your search!
  Just saw emac beat me to it...
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Bob33 on September 07, 2017, 11:17:26 AM
I've attached a list of the 2016 hunts with harvest success and overall draw odds ( permits / applications).
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 11:18:51 AM
Thanks! Printing that off momentarily.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: jrebel on September 07, 2017, 11:42:52 AM
If you willing to pay for access to land, drive anywhere, pay for motel, etc. etc. etc.  I assume money is not the issue (to an extent).  If you really want to harvest an elk, relative cheap and have a quality experience with guarenteed draw.......talk to bearpaw (Dale) about an out of state cow hunt.  If that does not work out there are a ton of out of state cow hunt opportunities with guarenteed land owner tags.  A quick internet search will line you out and then you can research quality of each hunt before deciding. 

I personally don't think 1000-1500 for a cow elk is a bad price when considering the table fare. 

Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 07, 2017, 11:43:48 AM
Agreed and that is certainly an option.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Jpmiller on September 07, 2017, 04:57:21 PM
I've actually started thinking about this as well. If I could for a reasonable price shoot a cow or two every year out of state with a service or use a service to make a connection or learn and area I can get my own cow tag in. I'd love to eat elk all year long, if anyone's done this I'm curious.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: JKEEN33 on September 07, 2017, 05:20:27 PM
Take up archery, no tag needed for a cow. I had 14 points for a cow tag before I took up archery. Poor luck with the draws.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Jpmiller on September 07, 2017, 06:16:43 PM
Take up archery, no tag needed for a cow. I had 14 points for a cow tag before I took up archery. Poor luck with the draws.

That's part of my plan as well. We seem to go through alot of meat in my house. We go through a couple pigs, about a beef cow and a a few dozen chickens in a year. Taking a couple elk seems more enticing than all that.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: JKEEN33 on September 07, 2017, 06:58:12 PM
Take up archery, no tag needed for a cow. I had 14 points for a cow tag before I took up archery. Poor luck with the draws.

That's part of my plan as well. We seem to estimate alot of meat in my house. We go through a couple pigs, about a beef cow and a a few dozen chickens in a year. Taking a couple elk seems more enticing than all that.

I see you are in Wilkeson. Cedar River Bowmen is between Enumclaw and Black Diamond. When your ready to get started let me know and I'll take you out there. Plenty of people to get you started out there. I'm in Enumclaw and currently on the board at CRB.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Jpmiller on September 07, 2017, 07:47:49 PM
Take up archery, no tag needed for a cow. I had 14 points for a cow tag before I took up archery. Poor luck with the draws.

That's part of my plan as well. We seem to estimate alot of meat in my house. We go through a couple pigs, about a beef cow and a a few dozen chickens in a year. Taking a couple elk seems more enticing than all that.

I see you are in Wilkeson. Cedar River Bowmen is between Enumclaw and Black Diamond. When your ready to get started let me know and I'll take you out there. Plenty of people to get you started out there. I'm in Enumclaw and currently on the board at CRB.

I've actually been bowhunting deer for tenish years but never had a hunting partner to make the switch to archery elk with. I am pretty sure I have one lined up for next fall though!

I had no idea that place existed and I've lived in Buckley since I was four. I will definitely have to check it out. I have a range set at my place out to forty yards but I really want to try a walking course. Thanks for the offer and the info!
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: emac on September 07, 2017, 10:05:01 PM
I wouldnt bank on the archery angle. I see in a few units that during general archery where you can shoot a cow they are looking at making it a draw cow tag

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Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Twispriver on September 07, 2017, 10:43:50 PM
I was pretty lucky when I started hunting elk in the 80s. The blue mountains in Oregon where we archery hunted was OTC and it was any elk and there were lots of them. Here in Washington I could draw a late Wenas cow tag just about every other year and that was a fairly easy hunt with nearly 100% success rates.
If I was starting out now, and killing a cow was my objective i would definitely look into what Bearpaw or one of the many other outfitters in Idaho, Montana or Wyoming have to offer. The tags are easy to draw, the hunts are reasonably priced and according to my neighbor who went to Utah with Bearpaw a ton of fun.  :twocents:
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Stein on September 08, 2017, 05:57:09 PM
Honestly, if you don't mind cold you could hunt MT once the snow flies and just drive around small towns at the base of mountains and look for a herd of 100 on public land.  Talk to a few of the wardens and they will likely point you in the right direction.  Once you figure it out you are golden as they will probably be in the same place every year.  Give yourself a week.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 08, 2017, 06:03:03 PM
Im thinking me and Bearpaw need to talk about booking a hunt. I haven't cashed in my free hunt as a mod.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: 7mmfan on September 08, 2017, 06:04:37 PM
Im thinking me and Bearpaw need to talk about booking a hunt. I haven't cashed in my free hunt as a mod.

What the what? I want a free hunt.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: h20hunter on September 08, 2017, 06:12:18 PM
Sorry Charlie. Mod privilege.  We had our reviews recently....i chose to exercise ny free hunt option over a raise. But, see here, Im not greedy. A tasty elk cow will be fine.
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: 7mmfan on September 08, 2017, 06:14:11 PM
Uh huh...
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: ballpark on September 15, 2017, 08:58:15 AM
I was pretty lucky when I started hunting elk in the 80s. The blue mountains in Oregon where we archery hunted was OTC and it was any elk and there were lots of them. Here in Washington I could draw a late Wenas cow tag just about every other year and that was a fairly easy hunt with nearly 100% success rates.
If I was starting out now, and killing a cow was my objective i would definitely look into what Bearpaw or one of the many other outfitters in Idaho, Montana or Wyoming have to offer. The tags are easy to draw, the hunts are reasonably priced and according to my neighbor who went to Utah with Bearpaw a ton of fun.  :twocents:

Idaho out of state "antlerless" draws are about as easy as they come.  Also over the counter bull tags - 9 hour drive to setup camp in National Forest.  If we hadn't drawn Colockum this year, we would be back there.   :tup:
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: cryder on September 16, 2017, 06:44:08 AM
And there you have it !!!  well jee wally ! if you got enough money we can wrap bag hermedically seal , and can it fer yu ! and again now were really hunting , honey can you get the door my elk is here !! :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Cow elk permit, rifle, 2018 season.
Post by: Antlershed on September 16, 2017, 08:41:01 PM
Before this year, I would have said most of the Yakima units. With the tag cuts, not sure what the odds are of drawing with 5 points.
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