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Joined: Jan 2010
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Thinking of doing a drop camp, anybody ever use either of these outfitters?

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I don't know of any outfitters on western side,as I do not hunt there.

I am familair with Tenderfoot prettty much, but I am a DYI'er.Steve Pike had it many years ago and then he sold it to Tom Evans who is a really great guy but now has a drinking porblem. The current owner Fred? has always treated me good down at the trail head where I camp,but two stories I am familair with is that one party at one of his drop camps told me they had to pack thier elk back down to thier camp before Tenderfoot would pack it out. Another instance some older fellows, 65+, had packed in and were not quite familair with how much work it was an over extended themselves. They ask me to help,but at the time I was having to take care of some emergencies myself and told them to ask Tenderfoot.They were told they got themselves in by themselves and they could get themselves out the same way.One of the fellows was injured.

Aside from the outfitter,I would seriosly question hunting 54 in 2013. Because of the drought, the elk had moved down to the Gunnison valley floor hayfields and would go back into the timber during the day. Most were on private land. This year is shaping up the same.

1St season Tenderfoot took very few bulls and 2nd season when I hunted they took 1 bull and 1 cow and the drop camps took none. I know this because I was at the trail head where they packed out the hunters and camps. I talked to several of the clients and Fred hinself.

This is no reflection on the outfitter because it was darn tough hunting.We took one cow for 6 hunters and I didn't see a hair in the whole 9 day season and I usually kill an elk every year.Luckily I also had a 2nd cow tag for ML season where I got one.

I'd be looking at another area


If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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THANKS. You actually helped with a little general 54 advice in 2010. I have managed 2 elk in 2 yrs there. Hunted w side last yr, was tough, did find a group of bulls and had guys open up on them from @1000 yds as we were sneakn in. Moved north and managed 3 cows for the 3 of us near keebler. I was hopin a drop would help get away from folks and maybe a better chance at a decent bull.

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Heard several reports that more cows were bing seen over near Keebler Pass.I could not get there from where I was at with out a 50-60 mile trip.

Last edited by saddlesore; 02/23/13.

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We connected on 1 bull, missed another, and jumped some cows and trailed a bull in 54 2nd this last year. We ALMOST were on their routine before the season ended, just didn't quite make it. After hunting at least the northern part of 54...I'd do it again, but I don't think I'd pay for a drop or a guide. We shot the bull 500 yards from a road in West Elk

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I wonder if I ran in to you on the S side 9talked to 3 guys with a suimilar story. I am not sure what to do. Had I been packed in, I couldn't have relocated and found animals this season. OTOH, maybe if I had been infurther, there wouldn't have been 3 guys shooting at the bulls I was sneaking up on from 1000+ yds away...I do like the opportunity for either a 4 pt bull or cow in this unit- has helped me get chances (a 4x2 bull one yr, a cow another)...

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I spent the whole 9 days way up north. Only guys I remember talking to where 2 guys in a "parking lot" off the road. One was an extremely avid mountain climber...said he'd done 40 something 14er's. Nice guys.

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I have. Good experience. Went after the muzzleloaders for archery in unit 54. Didnt kill but drew back a couple of times. Saw a couple of other hunters back in but there are established trail systems in there.

Regarding their integrity, they recomended that I save points for deer and not hunt there now as they are having a hard time finding shooters. They could have just taken my money and took me on a hunt. This speaks volumes IMO


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I've hunted unit 54 twenty-five times since 1978 and saddlesore is right. The elk have changed their patterns. I suppose that the drought is as good a reason as any other to explain why they have changed.

Last year and the year before, we packed in and setup a remote base camp seven miles from the trailhead, then did overnight spike camps from there. Both years we eventually decided that we were too far in. You might understand that we did not come to that decision easily since we had invested considerable time and effort to get gear and supplies that far from the road.

Both years we moved our remote base camp back closer to the road and that's where we got intio the elk. In 2011 my buddy got a cow. Last year three of us got three cows and one guy missed a shot at a bull. This year we will go in only about 3 1/2 miles.

I don't know anything about West Elk Outfitters.

Tenderfoot's camp is about six miles from the trailhead and they normally hunt North Castle Creek. I think that's too far and too high unless we have a wet summer. I suppose that Fred Stinson might seem like a nice guy if you are a high dollar customer. But if you are a DIY hunter in his neighborhood, he's not too friendly.

I'll go on my annual scouting expedition in late summer and take a look at the high basins at the base of the Baldys and through North Castle Creek. I'll see what the grasing looks like. If grasing is good the elk will stay up high. If it's not, they will move down to the hay fields. The location of the elk next fall will depend a lot on how much rain we get throughout the summer.

KC



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There were a lot of cattle down low that we rode thru getting back to swampy pass (drop camp). Everywhere that was wet and full of aspens had cattle. Do you find elk typicaly will hold with them?

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Elk will normally not hold with elk,but won't be far off.They seem to move back in an area fairly quick once the cows are gone.

KC,
Yep,Fred isn't too friendly. His staff is less so. His daughter is high nosed for sure.

Once I find out if I have tag or not,I plan to go in and take a big two man cross cut saw and cut a few logs on a trail that is pretty much closed north of Little Pass Creek, spend a day fising on Castle Creek and then pull out,go down to Mill Creek trail head and spend a day riding in from there.


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Originally Posted by saddlesore
Once I find out if I have tag or not,I plan to go in and take a big two man cross cut saw and cut a few logs on a trail that is pretty much closed north of Little Pass Creek, spend a day fising on Castle Creek and then pull out,go down to Mill Creek trail head and spend a day riding in from there.

Vince:

Let me know when and I'll tag along. I know how to operate the dumb end of a cross cut saw.

KC



Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.





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Originally Posted by Bill_in_MI
There were a lot of cattle down low that we rode thru getting back to swampy pass (drop camp). Everywhere that was wet and full of aspens had cattle. Do you find elk typicaly will hold with them?
Bill:

The grasing lease ends in mid-September. Any cattle in there after that were missed at the roundup.

I can't remember ever seeing cattle and elk hanging together. I've heard other people say they've seen it. But not me.

KC



Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.





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That old rancher was at the Swampy Pass trail head last year hunting strays.He had lost 7-8 head and that was pretty big wad of cash to swallow.He found them way over past Swampy Pass in Unit 53. Drove them down 8-9 miles.Tough old bird.

Cows are bad,sheep are worse.


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I have been off working for a while...Interesting comments some of you experienced folks have made (re; avoiding the GMU in 2013 or being in 2 far). One year I came in from a 2nd season blizzard, regrouped and found elk much closer to the road, next year, we regrouped and found elk in a different spot. I still have the idea of getting in farther (I guess farther usually =higher elevation as well, which I guess is the real issue). I suppose I should stop being a wimp and simply backpack in 8 miles (I guess I should get my knee fixed...) I am used to rough country in the mtns I hunt, but at 6k not 11k elevation! takes some time to adjust. I would hate to get dropped in and decide to come back out a long ways. The last few years I have hunted I have been affected by hunting pressure in somewhat extreme ways- had 3 bulls and cows run by, with the rear bull, a 3x3 bleeding- spoke with the hunter later about a huge bull he'd fired at and how he had to return to town for more ammo, last year had guys open up on the bulls we were stalking from 1000+ yds away. I expect to see others within a few miles of the road, but this sort of thing is tough to take... what to do what to do...

Last edited by JRK; 03/12/13.

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