LRH & NTO 2014 Group Elk Hunt Report, Page 1
by Andy Backus
When I think back to this year's LRH Group Elk hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters in Western Wyoming, the first thing that comes to mind are the wonderful people my father, Len Backus, and I were fortunate to spend a week with. Of course, I also think about the adventure, beauty and excitement of hunting elk the way most guys dream about it, on horseback in the rugged Rocky Mountains, but I just can't stop thinking about the fantastic camaraderie.
Oh, and then there were the 6 bulls killed in the first 3 days!
Dad and I drove out to Wyoming from our home state of Wisconsin a total of about 22 hours of windshield time. We left very early Saturday morning and made it to Gillette Wyoming in time to spend a couple hours at Chuck McCoy of Mac's Gunworks shooting range verifying some things and shooting steel out to 1000 yards. One of our group hunters, Todd, met us there too. Todd is in his mid-thirties and works for a division of John Deer responsible for the GPS based systems that allow the tractors to navigate themselves. Todd was driving from North Dakota and this would be his first ever elk hunt so he was pumped. His wife is pregnant with their first child so Todd figured he better get this dream hunt in before his free time becomes much more scarce. It was great to meet him after emailing and talking on the phone a few times and he banged a lot of steel himself that evening. The shooting session ended with a stunning sunset over the Wyoming landscape - a great start to the trip!
One of two Elk Hunt Camps at NTO
We spent the night in a motel and were up early and heading to one of Non-Typical Outfitter's two elk camps. After pulling off the pavement, we drove on gravel and then dirt forest service roads for about an hour up into the mountains. One of the things we really like about Non-Typical hunts is that we can drive our vehicle right to camp. This allows us to bring as much gear as we want and not have to worry about going extra light. Camp is unusually comfortable for a wilderness setting and consists of canvas wall tents with wood floors and wood stoves for the hunters and guides along with a large canvas mess tent with a kitchen tent off the back where culinary-school-trained chef Robert always keeps the tent warm and inviting and serves outstanding meals. There is a very nice double outhouse and even a special trailer with a propane heated hot shower. The wall tents are very spacious for two hunters to share and the cots have very nice mattresses and pillows. In the evenings and mornings a generator is fired up and electric lights light up all the tents which is very handy. Camp is perched up high in the mountains with beautiful views all around. Even though we drive our vehicles there, and camp is especially comfortable, it definitely feels like the true mountain hunting experience that we all dream about.
Non-Typical Outfitters' Horse Packing
We arrived at camp around 3:00 in the afternoon and met another of our group's hunters, Jim, who I'd spoken to on the phone several times. Jim had driven out from Iowa and is in his mid-fifties. Jim had archery hunted for elk over the years and called in some bulls that friends killed, but had never gotten a bull of his own. It had been some years since he'd been in the mountains hunting elk. Jim and his brothers own an excavation contracting business and a lifetime of physical labor has taken its toll on his body. He tells us he will be getting a hip replaced in the next year. Jim is one of those guys, like my dad, who knows the number of years his body will allow him to enjoy mountain hunting is numbered so he has decided to do it as much as he can now while he still can. Jim killed a nice mule deer buck on a previous LRH Group hunt in a different area.
We also met two of the previous week's hunters who were packing up and getting ready to head out. They have hunted 10 straight years with Non Typical Outfitters and have taken many fine bulls over the years. This year, Mark took a beautiful bull which, if I remember correctly, was his best to date. He told us that, because of the unusually warm weather, the hunting had been pretty hard with lower than normal bull sightings. We had been disappointed while monitoring the weather forecast leading up to our hunt knowing that it was going to be warm. In fact, it felt just like it had a month earlier on a DIY archery elk hunt I did in the Colorado high country and it was unusually warm then too. For it to still be that warm was disappointing.
