Planning on hunting my first Elk next year but I just don’t know where. I keep seeing people hunt them in Utah so I would like to know things about it like “what’s the average hunting distance” and “how is the terrain” and “is it a good place to start elk hunting”. I’ve only ever been able to hunt out from 150 to 200 yards (whitetail deer) because of where I live and if I need to practice longer distance shooting that’s fine just looking for some advice. Thanks
If you want a bull elk, Utah is unlikely. Very hard to get tags. However, @tatebradfield19 has some good semi-guided options.
Idaho is probably a better bet overall. Much easier to get tags. Unit 39 is busy but a decent option.
Lots of guys go to Colorado. I haven’t done it personally though.
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Thanks for the suggestion I’ll look into both of them. Do you have any advice for Idaho?
Idaho Unit 39 is packed full of hunters but there is still good opportunity and you’re likely to see elk. Easy to get tags.
PARK AT: 43.81030, -115.40451
CAMP AND GLASS AT: 43.83518, -115.41125
ELK AT: 43.83318, -115.422534
Okay, this spot is actually a giant loop. It’s a perfect place to spend 3 days hunting. Keep camp on your back and just spend a day in each spot. If nothing, move camp to the next spot in the loop. It’s an extremely active elk area. You’ll bump into lots of locals in some of these areas who know this basin, and if so just keep going to the deeper areas where fewer people go. I’m showing it to you in the order that I hunted it, but it may actually be more effective to hunt the loop backward, so you’d just park at the last spot in this description and run the loop the other way. But the way I did it is to park at the above coordinates to start the hike. This will take you to three basins where I’ve consistently found elk.
Sucks to hike into this spot. There isn’t really a trail you’re following, so just stay on the knife edge of the ridge to go all the way to the top of the “CAMP AND GLASS AT” spot. There is no water at the top of the mountains, so bring a few gallons from the creek at the base of the mountain so you can stay up high for a few days. I gave a pin for “elk at” above to show which basin I usually see them in from this camp spot for the first day, because the camp spot allows you to glass pretty far. This spot is either going to be on fire, or completely dead depending on hunting pressure. Apparently several groups found the elk in this basin because it was very active last time I was there despite it being a difficult hike in. Now that opening weekend has passed, you may find them coming out a bit more by Tuesday or Wednesday after the craziness calms. Many times I’ve seen elk pass over the saddle 200 yards from camp at 43.83281, -115.41752 at last light. The problem with this spot is you’re camping RIGHT from the glassing area, and it’s a big open basin, so you really have to whisper all day long. The voice will carry through the whole basin and blow them out if you talk loudly.
If you don’t have any luck in that basin, or if there are other guys already camped in that spot (there aren’t many flat spots to camp), then keep going another mile or so by staying on the ridge tops and go to Grand Mountain at 43.859382, -115.422554. I’ve hiked over there but haven’t camped, so you’ll just have to search for a camp spot. That will put on you a spot where you can see into the next canyon over, and also back into the canyon you hunted the previous day, but you’ll be closer to the elk than the guys camped at the spot mentioned above, so you may get a more killable opportunity. Just be careful not to blow the spot out.
If that is a bust as well, just keep moving another mile around the ridge top of the same basin. There is a massive bedding area at 43.8562, -115.3969 that has been active for a long time and I’ve never seen any hunters over that way because the most direct way to hike up there has thick vegetation so most people don’t hike through it, and the way you would have come to it is long. My guess is you’d see lots of cows in there, but I’m not sure the bulls would hang out in there during this part of the season. Either way, it’s a good area to glass into the next basin. You’ll find a good glassing spot at 43.8608, -115.3964 and also 43.8608, -115.3964. There’s a nice little camp spot at 43.8544, -115.3963. From there, also glass over to 43.8509, -115.3824 where I’ve seen elk bedding during the day in the thick stuff.
At this point, you’re actually pretty close to a dirt road and a nice big camp spot below you at 43.8533, -115.3697. Honestly your best bet is to just hike down from the mountain to that spot and hitchhike back to your truck rather than hiking all the way back through three basins in tough terrain. It’s either a 6 mile walk/hitchike back to your camp along a very flat dirt road, or about the same mileage back along the rough ridge tops the way you came. I opted for going to the dirt road and finding a Good Samaritan headed the same way. The dirt road you’re at is pretty highly traveled.
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Appreciate all the advice I will 100% check that out. Also I’ve never seen someone respond so fast with that much to say lol my hats off to you.
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