16pts Wyoming Elk DIY vs Guided

[Packer9037]

Maybe a guy needs to focus on the joy of hunting. The freedom. The air. The physical ability to hike the mountains.

This. 100%.

good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Indian Summer]

That’s easy to say. Have you ever waited 16 years just to go hunting for a week or two? It makes a guy nervous. It makes you gather as much information as possible while you fine-tune your plan. The way to focus on the joys of hunting is to start off with a solid plan or three.

 

[Miflatlander91]

I have no illusions of some 375 giant. I want something heavy and wide and an adventure I can look back on when I'm old. Scores are whatever.
Good point on the outfitter days / weather window.
Ive ridden horses but would be much more comfortable leading llamas from the aspect of being solo. Horse slips- spooks solo.. could be ugly.

That quote right their time sounds very much diy. In my mind I’ll hold the memory of a diy hunt way higher than following an outfitter up the trail.


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[ndhuntermanND]

If you have 20 days off - my game plan would to be talk to a couple of friends and take / set up one for one week and one for a different week - most friends can handle busting a week of vacation but not 2 weeks - set it up where you go to one area for 5-7 days and if no luck then that friend goes home and the other one comes in during that transition you get a couple days out of the bush to re-organize re-coup and re-think your options and you have your other friend with fresh legs, eyes and can maybe look at it differently or give different options of what you can / should do - plus on the second week you can be totally more aggressive in your hunting style than the first week that you were probably cautious of everything you did.
And congrats on being patient enough to wait 16 yrs. man that's a feat in itself.

Just my 2 cents

Ive got 10 days or so..
Yeah the more I look at the unit- the more I want to diy it. Some pretty rough country but with llamas in 4x4 mode.. I can tackle it.
It's really the dang gbears that have me wavering. Cleaning up an elk solo in bear country isn't fun at night.

 

[Indian Summer]

Take a friend. Better yet take someone you don’t like. That way if you run into a grizzly bear, you can sacrifice them. Do you have an ex-wife or a nosy neighbor?

 

[ndhuntermanND]

Drew a once in a lifetime ND moose tag this morning. Blows my mind..
So withdrew my wyoming app. Will be throwing again in 26'.
Appreciate all the input.. and if anyone's sitting on points say 14+ and wanting to combine forces- hit me up. Have 9 months to agree on a plan. Ha

 

[rodney482]

Yeah I've done the drop camps in Colorado and had really good experiences but don't see em avaliable in wyo much?
That's the thing.. my kids are 7-8.5-12..
Awesome years for trips and memories.
Hunt is 13k. Figure 2k tip.. I'm 41. Good shape and with a horse or 2 llamas could diy. Got all the gear and then some.. Quarterd and packed out a few on my back but just not excited about solo on foot. Plus with g bears around I feel like it's wise to not dick around for days on a kill.

Evenin-
I'm in a bit of a struggle and looking for wisdom.

Ive applied for a unit I 'should' draw with 16 points. I could hunt the vast majority of the unit diy and have elk hunted about 8 times.. so comfortable with the process.
The quandary is: a guided hunt+ tip would run 15k.. + I'll have 2k into the tag if I draw.

Ive got the money squirreled away.. but also have 3 kids and debts to pay, trips we want to take yada yada.

Does a guy roll the dice? Rent a few llamas and go diy or stack the deck and go outfitted? I see merit to both considering the high probability of this being a once maybe twice in a lifetime tag.

DIY Wy

then take $12k and do a landower NM elk hunt.