Which guided elk hunt for 2019?

[ur2ez22]

@Rick Richard I had stumbled across Hideen Creek Outfitters last week but haven't called them yet - glad to hear a positive report though. Have you had good success in seeing good numbers of elk and having opportunities at good bulls pretty consistently? And have the New Mexico hunts been with landowner tags, or a draw?

Best time to see numbers of elk is when they are migrating out of the high country. If you can catch it just right, it will be an unbelievable sight and hunt. I have been lucky in taking or having opportunities in all the hunts I have made there. Biggest for me there was a 330ish, but exceptionally wide. I had a chance at a 360 last year, but could not get an arrow in him. New Mexico has been land owner tags, which means it can be a bit more in price. I am not that young anymore and can't play the preference point game so I pay for the privalage of not waiting. The one in my avatar was taken there three years ago.

Thanks for the additional info! My dad is in the same boat for the most part, AZ excluded. Besides, he worked hard for years until retiring earlier this year - he's earned it! These both sound like encouraging options, I'll check them out!

 

[ur2ez22]

Don't throw Rock's at me, BUT,.. Idaho has been seriously, over rated, since about 2005/2009 as from, 1995 to 2009 or so, the Wolves ATE 40,000 PLUS, Elk out of Central Idaho ! Our F & Game sells same amount of Tags, to support their Wages, tho ! I apply for Utah and Arizona and "Special" Draws, here ! Idaho WAS in the TOP 3 or 4 States, to Hunt Elk BEFORE the Canadian "Tundra" Wolves, were introduced by 2 groups of people, who don't know anything,.. about Game management !

That's what I'm afraid of after not even finding a single elk last year, and only 8 deer (2 bucks). Couldn't have pictured better terrain, and the guide worked hard, but the animals just weren't anywhere to be found...

 

[ur2ez22]

Check with Storm Creek Outfitters. They hunt the head of the Selway river in Idaho. Not sure they have any openings for this year. Wilderness hunt with mules and backcountry camps.

Luckily we're planning this for next year, so hopefully that frees up options by not doing this last minute. Looking at their site, it definitely looks like the type of hunt we'd be interested in and they've got pictures of plenty of respectable bulls! Have you ever hunted with them personally?

 

[Dr. Vette]

I've hunted once with Hubbard's Yellowstone Outfitters (MT) last year. Had a great time. No horses, no ATV's, but we did have some jeeps that would get us out an area where would spend the day hunting from. Not driving around looking for something to shoot though--actual hunting. Some nights you are in the lodge, some nights you are up at a spike camp that is still wood, with a kitchen and wood stove, so pretty comfortable. My group was 4 guys, 2 per guide. We got one (not me), and it was a respectable elk. Several other groups all tagged out. Great food too. I think they're about $5,500 per person. Going back this year as well, so hopefully I'll have more success.

We hunted with Hubbard's in 2007 and 2009. At the time the elk herd was thin due to wolves, and it sounds like it may have bounced back a bit.

At the time it was a great outfitter with not much opportunity. I'm glad that the odds there have improved!

 

[ur2ez22]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! Has anyone ever done elk hunts, or combo elk hunts, in parts of Canada? Looks pretty common for them to do combo elk/moose hunts in comparison to the combo elk/deer hunts here...

 

[FlGunner]

I don't have an experience yet, but I'm going with Cody Carr in Montana at the end of October. But so far, all I can say is he has called several times to just check and see how I'm doing and asked if I've been conditioning and shooting. I think that alone says a lot about how much he cares that I have the best experience possible. I had to book a couple years ago to go this year as he was already nearly booked. The hunt was $4,800 for rifle and tags were 1k for a combo of deer & elk. I will post after my trip and share my experience. Anyway, what led to choosing him over say another, was that I talked to other clients that went and even asked other outfitters why should I go with there service as opposed to another and when I would ask the question to them... Who would they go with if they couldn't go with themselves several said Cody Carr. So I think that speaks to what kind of guy he is and that he must be doing something right.

 

[Jerry M]

Cody Carr is a very nice guy. Runs a nice comfortable camp. Went with him in October 2016.

