Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Wyoming, Colorado , Montana or ANY Campfire Members...get together ideas?

If there were a place that still had them, they charge $150 per gun per day. Unfortunately it will be a few years before the come back to shootable numbers.

I still wouldn't rule out Sheridan/Buffalo, WY area. One of the most beautiful places in WY with the Bighorns. You have Lake DeSmet and just across the border is Tongue River Reservoir that offers excellent fishing. On the back side of the Bighorns you have Bighorn Reservoir out of Lovell and the Pryor Wild Horse Range. Amazing scenery along the lake and on the wild horse range as well. Excellent trout fishing in the Bighorns and in the foothills. Unbelievable scenery.

For those of you that like to chase little white balls across the yard, there are some phenomenal golf courses.

Something a little different is there is a very active Polo scene which provides some very unique entertainment especially if you've never seen it before. A large contingent of Argentinians spend the summer there just for the polo.

There are some great museums and art galleries. Really good food and plenty of hotels some campgrounds and a gun range.

Take a look at these:
http://www.sheridanwyoming.org/gallery/mountains/
http://www.buffalowyoming.org/
http://www.city-sheridan-wy.com/index.php
http://www.buffalowyoming.org/photogallery.htm

I don't mean to denigrate Cody, but it is touristy and if even some of the tourists have invaded, it's beautiful and neat, but loses a lot of its Wyoming feel.

I have a friend/client just south of Kaycee, easy driving from Sheridan/Buffalo that might be an option to accommodate some dog hunting. I haven't been on the place since last spring so I don't know the condition of the towns. They are huge but I haven't heard if the plague has gotten any of them.

I could make an inquiry as to what might be possible as far as access. I know they do lease some dog hunting.

elkhunter:

Jacks Creek Crew Quarters seems like a perfect place; isolated and rustic but with some nice comfortable amenities for those who don't want to camp. It has lots of room for trailers/tents and campfire. It is in the mountains and looks a lot nicer than some of the other options. We won't be pestered by tourists. But there's no fishing or prairie dogs and we would have to setup some kind of temporary shooting facility.

KC

Jack Creek Crew Quarters.


The Jack Creek Crew Quarters is a large modern facility that is available for nightly rentals for $180 per night from June through October. This beautiful two-story log facility has a fully equipped double kitchen with propane ranges, refrigerators, and double sinks. There are bathrooms with showers on both levels. Two propane generators are available for the generation of electricity and water service at this facility. One generator is used at a time and typically electricity and lighting is provided several hours in the morning and in the evening typically have the generator off by 10 p.m. Since this is a remote facility we ask our guest to practice conservation in regards to both electricity and water usage. The five-bedroom facility will sleep 15 people in single and bunk beds and can be rented for fourteen consecutive nights. Heat is provided by propane. There are living areas on both floors. Picnic tables and a large charcoal grill make a wonderful setting for outdoor activities. This facility is great for family reunions and for a hunter�s

Attractions & Considerations
This beautiful area is a mixture of lodge pole pine, aspen and mixed conifer forest with fishing, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, horseback riding and hunting available in the general area. If you bring your own stock, saddle or pack animals may be kept in the meadow across the road from the Jack Creek Crew Quarters where ample feed and water are available. A rate of $1.00 per night per head of livestock will be charged. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is located west not far from the quarters. A variety of wildlife is located in the general vicinity including elk, deer, bear and moose.

Items that should be brought along include bedding/sleeping bag, food, dish soap and sponge, trash bags, paper towels, warm clothing, first aid kit, flashlight, towels and washcloths, personal hygiene items and other personal items. Basic cooking and eating utensils, plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups, and basic pots and pans are furnished. If you use these, they need to be cleaned and put up after use. Garbage service is provided.






Jack creek campground.




Directions
Campground is approximately 19 miles west of Saratoga, WY on County Road 500. Then approximately 8 more miles on NFSR 452. Follow the signs.

Attractions & Considerations
16 campsites with tables, fire rings, running water, trash pick-up, vault toilets, host on site. Maximum combined vehicle/trailer length is 22 feet.

Fishing in Jack Creek and McLain Creek. Hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Moose watching.

Dogs must be leashed in the campground.

This campground is closed to Saddle and Pack Stock


There are plenty of other camping site's near by.


Saratoga has lodging, resturaunts, free hot spring.

There are numerous places to set up a shooting range,

I agree with Dr. Howell. We need to get the decision process underway because places like the Jacks Creek Crew Quarters, the campground at Cody Range and large group camp sites in state parks will require early registration. Several places have been suggested and some seem to have multiple supporters. They include the following:

Glendo/Guernsey State Parks
Cody-Buffalo Bill State Park & Cody Range
Thermopolis-Hot Springs State Park
Sheridan/Buffalo-Tongue River Reservoir
Saratoga/Encampment-Jacks Creek Crew Quarters
I may have missed one or two places.