The next members of our group to arrive were Frank, his son-in-law Alex and their employee and friend, John. Alex and John are in their thirties and Frank is in his Fifties. They own and run a medical equipment manufacturing business in Ohio and this would be the first elk hunt for Frank and John and second for Alex. The last hunter in our group was Justin from Kentucky. Justin is in his thirties and did two tours in Iraq and is now a train conductor. Justin brought his dad Johnny along to hang out in camp and enjoy the mountain experience. They spent a couple days vacationing in the area before arriving in camp and told us this would not only be Justin's first elk hunt, but his first time in the mountains and first time ever riding a horse!
Robb provides training
The owner of Non-Typical Outfitters, Robb Wiley, took our group to a flat area where we checked our zeros at 100 yards and then moved us to the side of the mountain to give us some advice and training on shooting in the mountains. Robb has tons of personal experience shooting in the mountains and, of course, has guided thousands of hunters over the years. He pointed out that even excellent shooters like our group often are out of their element in the mountains and he has seen many fine hunters crumble under the pressure when a big bull or monster muley presents itself and the shot setup is unfamiliar. Robb trained us on how to use our packs as rear support and shooting sticks up front to shoot cross-canyon from a downhill position. Robb had steel targets set up at 400, 500 and 700 yards. I've been trained by Robb on these techniques in the past so I was able to help some of the guys get their positions set up just right. I just cannot stress enough how valuable this training is. None of our group had ever set up in this fashion before and several of the guys would use similar techniques to kill bulls in the days to come. This instruction only covered a tiny bit of the knowledge Robb has about shooting in uneven terrain. If you have a western hunt planned in your future or if you hunt in any kind of uneven terrain, mountains or not, consider taking one of the shooting classes Non-Typical Outfitters and LRH will be giving in the summer. By the way, I should mention that not every member of our group was interested in shooting beyond 3 to 4 hundred yards and that is absolutely fine. We are happy to invite shooters of all kinds on our group hunts and don't want anyone to feel like they have to shoot 1000 yards consistently to fit in.
Andy gives one-on-one
by Andy Backus
When I think back to this year's LRH Group Elk hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters in Western Wyoming, the first thing that comes to mind are the wonderful people my father, Len Backus, and I were fortunate to spend a week with. Of course, I also think about the adventure, beauty and excitement of hunting elk the way most guys dream about it, on horseback in the rugged Rocky Mountains, but I just can't stop thinking about the fantastic camaraderie.
Oh, and then there were the 6 bulls killed in the first 3 days!
Dad and I drove out to Wyoming from our home state of Wisconsin a total of about 22 hours of windshield time. We left very early Saturday morning and made it to Gillette Wyoming in time to spend a couple hours at Chuck McCoy of Mac's Gunworks shooting range verifying some things and shooting steel out to 1000 yards. One of our group hunters, Todd, met us there too. Todd is in his mid-thirties and works for a division of John Deer responsible for the GPS based systems that allow the tractors to navigate themselves. Todd was driving from North Dakota and this would be his first ever elk hunt so he was pumped. His wife is pregnant with their first child so Todd figured he better get this dream hunt in before his free time becomes much more scarce. It was great to meet him after emailing and talking on the phone a few times and he banged a lot of steel himself that evening. The shooting session ended with a stunning sunset over the Wyoming landscape - a great start to the trip!
One of two Elk Hunt Camps at NTO
We spent the night in a motel and were up early and heading to one of Non-Typical Outfitter's two elk camps. After pulling off the pavement, we drove on gravel and then dirt forest service roads for about an hour up into the mountains. One of the things we really like about Non-Typical hunts is that we can drive our vehicle right to camp. This allows us to bring as much gear as we want and not have to worry about going extra light. Camp is unusually comfortable for a wilderness setting and consists of canvas wall tents with wood floors and wood stoves for the hunters and guides along with a large canvas mess tent with a kitchen tent off the back where culinary-school-trained chef Robert always keeps the tent warm and inviting and serves outstanding meals. There is a very nice double outhouse and even a special trailer with a propane heated hot shower. The wall tents are very spacious for two hunters to share and the cots have very nice mattresses and pillows. In the evenings and mornings a generator is fired up and electric lights light up all the tents which is very handy. Camp is perched up high in the mountains with beautiful views all around. Even though we drive our vehicles there, and camp is especially comfortable, it definitely feels like the true mountain hunting experience that we all dream about.
