How to go elk hunting for $1500
If you’ve ever said, “I’d love to go elk hunting someday, but I just can’t afford it,” you’re not alone. I hear that quite often from people I run into and it makes me truly bummed. Elk hunting is one of the most exciting things I have ever done – and for someone to think it isn’t in the cards for them because of the cost is a shame. Not because elk hunting is cheap (it’s not), but because a lot of people are WAY off on how much (or little) it can actually cost!
So in this guide, we’re going to break it down step by step: how a normal Midwest whitetail hunter can realistically pull off an elk hunt for around $1,500—using the gear you already own, keeping the plan simple, and spending money where it matters.
Now of course, there’s a couple of caveats. If you’ve never hunted before and you own nothing—this isn’t your lane yet. Start smaller and build into an elk hunt.
The 3 Budget Buckets FOr an out-of-state hunt
Let’s set the table. When you zoom out, elk hunting costs land in three big buckets:
Tag + required licenses
Travel (gas, miles, vehicle setup)
Lodging (camping vs rentals)
And yes—you might be thinking I skipped food and gear. I did. Food costs money whether you’re elk hunting or at home watching football. And gear? You should treat most gear as a long-term asset, not a “one trip” cost… especially if it’s your first time out West. If you’re the type that only wants to go elk hunting one time (which honestly isn’t likely after your first trip 😉), I wouldn’t recommend buying a bunch of high-end gear. Either way, investing in gear should be a decision outside of a single hunt.
Bucket #1: Elk Tag Costs
Tag prices vary wildly, but here’s what this budget approach looks like with three example states:
Idaho: tag + required non-resident license lands around $837
Colorado: can be closer to $926 (tag + license)
New Mexico: can be around $613 (but harder to draw)
Montana: A general Elk tag alone is $1048, plus license fees and preference points.
Reality check: if you pick the expensive tag option, it squeezes your budget elsewhere—so you make it up with smarter travel + lodging decisions. If you live in North Dakota, Montana might be a solid choice, but if you live in Florida we might have to go with a different state.
If you’re trying draw an elk tag every year and turn this into an annual hunt, check out our Big Game Application Strategy article!
Bucket #2: Travel
Travel is unavoidable. But your cost per person can swing wildly depending on two choices:
Choice #1 — How many people are in the truck?
I’m a huge fan of four people on an elk hunt. It’s not just fun—it’s financial strategy. Four people means you’re splitting gas, and you’ve got more margin in the budget. Once you’re at elk camp, four hunters can easily split into groups of two and double the amount of scouting and intel gathering, which can significantly increase the odds you bring home some meat!
Choice #2 — What are you hauling out?
A trailer can cut your MPG in half, which doubles your gas bill. If you’re solo or with one buddy, skipping the trailer is often the move. If you’re going with a group of four, or especially if your plan relies on ATVs or a camper, you’re gonna be hauling. My truck averages roughly 18 mpg without a trailer, or 9 mpg with a trailer – that’s a pretty big difference.
We ran the math on traveling from Atlanta GA to Aspen CO (central Colorado) with $3 gas and it ends up at about $500 without a trailer or $1000 with the trailer.
A simple way to think about it
Solo + no trailer: travel might be ~$500
4 people + trailer: travel might be ~$1,000 total, but split four ways it’s ~$250/person
4 people + no trailer: even cheaper per person (if you can make the gear fit)
You don’t have to be perfect on the math—just understand the levers you can pull.
Bucket #3: Lodging
Lodging is where things start to get complicated – where you sleep is going to depend on a few factors – mainly the season you’re hunting and the potential weather, and your experience + camping gear. It’s possible to backpack hunt late rifle, but I want nothing to do with that option!
Option A — Base camp with what you already own
If you’ve done any amount of camping, hunting, or fishing trips, you probably already own a tent, sleeping bag, and enough “make it work” gear to survive September.
Keep it simple. You don’t need to turn your first elk hunt into a 10-mile backpack mission. I’m a huge fan of doing a base camp + day hunts on your first couple hunts, especially if you’re in a new unit.
Option B — The “truck mattress” approach (solo)
If you’re solo, sleeping in the truck with a backseat air mattress setup can be a clean, cheap way to do it—especially early season. If I am hunting solo, this is my go-to lodging solution with this back seat air mattress that fits in my F-150.
