Drew Utah-Monroe October Rifle -- guide or DIY as first timer?

[WaWox]

I got stupid lucky (my best estimate: 1 in 500-1500 chance) and drew October 5th thru 17th Monroe unit any weapon (for me: rifle) Elk tag. The problem: this unit is too good for me. I am not an elk hunter -- I have taken black tail deer on the Washington Olympic Peninsula but haven't ever hunted elk before. Went I entered for this unit, it was very much with the intention of "building points" while I go elsewhere to practice and learn.

But now it looks like I got once-in-a-lifetime luck and need to make the most of it. I can probably do one scouting trip in the summer to see the unit in person but I won't be able to be there much just before the October season starts. My plan would be to drive down from Washington state, rent something local for the two weeks and then drive in + hike in, camp deeper in the unit for some of it. Trying my best. Should I get a guide instead of DIY-ing it?

Background: mid-life onset hunter, two seasons of blacktail deer, probably not a great shot (closest range only goes to 200 yards and while I get shots within deer-vital area in that range, that's under range conditions.. ), reasonably fit (and now with a ton of motivation to get in the best shape I have been at least since having kids), happy to hike a bunch, carry heavy loads, and busily reading up on how to hunt elk.

 

[RdRdrFan]

Will go against the grain on what you will likely hear from this point on.

Do plenty of research (quickly) and hire the best outfitter with plenty of experience in the unit. Presumably you won’t be able to spend an inordinate amount of time in the unit scouting. You have no elk hunting experience. Go guided and enjoy the hunt. If you can make it over and scout a few times…..great. I’d encourage that. But having someone that can call and more importantly knows when to call and when not to call is vital. Knowing where to look for elk. Knowing where to not waste your time. These are all things that a quality outfitter and guide will help with.

To me this is a no brainer in your situation.

 

[Steve O]

Most won’t read your situation and blindly say DIY. If you want to kill an elk you will greatly stack your odds with a good outfitter. You are not like most here that have been waiting 20+ years for that elk tag and have been hunting elk every year building experience.

 

[mhammond86]

Congrats on the tag! With the tag of a lifetime and your experience level, I would also recommend the guided route.

 

[Legend]

I got stupid lucky (my best estimate: 1 in 500-1500 chance) and drew October 5th thru 17th Monroe unit any weapon (for me: rifle) Elk tag. The problem: this unit is too good for me. I am not an elk hunter -- I have taken black tail deer on the Washington Olympic Peninsula but haven't ever hunted elk before. Went I entered for this unit, it was very much with the intention of "building points" while I go elsewhere to practice and learn.

But now it looks like I got once-in-a-lifetime luck and need to make the most of it. I can probably do one scouting trip in the summer to see the unit in person but I won't be able to be there much just before the October season starts. My plan would be to drive down from Washington state, rent something local for the two weeks and then drive in + hike in, camp deeper in the unit for some of it. Trying my best. Should I get a guide instead of DIY-ing it?

Background: mid-life onset hunter, two seasons of blacktail deer, probably not a great shot (closest range only goes to 200 yards and while I get shots within deer-vital area in that range, that's under range conditions.. ), reasonably fit (and now with a ton of motivation to get in the best shape I have been at least since having kids), happy to hike a bunch, carry heavy loads, and busily reading up on how to hunt elk.

I know nothing about your tag. My advice is do not do anything that makes it a financial burden. If it's no big deal to spend money then go guided. If you hesitate on the money then make a friend with some hunting experience and get after it.

If it is really a good unit with high elk numbers and low tags then you will see/hear elk if you try.

Good luck.

 

[PathFinder]

Definitely hire a guide (this coming from someone who would almost always recommend the opposite). Generally people coming from your experience level end up falling far short of the tag's potential. This isn't a hunt to be using to learn to trophy hunt elk, it's basically once in a lifetime.
I'd recommend Russ Nielson with Utah Premier Outfitters. He's a good guy who has helped kill lots of great bulls on the unit. A friend of mine used to guide for him and he runs a good outfit.