Non-Typical Outfitters' Horse Packing
We arrived at camp around 3:00 in the afternoon and met another of our group's hunters, Jim, who I'd spoken to on the phone several times. Jim had driven out from Iowa and is in his mid-fifties. Jim had archery hunted for elk over the years and called in some bulls that friends killed, but had never gotten a bull of his own. It had been some years since he'd been in the mountains hunting elk. Jim and his brothers own an excavation contracting business and a lifetime of physical labor has taken its toll on his body. He tells us he will be getting a hip replaced in the next year. Jim is one of those guys, like my dad, who knows the number of years his body will allow him to enjoy mountain hunting is numbered so he has decided to do it as much as he can now while he still can. Jim killed a nice mule deer buck on a previous LRH Group hunt in a different area.
We also met two of the previous week's hunters who were packing up and getting ready to head out. They have hunted 10 straight years with Non Typical Outfitters and have taken many fine bulls over the years. This year, Mark took a beautiful bull which, if I remember correctly, was his best to date. He told us that, because of the unusually warm weather, the hunting had been pretty hard with lower than normal bull sightings. We had been disappointed while monitoring the weather forecast leading up to our hunt knowing that it was going to be warm. In fact, it felt just like it had a month earlier on a DIY archery elk hunt I did in the Colorado high country and it was unusually warm then too. For it to still be that warm was disappointing.
The next members of our group to arrive were Frank, his son-in-law Alex and their employee and friend, John. Alex and John are in their thirties and Frank is in his Fifties. They own and run a medical equipment manufacturing business in Ohio and this would be the first elk hunt for Frank and John and second for Alex. The last hunter in our group was Justin from Kentucky. Justin is in his thirties and did two tours in Iraq and is now a train conductor. Justin brought his dad Johnny along to hang out in camp and enjoy the mountain experience. They spent a couple days vacationing in the area before arriving in camp and told us this would not only be Justin's first elk hunt, but his first time in the mountains and first time ever riding a horse!
Robb provides training
The owner of Non-Typical Outfitters, Robb Wiley, took our group to a flat area where we checked our zeros at 100 yards and then moved us to the side of the mountain to give us some advice and training on shooting in the mountains. Robb has tons of personal experience shooting in the mountains and, of course, has guided thousands of hunters over the years. He pointed out that even excellent shooters like our group often are out of their element in the mountains and he has seen many fine hunters crumble under the pressure when a big bull or monster muley presents itself and the shot setup is unfamiliar. Robb trained us on how to use our packs as rear support and shooting sticks up front to shoot cross-canyon from a downhill position. Robb had steel targets set up at 400, 500 and 700 yards. I've been trained by Robb on these techniques in the past so I was able to help some of the guys get their positions set up just right. I just cannot stress enough how valuable this training is. None of our group had ever set up in this fashion before and several of the guys would use similar techniques to kill bulls in the days to come. This instruction only covered a tiny bit of the knowledge Robb has about shooting in uneven terrain. If you have a western hunt planned in your future or if you hunt in any kind of uneven terrain, mountains or not, consider taking one of the shooting classes Non-Typical Outfitters and LRH will be giving in the summer. By the way, I should mention that not every member of our group was interested in shooting beyond 3 to 4 hundred yards and that is absolutely fine. We are happy to invite shooters of all kinds on our group hunts and don't want anyone to feel like they have to shoot 1000 yards consistently to fit in.
