HEY ELK GUIDES!!

[T3ninja]

Slightly off topic here but I have a Q, for you guides and other hunters. Would these outfitters be willing to give out their camp locations? I ask this because I'm trying to AVOID them. I'm from Indiana and it's impossible for me to scout before season. So I have to rely on e scouting. Last year it seemed every single spot I had picked on the map had an outfitter camp sitting right in the middle! With the season being short, and having to go everywhere on foot, I hate walking for 2-5 miles in just to find an outfitter setup with 8-10 guys hunting all over !

 

[Allen Kitts]

Did you apply for MT nonresident for 2021 by chance? The deadline was April 1st

Elk draw was for 2020, not 2021. Applications for out of state tags must be in by April 1st for the concurrent years drawings. I have attached the current years regulations for you. Good Luck.

 

[DJ Morrison]

For your first elk hunt, do you know what type of hunting you want to do? Do you want a horseback wilderness hunt? Do you want an atv type hunt? Figure out what type of experience you want to have. I have been on many a horseback hunt just to watch someone who should not be on it struggle and then blame the outfitter. After riding 20+ miles into camp, they can hardly walk for 2 days. A ranch type hunt may be a better choice for people like that. Are you looking for an archery, or rifle hunt? I love being on a good horse. Nothing better than going thru the mountains with a good rhythm from the horse and finding the game your after...Do your homework. is the area you want to hunt a limited draw area. If looking at the Breaks area, great elk but good luck on the draw...Select your outfitters and do your research. some are very hard to get a hold of...call email or visit at a show. sit down and get to know them. I have done the small outfitters and the large get a new group every 5 days. I like the little guys!!

 

[Allen Kitts]

Lots of times there are surplus Montana combination elk & deer tags once the drawings is completed. Either people get them and then can't come or they apply never planning on getting drawn and turn them back in. That's how my buddy from Ohio gets his deer tag almost every year. I would contact Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks if you want to hunt in Montana and they can tell you the date surplus non-resident tags will be available. They will be first come first serve. With the Corona Virus thing there may be a lot of them available this year.

 

[hunter0528]

I booked my trip through Cabelas. Each spring they send out a book of trips they offer and post it on line.

Guided Hunting Trips - Find Your Adventure - Worldwide Trophy Adventures

Big Game International Wing Fish TAGS Service Find the outdoor adventure of a lifetime. Species Search Try ‘Elk’, ‘Mule Deer’ or ‘Waterfowl’ Special & Cancellations See all specials > Mule Deer · Utah From $11,500 Caribou, International Reindeer · Finland From $20,000 Elk, Mountain Goat...

worldwidetrophyadventures.com

I was very pleased out of the 10 that were there in New Mexico got a Nice ELK except 1 who wanted to get a bigger one. The picture show my Elk from 2017. The guides there worked with each of us on a 1 on 1 and based the hunting area on our physical capability. The lodge we used was the Lodge at Charma. Not cheep but well worth the cost to me.

 

[bigngreen]

Slightly off topic here but I have a Q, for you guides and other hunters. Would these outfitters be willing to give out their camp locations? I ask this because I'm trying to AVOID them. I'm from Indiana and it's impossible for me to scout before season. So I have to rely on e scouting. Last year it seemed every single spot I had picked on the map had an outfitter camp sitting right in the middle! With the season being short, and having to go everywhere on foot, I hate walking for 2-5 miles in just to find an outfitter setup with 8-10 guys hunting all over !

No guide is going to give up his camp locations, unfortunately e scouting has turn much of the good areas into crap, there is money in way points now so you can't expect to be able to get into an area and develop it anymore. Tools like OnX are awesome but completely monetized our hunting areas and really has ruined hunting as we knew it especially at the local level.

 

[Muddyboots]

First and foremost, every state has an outfitter board that licenses both guides and outfitters. That is the first place I check for current license PLUS any complaints and resolution of the complaints. Understand sometimes a complaint is the result of a hunter not being prepared and not the outfitter or guide not being prepared. BUT it will tell you they are legitimately licensed and if there has been a "history" of complaints that you can decide to follow up with the outfitter. Been my experience the outfitter is usually surprised but pleasantly surprised and will be forthright with you if you call to discuss what was the issue and resolution.

