Public Elk Hunting Opportunities by State
Explore DIY elk hunting access on public lands across the U.S. Use this guide to find top states, habitat types, and general tag info.
Home to the largest elk population in North America, Colorado offers OTC and limited draw tags. Access is excellent via national forests and BLM lands.
Montana offers general-season elk licenses for residents and many units for nonresidents. Huge expanses of national forest and backcountry access.
Idaho features both OTC and controlled hunts across rugged terrain. National forest and state lands provide prime elk habitat.
Mostly draw-only for nonresidents, but offers high elk success rates and large expanses of huntable public land.
Utah's trophy-quality elk units are mostly limited-entry. Some general hunts are available with high elevation access.
Hunt both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk with a mix of OTC and controlled tags. Public lands offer strong access opportunities.
Draw-only elk tags with high success in many units. BLM and national forest lands offer open terrain and great hunting access.
Known for giant bulls, Arizona’s elk tags are lottery-only. Northern zones offer public land access for experienced hunters.
All elk tags are awarded by draw. BLM and high desert habitats provide challenging but rewarding hunts.
Washington offers Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk hunts, with a mix of public land access and tag types by zone.
The premier eastern elk state with a successful reintroduction program. All tags are awarded via lottery for public and private lands.
Elk hunting is available through lottery draws. Public game lands and forests offer good access in central PA elk zones.
A small elk herd in northern Michigan is huntable via lottery. Public lands in elk zones are accessible but hunts are very limited.