Andy gives one-on-one
LRH Group Elk Hunt 2014 - 2
On Monday morning the lights came on in our tent around 3 am and we dressed, packed our gear and headed to the mess tent for a hot breakfast. Robb and his guides gave our group some instruction and advice on what to expect and how to work with our guides. He also suggested that, because of the warm weather and what they had seen the week before, we should expect to work very hard for our opportunities and probably shouldn't pass up any opportunity for a mature bull that comes our way. We all agreed on how the group would be split up into two-man teams and decided to leave it up to each team to decide who would shoot first each day. Then our guides got us loaded onto our horses and we headed off in different directions in the dark.
The plan had been for my dad and me to hunt together with Robb as our guide, but Robb had an extra guide available for a couple days because two members of our group had to cancel. This meant that my dad would hunt with Robb for the first two days and I would hunt with guide Cal. Cal and I rode for a little while and then dismounted so we could lead our horses down some switch-backs. At the bottom of the valley we mounted back up and rode for an hour or so in the starry darkness. We crossed a stream several times and climbed the other side of the valley. I was glad to be on a horse! We arrived at the bottom of a short, steep valley and tied our horses up, slow-hunting up into the valley glassing for elk feeding out in the openings in the timber on both sides. We didn't see anything so we climbed up to a ridge where we could glass tons of beautiful country. The area that Non-Typical hunts are absolutely some of the most beautiful country on earth and I had that Rocky Mountain high feeling to be up there! It was a slow morning as we only glassed up one 5x5 bull over in the area that my dad and Robb were hunting but it really didn't matter. To be up in the mountains glassing such epic country is really what it's all about. We hung out on the ridge all day and took a mid-day nap.
In the evening the plan was to move up the ridge a bit and focus on the opposite side of the small valley. It was heavily timbered, but there were several grassy openings we hoped to see some elk feed out into. Sure enough at about 4:00 some cows and calves began feeding out. I spent some time dry-firing and getting ready in case a bull appeared. Soon after, a mature 5x5 bull did feed out and after a quick look in Cal's spotting scope I decided to take him wanting to get our group off to a good start knowing the hunting might be hard because of the warm weather. I hit the bull hard and he piled up against an aspen tree. We knew I needed to get another shot in him to finish him off, but it didn't look like he was able to move so we decided to move to get a more clear shot since he was partially blocked by the tree. As I was beginning to set up for the finishing shot, the bull wiggled himself a few feet to the side and was now behind an evergreen tree and there was no shot. It took us 20 minutes or so to climb up above him and ease our way towards where we had last seen him. We heard some rustling but never saw him. We worked our way down the mountain looking for the bull or a blood trail, but did not find either by the time it got dark. We headed back to camp in the dark sort of in shock that we had not found him. We were confident that we would find him in the morning.
Len's Bull Elk
By the time all the other hunters and guides made it back to camp that evening we found out that the hunting had been anything but slow that first day. My dad had killed a great 6x6 bull in the first 15 minutes of daylight with a 540 yard shot from his 7mm Dakota. Robb was leading dad to the spot they planned to glass from when he said, "Hurry up Len - I've got your bull!" He had to quickly get into position and make the shot. His first shot was good and the bull went down. Robb instructed Dad to wait but be ready in case he got up. Sure enough he did and Dad hit him again for the last time. Man those bulls are tough.
A bit later that morning, miles away in a different drainage, Alex and John's guide James spotted a large herd working its way into the timber including several bulls. James hurried Alex down into the timber after them and Alex found himself in the middle of the herd! A nice bull ripped a bugle from 60 yards away as Alex took aim off-hand with his .308 Win. The run down to the timber and the chaos of being in the herd with a bull screaming at him caused Alex's heart to just about beat out of his chest as he tried to steady himself for the shot. His first shot missed, and although his second shot was a good hit, the bull didn't react at all so Alex put a third and final shot in him. Alex and John reported that while James cut up the bull, he started a fire on a flat rock and when the work was done and the fire had burned down to coals, he cleaned off the rock and used the hot rock to fry up some of the best tenderloin the guys have ever had! That evening they saw a bunch more elk including a shooter bull but couldn't get on it before dark. What an incredible first day for those guys!
