Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Guided Elk hunt questions.

I'll try to keep this as short as possible. I want to plan an Elk hunt for the 2011 fall- 2012 winter time line. I am looking for a few suggestions and estimations from the experienced elk hunters.

I'll list what I am and then what I am looking for and maybe you fellas can point me in the right direction.

I am: Young (28) in good physical shape typical Southeastern whitetail deer hunter. I am used to hunting hardwood creek bottoms via stalk or from climbing stands or the occassional tower bind over a food plot. I shoot an 06 and am comfortable out to 300yds but take 95 percent of my game under 100. I am comfortable on horsecack but no cowboy by any means.

I am looking for: a guided hunt where I drive/fly in and meet up with the guide and then he gets me into camp via horseback or vehicle. I would like the expiernce of staying in a wall tent up to a week and hunting from that base camp. I would like to be guided but not babied. I know enough to know that I know jack about western hunting, but on the same hand I am not an idiot or a new hunter. I want to participate in the field dressing and packing out but not be on my own doing it. A cow or bull it doesn't matter to me, I just want a good chance at some fine elk meat! I had some a few years back and haven't forgot it! I don't want a elk tied to a tree but a good success ratio is important.

Ok with all that said what state would you point me to, any outfitter in particular, and what kind of ballpark figure am I looking at $$ wise.

Thanks guys, that wasn't short at all

Try these guys: beaverheadoutdoors.com in NM.

100% success on cow elk hunts and reasonably priced. Great outfit, great guides, great hunting. Application for license deadline is the first week of April.

I have hunted elk with them 4 times and would recommend them highly. Tell them Randy sent you. Good luck

Unless you want private land ranch hunt you are probably looking at 4-6k. If all you really want is an elk a cow would be a lot cheaper and maybe a higher chance of success.

Being in great shape will help, especially since you'll probably be at least several thousand feet higher than your home. I've seen lots of guys from the east/south who came out west thinking the were in shape and good to go with the horses too. Getting around out west is entirely different so prepare yourself for a little learning curve. But sounds like you know that.

'06 will be perfect.

If you must go in 2011 you might want to look at the states where you don't have to count on drawing a tag, like you would here in Wyoming. But again a cow would make getting a tag cheaper and easier too.

Practice, practice, and then practice until you are confident you can hit a 12' circle at 300 yards in low light off sticks. A lot of guys shoot the'06. Bring good glass, both on your rifle and around your neck.

Damn I wish I'd had the bucks to go elk hunting when I was your age. Now I can barely fork my Harley.

ENJOY IT

All the western states have great elk. In Utah I would choose High Top Outfitters. They spend lots of time in the hills and know where all the big ones are at. They'll take you in on horses and you can camp depending on what area you draw. Utah is hard to draw a premium tag though.

I'm really not hung up on getting a bull, a cow would be just fine with me, I am after the experience of going out west and doing the base camp wall tent thing. The terain and hunting style is just so different from what I am used to I am fasicnated by it. Secondly I want some meat. My brother in law went to colorado a few years back with a group doing it on their own, he shot a cow and we ate good of that meat for a while.

I would upfront choose a cow if it would save me money, allowing me to spend that money on some other part of the trip. I've had several good reccomendations for different outfits in Montana, BEAUTIFUL out there!

The time frame is very flexable. I am going to be out of country for the next year (thats where the money is comming from) so the earliest I could do the hunt is the fall 2011. I'd be fine to go ahead and pay for it and wait till the fall 2012 if it would benifit me in some way.

www.montanahuntingcompany.com

Check out Arnaud Outfitting on that site, you won't be disappointed. Rob is as good as it gets. He has guided Will Primos and others from Primos Calls. He has also been featured on many of their videos.

I have guided for Rob over the years and you won't find a more considerate outfit for your chosen type of game or hunting experience.

I went on my first guided elk hunt at the age of 31 and I too thought I was in good shape. Let me start by saying unless you guide hunts year around up there, you are not in good shape! I can remember the first time I arrived at camp, which was an old motorhome, and the guide which I had only talked to on the phone says, "you ready to go hunting" so off we went. The first hour of the hunt was brutal, my bow felt like it weighed 20 lbs and my legs were on fire which is nothing compared to how my lungs felt. My guide was pushing to see what pace I could handle and I wasn't going to show a weakness! I had drawn an amazing unit in NM my first rattle out of the box and knew that I had to push it, so I did. However, because elk hunting and state drawings were so new to me I had no idea just how special the tag that I had drawn was. Today, 4 guided elk hunts later I do realize that you just dont draw the Gila every year, in fact that was my first and last time so far. So the point of this post and to answer your question, when you think your in shape train some more. Go with a guide that can push you to your limits and get you into places that you wouldn't dare try alone, because that is were the big boys are. Go with someone that knows the area and puts the time in during the offseason scouting. Make sure your guide/outfitter has some private land opportunities to get you a tag in case you fail to draw. Find someone knowledgable about the state drawings and isn't tied to one unit. understand the units potential, not all units produce 350+ bulls with regularity, but some do! Some units will have a better chance of getting a 260-300 bull than others. last but not least, leave it all out there and you will have no regrets no matter the outcome of the hunt.

