If you pm Rock on here, he can probably set you up to hunt next year in Area 26. I've hunted this ranch three times and killed twice. The last time we had bad weather, but I still had an opportunity, just didn't make the best of it. (Wish I had that do over). Permanent blinds over water, and lots of goats. The biggest goats don't live in Eastern Wyoming, but you're looking to get your feet wet, and that's my advice. Someone who is familiar with Co. or Montana might have something different. Good luck !
Me personally i would look at diy for antelope, mulies as well as elk. Your only expense is gas and tags. Camp or sleep in your truck will keep the lodging expense cheap. When it comes to food you have to eat whether your hunting or not.
That way you can be saving your money from day one for your guided adventure. In the mean time your gaining hunting experience as you go.
It intimidates guys until the try it. You don't have to be 6 miles in and in most places if you do go 6 miles in, you are seeing guys that only hiked in 3 miles from the other side.
Most elk are killed by guys who started that morning from a road and didn't hike 3 miles
You can do a cow hunt from Iowa for around $1100.00 in license, gas and some misc.expenses. An either sex would be about $160.00 more. You would also have some experience in the elk woods for when that dream hunt happens. It would be a great test run for boots, packs, clothing, etc and you might just kill one and spend all that dream hunt money coming out DIY for 5 more years.
MT/WY
I lived in NE Iowa a long time. Deer hunting is good but I always dreamt of chasing other animals. Now that I don't live there anymore I kind of miss late October deer hunting.
I understand everyone is different, and we do or want to do things different. But I want to tell you a quick story.
I've dreamed of hunting pretty much every animal ever since I was a little kid. I always figured I would do a big guided elk hunt. I wanted a BIG elk, and didn't want to go 10 times without killing anything.
So I always resisted the idea of a DIY hunt. Well, a buddy talked me into one finally, and in 2009 I went on my first western elk hunting trip. Killed a nice little 5x5, and loved it. I'm about to leave on my 7th DIY elk hunt. I've killed 3 bulls (the biggest about 280 inches). I've missed a genuine 370+ bull. I've chased bulls in the 330-350 class, unsuccessfully. I've lost a slightly wounded bull.
I've had a dang ball. To be honest, if I'd waited to go guided, I would probably still be waiting to do my first elk hunt.
Just a little food for thought. DIY is really not all that bad once you've done it once. Do it once, and you'll never look back.
And like others have said, you don't have to "keep hammerin'" until you're 5+ miles in. Of the 7 elk kills I've been a part of, 4 of them have been less than 3/4 mile from the truck. The other 3 have been farther, but very doable to pack out
I am biased, and I will repeat what others have said. If elk hunt is on list, somewhere in life that is where my preferences lie. Similar to Bake's comments, just do it.
I went on a "once in a lifetime" elk hunt in 1998 DIY. (At least that is what I told my wife and I thought it would be!) Most expensive thing was tag. I used most of my WT gear and a few camping items from high school. Although I did not kill an elk, the country in which they live and the animal grabbed me like no other. This fall, I am going on my 9th "once in a lifetime" elk hunt. (All DIY).