First Post

[CiK]

Hello All!! Long time lurker, first time poster here. Like many that come here, my story too starts with me wanting to finally experience an elk hunt. Hunting whitetail in Indiana is great, but this elk pursuit is probably my mid-life crisis and I don't even know it.

Knowing my addictive personality, this first time will most likely lead into future hunts as well. Knowing this, I have 2 needs:

1) First hunt location
Which states to target for my first hunt? After listening to Randy's podcast and reading other sources, I believe the states I should be targeting for my first elk hunt are Idaho, Montana and Colorado for a non-resident OTC tag. Sounds like, with near certainty, I can get OTC tags in Colorado. However, I personally would prefer Idaho or Montana if I can get OTC tags there instead. What is the likelihood of me getting an OTC in Idaho or Montana on the first year? Is that even possible?

2) Bonus Point Reality
Long term, I would like to start building preference/bonus points for future hunts. I will be sticking to Elk and Mule Deer. Which states should I target for those "once in a lifetime" hunts? I am 43 years old, so I want to be realistic in this endeavor. I have never collected a point before so I know my "once in a lifetime" hunt will be considerably lower in standards to those who have been collecting points for many years. Are there places out there I should realistically target as a 43 year old who doesn't have a single preference point to his name yet?

Thanks all for listening, helping and taking the time to read.

Tony

 

[smarandr]

1. You can get a tag in Idaho no problem.

2. Only thing I know about bonus points is we don't have them here and will do my best to make sure that's always the case.

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome aboard. I'd suggest just moving out west and not worrying about points, just hunt

 

[CiK]

Welcome aboard. I'd suggest just moving out west and not worrying about points, just hunt

I wish!! I would in a minute if I didn't have responsibilities here.

 

[1_pointer]

Welcome! Though I was a displaced Hoosier for 9 years living in Utah, I'm back in Indiana. My strategy is that Idaho is my fall back, OTC, type state. I have a good buddy that lives there that I hunt with. Beings they don't have points I also apply for limited entry hunts there. Due to the tough nature of the tags to get, AZ, NV, UT, MT, and WY are the states I apply for very good units. I burned my points in WY, so it may get added to the 'general hunt' pile with ID. I am building points in CO, but am so far behind the 8 ball that I'll never draw a premier unit, so I am currently researching for a unit there for the early ML season. Same pretty much goes for mule deer, though I'm less enthusiastic about them.

CO and MT are two other states that could be hunted on a general tag every year. Not sure about WY, but I think some of the units are pretty easy to draw. Speaking of WY, they extended the period to buy points this year. You have until 11/2 to get them purchased. I strongly suggest you do so for the species you're interested in.

Glad to see another Hoosier here! What part of the state are you from? I grew up just north of Evansville, live near Indy, and have property down by Patoka Lake.

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[CiK]

Thanks for the welcomes everybody!

Glad to see another Hoosier here! What part of the state are you from? I grew up just north of Evansville, live near Indy, and have property down by Patoka Lake.

1_pointer,
I grew up east of Cincinnati. My wife's family is in the Brookville area and we are just south of them now.

I want to apply for a few states to start building points. I guess I need to research which states and where in those states to go. It has gotten a bit overwhelming trying to figure it all out to this point.

Thanks for the tip on Wyoming extending their deadline. I will check that out now.

Out of the 3 states (Colorado, Idaho and Montana), which would be the better? It sounds like Colorado has all the elk, but all the pressure. Coming from Indiana, I don't mind the extra seat time to Idaho or Montana. I have always wanted to hunt out there, it will be checking off an item on the bucket list.

So if it were you all, which state would you plan for?

 

[Josh Kuntz]

Idaho vs. Montana

I lived in MT for 30 years and I have been in Idaho for 3 years and I have shot deer and elk in both states, so let me offer a little perspective that might help you think about your decision. First, as others have said, it is relatively easy to get a non-resident tag in either state.

One huge difference is that with a Montana general tag (deer and elk), you have a 6 week archery season and a 5 week rifle season and you can hunt BOTH on the same tag. The deer and elk season are the exact same dates in Montana. In Idaho, the seasons vary based on which Zone (or unit) you are hunting and the typical season is 2-4 weeks. With a few exceptions. If you have the time and money to do multiple trips during the season, Montana gives you a much longer timeline to work with. If you are only doing a one trip that is less than 10 days, it really wouldn't matter much. If you chose Idaho, you would just want to double check that elk and deer were open at the same time in the unit you plan to hunt.

Another big difference is that Idaho requires you to choose a ZONE for hunting elk, meaning you cannot travel all over the state trying different spots. An Idaho ZONE typically is made up of 3-6 hunting units. In MT, your general tag allows you to hunt the vast majority of units in the state. So, if you like the idea of hopscotching all around the state, Montana gives you that option.

Both states offer a huge spectrum of landscapes. Think about what type of hunt you want as far as your physical surroundings. Do you want high peaks with alpine basins? Do you want rolling, timbered hills? Do you want wide open sage country? Both states can be hot and dry all through September in certain spots. And I have also been snowed on in August in both states.

Be super honest about your physical capabilities and choose a spot accordingly. If you are not in excellent hiking shape, look for spots with mellower terrain (Central MT has a few spots as does Southern ID). If you plan to hunt using an ATV mostly, check the current rules for roads/trails. Idaho seems to me to have way more ATV accessible roads/trails than MT.

Montana has a wider distribution of whitetails than Idaho. The whitetails in Idaho are mostly in the northern part of the state, with a few pockets in eastern Idaho.

I believe Idaho has more "big" mule deer bucks than MT. Both states can produce some very nice bucks, but my anecdotal experience is that Idaho has a larger number of 4x4 and bigger muleys.

Another thing to consider is how close you want to be to a town. In both states, you can pick areas that are several hours from any town having more than 2,000 people. Also keep in mind that there are many spots in both states where cell phones will not work.

Both states are incredibly beautiful and offer a hunter an incredible array of choices. Do yourself a favor and think very precisely about what you want from your experience. And if possible, try to do one trip in advance of choosing to confirm that you have selected a spot that fits your expectations.

If you have the money to hunt out west each year or every 2 to 3 years, then just pick a spot each year and give it a try. However, if you can only hunt out west every 5-10 years then I suggest you take 1 or 2 summer camping/scouting trips in the years before you plan to hunt. Use these inexpensive summer trips to really learn the areas so that you can choose a game rich spot. I meet non-resident hunters each year who greatly underestimate how huge the landscape is and how long it will take to get an idea of where the animals live. They often go home frustrated.

One last note. If your biggest hope is to see elk consistently, then pick Colorado. They simply have way more elk than Idaho and Montana. Idaho and Montana have plenty of elk, but you have to work harder to find them.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mthuntinfool]

Welcome to HuntTalk!. I unfortunately don't have any experience hunting Idaho or Colorado, but in Montana you are guaranteed a deer, elk, or combo license, as they usually have left-overs. As Josh mentioned, you have roughly 3 full months to hunt between archery and rifle, so your odds increase greatly over the week long season in Colorado. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[CiK]

Thanks guys!

I am leaning towards archery. I like the sound of the extended season in Montana, but I don't like the idea of competing for a harvest with rifle hunters as well. Maybe I will consider hunting rifle/muzzleloader instead.

I am in the middle of whitetail season here in Indiana, and all I can think about it is elk season next year.