Exo Journal — Elk Hunting

You have yourself an out-of-state elk tag and you cannot put boots on the ground until the hunt starts. What do you do? Here is the process I use to scout for out-of-state elk hunts...

I drew for a New Mexico archery elk tag in March 2015. It was my first elk tag. I worked my tail off in the gym, at the range, and in my garage bow shop, determined to hike into the mountains a predator. It took over 5 months of preparation and a full workweek of high-country hiking, with several tough lessons learned on the job to accomplish the goal...

I have spent six years hunting elk on public land. I have learned new lessons on every trip, brought home new experiences each time, and thankfully, I also tagged-out 4 of those years. I am far from an expert, but as a regular do-it-yourself guy, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned that could benefit other folks, like you, that are learning to hunt elk on public land.

I am not an expert when it comes to drawing elk tags, but you can bet that I will have at least a couple of elk tags in my pocket every fall. In this article, I am going to attempt to give you my approach to applying for and seeking out elk tags through draws and over-the-counter opportunities. I hope this information helps unfold some of the mysteries behind getting into the elk draw game, so that you can set yourself up with a long-term plan that works for you and your budget.