Elk & Mule Deer Hunt Combo

[careybirdwell]

I'm in the beginning stages on planning for a 2023 hunt. I see in Idaho, that getting a Elk & Deer Combo hunt. It isn't really all that more money. In reality, can someone really do both in 5 days of hunting, or isn't it really more like, if you hunting for elk and see a deer, you would be able to shoot it. I don't want the deer hunt to take away from the elk hunt, I guess that is what I'm trying to ask

Thanks

[RutnBuk]

Me personally I would get the combo. And yes it will be tough if you kill both of them.

[ByronB]

I did one of those once......very long ago in Utah. I saw more Elk so I chased them for days. I saw a bunch of Mule Deer doe that we could not shoot. No opps at bucks. I think it would be fun either way. If you are gun hunting it may be easier to take the combo.

[Trumpkin]

Counting on buying a tag in Idaho is ambitious. Their OTC units sell out in a flash. I don't know if they have non resident draw tags or not. But killing a deer and an elk in 5 days is even more ambitious! That said, lots of elk hunts have been ruined by a nice buck walking through and distracting the hunter.

[Slick8]

I would approach it as an opportunity situation as you mentioned.

If you see one you like then shoot it.

It seems in many places good elk and mule deer country don't always overlap. If you're in great elk country it's not usually great muley and the other way as well. If that holds true on most places then one animal will typically be a bonus animal.

Additionally if your primary goal is one and the other walks out then you're now loosing time while you process the kill. Depending on where you're at that could take all day or late into the night. With many hunts being 5 days you have to put some thought into it. It sounds like these would both be otc tags but if drawn you would want to put value on that drawn tag as well. A value in this case measured in time.

Here's an example that's likely a rare situation. On my NM rifle elk hunt this past year I saw a solid 5x5 muley likely into the 170s. A large deer and trophy for the area on the opening morning. He was 4 miles back and 800 feet down in a canyon. If I had both tags on me that would have become a 4 day elk hunt at that point.

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[careybirdwell]

I would approach it as an opportunity situation as you mentioned.

If you see one you like the shoot it.

It seems in many places good elk and mule deer country don't always overlap. If you're in great elk country it's not usually great muley and the other way as well. Is that holds true on most places then one animal will typically be a bonus animal.

Additionally if your primary goal is one and the other walks out then you're now loosing time while you process the kill. Depending on where you're at that could take all day or late into the night.

Here's an example that's likely a rare situation. On my NM rifle elk hunt this past year I saw a solid 5x5 muley likely into the 170s. A large deer and trophy for the area on the opening morning. He was 4 miles back and 800 feet down in a canyon. If I had both tags on me that would have become a 4 day elk hunt at that point.

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That is what I'm thinking

[Slick8]

One other thought is this. If one or both are OTC then you have a second tag in your pocket if you get lucky and tag out on the primary target early.

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[RUNNING BEAR]

I’ve done elk and mule deer tags is CO on same hunt. While elk hunting saw a mule deer so I was able to take him. No elk for me that year. Sure glad I had a mule deer tag in my pocket.

[unclefish]

I did it one year on a 7 day hunt in CO. Doing it in 5 days would be like winning the Powerball.

Killed a nice velvet Muley on day 3 at 23 yards at a water hole. Found a bull on day 5 and killed him the next evening on day 6. Took most of the next day getting him back to camp.

I bought both tags not expecting to have a chance at both....I would have been content with either one. But if you have a chance at either then heck yeah buy both tags....knowing you will likely only have a chance at one.

[MadHatter]

I do it every other yr in CO, sometimes back to back yrs if I'm lucky.
Standard procedure for me, and I've filled both tags on several occasions.
If I cared about bear, I would add that one to, as we see them every year.
Some yrs I have a Cow, Bull, and Mule Deer in my pocket.
I see no negatives.

[Drycreek3189]

I would do it only if you would be satisfied with one or the other, you’re not likely to get both in five days. If so, by all means do it, a muley in the freezer is worth any amount of elk still on the mountain, and vice versa. Good luck !

[WItoTX]

Counting on buying a tag in Idaho is ambitious. Their OTC units sell out in a flash. I don't know if they have non resident draw tags or not. But killing a deer and an elk in 5 days is even more ambitious! That said, lots of elk hunts have been ruined by a nice buck walking through and distracting the hunter.

The last two years they did. Prior ot that, you usually could snag a tag until after the CO draw in the less desirable units. I think it's more to do with Covid than anything.

I would approach it as an opportunity situation as you mentioned.

If you see one you like then shoot it.

It seems in many places good elk and mule deer country don't always overlap. If you're in great elk country it's not usually great muley and the other way as well. If that holds true on most places then one animal will typically be a bonus animal.

Additionally if your primary goal is one and the other walks out then you're now loosing time while you process the kill. Depending on where you're at that could take all day or late into the night. With many hunts being 5 days you have to put some thought into it. It sounds like these would both be otc tags but if drawn you would want to put value on that drawn tag as well. A value in this case measured in time.

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This right here.