Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting CO Drop camp recommendations (elk)

Just starting to plan an elk hunt for fall 2018. Probably 4-6 guys with no elk experience, but we are generally able to take care of ourselves in the outdoors.

I'm looking for an outfitter who will assist with licenses/tags, set up a camp, point us in the right direction, then pretty much leave us alone. We want to kill, but also appreciate a backcountry experience that we can't get back home.

It looks like there are plenty of outfitters offering this type of hunt, but would like some recommendations. My main concern is finding someone who will make an honest effort to put us in the right place at the right time, and generally knows what they are doing.

Thinking CO or NM to cut down on driving time from LA.
I'd really appreciate any advice/experience y'all can give.

thanks,
mdv

J Bar H outfitters out of meeker CO. Operating in Unit 12 Jeanne Horne, owner, operator.

Great camps with good equipment, very experienced and courteous staff.Camps are spread out and success rates on bulls is high

Very competitive prices

They pack you and your personal gear in and check every few days to pack meat out and there is a walk in cooler for meat at the base camp.

Hurry though has she is already booked for 2017 and taking bookings for 2018. Most of her clients are repeats

Thanks for the quick reply

If you go ahead and get registered with Jeanne, J Bar H, sometimes she gets a cancellation and she will call you. Also, sometimes she will open another camp if you have four hunters ready. Right now she has three drop camps opens for 2018. If you register for 2018 and tell her you would like to hunt this year as well, she may be able to help you. Very nice lady as well.

Wilson Mesa,Horse Park or Salt Park are the better ones,although all produce elk

Looks like J Bar H would stretch the budget a little too far--anyone else out there with a good reputation?

I doubt you will find anyone with better prices.If so I would advise checking them out thoroughly. I know this lady personally and she is the real deal.

Not to belabor the point, but so far, i've just been googling drop camps, and it looks like most guys are around $1800, which puts me right at the edge of my budget.

I would go with Jeanne just based on what I've read here, but she's $2500--that's enough of a difference to make me keep looking.

anybody heard of these guys?
http://www.tenderfoot-outfitters.com/dropcamp.htm

I'm sorry, but if you are traveling and so on, for an out of state elk hunt, if 700 extra breaks someones budget, then you really probably should save anotehr year and do it right.

If my budget was that tight, and trust me it has been, I'd just as soon drive over to the edge of a wilderness area and strap on a pack and start walking.... and use the 1800 to 2500 for other things.

BTDT on both sides.

Thanks for the help guys

Tenderfoot Outfitters has a base camp in Colorado Unit 54 on a gentle ridge just north of the confluence of Castle Creek and South Castle Creek. Fred Stinson is the owner. I have never used the services of an outfitter but I have hunted unit 54 since 1978 and I have been to Tenderfoot's base camp, observed activities in camp, and met Fred several times in the field. Fred Stinson is courteous but pretty dictatorial with his staff and to some extent the same with clients. They're gear (camp, tack, etc.) is first rate. They have well trained horses and the guides have been with the outfit for many years. I've also seen a couple of their drop camps. They are well placed and also have good quality gear. They have a concessions to hunt on public land. I don't think they have access to private land but I'm just guessing about that.

The elk population in unit 54 has declined in recent years and the CO P&W now lists the elk herd in that unit as "at management objectives". The elk in the Castle Creek drainage now spend most of the Fall on the Castleton Ranch and the Rock House Ranch, out of the reach of public land hunters, and therefore out of reach of Tenderfoot Outfitters.

I have hunted unit 54 twenty-five times since 1978 and I know the area as good as anyone. I've given up on hunting elk in unit 54 and now I hunt elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't pay for a high dollar elk hunt outfitter in that area.

KC

Good and bad things. I hunt the same local in rifle season and use the trail head that Fred Stinson operates out of.Several other DIY'ers have had run ins with him , but I get along OK by no straying into his hunting area.

A few of his drop camp clients have complained that his staff would not pack their elk out from the kill site and they had to get it back to their camp first.

I guess the worse thing is ( and thru no fault of Tenderfoot) is the elk herds in that eastern part of Unit 54 head down to the Ohio Creek Valley floor to private land pretty quick when any shooting starts.Tenderfoot has not had a very good success rate the last few years because of it.Two years ago,I think they killed three or four elk in all the combined seasons.Last year they took a few more, but certainly not over 30%.
Same as KC I should have went elsewhere in 2016,bu tdidn't, and I didn't see one elk

As for J Bar H, once you have experienced her hunts, see her camp locations , her success rate in kills ( Usually 100% in ML season) in all seasons you will think that $700 is worth it.

She is a member of the CPW Commision, and has been voted outfitter of the year.You don't get that being shabby . I don't use her service, but camp close to her base operations in ML season. She treats non-clients just as well as clients. I talk to a lot of her clients during the season and in 7-8 years have never heard one complaint.Her calendar fills up fast because she has so many repeats that they book the following year at the end of their hunt.

With no elk experience of anyone of you, I would save more money and go with a full guided hunt. With drop camp,you will have to figure out where the elk are or went. If you stumble into them and spook them, they are more than likely to head to the next drainage out of your walk-able area unless you are in super physical shape.

In a guided hunt someone is there that knows the area, and knows how to hunt elk.In addition,fully guided hunts usually are permitted to have horses in camp,which makes your huntable area a 8-10 mile radius.

I have helped quite a few first timers,and I am only trying to keep you from having an expensive camping trip. Probably anyone on this forum that recomends an outfitter is on the up and up.I'd sure take those recomendations over any Google search.

Good info. Please keep it coming. Maybe I can find that $700.

Any Idaho or NM recommendations?

In 30 plus years of guiding and hunting elk, My conclusion is drop camps are waste of time and money. Save your money and go with a good outfitter that provides all the services. Most good outfitters want nothing to do with drop camps especially Wyoming and Montana.

That's not good news.

I don't want to hunt with a guide.

mdv, I have hunted with Jeanne six times and can assure you that she is outstanding. As Saddlesore said, she has some great drop camps. Unfortunately those go fast, with the exception of Salt Park. That is a long ride and if you get heavy snow it would be longer. (4 hours +)However, it is a great drop camp. The guys that got it last year are regulars and go there often. They all got one and two got doubles.She is worth the extra $700. All you have to do look at her repeat business to know what we are all telling you is honest and we are truly trying to help you have the best experience you can. You will not be sorry you spent the extra money. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.

Stupid answer.

Just 700$? multiplied by 4 just for starters.

If he's not willing to pay that much what's another year matter?

He wants to go on a Dropcamp type hunt,

After about a 10 drop camps, I'd say no "elk experience" means little.

There's over a dozen Elk racks, and countless memories in this area from "wasted" drop camps.

Sorry but I disagree with you a lot.