Rifle elk season starts in late October and continues for five weeks ending on Thanksgiving weekend. There really isn't a "better" week to hunt elk as there is with deer. The elk rut is over and elk movement is affected more by temperature than the calendar. Elk are massive and well insulated. Their activity slows in warm weather and increases in cold weather. If temperatures cooperate, bull elk do a lot of daytime feeding in late October and November.

We take most of our bulls below 5,000 foot elevation. Our elk are not migratory, but they change elevation and slope as the weather changes. During warm weather they tend to stay in the heavy timber on the east and North Slope. When the snow begins to accumulate, elk head toward the more open country of the west and south slope.

Our guests stay in modern cabins. We leave in 4x4's in the morning and travel between 15 minutes to 1 hour to reach our hunting areas. From there, we hunt on foot. We use a variety of hunting methods based on weather conditions and client adaptability. Weatherwise, it must be clear to spot and stalk, it must be quiet to still hunt, snow is needed to track hunt and colder weather is needed for stand hunting.

Client adaptability involves personality and physicality. If guests are aggressive in nature and fairly well conditioned, we tend to hunt with more aggressive tactics and use more energy. With patient personalities and older or less conditioned guests, we use more ambush along with spot and stalk and walk easier areas such as closed roads and Forest Service trails.

The shooting distances vary from point blank to the limit of the weapon and shooter. We recommend that you prepare for both close range off hand shooting and longer range shooting with a rest. We will not ask or expect you to shoot beyond your comfort zone.

Whitetail deer and mule deer share the same habitat with the elk. The seasons are all concurrent.

Rifle Elk Hunting: $4,000

Click here for Hunting Brochure!