I’m hoping to go on and archery elk hunt in the next couples. I’m absolutely clueless on how to pick a state and unit and what gear I need. If y’all could give me some gear recommendations and how to pick a state and unit that would be great. I’d like to do it public land.

BOBO will chime in here, he is very knowledgeable about this stuff.

Reality is the chances of getting a bull elk tag are low without points and in states that don't allow points it is low chance period. Getting with a guide or outfit can help in some states. If you are looking for a cow elk (still some dang good meat and for a first timer might be the better way to go) I think a lot of states allow OTC tags for those....

Gear will depend on how you plan to camp. Backpack or car based? How much you planning to hike every day? Will you be by yourself or going with others? Lots of details that make a big difference on amount of gear and type of gear to be used.

Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for University of Elk Hunting.
https://www.outdoorclass.com/ueh

Guessing DIY.

I could right 5 pages on this. You need to start applying and building Points. Its not cheap. Western states have started a selfish war doing their best to eliminate NR allocation. So the easy access to tags are about gone.

terminology: Preference Point/PP (means number of times you didnt draw or use PP’s to draw)

the state draw types are:
1)random draw(NM and Idaho)
2)highest PP states,(highest PP holders get tags)
3)random but PP entry states(PP means # of times your name is in hat(TX and Oklahoma are this way)
4)hybrid (random and Highest P)= low number of random tags, higher number of forced PP, but sll for same hunt code) AZ is one if these


I would focus on Wy/ CO=(PP force draw state) and NM/Idaho = a random draw state.

better the unit, the higher the PP # and lower the random draw odds



Gear is relative to your fitness level and ambitions.


pack

boots
socks

base layer
mid layer
Rain layer
puffy layer

tent
pad
sleeping pad

cooking equipment
food/water

kill kit
light
navigation
survival



PM and we can talk more indepth

I forgot all about Elk 101. Good call


OP Ive been archery elk hunting for 2.5+ decades, and I took this class and was impressed. I mainly took it for calling clinic aspect but it very well rounded and will set you down the right path

Buy a PP for Wyoming this coming July, deadline for our draw is passed for NRs.
Look over the leftover list when it comes out in June if you want to try this year, some tags left may be good ones.

BOBO is right tag allocations are changing across the West, residents are getting tired of seeing so many go to NRs.
Still plenty out there for you but numbers are getting reduced.
Wyoming has some reduced price cow tags that are great for learning areas and getting some meat, they are a random draw.

Colorado has OTC but they may get affected too next few years, residents are complaining of over crowding.

Basically everyone wants to hunt elk now and just not enough tags to go around so NRs get the shaft on that, frankly residents should come first but that's another debate.

Colorado may have issues upcoming due to wolves, I sure hope not but it will happen. NM and Arizona are great elk states too, Utah not so sure, Montana can be awesome, Idaho is another state to consider.

Your gear would just need to add some stuff for cold weather and snow and good boots for the mountains. Bow for deer would be fine on elk.

Besides all the gear mentioned above, make sure you have a plan on what to do if you end up knocking down a bull or a big cow...., you'll find out real quick what kind of shape you're in if you have to hike any distance with a quarter on your back. Also plan on how you'd get meat back to TX. Knowing how to use gps/compass and topo maps is a good idea, it is easy to get "turned around".

Was born and raised in western MT in prime elk country, been hunting (chasing) them around since the mid-70's. I go back home every opportunity. There's nothing like bow hunting elk in Sept, you will be hooked!

bobo is spot on for a self guided hunt, one more thing, plan on worst case scenario ie. heavy snow etc. you get back in a remote area and get snowed on, then what?

guided for 15 yrs. in colorado/weminuche wilderness area/s.w. colorado and the one major screw up self guided make is not planning on the worst case happening.

my suggestion, hire a guide for your first hunt and I will bet that in the long run it is cheaper and a good guide will teach you all you need to know for following yrs. hunts.

check out northern n.m. between chama/farmington, excellent bulls and a good area for a first archery hunt imo.

I hunted them 4 times and killed one bull. I remember walking up to it and asking myself “Now what?”. Get in shape.

All great points. I remember the days when us non residents could draw or
purchase elk tags routinely. Unfortunately your getting into the game at some bad times. Play the game like the rest of us but my best advice is to concentrate on your means of getting income higher. Work a part time job...work extra hours, do something to get extra cash and start buying your way to tags, whether outfitted or DIY.

It's getting so that just getting a tag ANYWHERE is the goal, regardless of state. My first elk hunt in N.M., Co, Idaho, Montana....we were into elk in all areas so don't get caught up in this special utopia elk paradise. They exist but you probably can't afford them. Other than getting a tag, however you go about it my next best advice is to invest in yourself. You control how good of shape your in, you control how good you shoot a bow, you control your gear choices, you control how good a caller you can be, you control how much you want to know about elk IN GENERAL, before you get to the mountains. Get a tag, control all above and you be in good position to be counted in the 10% of dudes who kill 90% of animals.

The above post is valid info and should be taken seriously!