Mark's Bull Elk
That same evening, Jim and Todd were hunting with guide Brandon. They had seen a great bull head into the timber in the morning and had waited it out all day. Todd had been gracious enough to offer Jim the chance to kill this great bull since Todd could tell that Jim's bad hip was going to make hunting in this rugged terrain tough for an extended period of time. The bull appeared out of the timber to feed in the mid afternoon and Jim worked his way to a spot where he was able to set up using the exact technique we had practiced on the side of the mountain the afternoon before. Jim killed the great 6x6 with a single shot form his 7mm Rogue at 623 yards - his first bull and a beauty!
Jim's Bull Elk
The next morning my dad, guide Cal and I went back to collect my bull. Cal climbed back to the spot I had shot from to make sure we had not missed any important details the evening before when we were unsuccessful in finding the bull while dad and I climbed to the opening we had last seen the bull. When Cal joined us, we set up a grid and searched the mountain. There was only about a 100 yard wide area that the bull could be in because of a steep creek-bottom on one side and impenetrable dead-fall on the other side. We slowly worked our way down the mountain expecting to find him at any moment. When we got all the way to the bottom it was obvious that the bull must have made it onto his feet and climbed out of there which seemed hard to imagine, but was the only answer. We were very disappointed and I had a sick feeling in my stomach about wounding the bull. The next day I asked Robb if I could go back to the area and hunt for the wounded bull just in case the once-in-a-million chance happened and he showed himself again. We gave it a go and he didn't show, but Robb and my Dad glassed up another beautiful 6x6 bull that he hoped to get Frank on the next morning. My hunt was over and I was disappointed to have wounded a bull, but it was an easy decision to end my hunt rather than try to go after another bull.
The plan had been for my dad and me to hunt together with Robb as our guide, but Robb had an extra guide available for a couple days because two members of our group had to cancel. This meant that my dad would hunt with Robb for the first two days and I would hunt with guide Cal. Cal and I rode for a little while and then dismounted so we could lead our horses down some switch-backs. At the bottom of the valley we mounted back up and rode for an hour or so in the starry darkness. We crossed a stream several times and climbed the other side of the valley. I was glad to be on a horse! We arrived at the bottom of a short, steep valley and tied our horses up, slow-hunting up into the valley glassing for elk feeding out in the openings in the timber on both sides. We didn't see anything so we climbed up to a ridge where we could glass tons of beautiful country. The area that Non-Typical hunts are absolutely some of the most beautiful country on earth and I had that Rocky Mountain high feeling to be up there! It was a slow morning as we only glassed up one 5x5 bull over in the area that my dad and Robb were hunting but it really didn't matter. To be up in the mountains glassing such epic country is really what it's all about. We hung out on the ridge all day and took a mid-day nap.
In the evening the plan was to move up the ridge a bit and focus on the opposite side of the small valley. It was heavily timbered, but there were several grassy openings we hoped to see some elk feed out into. Sure enough at about 4:00 some cows and calves began feeding out. I spent some time dry-firing and getting ready in case a bull appeared. Soon after, a mature 5x5 bull did feed out and after a quick look in Cal's spotting scope I decided to take him wanting to get our group off to a good start knowing the hunting might be hard because of the warm weather. I hit the bull hard and he piled up against an aspen tree. We knew I needed to get another shot in him to finish him off, but it didn't look like he was able to move so we decided to move to get a more clear shot since he was partially blocked by the tree. As I was beginning to set up for the finishing shot, the bull wiggled himself a few feet to the side and was now behind an evergreen tree and there was no shot. It took us 20 minutes or so to climb up above him and ease our way towards where we had last seen him. We heard some rustling but never saw him. We worked our way down the mountain looking for the bull or a blood trail, but did not find either by the time it got dark. We headed back to camp in the dark sort of in shock that we had not found him. We were confident that we would find him in the morning.
