Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: backwoods_boy on August 26, 2008, 11:49:56 AM

Title: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: backwoods_boy on August 26, 2008, 11:49:56 AM: :dunno:
Say............i dont know the area and i did my homework/scouting and all that and still feel a little anxiety.
Would it be worth it to hire a guide and feel a little more at ease with our chances?

Personally I prefer to do all the work on my own, but i was just curious if my dad, brother and i would benifit from finding a guide to help us out with our experience.

we are in RIMROCK GMU OCT 20th-Nov 2nd.
let me know youre thoughts
thanks!
dont flinch....
:hunter: ???
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Ridgerunner on August 26, 2008, 12:17:48 PM: I don't know if there is a guide in that unit. With those elk tags the success isn't that high so its never a slam dunk hunt. I doubt a guide could improve your chances too much, I'd just make sure you were set up in a great spot on the opener, the first 3 days of that tag is golden. Its a good unit and gets very little MZ pressure so keep at it. Go over the Friday before the season and spend Saturday and Sunday figuring out where they are hanging out.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: boneaddict on August 26, 2008, 12:27:46 PM: What he just said. I'm not much of a guide type person myself, but especially in this case. Its public land and lots of folks in the woods. Its not a big callers game. I personally think you'd really be pissing the money away without improving your odds that much. I'm sure there is a guide in the area that would disagree with me, but you asked our opinions.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: yajsab on August 26, 2008, 12:33:32 PM: You want meat or you want hunt? I have nothing against guide, but I would rather do it myself for the enjoyment. The smoke season is no bad. Like said, just go early and do your work. That first light is everything. Good luck.

12 more days to go!!!
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Slenk on August 26, 2008, 12:34:44 PM: missionbigbull2008
Just hunt it hard that's a good area. No need for a guide.Find the dark holes and thick stuff, with water. Look for saddles with brush and timber close by.There will be lots of Elk there by hunting season. Cooling of pretty good here at night and only in the 70s in the day time so they'll start moving in there from the high country soon.
You'll do fine .
Slenk

http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/Slenksstuff640/?action=view&current=NForkTampico003.jpg
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: backwoods_boy on August 26, 2008, 12:34:50 PM: yeah thats what i thought....
i am just really anxious and this will be my first elk and first Big game animal for that matter.....i am not looking for the 6x6 400 bull but i really want to fill at least 1-3 tags but 3-3 would be even better
thanks and i appriciate the tips.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: backwoods_boy on August 26, 2008, 12:40:00 PM: thanks guys.... 8)
trust me.....my dad, brother and i are doing our homework. we are planning on makin 3 more trips over there before oct 20th but im sure you can sense my anxiety....i would rather just go live over there in the mountains, but i suppose i have to pay bills still too. to bad the world doesnt stop when you get drawn for a big bull tag ha ha :chuckle:
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Slider on August 26, 2008, 01:55:37 PM: My quess(never been there is) get up high on the Main ridges in the dark before first light and blow some locator Bugles. They should be sounding off for sure by then. Listen closely for either reply Bugles or Chuckles. Also at daylight start glassing,glassing and more glassing. You should also do this in the evening about an hour before dark. If you don't get an answer or see Bulls move up or down the Main Ridge untill you do. As said three or four days scouting just before your opener could make all the diffrence in the world!!! Good Luck
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Craig on August 26, 2008, 03:27:57 PM: There should be a lot of hunters in the woods bumping the elk around. Find a good escape route and sit and wait for the elk to come through.

I ate tag soup during the muzzleloader bull permit hunt last year but the bulls are there. We seen them.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Opportunist on August 27, 2008, 04:31:05 AM: Missionbigbull2008, You've got to relax, you've got a 14 day season to hunt. As much articles are written and it's typed about on the internet, scouting is not the end all to be all on an elk hunt. It's all about staying positive on a hunt. Your hunt has a 5 year average success of 28 %, that's really good.

Hell if this is your first biggame animal shoot the first legal elk you get a shot at don't worry about holding out for a big bull.

Take off after any bugle you hear, don't assume it's a hunter until you see a guy with a bugle tube, be very careful. I would be very careful bugling on this hunt in fact I wouldn't.

Grab a set of tracks you find and follow them, even if you lose the tracks continue in the same general direction the tracks were going, elk go to other elk, the tracks don't even have to be fresh to follow, to find elk. It's a prey thing to brush predators off on other prey, anyone that has dogged elk can attest to this. I cannot even think how many times I've busted a herd that was not the herd I was tracking. My dad has beat this into my head since I first started elk hunting and he has killed 80+ elk, he's 72 don't do the math.

I don't have the patience to sit at an elk crossing, especially when there's elk just over that next ridge, I just know it. But it can be successful, especially on migration hunts.

Stay positive. Defeatism sends elk hunters home with tags in their wallets every year.

I've been on one guided hunt and that was enough for me. I like to do my own thing and being a guide doesn't mean they are good hunters and unless you have alot of money it's a crap shoot on the guide's knowledge and ability. I don't want to offend those on this site that are guides so I'll shutup about that. I found this outfitter that works out of Indian creek corrals. They are expensive and charge more for bigger bulls which I think is *censored*! But here it is nonetheless. I know absolutely nothing about them.

http://www.pacificcrestoutfitting.com/Hunting.html

Good luck on the hunt and just enjoy the hunt with your family.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: backwoods_boy on August 27, 2008, 09:16:46 AM: Thank you so much for the tips.
i really do appriciate your thoughts
i will be in touch.
Title: Re: Is it worth it to hire a guide???? if so do you guys know any for GMU 364
Post by: Ridgerunner on August 27, 2008, 09:48:15 AM: I wondered what happened to indian creek corrals.