I was able to get a tag back in 2020 for an elk hunt with my brother, we decided to go with an outfitter in Montana and my bro only wanted a cow due to cost, and we both wanted the experience. I told myself I wasn't going to miss an elk and wasn't going to be in the wrong place when we saw elk, so i got to work and busted myself into shape, was shooting so I knew I wasn't going to miss a shot inside 500 yards, and had handloads made for the explicit purpose of being super consistent with the rifle. We were in camp with two other elk hunters that week.

My brother shot his cow the first evening we were there, literally the first day we arrived. I shot my bull the third evening we were there, second day of hunting. Had to do some serious hiking and climbing to get to it, and my brother thought he was going to die (but didn't) but I could have shot as soon as we crested the hilltop, but we had to wait a while and I ended up making a 300 yard shot and dropped the bull right where he was stranding.

The other elk hunters were unsuccessful. One hiked over 25 miles through the week and saw nothing. The other was driven around and saw several but was such a bad shot he missed on one and drew blood on another with a bad shot that ended up jumping the neighbors fence and the outfitter couldn't get in touch with anyone there to get permission to go over there. Outfitter quietly told us the dude was a bad shot but was the high priced guy in the camp (combo muley and elk, didn't connect on either if I remember correctly) so he was personally with him the whole time.

Anyway, take care of the variables you can control, maximize your opportunities for the variables you can not, and just be ready for when your number is called to be able to carry thru with your goals.

Bobo and several others on here are an absolute wealth of knowledge and eager to help however. Take them up on their willingness to share wisdom and insight.

I did my first elk hunt two years ago; we went rifle in an OTC unit. We doubled up and tagged out the first day. That night we got 8-12" of powder dumped on us. The other two in our group had tough sledding (literally) but knocked down one more bull on the last day. Definitely over pack and over prepare. I took 3 pairs of boots and was grateful I did. I would use one set in the AMs and have a pair that was 'dry enough' to slog through the powder for the afternoon hunt. Layer. Layer. Layer.

So much to go over....I'll chime in with my two cents here in a bit

I invest in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming for Elk points. I've thought about the other ones but I feel they're the best odds with the most animals. I haven't applied in Idaho simply because at the time I started wolves had effected numbers (or effected where they lived). for archery, I've heard it is a decent draw.

If you are over 35, I wouldn't expect to draw the top units in those states (well, maybe Wyoming but you'd need a guide in the wilderness areas) in your lifetime. In AZ and Co you'd be roughly 25-30 years behind the curve.

In Co you can draw a unit with 3 to 4 points and be in a unit with a lot of elk. It'll be busy though. I think you can still draw a tag as a second choice in Co and still accrue preference points.

I would suggest using one of the online research tools for tags. I have used gohunt for about 10 years. I used to do the work myself but for about 150 a year it's worth it.

As far as getting in shape, i've harped on this ad nauseum. Hike with weight on uneven ground. A treadmill won't do the trick. I used to climb in Co as well as hunt. My training routine was to hike Dinosaur Valley SP and try to get 9 to 11 miles in, with weight. You need to find a place with elevation gain and loss but more importantly, you will need a trail that has rocks roots and uneven ground. You'll spend more energy balancing your core than you will hiking. Everyone thinks about elevation and net elevation gain or loss but they don't realize how much energy is expended going up and over rocks, blow downs, side hiling or postholing snow.

Following is assuming you are doing DIY and may have already been covered.

I"m old now so I can say with certainty that hiring a wrangler to send my elk back to a freezer is worth the cost. Specially if you have a group and everyone has to lose a day hunting to haul an elk out. How I've proposed it is everyone in a group buys in for the first elk to be hauled out by a service. Any other elk is hauled out by the group. If no one is successful, any remaining wrangler fees net of any deposit are refunded. Everybody pays and everybody wins because they either get to keep hunting or at least don't have to carry 70lbs on their back for 4 miles. But everyone agrees to carry out any second or third elk. Odds are a group will get one but with the extra day gained from a wrangler the group may get two.

Also, decide if your group will share elk meat or not in advance as well as all the details you would usually nail down for a group outing. Food, duties, location, who hunts with who, check in times, radios if legal, inreach costs, driving, gas, motels, whether you will apply as a group or individually. Whos going to research unit access, possible hunting and camping locations, meat processing, head transportation (some states you have to clean the head of all meat before it leaves the state or possibly unit).

Confirm your access routes. I hunted a pronghorn unit in Wy about 15 years ago that didn't have much public land. One public road to a walk in hunting spot had a gate across it with a no trespassing sign (this is a popular tactic, sign a contract with the state for walk in access and then put up a no trespassing sign or gate the public road. I usually call the game warden for the unit and discuss it with them before I make plans. Is such and such road open. Are there any issues. Are there areas I probably should avoid. Are there things that I don't know about that I may do that cause problems. they'll appreciate the contact and if they stop you you can remind them you talked previously. This has made stops go a lot smoother in Wyoming and Arizona for me.

I've probably been redundant to what others have said. If so I apologize for wasting time.

Remember, planning the hunt, at least for me, is about 55% of the fun.

one thing that I learned that made the biggest difference in Archery success is Wind and thermals.

Live by them. even when hiking to a spot.