Len's Bull Elk
By the time all the other hunters and guides made it back to camp that evening we found out that the hunting had been anything but slow that first day. My dad had killed a great 6x6 bull in the first 15 minutes of daylight with a 540 yard shot from his 7mm Dakota. Robb was leading dad to the spot they planned to glass from when he said, "Hurry up Len - I've got your bull!" He had to quickly get into position and make the shot. His first shot was good and the bull went down. Robb instructed Dad to wait but be ready in case he got up. Sure enough he did and Dad hit him again for the last time. Man those bulls are tough.
A bit later that morning, miles away in a different drainage, Alex and John's guide James spotted a large herd working its way into the timber including several bulls. James hurried Alex down into the timber after them and Alex found himself in the middle of the herd! A nice bull ripped a bugle from 60 yards away as Alex took aim off-hand with his .308 Win. The run down to the timber and the chaos of being in the herd with a bull screaming at him caused Alex's heart to just about beat out of his chest as he tried to steady himself for the shot. His first shot missed, and although his second shot was a good hit, the bull didn't react at all so Alex put a third and final shot in him. Alex and John reported that while James cut up the bull, he started a fire on a flat rock and when the work was done and the fire had burned down to coals, he cleaned off the rock and used the hot rock to fry up some of the best tenderloin the guys have ever had! That evening they saw a bunch more elk including a shooter bull but couldn't get on it before dark. What an incredible first day for those guys!
Mark's Bull Elk
That same evening, Jim and Todd were hunting with guide Brandon. They had seen a great bull head into the timber in the morning and had waited it out all day. Todd had been gracious enough to offer Jim the chance to kill this great bull since Todd could tell that Jim's bad hip was going to make hunting in this rugged terrain tough for an extended period of time. The bull appeared out of the timber to feed in the mid afternoon and Jim worked his way to a spot where he was able to set up using the exact technique we had practiced on the side of the mountain the afternoon before. Jim killed the great 6x6 with a single shot form his 7mm Rogue at 623 yards - his first bull and a beauty!
Jim's Bull Elk
The next morning my dad, guide Cal and I went back to collect my bull. Cal climbed back to the spot I had shot from to make sure we had not missed any important details the evening before when we were unsuccessful in finding the bull while dad and I climbed to the opening we had last seen the bull. When Cal joined us, we set up a grid and searched the mountain. There was only about a 100 yard wide area that the bull could be in because of a steep creek-bottom on one side and impenetrable dead-fall on the other side. We slowly worked our way down the mountain expecting to find him at any moment. When we got all the way to the bottom it was obvious that the bull must have made it onto his feet and climbed out of there which seemed hard to imagine, but was the only answer. We were very disappointed and I had a sick feeling in my stomach about wounding the bull. The next day I asked Robb if I could go back to the area and hunt for the wounded bull just in case the once-in-a-million chance happened and he showed himself again. We gave it a go and he didn't show, but Robb and my Dad glassed up another beautiful 6x6 bull that he hoped to get Frank on the next morning. My hunt was over and I was disappointed to have wounded a bull, but it was an easy decision to end my hunt rather than try to go after another bull.
LRH & NTO 2014 Group Elk Hunt Report - 3
It was an absolute blast hanging out in camp in the evenings swapping stories of the previous day's hunts and waiting for late arrivals to find out if they were late because they had gotten their bull. Every evening a bull or two came in and we got to relive the hunt with the hunters and guides. John and guide James came back late one evening reporting that John had killed a nice bull with a 260 yard shot from his .308 Win. John taught himself taxidermy years ago and will be mounting his bull himself.
I believe it was the same evening that Todd and his guide Brandon waited out a bull that had also headed into the timber in the morning. Todd used a version of the side-hill technique Robb taught him and made a 514 yard shot with his 300 Jazz. Todd and Jim ended up being tent-mates and were chatting about what caliber they were each shooting. Talk about a small world - it ends up that Jim came up with the idea for the 300 Jazz that Todd was using and it was named after his dog Jazz!
