New Sponsor, Elk Hunt Consulting

[gasman]

I really like this type service, I know Dale also sells maps to hunt, and have never heard a bad thing about it.

I have and do entertain this type of service. Having better success in going to new area or state appeals to me (depending on cist).
A few buddy and I are planning a MT deer hunt this year and doing our home work now and having this as an option is appealing, but it would depend on cost. I understand that the cost verses knowledge can be priceless......

I would like to know a price for services offered, PM me if would 

[Indian Summer]

Am I missing the price sheets somewhere?  Selling a product needs a price and I cannot find them.

Elkcollector is correct.... the price varies which is why there are no rates on the website. I include the same thing with all plans. A set of topos for each member of your party. They are hand marked with everything you need. The campsite. Perhaps a location for a spike site. Which trails you use to cover some ground to where you’ll hunt. My own personal off trail hunting routes. Wallows if they are around. Places I’ve seen elk bed or feed. Vantage points to glass from. Places you can get a cell signal from if the area is hard to find one in. Anything else worth passing on to help you with your hunt. Also a set of written instructions. Directions to the parking/camp site. A step by step outline on how to effectively hunt the area. A plan B for the days you need to shift gears and give your body a break. I do that because nobody can hunt hard all day every day for 10 or more days. So you need a gameplan to keep hunting instead of just skipping a day. Also other information such as where to get groceries, dry ice, meat processing, horse leasing, taxidermy etc etc. Last but not least unlimited consulting. You can call text or email as much as you want once you receive your plan with any questions you might have. I love talking elk and do whatever it takes to help my clients use their plan to the fullest and kill elk. Their success rate tells me I’ve done a good job too. I’ve been very pleased and even surprised at how well they have done!

My goal is quality and NOT quantity. I don’t care if I only sell 2 or 4 plans a year. I don’t want or need to sell 10 of them every year. When I first started I was overwhelmed with interest. So I set the cost accordingly. If someone agrees that what I have to offer is a good investment they buy a plan. If they don’t then they don’t and that’s fine with me. I think the service is priceless because I started off no different than anyone else and I wish I could have had a place to stick with and call home from day one. I hate unpunched elk tags!!!

Not only is an outfitted hunt expensive but you have to pay every year AND you pay per person. A quality drop camp can run $2000. That’s 4 to 8 grand for 2 or 4 hunters per year. A guided elk hunt can run $3500 to $6000 per man for 2 on 1 or 1 on 1 hunts. My packages range from $2500 to $4000. That’s a one time fee per party meaning you spit the cost with your partners. So it’s about the same as the cost for one guy to go on an outfitted hunt one time. I look at it as an investment not a cost because you can use it as much as you want for as long as you want. You could go bow hunt and gun hunt with friends every year if you want to.

The price doesn’t vary according to the quality of the hunt or the size potential of bulls. It varies according to ease of hunt or logistics. In other words if a plan requires hunters to back pack a camp in or lease horses it is cheaper. Those hunts require more time, some special gear, way more physical effort, and usually more money for the hunters to do. That type of hunt isn’t doable for everyone. Even if it is it’s just not what everyone wants.  A hunt where you can camp at your truck and get into elk within a reasonable distance requires less time and effort and the plan is more expensive. Anyone in half decent shape can handle them and the plans require more time to put together to do it right. Those ones also need to be hunted or scouted during open season so I know what the pressure is like and how to avoid other hunters.

I have no problem telling you my rates. Nothing fishy here. I’m confident my clients get what they pay for. And like any good outfitter I’m more than glad.... actually very eager to give you a list of references to talk to so you don’t have to take my word about my services. I’ll tell you that I’ve had guys buy a Wyoming plan and the next year call and say we want to go to Montana. We have no questions at all, you know what we want and what we are capable of. Tell us the price and the check is in the mail tomorrow. Likewise I’ve had clients hunt Montana and say the same thing about giving Wyoming a try. I think that speaks volumes about how satisfied my hunters are.

I think that covers all of the questions and comments to this point. I hope you like what you hear. As you can see I don’t mind taking the time to answer questions and explain things in detail. I’m a detail oriented guy! I’m also an elk hunting fanatic. That’s a good combination for someone who expects to help others find and kill elk right!

Next question? 

[dscubame]

Great and thank you.

