Elk are one of the most desirable game animals in the U.S. People travel hundreds of miles and invest thousands of dollars just to get the opportunity to shoot one of these 700 pound trophies. There are several types of elk in the U.S., mostly located in the western states near the Rocky Mountains. Hunting elk for most people is the hunt of a life time and with any luck, this list will help narrow down the list of where to go to get that shot.
Colorado
Colorado grabs the top spot for high marks in all of our metrics. If you want to ensure you have the possibility to get an elk, head to Colorado. You won’t have a much better opportunity anywhere else. With a population of elk over half a million, Colorado has the largest concentration of elk anywhere.
Wyoming
While Wyoming might not have the largest amount of elk, it offers more chances which raises it to the number two place. Hunting in the passes of the Rocky Mountains is one of the most outstanding hunting worldwide. Any kind of hunt here will certainly be the hunt of a lifetime. With a population of just around 90,000 elk, Wyoming comes in at the mid-range in sheer number of elk.
Montana
Montana integrates two variables that make it a terrific elk state. First is the outstanding landscapes. For many people, this might be the outright finest environment to find and take a good shot at a prize elk. Montana has been mainly overlooked by elk hunters.
Idaho
Idaho is the fastest growing state for elk hunting and provides a good experience with sufficient possibility. In the past, wildfires and wolves had annihilated the population of elk but they have since made a solid resurgence. At the middle of this list, Idaho is still a solid choice. Elk populations are somewhere in the range of 100,000 to 150,000.
Arizona
The farthest southern state for elk hunting has actually been a long time choice for the majority of hunters yet it is much from perfect. For all the great hunting this state supplies, it has a couple of bad metrics that kill its ranking on this list. Specifically is the trouble of obtaining a tag from the state.
Oregon
With 2 different elk varieties, Oregon stands in a league all its very own. No other state on this list supplies the opportunity to bag a Roosevelt elk. They still have the larger Rocky Mountain type too and you can take either with a tag. Populaces are someplace between 100,000 to 140,000 split between both types. Oregon has a lot of elk with possibly one of the biggest herds in the United States.
New Mexico
This isn’t a state that lots of people think about when going on an elk hunt. The elk population isn’t as high and the herds have a tendency to be rather thin. It might not be optimal for a casual hunter but New Mexico has some strengths. With only 68,000 elk, the populaces are lower in New Mexico than many.