I've hunted elk with over the counter tags in Utah, Colorado and Idaho.  No, no elk, no luck.  We had great camps and great memories.  No one got hurt and this last year the weather was great ... for camping, temperatures were in the low nineties, with no rain!  Not to mention..snow.  We camped at 6800 feet. 
We prefer the over the counter, do it yourself kind of camp.  That's just part of the adventure.  I'd be willing to share a fire or do without.  I'd hunt for horns or a cow (she's better eating).  We can pretty much set up anywhere and handle most situations.  Point me in the direction or share camp, your choice. 
The last two years in different states, we never even saw an elk!  We saw deer, almost got run over by a moose, and antelope.  If you're willing to give up your ideas or secrets....I'm ready to listen, or better yet met you and spend time one on one.
Fuel costs from Michigan last year were over twelve hundred dollars.  It's not that we didn't spend the $$ to do this right, but from Michigan the scouting is a little difficult. 
Without having to hire a guide I'd appreciate ideas or information.
If you need incentives maybe these will help; I'm retired Air Force (attended the first Gulf War), currently a USPS Letter carrier, been a volunteer Fireman, trying to run a farm, great grandfather (still young at heart and walk five and a half hours-five days a week).  Thanks for any assistance.  Warren

FirstSasquatch, I live in Ohio and hunt the same place in Colorado when I go out. I have been out 8 times, two bow hunts, two rifle hunts for cows, and 4 rifle hunts for bulls. I have not killed anything bow hunting but did call in a big bull and missed a cow elk. I have killed two cows with rifle and two bulls with rifle. If you want me to give you some advice or information, please send me an email at hamklm2@sbcglobal.net

I live here in colorado and i know a great unit to go here with some really nice bulls... I'm not sure how long it would take a non resident to draw but when you do it will be well worth it... As far as scouting goes I got family that lives down there and if I or some one I know is wanting to go down there (lets say this year) I just call him up and let him know I'm coming down for whatever season and he goes out and looks for herds and just keeps an eye on them through the year and I try to go down a few times a year myself and see what all is down there and what my uncle has seen... Then come home and let whoever thats going down know what i seen and show them pictures if I get any... Unless your a bad shot you won't go home empty handed... Also with my uncle living down there he knows a lot of people and can get accsess to some areas where other hunters cant get to... So if either of you are interested in this feel free to email me at kccowboy17@yahoo.com or message me on here and we can talk more about it

kkolisch, I live in Ohio and hunt units 62 using OTC license or unit 61 using a landowner voucher. I have 12 pref. pts. but not nearly enough to draw a bull license for unit 61. I came with a group in 2012 and we each got a cow elk in unit 61 with landowner vouchers. My group is coming out again this year, 2013, using landowner vouchers for another cow hunt. I hope I live long enough to draw a bull license in unit 61; in 2012 the minimum number required was 15 pts. so I may never draw a license in unit 61. I did get a license in 2000 and my brother, son, and I each killed a nice bull in unit 61.

I hunted several years in Colorado bow and rifle with no success. In 2009 I and a buddy leased some land in New Mexico. Over the last 4 years we have killed elk, bear, and mule deer on the property. We offer DIY hunts on the property. Cost of the hunts pay for the lease. Hunting can be done off of ATVS so easy access for senior citizens like myself. Hunts are very reasonable compared to outfitted hunts in most of the west. No guarantees as hunting is hunting anywhere you go. Sometimes you need a little luck and sometimes you make it. Not looking to make a profit off you just need help to pay for the lease. If interested call me and we can talk. I live in WI. 715-501-9319.

Dang the unit i was talking about i think you need like 5 or 6 preference points to draw and it's a trophy unit

KKolisch, I have a dozen points.  Is it worth burning the extra six years I have been waiting to hunt that unit?

Yes it is my dad saw some really nice 6x6s and a big 7x8 this last year so you will have plenty of chances to see big bulls and take your pick

What are preference points?
Joe

Here is an explanation.

http://www.flipseekpubs.com/publica...n/?i=96188

Page 7

I did a number of DIY elk hunts in inner mountain west. Killed one spike bull. Went to "drop" camps. Four of us killed one supper whitetail and five bulls(biggest was a small 5x5) over three years in ID and one year in CO. Went to guided hunts primarily because of knees so I would have a horse----struck out in BC, klled a rag horn 5x5 and a 3x3 muley in MT. Then started trying AZ and NM with a guide. Hunted five times, four in NM. Took a 300's bull, two rag horns (both 4x4 on last day at dark of hunt) and a good bull with ML but lost him. Found three weeks later by guide scounting for bear but he didn't have hatchet. When he came back three days later to chop out my 330's horns, they were gone. Once in AZ, draw tuff----a quite decent 360's.
Not saying anything but spending money year after year and getting nothing could lead to a different strategy. Buddy and six friends took seven elk, two bulls, on one of them landowner mgmt hunts in CO last year.....that is probably cheapest option to kill.

I'm telling ya try www.cowboycampoutfitter.com here in colorado you can get some really nice bulls and mulies and its not supet expensive

Yooper if you wanna spend your points Id be happy to take you to that unit i was talking about earlier

This may sound like I'm bragging.  Before we came to Texas. (wifes job) I got a life time hunting license in Arizona.  When I draw for elk.  I've got family and friends that I hunt with that do most of the scouting before I get there.

central utah has some good places to hunt that are over the counter tags there is one unit that has been a draw this they're opening it to an over the counter unit it has some nice bulls on it

 

Yooper i was looking around on the divison of wildlife website for here in colorado and if you wantind to burn those 12 pp you have just enough to draw for that unit here

Dang BigRig, forgot you moved to Tejas!
Where are you? Flew into San Anotone and hunted around Uvalde a few months ago....

Warren
Elk are easy, if (1) you're in good physical condition, and (2) you have the the time to hunt them? Elk inhabit some of the easest and some of the toughest country you can find anywhere. Most Elk hunter are road hunters. Drive the roads, look for elk, figure out how to get close to them, maybe (run up a short hill) and shoot one. Not my kind of hunting.
(1) Most successful Elk hunters avoid the crouds, avoid the roads, and hunt the timber. I have a friend that has taken an elk every year for the past 7 years. Every morning he parks his truck and heads up the mountain. He takes his lunch with him, not planning on being back to a road before dark. If you want to kill an Elk, you have to, WANT TO KILL AN ELK! Your probally going to push yorself harder than you've ever hunted before. You'll cover more ground in a day than you've ever coverd before. Not to say you don't push, just sayin that even at 59 when I get into them and find I need to be 200 yards to my right, I run 200 yards. Best advice I can give to anyone wanting to hunt Elk that doesn't have the oppertunity to climb around where Elk climb around, is climb the local High School bleachers. Double step them if you can.
(2) Many times I, or someone in camp has taken Elk in the first couple of days of the opener. More often, many of us have taged out, two weeks later, at the emd of the season. For a DIY hunt, I think anything less than 2 weeks might be a waste of your time and $. The more time you can spend in an area, the better your chances of bringing home meat! I do belive that if you have someone that can scout the area, spend time in the Elk areas, or if you can do the scouting yourself, it will greatly improve your odds off taking an Elk! I have found that I've taken more Elk on Thursdays than any other day of the week. I,d plan a DIY elk hunt to scout/hunt Sunday -Wednesday. Hunt Wednesday thru Sunday.

Two weeks of that should have meat in the Fridge, or I'd find an other area to hunt and maybe some else to hunt with!

JMO
Dean
H2O Elkaholic