Looking for suggestions on locations

[Skillet]

Already faced it - see my second and third posts. 

Now I'm really kind of interested in a drop camp.  I'll start making some calls tonight, starting with the site's sponsors.  Having never hired a guide like this, though - what are some important questions (aside from "how much?")to ask?  Thanks again, fellas?

[Todd_ID]

I grew up as a guide in Idaho with my mom owning a backcountry outfitting business.  Drop camps are a good choice for someone who knows how to hunt elk but just needs an area.  If you are new to elk hunting, then either expect to invest the years to gain the experience or pay the full fee for the guided trip.  The questions to ask (also known as the problems I've heard) are:

-Transport and lodging before and after the hunt.
- Method and timing of transport in and out.
- Method of communications (for your kill early scenario).  Most outfitters have a packer on standby in the local area to get an animal out the day that you kill it just because meat care is so important; also, most of the cost of a drop camp is to pay that packer/guide with no clients to standby at base camp waiting for you to radio that you killed something throughout the week that you are hunting.
- Distance that will be covered by horse, 4-wheeler, etc. on trip in and out.  Many complain after about 7-8 miles on a horse.
- Length of trip including drop-off and pick up times for the first and last days
- Taxidermy prep and delivery or not.  Some drop-camp hunters can do it and some haven't a clue.  Most packers can cape an animal, so that may be an option.  Most outfitters put a premium on getting someone there in time to cape an animal and for the labor of doing it.
- Cost of extra days.  Nobody, unless it's just one guy, alone, that gets lucky, tags out in the allotted time frame for the hunt, and they almost always ask to stay an extra couple days and have the outfitter arrange their travel plans since they are out of cell range.  A smart outfitter will charge extra for this service, and it'll be worth paying for you.  The extra couple days that you pay for will be well worth it, because you'll finally be learning the area and figuring out how to hunt the animals about the last day of the trip.
- "Where will I be located in reference to your guided hunters?"  Most outfitters will put the drop camps in a good area and save the great areas for their guided clients; this is very common.
- Available tents, stoves, etc.  Basically, "What do I need to bring?"
- "Will you give me a map of the area with the elk areas marked or look at my map and show me where, exactly, to hunt and call from for a good starting point?"  This is important!  Drop camps don't generate enough revenue to pay the bills for the year, so outfitters are generally stingy on information to those clients.
- References.  Most specifically ask for references that did not harvest last year or the year prior.  Call those people and ask about their opinion.  The most important question is, "Would you do it again, even if it meant straining the budget?"  Call at least three.
-The final thing to ask about is quality of animals in the area.  Most outfitters will glorify their hunting area for a reason: they want your money to pay the bills of running their business!  You've got to be realistic about the expectations.  If you hunt with a bow, then you should be happy taking a cow in the last three days of the trip.

The last thing is to have fun!  Harvest or not should not determine the success of your trip.  Drop camps mean completely unfamiliar areas and tough hunting, but you can get into some amazing areas with the right outfitter.  If you can hunt elk, then a drop camp is a perfect solution to the question of "where?"

[Todd_ID]

And there ends the dissertation on drop camps! 


Sorry to get so long-winded.  I've seen the good and bad of it.  The good trips are the ones that the clients knew ahead of time what they were in for, and the problem trips were the ones where the people expected something that wasn't agreed upon.  There isn't much money to be made in drop camps, so the outfitters have a hard time trying hard to make them successful.  Sure, there's a cash flow coming in from the $1500 bucks that the client paid, but there's $1300 going out to pay for the expenses of that trip, so there's not much incentive to provide a "perfect" trip.

[Timmybob]

Todd_ID,
   Dude, that is some great information right there. Thanks for your insight and advise....

[Skillet]

Todd_ID-

Holy cow, man - thank you!  I ask a question about outfitters, and get some great advice / things to think about... very cool of you to share all of that.   Great stuff

[Skillet]

Update-

No small thanks to the flood of input from you fellas, Minnesota boy saw the light and will be here for early season in 2010.  I, however, will be here for the rut in 2009    I will get to hunt my favorite areas and have time to find a few more before he comes out. 

Going to have to put the ol' muzzleloader away and blow the dust off the bow - but that's a whole 'nother topic.  Thanks for the input to all, and to those who PM'd me with advice - I owe you one.  While I'm new here, I'm not just a "taker".  I plan to reciprocate as I gain more bow hunting and elk knowledge in the future.  Let the scouting begin...

[huntnphool]

Welcome to the site Skillet, good stuff Todd