looking for elk/mulie trip '06

[FIJI]

OK....beside the obvious (sponsors and such) who and where are your recommendations ??

I've hunted the Selway Bitteroots and am looking for a new location.

Note: solo hunter

mahalo

[petey]

Are you looking for a wilderness hunt, from a lodge, guided, semi-guided? Also, rifle bow or muzzleloader?

I have a few in mind, and several I'd recommend that aren't Sponsors too

[FIJI]

* rifle

* wilderness or lodge (I'm adaptable !) Did an 8 day wilderness trip on horseback...but I'm not above a bit of comfort either.

* guided

* prefer mulie combo where available

* any location (I've been looking from CO to NM)

not necessarily looking for a record book wapiti (not that I'd let one just walk by !) but more concerned with a memorable experience and a rack for the wall.

Note: I have nothing against those who sponsor....just know that there are other good - quality guides out there and want to look at ALL my options


mahalo

[M.T. Pockets]

I just booked an elk hunt with an outfitter that hunts just North of the Thorofare in Wyoming. I'm booked for elk only in September, but he offers elk/mule deer combos later in October.
I don't know if this is the best area for a big deer, it's on the East boundary of Yellowstone. (I'm hoping it's an area for BIG elk). I know a top notch outfitter near the Bighorns in Wyoming that I woudn't hesitate to book with, especially if I wanted a big mule deer. He gets some big bull elk each year and he does extremely well with BIG deer. I don't know if forum rules would let me post his name & website address, but I can sure email it to you if you'd like.

[petey]

He's asking, so post away!

If you're looking for a combo hunt, you may want to look into MT instead of CO. I'm not real up to snuff on NM fees but I believe with MT you can get the Non-Res Gaurenteed Outfitter Combo tag for like $996 which gives you ANY legal elk (not just a bull), so you could shoot a cow, bull, legal spike, calf (pretty sure it's state wide?)
AND an EITHER species Whitetail/Mulie buck tag. So you can pretty much shoot anything you encounter along the deer/elk lines, except a doe deer. PLUS you can hunt with a bow and then go out with the same tag in gun season and hunt with your gun.

Colorado (2 yrs ago) was $475 for Non-Res BULL only tag (4 points or better), I believe $250 for a cow only tag, and a Mule-deer tag like $275. I'm sure those have gone up a few bucks over the past 2 yrs if Colorado is continuing their old trend. The Bad thing about their license is that it's good for only the season you're applying. That means if you get the first rifle season while the bulls are bugling, your $500 tag is only good for a week!! Plus you can't hunt deer. Same goes for the next 3 "weekly" seasons, but you may hunt deer during these.

You just spent approx $800 on tags for a BULL and Buck only tag that's good for 1 week!

Don't get me wrong, in some units you can buy your license right over the counter. There definitly are Pro's for hunting CO.

And the same goes for MT, there' are Con's too. MT has some units you can't hunt in and is almost impossible to get a tag.

If I was trying to hunt archery in MT, I'd either hunt the CMR, around the Fort Peck Res. which I believe has to be in the top 5 spots for prodcing bill bulls (maily because you CAN'T get a gun tag) or I should say it's almost impossible. Or I'd be hunting with a fellow I know Carl Blake of Wild Skies Outifitters who is NW of Yellowstone a few hrs. One of his archery clients have a chance at a 400" bull every year!

Now that's archery, rifle is a different story I'm sure.

If you want to hunt Colorado and WANT to kill something (although it may not be the biggest bull in the woods) then you need to get ahold of Marie Haskett of JML Outfitters in the Flat Tops. SHe has one of the oldest outfitter tags in the state and has been running her opperation for over 3 generations in the Flat Tops. JML isn't a sponsor and I sent a good buddy and friend to her last year (his first time out west) and he had the time of his life and killed a good bull with the bow non the less!!

That area is just LOADED with elk and deer, and I'd suggest her opperation to anyone.

I also have several contacts in NM if you'd like those, but if there were two "as of now" Non-Sponsors of Huntchat I'd reccomend they would be JML of Colorado and Wild Skies of Montana.

Let either know I sent you and you may get a good deal ha ha
By the way, both are wilderness type hunts

Marie Hasket of JML Outfitters - 970-878-4749
Carl Blake of Wild Skies Outfitters - 406-782-7597

[FIJI]

I'll put inquiries out to both asap

I'd be interested in the NM contacts too.

mahalo

[elkshedman]

i live on the mescalero indian reservation. we have great elk hunts here. thay are pricey but well werth it. thay cost 10,500$. with that you get to stay at the resort, a guide, meat prosest, hourse. we have had hank jr, jonh anderson, just to name a few. the elk that come out of here go from 275 to 440.this year i shot a 375class bull 6*6. i do not have to pay as much becuse i marrid into the tribe. my wife is mescalero apache. for more info on hunts go to innofthemountingods.com.

[grayghost]

I've hunted with Delles and Linda Ferrier of Hotchkiss, CO in the Gunnison and had a great trip. It's wilderness; horses in and out, but saw lots of game. Didn't draw a Deer tag but saw some nice bucks and one of our camp members took a very nice buck. Most of us took Bulls (5x5s and 6x6s). 10 minutes after taking my 5x6 bull, I was face to face (10 yards) with a 375 class Bull. That was an experience. A 380 (net) was taken a month earlier by an Archer. We went on the second rifle hunt (Oct 21st if I remember). The Bulls were still bugling. I plan on hunting with the Ferriers again. You must draw a Deer tag but 2nd/3rd rifle tags (Elk) are over the counter. Good hunting, grayghost

[FIJI]

with JML Outfitters in Meeker, CO


actually I'm headed to CO this weekend -but only to ski this time. Let it snow...let it snow......

Next trip west is......... ELK-TIME !!!!

[M.T. Pockets]

Good for you, I'm not familiar with licensing in Colorado, can you buy elk & deer tags over the counter ?

What dates are you going ? Hope you have a good hunt, I'm sure you will.

[petey]

Mike,

I'm sure Marie will show you a great time and a great hunt! She's trying to get me to come out this summer, but we'll see. My vacation time is already filling up with trips for '06

[Dan Morris]

M.T., you can buy general bull tag over the counter. Deer are a drawing.
Dan

First Elk season is Elk ONLY......others are combi. I also think first elk is a draw too.

[M.T. Pockets]

Good, I hope you draw the deer tag too.

I'm sitting here waiting for the Wyoming draw on the 28th to see if I'm hunting elk or not in '06.

[FIJI]

...I could figure out how to hunt and bag some pronghorns on the same trip I'd be in HEAVEN (but seasons dont seeem to line up)


(I'd rather have 'lopey in my freezer )

[FIJI]

Yahooooooooooooooo

SNOW in Co Gotta love it.
Diehard locals are even skiing and boarding in Keystone




Man am I ready for this trip