Keith: Since you started this thread, will you please coordinate the nominations/voting process?

Let's take a vote and choose a location so we can move on to choosing a date, then start getting things arranged.

KC

Fishing at or near Jack creek. great brookies in jack creek. tiger trout and cuts in high savery res. rainbows in Saratoga lake. the North plat river. and some monster Brookies somewhere close by that I will not name on the internet.

Sod rats- there are some off to the west, it is on the east side of the Red Desert. we can check with the local biolgist.

Also in the area.
http://www.saratogachamber.info/THINGS%20TO%20DO.htm

gotlost:

Looks like there's lots of fishing and maybe some pdogs too. Jacks Creek Crew Quarters and Jacks Creek Campground are sounding better. I've been to Saratago/Riverside/Encampment many times, once to attend a mountain man rendezvous in Encampment, but I've never visited the mountains to the West of Encampment. There are hot springs in Saratoga and a lake where an annual ice fishing contest is held.

Saratoga is rumored to be the landing place for some high rollers including Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. The Old Baldy Club (members only) might be the focus for this enclave of big money. You can often see expensive private jets parked at the tiny airport in Saratoga and there are several art galleries that are definitely not in the price range for locals.

But Saratoga still has a small town atmosphere and the people act nothing like the Aspen snob crowd. Riverside and Encampment are small villages that are just managing to make ends meet.

KC

Saratoga is what Jackson Hole was 50 years ago. You never know who you may run into in Saratoga.

Ok this is our opinion and our opinion only, so take it just for that. We originally started this thread to put together a meeting of Campfire members within driving distance for perhaps a lunch or BBQ. Due too the interest it grew into a weekend get together which we think is absolutely wonderful.

However, we never intended this to be more than a get together. There is no way we are going to be able to include and accomodate everyones desires, especially in a weekend. We were looking at a relaxing time where we could visit, get to know each other and perhaps fish or shoot if facilites allow.

Some of you have some great ideas about the Cody Winchester Show (neat but you better have several thousand $$ to buy anything there), visiting the Museum but that takes an entire weekend in itself to do. Fishing or shooting near Cody involves some travel time as in it is not next door. And then there is the tourist traffic to contend with.

For those of you who don't live here, the amenities at Glendo and Guernsey are not as you envision them to be. They are basic with no hookups and no central facility. You cannot shoot in the state park section, only out on the BuRec areas where they allow hunting. Also the influx of weekend "tourists" is very heavy.

The Forest Service facilites are far more amenable as far as camping, shooting, fishing and dealing with groups of people.

If you have a desire to incorporate some of the other amenities in WY into this weekend you may want to consider adding it on to the trip at the beginning or the end.

Saratoga comes the closest to offering everything members have mentioned they would like to do. We are not trying to force this area on you, but just offering our experience in dealing with the issues at hand.

elkhunter76 & gotlost

Like I said earlier, I am up for anywhere. Saratoga, WY looks like a great place... It would be easy for me to drive up there (3.5hrs) and check things out if no one is close. My family is still in GA and most of my weekends are WIDE open. Let me know what I need to do...

RH

I like the Saratoga idea
It has my vote.

So far we have 42 members showing interest. This breaks down as follows (if I didn't miss anyone and I am sure I did....my apologies)

CO - 12
MT - 13
WY - 12
UT/CA/TX/MN/? - 5

I'm convinced. I'll switch my vote to Jack Creek-Saratoga. I can be there any time in May or June.

Let's see if we can get others to vote.

KC

Before we vote, let's give it a couple of days to see if others are interested in attending.

Maybe I missed it, is there an RV park there where we are proposing to go in Saratoga?

Another vote for Saratoga, this should be more of a meet and greet as was Raton. Just my thoughts. Les

It looks like it's going to be about 5 hours from me anyway we cut it which is just fine with me. If the scheduling works out, count me IN. I already talked to the wife about it and we're going to try and schedule our work around it but we've put it on top priority.

jnyork:

There's a campground at Saratoga Lake with hookups.
http://www.wyomingtourism.org/overview/Town-of-Saratoga-Saratoga-Lake-Campground/4177

But if we decide on Saratoga, I hope the group is centered around Jack Creek Campground, Jack Creek Guard Station and Jack Creek Crew Quarters, located in the mountains to the West of Saratoga. I don't see anything about hookups but there are four RV pull-thru sites in the campground.

http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=1486

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campi...parkId=73892&topTabIndex=CampingSpot

http://www.recreation.gov/camping/J...parkId=73891&topTabIndex=CampingSpot

It just occurred to me that if we go to Jack Creek, we might want to reserve the crew quarters for two nights. If everyone pitches in, then we could all use the showers and toilets.

KC

I like the greet and meet idea as well rather than a full blown week long affair or some such.

Where's Saratoga? My boss talks about it and he's from Laramie. Is it near Laramie?