Option C — USFS cabin rentals
The U.S. Forest Service has cabins you can rent in some areas. Sometimes they’re dirt cheap compared to hotels, and splitting cost with a group makes it even better. Our last rifle elk hunt in Montana, we rented a cabin for five hunters at $25/night – even came with running water, a wood stove, and chopped wood!
What a $1,500 Elk Hunt Actually Looks Like
Here are a few realistic setups:
Example 1 — Idaho, solo, simple
Tag/licensing: ~$837
Gas (no trailer): ~$500
Total: ~$1,350
That leaves you margin for a small comfort upgrade or odds-and-ends and you’re still in the $1,500 neighborhood.
Example 2 — Colorado, two people, no trailer
Tag/licensing: ~$926
Gas split 2 ways: ~$250–$300 each
Total per person: ~$1,200-ish
Now you’ve got room for basic camp gaps if you need them.
Example 3 — Four people & A base camp
Four people splitting travel and lodging is the easiest way to make this work without feeling like you’re cutting corners. Even with a trailer, you’re likely going to end up in that $1200 range and still have plenty of room to upgrade a piece of gear here and there and stay right at $1500.
Don’t Let Gear Be the Reason You Never Go
This is the part that matters.
A lot of folks think elk hunting requires:
a $700 pack
$2,000 in clothes
premium boots
a full backpack setup
and a brand-new optics kit
Here’s the deal: you can go elk hunting like you hike a national park. You’ve done harder things in normal clothes than you realize. Start simpler, learn what actually matters, and upgrade later when you know what you want. While Mystery Ranch packs are amazing, it’s still possible to put an elk quarter over your shoulder for a half mile or so – another good reason to keep those first couple hunts closer to the trail head!
Curious what gear we bring to elk camp? Check out This podcast episode:
The “Hidden Costs” If (when) You Actually tag an elk
We talked about going elk hunting for $1,500. That doesn’t automatically mean killing one for $1,500.
Meat processing
If you’re not doing it yourself, processing can EASILY land around $300–$500 per person depending on what you ask for. This is the main reason I stopped bringing wild game in to the processors – I had a $400 bill from my share of a bull and a cow on our last rifle hunt. It doesn’t take many saved trips to the butcher to pay for a quality grinder and start doing your own processing!
Taxidermy
Shoulder mounts can be a budget killer. If you want a mount, don’t surprise your spouse with a $2000 proposal after being gone for 10 days and still smelling like elk camp. Have a plan. After a few of these conversations myself, we’ve started a Taxidermy sinking fund. We build it up to our goal and it sits untouched until we tag something we want to mount – that way the memory of a lifetime doesn’t come with stress and a money fight; it’s already saved and set aside for.
A practical compromise: DIY euro, or freeze the cape and do the shoulder mount later when you’ve saved for it.
The Easiest Way to Save for an elk hunt
$1,500 sounds big until you break it down.
If you set aside roughly $30/week, you’re basically there in a year. Still not in the cards? No worries – back it off to $10/week and go every three years. That’s still a dozen or more “Hunt of a Lifetime” trips!
Create a dedicated “outdoors” savings bucket and automate it. It removes the stress, and it keeps you from getting punched in the face financially when hunting season + holidays stack up. Figure out your plan and every week / month / paycheck have an automatic transfer set aside some cash to your Hunting Fund – after a few months you won’t even feel the difference.
Final Takeaways
If you want to do this without overcomplicating it:
Pick a state that matches your travel reality
Bring at least one buddy (four is ideal)
Avoid the trailer if you can
Base camp and hunt with what you already own
Don’t overhaul your diet for the trip
Have a plan for processing + taxidermy before you go
Are you serious about hunting out West every year? The best thing you can do is get your system dialed so you’re not missing deadlines and scrambling last minute. This is where GoHunt’s research tools can save you a ton of wasted time—especially when you’re comparing states, tag costs, and realistic options for your schedule. GoHunt Insider is what I use when I’m narrowing down units and building a plan I can actually execute.
The best part? GoHunt will give you $50 of gear shop credit when you sign up for GoHunt Insider with the code DRAWNWEST.