[White Pass Outfitters]

It all sounds good, I only one concern with the idea.
I know there are migration routes and other areas the hold Bulls consistently. But there is always other factors that can total blow the Elk out off the area. Fire, Snow, not enough or to much, longer hotter summer than normal burns up all the feed and lets not forget about if predators move in. And how many numbers to a spot, because you and I know you tell one guy he will tell another and so fourth, kinda how Eastman hurt a lot of Eastern Montana Deer spots with all there info and just sent crowds of hunters there. But I guess everyone wants to get in on the social media money. And I wonder how your old permitted outfitter buddy's really feel about you putting more numbers of hunters in there area. lol   I do wish you the best in your new business and I am real curious on how it all will play out.

[Indian Summer]

White Pass.... aren’t those things that everyone has to consider? As a client of an outfitter you can be up against the same things. As an outfitter you may find yourself up against the very same things. Likewise if you go to a new place with no real plan or even to a spot you’ve been hunting for years.

I can tell you that last year I had some clients who bought a Montana plan and it turned out there was an active fire come hunting season. They now make great references because I dropped everything to put together an alternate plan for them FOR FREE. Another time I had a client who carried out his plan in Wyoming and even killed a bull but told me he really pushed himself to the limits to get it done. He said he was thinking about the future and really wanted a plan that was less physically demanding. So for a modest fee of $500 I gave him a new one. He was so happy that he turned around and bought a Montana plan and this past season him and his partner went 2 for 2 on nice bulls. There will always be unexpected obstacles in life but as I said I do whatever it takes to give my clients the best chance to achieve their goal.

I never overlap the outfitters I know. If you check out my website you’ll see I book clients for them. I hunt the areas outside the perimeter of where they can get clients from their camps. Places a guide would glass from the limits of where he can drag a flat lander but doesn’t even think about going to try to kill elk. It’s a great source of information for sure and I’m personal friends with those outfitters. On occasion I will still guide for them if they get in a pinch.

[White Pass Outfitters]

Ok glad to here it ! I think you have all the hick ups figured out ! That was the only concern I would have had. Best of luck to you !!!

[ian_padron]

Man it is just sad to see what hunting is coming to. Everyone is just out to make a quick buck.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[Special T]

Man it is just sad to see what hunting is coming to. Everyone is just out to make a quick buck.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

What you should consider is that there is a thirst for knowledge. Most of us hunters are fairly tight lipped about our spots.

I talked to a retired HE instructor that discussed starting an educational business for Hunting 101 of specific species. There arnt as many mentors out there as thier used to be. Knowledge can be paid for in Time, or cash. Sadly most of us have more $ than time. It is why I mostly bow hunt deer close to home.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Special T]

@Indian Summer

Perhaps you haven't been doing this long enough to know but...

I'm curious if your plans seem to stay more closely held  because people have a financial incentive to keep quiet. Vs the usual, I don't live or hunt there anymore so I'll give you some free info.

Interesting business idea, and pretty cool plan as to foster repeat business and expand while not burning any bridges with the sources of info.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Netminder01]

Smart evolution of outfitting and guiding and certainly where I see the trend going as more people want and would benefit from help, leading to increased hunter success and more people hunting.

Good luck, I'll be paying attention and welcome to the forum!!

[jackelope]

Man it is just sad to see what hunting is coming to. Everyone is just out to make a quick buck.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

@ian_padron   This is nothing new.

The guy that owns this forum sells trophy maps. Mostly the same thing.
Robby Denning, one of the owners of Rokslide has a business doing this, scouting for people for money.
Eastman's MRS
GoHunt
I'm sure there are more.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

What stops a guy from coming back to the area after the 3 years are up? 

[Boss .300 winmag]

What stops a guy from coming back to the area after the 3 years are up?

What where did this come from?

[Mtnwalker]

Man it is just sad to see what hunting is coming to. Everyone is just out to make a quick buck.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

@ian_padron   This is nothing new.

The guy that owns this forum sells trophy maps. Mostly the same thing.
Robby Denning, one of the owners of Rokslide has a business doing this, scouting for people for money.
Eastman's MRS
GoHunt
I'm sure there are more.

Personally I would love it if someday it was illegal to get paid for any hunting services whatsoever conducted on public lands, and leave the guiding/info selling/big money stuff on privately owned land. BUT that is just my personal wish, I know many will disagree 

[dscubame]

I am old school and truly do have maps with handwritten notes with directions, past experiences, location legend, and so forth.  I won't ever sell them but sure could. 

Each his own, heck I would even purchase hunt info that contains extreme back country hunt info.  6 - 10 miles into unfamiliar area such information could be well worth it.  Partner and I have been kicking this around for a couple years now.