Looking to do an Elk hunt in the next year or so. I don't want a canned hunt in Texas but looking to do the New Mexico/Colorado Elk hunt. Has anyone done a good hunt that they would recommend? Also what should I expect to pay for a hunt?

Second is that I am allergic to Horses so I would need a hunt that would allow me to walk ect... Thanks for the help...

Check out Hags post in the outfitters and guides section. Sounds like an awesome hunt he goes on in New Mexico.

Defintitly check out San Juan River Outfitters in the my Guides and Outfitters section post. You can drive your truck right up to camp and he has the best camp you can find anywhere!!! Bar None!!! We have had success on each of our trips but one archery elk hunt. That wasn't his fault, mine for being too picky!!!

What kind of trip did you do with him? Did he guide you?

I didn't hire a guide on any of my elk hunts, as I just need a topo map, compass and GPS and I'm off after them. I did hire a guide on my mule deer hunts with him. Unit 34 is such a great area for archery, anyone can find their way around any mountain that they decide to tackle.

Being the devils advocate here, but WHAT kind of elk hunt are you looking for.
Are you an archer.
What kind of physical shape are you in.
Are you interested in a trophy or an elk.
How much are you willing to pay for a hunt, and how important is it going to be for you to be successful.

You are on the right track now, by starting your planning well in advance of when you are wanting to hunt. Just keep in mind, that all of us that give you advice are going with what we have experienced, so you are going to have lots of good info to sift thru. I think all of us that have hunted elk will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

I am looking for a trophy elk but also a good hunt. I am an archer only and have a lot of experience. I am 27 years old and I am in good shape. I am looking to spend in the $2,000 range without tag but looking for a good deal. I don't know if I am on the right track?

My outfitter in Unit 34 of NM charges $1800 for a fully outfitted hunt with 2 days of guiding. I think he's around $2500 for fully guided the whole 5 day hunt with a 2 hunters on 1 guide ratio.

Other outfitters are around $3500 on public land.

Private land hunts are $5000 to $6500 for a chance at a trophy.

Check out San Juan Outfitters in my "Guides and Outfitters" post.

You will not find any private land hunts under $5000 !!! Sad, but true!!

So San Juan is a public land hunt?

If you want to pm me, I can send you a brochure from the guy I hunt with in western Colorado, and Hag, I have to disagree with you on one thing, you can find private land hunts, at least in Colorado for under 5K with a real possibility of a trophy bull. Pudge's archery hunters have been taking several P&Y bulls over the past 5 years or so.

San Juan River Outfitters hunts public land, but has contacts (friends) for private land hunts.

Guess you can still hunt in Colorado for under 5K, but not in New Mexico, Wyoming, Arizona and such where the really big ones live. I have a file that you wouldn't believe the thickness of researching all the outfitters in the Western states. I researched their success ratio, size of animals harvested and costs. My hunting buddy has a file twice as thick as mine. Private land places I used to hunt on 20 years ago for $2500 are now 10K and 18K, not even counting the Valle Verde I once hunted on. We did find one less expensive outfitter that we used one time and found "The Elk Hunt From Hades". References, references and more references. That's the best advice I can give you.

Anyone that would book an elk hunt without checking a guides/outfitters references, is going to get what they deserve. Yes, most hunts have gone out of sight in price, but there are some excellent guides out there that hunt some great areas that have really good animals. While maybe the bulls in Colorado aren't up to the quality of the better bulls in the states you mentioned, they are probably on par with the average bulls in those states. Also because of some of the changes over the past 10 years or so, in parts of Colorado the antler quality is improving.

As a side note, in talking about references, the guy I hunt with very rarely has an opening for his Bull hunts, it is nearly all repeat business. Case in point, when Lora and I were up there back in Jan. on our cow hunt, he filled his only open spots that first evening we were there. That was the 8th. of Jan. and he was completely booked for his hunts this Fall.