Where to Cow Elk hunt in 2025

[KYAggie]

I’m looking for suggestions on where to hunt cow elk this October, I should be off the entire month. I would go for bull, but I don’t have a place to hang the head so I’m just after the meat and hide. I hunted elk in Idaho unit 29 three times between 1998-2003 and was successful each time; these were solo back pack rifle hunts. Despite being a Kentucky resident since 2005, I have an Idaho lifetime hunting license I bought when I lived there years ago, but I’m not limiting my search to just Idaho. I could put in for a controlled hunt tag for cow in unit 29, but they only gave out 35 of them in 2024, there used to be over 100, and that hunt is in November and my vacation is in October, so it’s a no go. There are some October cow hunts in other areas, like Hells Canyon, but it’s farther to drive and would require a guide as it’s almost all private land.

I’m willing to hire a guide if need be. Some of the cow hunts on bookyourhunt.com and worldwidetrophyadventurs.com are on private land which is very temping. Also, Jokerswildoutdoors.com has a cow hunt on both private a public land.

Have any of you ever booked a hunt using the above websites? If so, would you do it again?

I could also try for a bull tag in unit 29 as they gave out 180 of them last year. Heck, three of my dear heads are hanging in Monnik Beer Company in Louisville, maybe they could hang a bull if I got one .

I’m open to any and all suggestions. I’m still in decent enough shape to backpack hunt.

 

[232593]

Try to find a region with the LEAST amount of wolves. I don’t think AZ has a lot of them..yet.

 

[KYAggie]

Yeah, the wolves have certainly changed things since I was last out west hunting. I’m guessing they have something to do with the change in the numbers of tags in certain areas. If I end up in Idaho, I’ll buy a wolf tag too just in case I get a shot at one, from what I’ve heard, they are not that easy to hunt despite their large numbers.

 

[DeftSystems]

Consider New Mexico. I went out there Oct '23 for a black bear hunt, and had to dodge elk every morning on the way in. This was out west close to the AZ line, but there are opportunities in the northern third or so of the state. Beautiful country.

 

[db2000]

Supposedly Pagosa Springs and for sure Grand Mesa, Unit 42. I’ve hunted there personally and harvested several elk myself and with buddies. Lots of mulies too. You can fly into Grand Junction or drive.

 

[KYAggie]

I put in for a code tag in Wyoming unit 7. Because of where I work, I can’t get any time off from the middle of November to the end of December, so I’ll have to back pack in the middle of October and see if I can find them up high on public land. The only problem out there is that there’s a lot of private land and some of the public land is not even accessible because it’s cut off by privately land. Some of it you can corner cross into, but it’s still questionable if that’s even legal. I’ll have to be careful while trying to figure out how to get away from the road hunters. It’s not going to be easy.