Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Guided elk hunts

I just got done with a fully guided/outfitted hunt with my son in Wyoming. We hunted in the Washakie wilderness area (Unit 61) which required NR's to use a guide.

$10k/pp for 2x1 for 7-days. 23 horse pack train in and out. Saw elk, bear, sheep, antelope, moose and deer. Caught a bunch of cutthroat in the upper Greybull R. I shot a 7x6 and my son a 6x6 - both over 300".

Used Trails West Outfitters. You need lots a preference points - we had 15/16. I felt it was well worth it.

Hope to get a full post with pics here pretty soon. Still traveling back to AK

Congratulations on you and your son's hunt. This is the kind of information I'm looking for.
Thanks!

$9K to help someone check their trapline?
I've been doing things all wrong!

Congrats to you and your boy. Awesome. Saved the points and went and did it up right. Very cool

I've been on many do-it-yourself elk hunts (Colorado, New Mexico, and Idaho) and about ten guided ones (New Mexico and Colorado). If dressing out and hauling a bull off a public land mountain is something you enjoy, have at it. I certainly admire you and wish you the best. I've done it, too; it does give some sense of accomplishment you don't get with a guided hunt. But after going on private land guided hunts, I don't miss the do-it-yourself exhilaration. A good guided hunt can provide the same degree of euphoria, especially after shooting a nice 6x6. Your chances of scoring are often far better as well.

I haven't shopped around recently, but I would guess a pretty decent private land guided hunt could be had for around $10,000, your choice as to staying in a lodge or a tent. If you have the money handy, a guided private land hunt is well worth it, but check and double check on the outfitter. You want no surprises.

I would recommend contacting a hunting consultant like Hunt-Nation. Call and speak to one of their agents and get on their mailing list. They send out emails with a variety of hunts. You can get a feel for pricing and availability quickly and be assured that you're dealing with a reputable outfitter if you decide to book. I've booked several hunts thru them and haven't had any disappointments.

Some guys think there's added cost by using a consultant but their fee is typically deducted from the outfitters price.

Thanks guys.

Colorado ranching for wildlife is a good option for out of state hunters. There are different options available at different prices. They are all on private land, they have the license and are guided.
Have a great day.
Jim

Colorado or New Mexico private land hunts for a 300”+ bull will start about $12k these days. Can spend a lot more of a bit less depending on outfitter and what size bulls they typically take. The bigger the ranch and fewer the hunters will push the prices up.

I did the same hunt 2 years ago. Awesome experience! Sam, Austin, Mike and Orley were great at what they did. I could go back and just hang out at camp and have a ball. Congratulations on your hunt!

Mackey

If I didn’t like crowds I’d be looking at a private land elk hunt. There are private land hunts where you shoot them in an alfalfa field. But there are private land hunts where you’d think you were hunting a wilderness area. Complete with rough country, grizzlies, horses to ride etc. and lots of elk and some big bulls.

Some of the “deep backcountry wilderness” hunts are pretty crowded.

Same cast of characters plus Jake & Rod (Guides). Orly was a fantastic cook.

For around the same cost (~$12k) you could also hunt red stag in Argentina. The hunt will be around $8k for 7-8 days in Patagonia. Most outfitters will have different camps with different fitness levels needed. High mountains, tents, and horseback if you want. Low range, cabins, and trucks if you want that. Add another $2k for airfare and $1k in tips and you have an amazing trip.

From about 1992 to 2012 I hunted in the west or Canada almost every year. Elk, moose, caribou, goat, antelope, mule deer. I had about a 20 year run. In 2003 I booked an elk hunt in BC with Tuchodi river outfitters which some of you 60+ guys like me will recognize as Ross Peck's old hunting area. I actually booked the hunt with Ross and he sold the territory the year before I hunted it. I paid 7K for the hunt and 2k trophy fee for goat. A stone sheep hunt at the time was about 12-15K if I recall correctly. In 2024 that elk hunt will be 17.5k with a 10k trophy fee for goat or moose. The stone sheep hunt is 85K. The last guided elk hunt I did was in 2008 on a private land NM ranch with a landowner tag. Hunt was 7500 then not including license and travel expenses, etc., which seemed like a ridiculous price to pay at the time. 15K now. Killed a great bull and he still hangs in my den.

I'm glad I did it then because I am priced out of the market now.

Last 10 years or so I have been out off and on hunting mule deer, antelope and axis deer. Even that is getting expensive now.

I'm due to hit in SD soon again and that will be dyi hunting. Africa is still the best option for hunting. Pick the right place and mix some culls in. You can do a lot of shooting plus get great meals and hot showers every night. $7500 plus airfare can get you plenty of hunting.

[bleep] you! Do you even know what CHF is?