 

[cohunt]

Slightly off topic here but I have a Q, for you guides and other hunters. Would these outfitters be willing to give out their camp locations? I ask this because I'm trying to AVOID them. I'm from Indiana and it's impossible for me to scout before season. So I have to rely on e scouting. Last year it seemed every single spot I had picked on the map had an outfitter camp sitting right in the middle! With the season being short, and having to go everywhere on foot, I hate walking for 2-5 miles in just to find an outfitter setup with 8-10 guys hunting all over !

will you tell me your "honey hole spot" ?

 

[Muddyboots]

You can usually find out from the state board of outfitters where they are actually hunting. It may be an entire drainage but at least you will have an idea.

 

[Muddyboots]

State Board of Outfitters that I had stashed:
Arizona Guide page: https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/guides/ The state of Arizona does not offer or require an "Outfitter" license. Outfitters are generally defined in many jurisdictions as an enterprise that provides equipment or supplies, or a commercial pack or camp service, other than assisting for pay in the take of wildlife.
Colorado Outfitter: https://dpo.colorado.gov/Outfitters
Idaho Board of Outfitters: https://elitepublic.oglb.idaho.gov/OGLBPortal/
Montana Board of Outfitter: http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/out
New Mexico Board of Outfitter: http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/hunting/guide-outfitter-information/
Utah Guides and Outfitters: https://dopl.utah.gov/hunt/index.html
Wyoming Board of Outfitters: https://outfitters.wyo.gov/

Pretty easy to check out an outfitter and or guide from these sites. I always did that as a preliminary ok to continue with them.

 

[Pbgunrunner]

Awesome, thx!

 

[Pbgunrunner]

For your first elk hunt, do you know what type of hunting you want to do? Do you want a horseback wilderness hunt? Do you want an atv type hunt? Figure out what type of experience you want to have. I have been on many a horseback hunt just to watch someone who should not be on it struggle and then blame the outfitter. After riding 20+ miles into camp, they can hardly walk for 2 days. A ranch type hunt may be a better choice for people like that. Are you looking for an archery, or rifle hunt? I love being on a good horse. Nothing better than going thru the mountains with a good rhythm from the horse and finding the game your after...Do your homework. is the area you want to hunt a limited draw area. If looking at the Breaks area, great elk but good luck on the draw...Select your outfitters and do your research. some are very hard to get a hold of...call email or visit at a show. sit down and get to know them. I have done the small outfitters and the large get a new group every 5 days. I like the little guys!!

That's one of the reasons I'm looking for 2021 now! I'd love a horseback hunt and if that's what I find I'll spend 2 summers on a horse! I ride atvs all over the country now, including in the mountains. I'm thinking I'll prefer NM/UT for the slightly higher probability of warmer weather. But other than that I'm open. Ill be in shape, proficient w my rifle and ready to work.
I've recieved several interesting replies from Outfitters, in varying prices! One had a cancelation in a beautiful area for apparently a top notch hunt, I could take it over for just the remaining $30k...... I'm definitely glad theres people who can afford those hunts...I'm just not one of them! Lol

 

[Muddyboots]

I've always looked at an elk hunt on horseback as a total experience hunt. I had horses when I was younger (always a girl gets you into horses) and did dumb things (blacksmith, rodeo, Gymkhana, mountain trail riding in Adirondacks) with them when I look back but dang it was fun at the time. Riding a horse for several hours through most beautiful scenery on the planet is an experience everyone agrees the sights and sounds of the experience is etched and relived forever your mind. The creaking of leather, breathing of the horses, snorts (of the horses that is!), low key talk amongst riders is also etched forever. You will ride up onto game that you would probably never see unless on a horse. I keep both really good digital camera (not some smart phone that Millenials think is a camera) on a binoc harness to take shots of the ride, scenery, animals, friends and son and compact bincos in jacket to maybe look at game. When I am sitting in my office and my computer with screen saver flashing pics of a hunt, it always brings back a flood of memories of the entire hunt. When hunting, a horse can reduce your physical output by 90% when you are riding to a ridge, drainage etc to hunt. You are not wasting energy just walking and not hunting and again another experience of riding probably either in darkness or very low light which is also incredible. Horses have fantastic night sight so I was never concerned. But I do recommend having your good range safety glasses in case you are riding in timber in low light to protect your eyes from small twigs and branches. You can't overstate how much a horse changes the dynamics of a hunt especially if you are successful and the pack mules or even horses are taking out your kill saving your back and legs! I hunted DIY last year without horses and DANG wished I had one! You will enjoy every second of a horseback hunt and my next guided hunt will again be on horseback assuming I can still mount a horse!

 

[sp6x6]

Some states have no outfitter zones.