Limited Opportunity Elk - WHY??

[azowl]

It would be cheaper if we just went to the store and bought meat! Back in 2004 I had tired of not getting drawn and applied for a limited opportunity elk tag in Unit 2 with my buddy. On the 3rd day having yet to find even old sign, he said "I'm starting to understand what they mean by 'limited opportunity'". I had to crack up. Just got back from Alamo last month for the second time in two years and still elkless. I'm encouraged by what I learned about them this year and trying to figure out how to get at them next time. But my wife wants to know why I try such difficult hunts. She tells me 'you always get one with a rifle in your usual area, why go on these hunts where there's almost no chance?' I tell her that I haven't been drawn in 6 years now, I have to hunt. If it was the kill, I could go conk them on the head at a slaughterhouse but its the hunt I crave. About the time you think you have it figured out you always learn something new (usually at the expense of a filled tag) and it keeps you humble. I learn more on these hunts than on ones where I quickly fill my tag. I don't think I've ever had a year where I didn't have more unfilled tags than used ones (lion, bear, otc elk, otc javelina, etc, etc). I've found I love the challenge and the perks like seeing things in nature that others may never see, and get just enough success to make me think I figuring it out. I'm grateful that she puts up with it. It does help that she loves the meat!

 

Why do you guys do it?

[lancetkenyon]

I tell her that I haven't been drawn in 6 years now

 

Like pouring salt in my wounds, do you? 6 years, must be nice.

[elkhunter]

Some huge elk has came out of the LE hunts, its hard but can be done, kinda like a coues hunt!

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Why do you guys do it?

 

Because the spirits have sent me a message that is why I was put on earth for a short stay!

[Zeke-BE]

Its called "hunting" not bagging out. Hunting is a way of life of enjoyment and being with family and the outdoors. Bagging out is a bonus! Shooting a bull or buck is a double bonus!! Shooting a trophy, well you get the picture!

[COA]

because the draw is sketchy and some peeps wouldnt get a tag if it werent for these trash hunts

[COA]

Ive done 2 and my wife told me to knock it off and go hunt out of state dall sheep or moose. I didnt argue with her.

[reezenhunter]

My border patrol uncle gets one every year..... He tracks and tracks and tracks...

[trphyhntr]

Its called "hunting" not bagging out. Hunting is a way of life of enjoyment and being with family and the outdoors. Bagging out is a bonus! Shooting a bull or buck is a double bonus!! Shooting a trophy, well you get the picture!

Yeah that's sounds good on paper, till your 3 days into a garbage hunt and ready to go home

[mattys281]

I've only ever drawn 2 elk tags in this state and am currently sitting on 6 points. It gets pretty tiresome, no doubt about it. The last couple years I started going on out of state hunts instead of burning valuable vacation days on crap limited-op hunts here in az. Had a great time in Nebraska in 2015 and was able to tag out, and got skunked up in Colorado in 2016, but was able to hunt in beautiful country and still had a great time.

 

If I don't draw anything good this year I'll either head back to Nebraska or maybe over to northern cali to try for a blacktail deer. The draw isn't getting me down anymore.

[PRDATR]

 

Its called "hunting" not bagging out. Hunting is a way of life of enjoyment and being with family and the outdoors. Bagging out is a bonus! Shooting a bull or buck is a double bonus!! Shooting a trophy, well you get the picture!

Yeah that's sounds good on paper, till your 3 days into a garbage hunt and ready to go home

 

 

Never figured you for a quitter.

[trphyhntr]

 

 

 

Its called "hunting" not bagging out. Hunting is a way of life of enjoyment and being with family and the outdoors. Bagging out is a bonus! Shooting a bull or buck is a double bonus!! Shooting a trophy, well you get the picture!

Yeah that's sounds good on paper, till your 3 days into a garbage hunt and ready to go home

Never figured you for a quitter.

Haha, no I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

I was looking at those unit 2 elk hunts last year. But didnt have the huevos

[Heat]

I live to hunt and hunt to live. I like big critters as much as the next guy but I like a full freezer and wild game on my table even better!

[300RUM]

I didn't apply for it but I drew a "limited opportunity" elk hunt once. It was when you could not apply online for a couple of years a while back, you had to mail in an app. When we checked the draw results we had a hunt we had not applied for. It was a bull tag so no reason to complain, right? The tag was archery 4B at the end of November, after archery, muzzloader and general seasons. I would get up in the morning in the 15 degree weather and put my canned peaches on the stove to thaw them out so I could eat them. Then, all bundled up, I would head out looking for elk wondering how I would ever draw my bow with all those clothes on. The elk , after being chased and shot by all the previous hunters, were so spooked brushing a blade of grass sent them running. The hunt was not considered to be limited opportunity but It sure seemed like it.

[pyle762]

I have hunted limited opportunity elk twice. Here is a 2B bull I killed on an any elk tag in 2007. I burned 7 points on that tag. I got tired of not getting drawn.

 

 

The second hunt was an archery hunt and I was on elk everyday, just couldn't connect. We saw some really good bulls too but they liked the private property side better than ours.

 

I've had decent luck on them, but they are a lot harder hunts.

 

This year my older kids all got put in for the Peaks LO hunt. They don't want to hunt cows anymore, and hunting elk in Nov sucks. I would take a sub-par rut tag over a decent area Nov bull tag any day of the week.