Justin's Bull Elk
Another evening Justin and guide Cal came back late and told of the 370 yard shot Justin had made with his 338 Rogue on a great bull they had seen head into the timber in the morning. They waited all day and killed the bull in the evening. Justin got into the mess tent where Todd and I were struggling to stay awake waiting to hear his story at about 11:00 pm. We cracked a beer and toasted to Justin's 35th birthday since it was past midnight back home in Kentucky and today was his birthday! The next morning Justin told the group of a technique he had learned in the military and which he used to create a solid rest for his shot. He disconnected the rear of his rifle sling from its side flush-cup and wrapped the front of the sling around a tree between his legs, then torqued the gun in to his shoulder tightening up the sling. None of the others have ever tried that but I know we will all be playing around with it in the future.
My Dad and I headed for home on Thursday after cutting up his bull and packing it in the cooler. At that time Frank and I were the only group members who had not killed a bull. Several nice bulls had been spotted and the guides were working hard to get Frank on one of them. We started this hunt thinking bull sightings would be scarce because of the warm weather, but the opposite turned out to be true. We all saw tons of elk and tons of bulls. The area that Non-Typical Outfitters hunts is loaded with elk and has a very high bull-to-cow ratio. Some real trophies come out of there, but as far as I'm concerned if I can hunt there and see tons of elk including several very nice shooters while enjoying a true Rocky Mountain elk hunting experience, a big trophy would simply be icing on the cake.
Brenda's Bull Elk
And speaking of trophy bulls, the week after our hunt Robb's wife Brenda connected on a beautiful bull as some snow had moved in and got the bulls really moving. Congratulations Brenda! I know how proud Robb is of you. The client hunts were completed for the year and Robb got to hunt with his hunting buddy he had lost for 6 years because Robb and Brenda decided to have a family, Aspen age 4 and Autumn age 2.
Robb and Brenda and their guides and cooks work so incredibly hard each season to ensure that their clients have the amazing experience we all dream about when heading out west on an outfitted hunt. I know every member of our group was completely impressed with their operation and would not hesitate to refer a friend or family member to hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters. When Robb reported to my dad and me about Brenda's bull I could tell that it was absolutely icing on the cake after a wonderful season of working their butts off for their clients.
It has been a couple weeks since we returned from the 2014 LRH Group Elk hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters and every time I think back on the hunt I can't help but smile. The experience of hunting in the mountains on horseback in some of the most beautiful country on earth is unforgettable, but truth be told, what I remember most is the wonderful camaraderie of our group of guys and Robb and his guides. We all got along so well and truly were pulling for each other. You could tell without a doubt that every time someone was successful in their dream of killing a great bull, the rest of the guys truly were thrilled. We came from all over the country and varied in age from 34 to 68 years old but we had a love of hunting and a passion for shooting in common that lead to many hours of great conversation. Like my Dad and me, everyone was there to kill a nice bull, but what we were really there for was an incredible experience that we will remember when we are 94 years old. I know for a fact that every single group member feels that this hunt was that type of experience. Some of the guys have already committed to another group hunt next year and I can't wait to see them again!
The Camp Lineup
If you are interested in hunting with us on a future LRH Group hunt for elk, mule deer or bear - CLICK HERE to see our list of group hunt openings.
Andy Backus is a husband and father of two little girls. He grew up hunting whitetail deer in Wisconsin with gun and bow and over the years has been fortunate to hunt and explore most of the Western US states and Alaska. He plays soccer to stay in shape and also enjoys most other sports and outdoor activities. Andy is the Field Editor for Long Range Hunting Online Magazine and also manages the Long Range Hunting Store.
