Hello all new member here ,

Please forgive me as I didn’t know if this question went here or in the general hunting thread.

So I hang out with a group of fellow veterans and some of the hunt all over Texas me I usually stick to Medina and Bandera county as I recently got back into hunting in Texas about 3-4 years ago I used to hunt in California when I discharged from the Navy and for the past year have been into archery hunting with my crossbow.

But my question is are there any WMA or SP that have any elk population, yes I know there is a mule deer hunt you can draw for that specifically says elk cow on it and I have put in for that draw. But me and my group of veteran friends heard from a few dozen hunters that there are wild elk on public land that you are able to hunt with out having to put in for a draw because they are on a public land location. So if so where would these locations possibly be. I am by no means a trophy hunter I primarily hunt now to provide for my family as well as my mother and grandparents. So I know there are high fence areas that have elk but I’m not looking for that I want to be able to go out and hunt down either a cow elk or older elk just to provide food for my family.

Thank you for anyone who takes the time to read this and respond

I don't think what you are seeking exists in Texas.

Travel can be expensive but look into cow tags in Western state like Wyoming and Colorado.
Wyoming has some reduced price cow elk tags and we also have some disabled vet hunting services up here- Hunting with Heroes , HD Outdoors, Wyoming Disabled Hunters etc.
Most are a draw but we do have some unlimited cow elk areas if you can get access and that is where the orgs above may help.

Perhaps you may find a ranch with some cows that will host you all in Texas, best of luck !!

I am certain there are no WMAs or State Parks or any other Texas Public lands that allow hunting for Elk outside of a drawn hunt.

I've lived in NM & CO and have hunted Elk extensively over the years. I did not know TX had Rocky Mountain Elk. With that being said.
NM: The closest you will get to west TX for elk is in Ruidoso, NM in the Sacramento Mountains (SE part of the state) & the Gila wilderness further west. Gila has the biggest Bulls in the state. There is only Archery (no crossbow-allowed) unless your certified disabled. You've missed the application deadline for this season if you were planning on hunting this year. Hope this helps!
CO: allows crossbow during the rifle season. I've hunted the Southern sections of CO but the whole state is awesome. I'm pretty sure you've missed the cutoff dates for applying for this season since it starts next month. However, they do offer over the counter cow elk on a limited basis.

http://www.bestcrossbowsource.com/crossbow-hunting-regulations-new-mexico/
https://goneoutdoors.com/colorado-crossbow-hunting-6629571.html