 

[Caveman0101]

I hunted the Frank Church a couple times DIY with horses, we always brought meet home. Nothing huge though. I don't know what you have to give them but some of those guides would spot elk from the air for their client on the ground. That and the wolves is why we stopped going. I would try a guide in the Bitterroots, they have rifle seasons during the rut, always had good luck there. As a bonus, there are really nice whitetail and mule deer also.

 

[ur2ez22]

Cody Carr initially grabbed my attention, but it seems like his hunts are based on a dozen or so hunters in camp. We're hoping to do something more along the lines of just us and a guide, so reading those reviews were a bummer because his site has some great success pictures on it!

 

[Dr. Vette]

Nothing wrong with having other groups do some intel on other areas to hunt.
Often when I've been in a camp with other hunters we never see anyone else during the day.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I would pick just about any unit in AZ and then hire a guide. If you are from AZ, or have lived here, you know that plenty of great bulls come from the late hunts, and a guide who knows the unit will put you on them.

Heck, I am no guide, but help every year for family members who draw tags. There has not been a year in the past 9 where we did not have a chance at a mature bull at least 3-4 times. Making connections, or getting the hunters to put in the effort is a different story. But we have taken 4 good ones out. Even in units not known for the monsters, we saw some great bulls. But they don't get big by being slow and dumb.

 

[curtiscd]

I have not looked at any out of state regulations for WY as I am a resident, but I will recommend TJ with Fishhawk Creek Outfitters/ Ishawooa Creek Outfitters. Give him a call @ (307) 254-2547. These camps are run along the eastern border of Yellowstone out of Cody, WY. I have no personal experience with his camps. I only know him as a friend and I know that the areas that he runs provide some extraordinary trophies year in and out. Definitely worth a call though.

 

[scf]

Hey everyone, I'm hoping to get some recommendations from folks who have recent, hands-on experience. I've searched this forum going back a few years and have found similar threads from 2015 or so, but a lot can change in a few years especially with the impacts wolves have had in a few areas.

My dad has been hunting elk for 40+ years between the time we've lived in Idaho and Arizona, but has never been able to connect on a bull. And despite being an extremely healthy and active 72, he's starting to feel the fear of time not being on his side. We tried a guided horseback hunt last year in the Frank Church wilderness area of Idaho, we really liked our guide and we both filled our mule deer tags towards the end of the hunt (on the only two bucks seen), but we never even sniffed an elk the entire time. We want to give it another go next year to try and get a respectable bull for him to hang on the wall, and while we may choose the same guide from last year again, I want to do my due diligence for other ideas as well. A few requirements for the hunt:

- Open to hunts in any of the Rocky Mountain states or even Canada (wouldn't rule out Alaska either, although that seems better served for a moose/caribou type trip after he's got his bull).

- Fair hunts only, not interested in a fenced hunt where someone points at a bull after a 10 minute drive down a dirt road. We recognize those are less than guaranteed success, but to us that's the whole point of hunting anyways - otherwise it's just shooting.

- ATV's could be used for transportation purposes, but not "too much" to where it feels like we're road hunting. He can hike for days or do horseback just fine, and have more fun while doing it. No need to sleep in a resort lodge either, outfitter tents suit us just fine - it's about the experience still.

- He's got a lot of bonus points in AZ but is saving them for a draw that will likely come in another 2-3 years. We don't have points in any other state, so looking for states/hunts that leverage outfitter tags such as Idaho does, guaranteed draw tags (could buy a preference point this year in advance of next years draw if needed), landowner tags, etc.

- Everyone wants a monster, but it doesn't have to be a 390" bull or anything crazy that also tends to run $10k+. We paid $5k each for our hunt last year and had a great time. If there's something around $5k-7.5k give or take, that would meet the above interests and give us a good chance at a respectable bull or two to hang on the wall, that would be great!

So what are your suggestions and why? Thanks everyone in advance!

-Aaron

I would avoid Cassidy Outfitters of Colorado

 

[280aiyote]

Heard good things about trapper peak outfitters, hope to get out that way one day but wanna bag an elk here first.