I would suggest Compass West Outfitters at Compass west outfitters PM me for #, only because I have been with Chris multiple times and he more than meets my expectations each time. In saying that we haven't always gotten a bull, but that is hunting.

New Mexico

Unit 2: Good opportunity for a cow or small bull, I would suggest this area for rifle only. Chris has limited private land here.

Unit 34: Good opportunity Archery, muzzle loader, or rifle season for 300" bull. There is also a chance for some really good bulls. Draw odds aren't that bad. Chris also has 20,000 acres of private land here.

Unit 16A: Amazing, great chance for big bulls. Archery, Muzzle loader, and rifle would work however I think you will have a better chance at drawing with archery. I would consider this the best New Mexico has to offer besides maybe valle verde? Landowner tags are available here to hunt public land but they are very hard and expensive to come by.


Just my 2 cents, good luck!


Jason

FWIW (which probsbly isn't much!!) I spoke with a buddy that guides for another outfitter in NM and he was complimentary of Compass West. He said they provide good equipment, seasoned guides and know the country where they hunt.

I made an elk hunt in British Columbia this past September with Sawtooth Outfitters. Now let me just say up front that we did not come home with an elk. Now that that is out of the way, I WOULD recommend out outfitter (Sawtooth Outfitters) without hesitation. When we booked the hunt and asked which season he recommended, his reply was that the first season is typically the best, the rut is ongoing and the elk are unpressured. But there is a chance that it will get hot at that time of year, and if it does, you will not kill anything. Well, it got hot (hit 91 degrees one day) and we didn't kill anything, but we had a great time.

Their operation is first class. We hunted from horseback and stayed in a line cabin. Just a two (small) room shack with no power, no running water, no nothing and we drank straight out of the creeks. We packed our supplies in with a packhorse. This was a week long hunt. We had never done anything like this and the experience was great. The country was beautiful, and we didn't see another hunter.

The guide was there to put us on the animals, but we shared work with him. He was not our babysitter. He did bugle a nice 5x5 to within 23 yds (I ranged him), but there must be 6 points on one antler there. We also had a chance at a huge 6x7, but were too slow determining if he was legal, and he spotted us and ducked into cover. We also saw mountain goats, bull moose, deer, etc. Most of our hunting was done around 5000 feet.

If I remember right, cost was $4k for the base fee, plus travel and cost of tags. You are able to buy tags for elk, mule deer, whitetail, black bear and wolf all on the same trip.

A cow lek hunt would be a great start.

Everything is the same except cost and better meat.

I've have only one good experence with outfitters, the rest seemed lazy.

Anybody going to the high mountains where your above 7,000 ft El. best get on a 90 day workout program of light to moderate weights 3 times a week and do a lot of cardio work, walking up and down hills with a backpack on and add more weight and extend the distance every 2nd week.

Also arrive in camp 3 to 4 days prior just to become acclumated to the high altitude, drink lots of water every single day and night. If you uranating yello fluid, your NOT drinking enough water. Drink even when you are not thirsty!

Unless you go to one of the high end ranches or hit a migration period a guided elk hunt is one big roll of the dice, no matter what your physical condition.

Not sure how many hunters an outfit brings thru in a year, but every one will not have a chance at an elk. The fact is they have to spread their available elk out the entire season and that possibly will determine where you may or may not hunt. Go into it with your eyes open. Combine this with all guides not being equal and you just may be out for an expensive hard hike. Did a hunt in the Bob many years ago and five of the six of us got a Bull. The guide flat out remarked you guys shoot to good, don't know where I'm going to take the group coming in, and he was serious.

On another hunt in the Bob I came across an active wallow and pointed it out. We never went near it on succeeding days.

We have people here who get it done on their own and they get at big tip of the hat from me. Elk hunting isn't easy, but when it just may be impossible I can think of better ways to spend money on a hunt.

