hiring a outfitter

[Machias]

Great advice!  Longears rule!!   

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

they are much more stable, and dont get afraid like a horse, on my idaho back country hunt this year we were going up a 2 ft wide trail with a 200oft cliff.. no way in hell id be on a horse.....

[huntnphool]

Hey phool--- Did he drop you at a specific camp he set up? Or did you ask him to set camp up in a specific place that you requested?? I love the drop camps makes life easier when you want to do it yourself.

We rode his horses in several miles to a camp he had set up, we would hunt on our own from there. He dropped each group of several miles from each other so as not to get in each others areas. We towed several mules behind us with our gear and food. We were supplied with a large wall tent,  wood stove, cooking stove, pots and pans, cooking utensils, propane, cots and had set the camp up next to a spring we could get water from. It was a 10 day drop and we would go to a specific spot each night to radio in. When we got our elk the packers were out the next morning to get it, we had to have the quarters ready for the mules.

[hornhunter]

Phool- for shopping purposes what did that sservice cost per person?

[nwhunter]

THere is no shame whatsoever in using an outfitter and I still consider a drop camp a do it yourself hunt as you are just getting help with your transportation and camp. When you are hunting a real wilderness if you don't have stock it is nearly the only responsible way to hunt elk and be able to get one out if you are very deep at all. nwhunter

[huntnphool]

IDAHO DROP CAMP HUNTS

 From September 15 to November 18, we offer drop-camp hunts where we furnish tent, wood stove, Coleman cook stove and fuel, one lantern, ax, shovel, bucket, table, and a complete kitchen including cooking and eating utensils for the party.  You need to bring only your personal gear and food.  We'll pack you and your gear on horseback to your camp, and we'll make frequent checks with you for prompt care of your game or for any other necessity.  We do also have radios in our drop camp, so you can have communications with our base camp. Our drop camp for a party of two is $2,200 plus sales tax per person, a party of three is $1,950 plus sales tax per person, parties of 4 are $1700 per person plus state sales tax.  Each additional day over a ten-day schedule is $100 dollars per person plus tax.  A 1/3 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a hunt.

[Opportunist]

Need more info. What weapon are you using? How many are in your party? Why not out of state? Eastside or westside? Why are you looking at north central cascades for an elk hunt?  You need to pick the area you want to hunt that has good numbers of elk, not an area because an outfitter can take you in there. How much wilderness/backcountry hunting experience do you have? Wilderness hunting is a pain in the ass, I love it and hate it! It's a great experience but a hard physically demanding hunt. Most wilderness's are in rough country. You must be prepared to pack the elk on your back to the trail or to camp, packers can't get their animals into some areas and others require the quartered up animal to be at a trail or at camp.

Being your first elk hunt you've got an elk killin' learning curve to work through and paying for a drop camp is an expensive way to start. I have no issues with utilizing outfitters for drop camps or pack services. I've done the guided trip thing, not my cup of tea, won't do it again. But I will use outfitters/packers in the future for drop camps, especially if I ever draw Wenaha.

There's alot of good OTC elk hunting to do in-state/out of state if your just wanting to kill an elk. This site has alot great guys and hunters that can help you out putting together a good elk hunt.

[TheHunt]

When you talk to the outfitter there are a few questions you need to ask.   Here are a few...

• If you are archery hunting then you ask how many camps did he put in for that hunt?
• How many camps were successful in harvesting an elk?
• What is the areas (in general areas) so that you can contact game and fish to determine the number of elk in an area.
• Do you have any individuals that you can contact who hunted with you last year that you could contact regarding their hunt?  Becareful here...   They could have drunk their nights away.  Out of shape.  Could not have any calling ability...   The main thing is where did you camp and did you see animals.  You want to be put in a location were there are animals.
• Becarefull as the individauls might give you their employees or family members. The local game and fish person should be able to tell you who works for them.  If one of the names is a family unit member run from the guide.
• If you put a down payment on your hunt would the outfitter provide you locations (GPS) of his camps so you could scout it out?  You would need to backpack in and spend the night.  You would then tell him what you find in the different locations which is ok.  That way you get the best spot.  Now if you are a drop camp without doing this he would put you into an area with less elk and less quality as his fully guided clients would go to the better spots as he would want them to see more and have a higher percentage of getting an elk as he would make more money (Tips, references, etc).
• If you get some locations contact the Game and Fish.  Ask them about the locations you found and which one would be the best.  This is just additional information you can use. Do not give them too much information as this might be used against you by him telling others of the areas you discuss.
• Ask the game and fish what kind of person owns and works for the guide.  Have there been any issues legal or not regarding the guide or his employees?  Ask if he would send his mother on a hunting trip with the guide.  Use your interview prowlness to determine what the issue was.  He/she can not tell you or he/she will be sued by the guide service.  But he/she can give you a personal opinion without being sued. Then you keep that information to yourself.  DO NOT PUBLISH IT as you just screwed everyone who would ever contact him/her again.
• If the guide has clients who hunt with him on a yearly bases you need to find that out.  If those people always go to a specific area and they are typically successful you need to know that.  You will need to know were that location is?  Possibly the next bowl to that location would be a good area for you to check out.
• Ask the guide how long he has guided in Washington?  Ask if he has lived in Washington all his life?  If he has worked in other states you might want to contact the other states for a background information?
• Call the Better Business Bureaus to see if there are any complaints?
• Get contact information on every successful hunter last year?  You want to make sure the area is not shot out. 

As you can see there are lots of strategies to this and if you do not do you homework you might get secrewed.   Write down the interview questions prior to phone call.   Be prepared...   If you catch him in a lie/untruth want until the end of the interview questions before going back and getting a clearer answer.  If you do this he/she will be on the defensive and will pick their words very closely.

If this is your first time...  Why wouldnt you catch up with all the rest of the hunters with one hunt?  You could work with the guide picking his/her brain on strategies, tactics, calling sequences, calling..  Heck you could bring a bunch of asprin and sit during the down time and practice calling in the great outdoors which your guide told you how bad you suck and the correct tone.  This way your wife would not have to listen to hours of noise.  Bring a note book if you do this?

Your goal is to find a spot that has elk.  That you can get into elk every day!!! 

Good luck
Jim

[ICEMAN]

  Holy crap, what a great instruct on how to do it!  Ive never hired an outfitter, but this sounds like a great research plan.

[Opportunist]

Keep in mind that checking references of an outfitters reference list is a waste of time. These references are picked by the outfitter so they get a good reference.

Contact that states outfitter and guides association to see if the outfitter is licensed. I found an outfitter booking hunts at the portland sportsman's show that had no outfitter license.

Make sure they are in good standing within the outfitters association and have they had there license revoked in the past, what was the reason if it had been. Contact the forest service or blm office that the outfitter operates in and make sure they have the proper permits to run camps and hunts.

There is alot of legwork involved in finding a good outfitter. Garth Carter owner of the Huntin' Fool consulting service and magazine wrote an article about picking outfitters. He felt that 75% of the outfitters were incompetent in one way or another. Either poor businessmen, poor hunting area, bad equipment or unethical guides. One of these makes them incompetent. Now I would take what he said with a grain of salt being someone trying to get you to book with one of his recommended outfitters. But still some valid points. Remember the best outfitters are hard to book with because repeat clients rebook every year and fill up their calendar. Good luck!

[TheHunt]

Do your homework