Don't be the guy that blows out an entire area due to not caring or being lazy. Be patient. Live by the wind and thermals

Don't take this wrong but maybe get out of the stand for deer season and get used to still hunting and spot and stalk.
Learn to play those winds like BOBO stated.
Work on being quiet as you move through the woods.


Come up for a summer camping or cabin stay trip one year, get to know how the altitude will affect you.
Come hike and fish and see what's in store off trails and on the FS roads.
Find out if your vehicle is sufficient for the rough roads.
Just get a feel for the mountains.

Summer camping can be a world of different weather conditions, much like the Fall. See if you are prepared.

Good advice. I have already started looking around for the fall here. Thankfully altitude doesn't seem to be an issue for me so far. Up and down hills is a great humbler however.

OP might just be a tire kicker. It's not for most Texas WT hunters if they're out of shape, can't make long shots, and don't have the correct gear. I bring new guys into my group pretty regularly. Some have used it as a learning opportunity and are really prepared. Some, even after years of going, still show up completely out of shape and can't cover much ground before getting winded.

Check out the units on the Grand Mesa in Colorado. They went from over the counter archery to draw last year. You will be able to draw a tag in those units if your desire is to hunt this year, and there are plenty of elk. I would stay away from OTC archery units at this point. Most of the remaining units that are still OTC archery require some insider knowledge to locate resident elk and can get crowded. Pretty much all of the units with migratory herds/lots of elk have moved to pure draw in archery. The resident elk in the OTC units are very educated and make their way to private quicker than most...

We can talk gear and fitness till the cows come home...

If your not in shape, get in shape but I've seen plenty of heavy guys kill elk. Most guys over pack and under prepare, if that makes sense. Buy good gear, good water proof boots and technical clothing if your budget allows. Get in time with your weapon as shots generally will be on the longer side than what a deer hunter is used to. Practice to 80-90 yards with a bow and 400 with a rifle.


Now for the bad part:


OTC units, imo are done and over with. What is left has become so crowded its not even funny. Archery season as well. The internet and media have ruined this. You can play the draw game but in states with weighted PP's your gonna be (most likely) up against guys with max points in any unit that is worth a dang. For this reason states like NM and Idaho are not on a point system and the odds are not great, but its equal to every other non-resident.

I started hunting a little over 10 years ago in OTC units and i watched it get more crowded and more crowded every year. You can no longer just walk in farther and more off the beaten path because unlike before, the people will be there too.

If it were me....I would save up and book a hunt with an outfitter with a guaranteed tag or even go to Canada and hunt in B.C or Manitoba I believe. Most units have a 25% at best success rate (and that held true for our groups as well) that your probably money ahead going the outfitted route all things considered. I would spend a min of $1500 to go on a OTC elk hunt.


I never did see alot of Elk in Colorado, even in good units. I did take a good bull but it was simply a matter of the Lord smiling down on me. I hunted the Mesa in 2020 and didn't see hide nor hair of any elk, nor did I see any sign. The best places I've seen for numbers were in Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico. For what its worth, Idaho makes Colorado look like the Kansas Plains in terms of Terrain. You gotta be a bad dude to hunt there successfully.

Think most people asking, genuinely want to do it. I find most archery guys show up more prepared, but more are tire kickers for that reason, as barrier to entry is more then just going on a walk about for a few day with a rifle.

life’s ment to be lived out side our comfort zone. OP or anyone needs help let me know, Dont be scared of OTC or low PP units, but they tend to be more physical type hunts due to habitat, why the DNR’s can do OTC, its not because they dont have big bulls

re: PP state, I've been stacking up points in WY for 5-6 years. Hunted antelope and mule deer along the way. Hope to be able to get a decent unit pretty soon.

In the meantime, I've tried to draw in random state (NM) several times. Missed all but once, and that was a youth tag. Look into Youth tags ... my 15 yo son drew a great youth tag in a good unit in NM. Unit 34. We hunted very hard for 4 days with a guide - probably covered 40 miles up and down at around 8k feet elevation - and he shot a 320" 6x6 on day 4. Was a great hunt. Was very tough. Was reasonably priced b/c we drew the tag, and guides give you lower fees for youth hunts. (He also got to shoot a centerfire rifle during the rut...)

I showed up in pretty good shape and was ok. Next time, I'll show up in great shape so I don't struggle as much.

Whether you're in a PP state or a random draw state, your draw odds are better if you go through an outfitter, as are your results. Yeah, it is going to cost you. But if you draw the tag and you're only paying the guide, it's not that bad (and your draw odds and odds of having a successful hunt are both higher). You'll learn a lot from those guys, especially about country you've never been in before but where they spend all their time.

Funny I just put my 11 year old daughter in for the same tag.

Good luck, man. It was a great experience for us. Those kids have like a 15-20% chance to draw in units where an adult would have 1-2%. Then add they get to use a rifle in the rut. We still had to work hard for it for 4 days, and we were very fortunate to get a bull that good. An experience we will both remember forever, for sure.

I bear and deer hunt that three unit cluster for a while now, I’ve called in a lot bulls messing around. Between that and rut rifle mule deer, I really hope she draws.