Do your homework then do it again.

If you go have a great time, enjoy some beautiful country and I hope you come home with a Bull or at the minimium an honest effort on the part of all and not bullchit.

First of all I would never go on a guided elk hunt with 4 or 5 other hunters and have any expectations of everyone getting a bull. Most if not all public land hunts post the success rate per unit on their web site. Just do your research, but don't under estimate the value of someone that is knowledgeable of the area and that has been watching the activity months before you arrive.

Yes. Also drink very little coffee in camp, and be very careful about alcohol consumption. Both are diuretics and can add to the possibility of contracting altitude sickness.

L.W.

Didn't mean to imply that all should get an Elk, although that is possible if one is willing to go to one of the high end ranches. The actual hunt on one of them is another question, although going to a game rich area is something we all look for.



This is actually the point I was trying to make. They should know within reason how many legal animals are in their area or can be expected to be in the area as the season progresses. Now they are going to run 30-50 hunters thru in a season-that number may or may not be realistic. Some one with outfitter experience may want to confirm-and ideally they would like someone in each group to get a Bull so that group can come away feeling successful. However, if by chance the first day 3 in a group are successful, do you think they want the remaining two guys to also connect. It's a limited resource and they have 40 other guys coming in during the month who if they don't see or connect are not good for repeat or referral business.

I've experienced a few and heard of way to many guided Elk hunt stories to not know that there is a lot going on behind the scene when it comes to individual success.

Then you have the guy who slips the outfitter an extra lets say $500 to $1000 for preference points so to speak. All is not always what it seems is what I'm saying.

I've personally been on four guided elk hunts. Killed one small bull, passed on one bull, passed on a few cows. Had a great time and blessed to have had the opportunity. Doesn't mean I don't see what is going on.

Addition: Most guides are straight up good people who work hard for the little they receive and put up with. However, I had one who was so afraid to make a mistake re: the directions that the boss gave him each morning, that by the third day I had to get lost in order to feel I was hunting. Didn't see anything, but at least I was trying. At the end of the hunt the guides had their own private-no hunters-bonfire/beer party the last night. Guess which guide was not included in the festivities. Guess who also got invited to come over and spend some time, drink a couple beers and have the opportunity to accept a group apology from them. Didn't get an Elk that trip, but that made up for it.

I agree with what you are saying and sorry if it seemed like I was putting words in your mouth. All of my guided elk hunts have been on public land and the majority of those hunts were thru the draw, that being said I have never had a guide that wasn't willing to push as hard as I wanted to. The really good ones ask you to push a little harder then you even thought was possible. I am sure there are guys out there and I am sure more often times than not they are the ones on private land that know where the bulls are. Their just waiting on their favorite client or maybe something on the side prior to going into the so called "honey hole"
Most private land hunts have long seasons and the Elk can be seriously over hunted and sometimes pushed completely off the property. I would suggest the draw, it will save you money and if you do your homework and find a good guide you will have a great trip!

My one bad experience was on private land. Still had a great time, just had to work around some problems. Didn't work as far as a bull, but that's the way it played out.

I agree with your comments re: guides. With most, show a little initiative and they go out of their way to get it right.

444Matt,

Just something else to consider. I too grew up hunting in the SE. I live in Tx now and wanted to try something different about 5 years ago. I accumulated lightweight backpack gear over the course of two years. Subscribed to Huntinfool and Eastmans and followed their recommendations for applying in various states. I'm a worker bee and a relative cheapskate when it comes to spending money on myself. I just have a hard time shelling out for a guided hunt but I could justify buying quality gear that could be used again and again. So I am a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) hunter. I've never hunted the same unit twice though I'm a year or two from being able to tackle the same unit in CO. By investing in the gear and giving it a shot on my own, I struck out the first two years but learned I could survive and eventually found the game. I'm two for two on elk the last couple years and always enjoy the time away. It is hard to describe the satisfaction of getting it done on your own. You can do it. Another resource for you is Kifaru.com. There are essays on there that helped push me over the edge into giving it a go on my own. Once you go, trust me, you'll want to go back. It would have been nice to start out with a guide but for me, it would have limited my ability to go several years in a row due to my cheapness.

Whatever you decide, guide or no guide, give the mountains a try. If you're like me, this will be a very trying time of year as you apply in various state draws, dreaming of the hunt to come this fall.

Matt

Although I have not done it, I have to agree with you. There are some here on the fire who do it on their own and are mostly successful. They are the real Elk hunters in my opinion. The rest of us are essentially Elk shooters.