I believe it was the same evening that Todd and his guide Brandon waited out a bull that had also headed into the timber in the morning. Todd used a version of the side-hill technique Robb taught him and made a 514 yard shot with his 300 Jazz. Todd and Jim ended up being tent-mates and were chatting about what caliber they were each shooting. Talk about a small world - it ends up that Jim came up with the idea for the 300 Jazz that Todd was using and it was named after his dog Jazz!
Justin's Bull Elk
Another evening Justin and guide Cal came back late and told of the 370 yard shot Justin had made with his 338 Rogue on a great bull they had seen head into the timber in the morning. They waited all day and killed the bull in the evening. Justin got into the mess tent where Todd and I were struggling to stay awake waiting to hear his story at about 11:00 pm. We cracked a beer and toasted to Justin's 35th birthday since it was past midnight back home in Kentucky and today was his birthday! The next morning Justin told the group of a technique he had learned in the military and which he used to create a solid rest for his shot. He disconnected the rear of his rifle sling from its side flush-cup and wrapped the front of the sling around a tree between his legs, then torqued the gun in to his shoulder tightening up the sling. None of the others have ever tried that but I know we will all be playing around with it in the future.
My Dad and I headed for home on Thursday after cutting up his bull and packing it in the cooler. At that time Frank and I were the only group members who had not killed a bull. Several nice bulls had been spotted and the guides were working hard to get Frank on one of them. We started this hunt thinking bull sightings would be scarce because of the warm weather, but the opposite turned out to be true. We all saw tons of elk and tons of bulls. The area that Non-Typical Outfitters hunts is loaded with elk and has a very high bull-to-cow ratio. Some real trophies come out of there, but as far as I'm concerned if I can hunt there and see tons of elk including several very nice shooters while enjoying a true Rocky Mountain elk hunting experience, a big trophy would simply be icing on the cake.
Brenda's Bull Elk
And speaking of trophy bulls, the week after our hunt Robb's wife Brenda connected on a beautiful bull as some snow had moved in and got the bulls really moving. Congratulations Brenda! I know how proud Robb is of you. The client hunts were completed for the year and Robb got to hunt with his hunting buddy he had lost for 6 years because Robb and Brenda decided to have a family, Aspen age 4 and Autumn age 2.
Robb and Brenda and their guides and cooks work so incredibly hard each season to ensure that their clients have the amazing experience we all dream about when heading out west on an outfitted hunt. I know every member of our group was completely impressed with their operation and would not hesitate to refer a friend or family member to hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters. When Robb reported to my dad and me about Brenda's bull I could tell that it was absolutely icing on the cake after a wonderful season of working their butts off for their clients.
It has been a couple weeks since we returned from the 2014 LRH Group Elk hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters and every time I think back on the hunt I can't help but smile. The experience of hunting in the mountains on horseback in some of the most beautiful country on earth is unforgettable, but truth be told, what I remember most is the wonderful camaraderie of our group of guys and Robb and his guides. We all got along so well and truly were pulling for each other. You could tell without a doubt that every time someone was successful in their dream of killing a great bull, the rest of the guys truly were thrilled. We came from all over the country and varied in age from 34 to 68 years old but we had a love of hunting and a passion for shooting in common that lead to many hours of great conversation. Like my Dad and me, everyone was there to kill a nice bull, but what we were really there for was an incredible experience that we will remember when we are 94 years old. I know for a fact that every single group member feels that this hunt was that type of experience. Some of the guys have already committed to another group hunt next year and I can't wait to see them again!
The Camp Lineup
If you are interested in hunting with us on a future LRH Group hunt for elk, mule deer or bear - CLICK HERE to see our list of group hunt openings.
Andy Backus is a husband and father of two little girls. He grew up hunting whitetail deer in Wisconsin with gun and bow and over the years has been fortunate to hunt and explore most of the Western US states and Alaska. He plays soccer to stay in shape and also enjoys most other sports and outdoor activities. Andy is the Field Editor for Long Range Hunting Online Magazine and also manages the Long Range Hunting Store.
