I've gone the last two years and have come up blank both times. I did, however, learn a lot in those years. A lot about expectations, terrain, outfitters, elk, physical conditioning, weather, DIY/drop camps, etc. I know enough now that I'm not sure if I want to keep spending ~$3K a year for a "maybe" shot at an elk. Now I can't look myself in the mirror and be proud of a farm-raised/high-fenced guaranteed elk either though. (Some can and if they don't have a problem with that, than who am I to judge.)

So - here's the question.
Do I just need to suck it up and live with the fact that "this is hunting"? Or is there another option? Is there an elk Eden out there somewhere that costs no more than $3K, that will provide a HIGH percentage opportunity, that you don't need to risk having a coronary to get to, and isn't behind giant 10ft fences? Does such a utopia exist? Or do I need to skip a year, pool my money and accept the fact that it'll cost me > $6k to down such an animal?

That's just hunting....DON'T give in to the high fence BS. If you do, you've just purchased your instant gratification for something that you were not able to do on your own in my opinion. I don’t think that it would be the same….do you?

Keep at it year after year. Good luck!

I'm gonna try 2010. I'm gonna go for mulies. It will be my first year but I'll be going w/a group that has gone many years in a row. Unguided, canvas tents, rough style.

I hunted with Adventure Experiences for seven years. I got a 6x6 and a 5x5. He hunts on 750 acres of private land in the middle of the National Forest east of Gunnison. He can four wheel you to a wilderness area that any one without his access has to hike in five miles to get to, yeah, and hike out five miles carrying an elk.

You can walk your tail off, ride in on four wheelers, or sit in a stand Texas style if you need to take a day off. He has horses to bring out the game. His camp is at 10,000 ft and he hunts from 12,000ft on up to the divide. Lodge, cabins, solar power, completely off the grid. Wood stove heated hot tub and sauna, showers, more food than you can eat. Some of the most reasonable prices you will find.

He is a Texas boy from Liberty and goes to Colorado from May to November to his camp. Starting in Nov he offers duck hunts in East Texas. He also offers fly fishing, challenge courses, Boy Scout, YMCA, and church youth trips.

Check out his hunting website here...

http://www.aeihunting.com/coloradohunt.htm

Non-guided is $2000 per gun.

If you have a GPS you won't get lost. If you decide to go I can show you where all his honey holes are.

I finally dropped an elk on my 3rd try. It all depends on where your hunting and of course your guide. Some units in NM are thick with elk and some few and far between. I always pick the best units in NM (research this I'm not telling which ones). As for guides, I've had guides that were excellent elk hunters but crappy guides. For example, they would take you to beautiful areas that looked like a picture post card elk hunt. However, elk sign and game were limited. My last guide, took me to an area that was near farms and cattle and did not look "elky" so to speak. He told me hunters/guides don't come here because it doesn't look like an area you'd expect elk to be in...and he was right...on the mountains behind the farms there was an elk convention going on in the woods. The bulls/cows would hole up in these areas to avoid the hunting pressure in the backwoods. My guide lived in the area and knew exactly where to go. Now I know the quality of a good elk guide.

Do not know about the 3000 diy hunts we spend nearly 1000 which includes gas,food,liscense, everyone is responsible for there own drinks and snacks. We hunt anywhere from 5 to 8 days depending on everyone in the group. There are some drop camps,semi-guided to guided from 2000 to 3000 but if you go alot higher if you want. It takes any where from 3 to 7 years to get a bull. At least thats my experience, our group averages about 15 to 25 percent over the last 12 years.

I have researched the best units in colorado to hunt elk in. Unfortunately they take at least 10 pref points to get drawn. I am just waiting, until then I am going on mule deer hunts on public land near that area. There is a magazine available, I cannot remember the name but it has a breakdown of the public hunting areas and there percentages it covers most states. Also the local biologist and game wardens can be of some help sometimes, does not hurt to call them for advice.

The book is the big game stat book, I beleive it cost 7.00, We have been hunting the same unit for 13 years, We see mainly bulls unless we go down the mountain. One of these days I will go on a guided Elk hunt, until then I will enjoy the DIY style of hunting, sure makes it easier in case we have to move to a different area.

I agree with Meatcutter. I only put in for limited draw hunts. I mainlly hunt elk in AZ but have hunted in WY and CO. I would rather get drawn every 4-5 years in a spectacular area than hunt every year in an over-the-counter tag unit with the crowds.

As for the magazine with all the draw and unit info, he is probably talking about "Eastmans Hunting Journal". It is loaded with all the info you need to put in for quality out of state big game hunts.

Can anyone recommend a good NM outfitter for a drop camp- type DIY hunt?

I hunted just west of Chama New Mexico three or four years ago. I can't remember the outfitter, but I rode horseback to a stand by a pond, got in the stand and saw elk off and on for a couple of hours,(Out of range). Then, a whole herd came off the mountain, and I got my elk. The outfil is located a mile or two west of Chama on the north side of the road. Good outfit tho.

Got the name of the outfitter?

to the top. Still looking.

I've used Brandon Gaudelli successfully in the past. He is based in Reserve, NM and has access to all of Unit 15 and 16 which are prime units! Unit 15 is outstanding for bow and muzzy hunts!

http://www.gilaguide.com/

to the top. Still looking.

Do you bow hunt or rifle only.You have alot better chance to take an elk during the rut.We are going the middle to the end of Sept.for 7 days we are going to pack in with horses about 15 miles to get away from the general public.There are some great places in Co. for DIY hunting.You can hunt the same land as most of your outfitters that you pay $6000 to (unless they have private land).

We are thinking of going on a management hunt at a ranch on the CO/NM border next season.

I hunt both (rifle and bow). However, I've only hunted elk with rifle in the past. I'm thinking about a DIY bow hunt to New Mexico to keep the costs down(if I get a tag in the lotto). If I don't get a tag, no big deal, I'll just go on a guided hunt in 2011.

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