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[ElGuapo]

I’ll do you one better… Call Billie Robb with Red Creek outfitters. You will have a great time and a fantastic Elk hunt. Consider it most likely the only Utah Elk tag you’re likely to draw in your lifetime. Congratulations

 

[ElkArcher918]

I got stupid lucky (my best estimate: 1 in 500-1500 chance) and drew October 5th thru 17th Monroe unit any weapon (for me: rifle) Elk tag. The problem: this unit is too good for me. I am not an elk hunter -- I have taken black tail deer on the Washington Olympic Peninsula but haven't ever hunted elk before. Went I entered for this unit, it was very much with the intention of "building points" while I go elsewhere to practice and learn.

But now it looks like I got once-in-a-lifetime luck and need to make the most of it. I can probably do one scouting trip in the summer to see the unit in person but I won't be able to be there much just before the October season starts. My plan would be to drive down from Washington state, rent something local for the two weeks and then drive in + hike in, camp deeper in the unit for some of it. Trying my best. Should I get a guide instead of DIY-ing it?

Background: mid-life onset hunter, two seasons of blacktail deer, probably not a great shot (closest range only goes to 200 yards and while I get shots within deer-vital area in that range, that's under range conditions.. ), reasonably fit (and now with a ton of motivation to get in the best shape I have been at least since having kids), happy to hike a bunch, carry heavy loads, and busily reading up on how to hunt elk.

With no elk hunting experience and a mid-season rifle tag doing a DIY will likely be a hard ride on the old "struggle bus". If you're just looking to shoot any legal size bull and work your tail off maybe success will come your way with the rifle. IMO, the hardest thing about solo elk hunting (assuming you can get in decent elk hunting shape) is the "mental toughness" aspect. Some guys just get mentally worn out when things don't go as they expected and just clock out and quit. Add the logistics of having all the necessary gear and setting up a comfortable camp.

If I were in your shoes I'd hire a local guide and give that LE rifle elk tag the preparation and effort it deserves. Good luck to you, brother.

 

[WaWox]

Thank you all for your input. I know this forum is in favor of DIY-ing (and I am also strongly inclined to DIY-ing in general, my plan was to DIY a late season OTC Washington tag this fall with 95% chance of not seeing a single legal elk ..) so the strong conviction pro guide here is a very strong signal. I need to get a guide.

I will reach out to the two recommended guides here -- thank you so much for that!! -- any other recommendations?

 

[JK47]

Congrats! I don’t know much about that tag, but it sounds like one that guys wait years for. So I would go into it with the mindset that I won’t draw it again, and want to make the most of it.

1: Guide. If it isn’t a financial burden.
2: Find/make friends with some seasoned elk hunters that would be willing to go along with you.
3: DIY. Crash course accelerated to the max. YouTube, forums, any articles on the matter. E-scouting, and all the boots on the ground scouting you can fit in.

Good luck!

Edit: practice shooting under not range conditions! Get more familiar with your weapon.

 

[WaWox]

@ElGuapo @PathFinder thank you both so much for the recommendations-- I had really good phone calls with both Russ and Billie and am very much sold on going with one or the other.

Now, my never-hired-a-guide status means I don't really know how to pick or ask the right type of questions. They both want the same money, promise similar caliber of elk, and made similar descriptions of the hunt style -- looks like I can't go too wrong either way, but do you have more suggestions on how to narrow this done? thanks again!!

 

[PathFinder]

@ElGuapo @PathFinder thank you both so much for the recommendations-- I had really good phone calls with both Russ and Billie and am very much sold on going with one or the other.

Now, my never-hired-a-guide status means I don't really know how to pick or ask the right type of questions. They both want the same money, promise similar caliber of elk, and made similar descriptions of the hunt style -- looks like I can't go too wrong either way, but do you have more suggestions on how to narrow this done? thanks again!!

I'm not sure how to narrow it down between those two. I've never heard of Red Creek so no input there. Russ has been helping kill good bulls all over that unit for quite a while and I know he'd do a good job for you. Maybe picking their brains more about that mid-rifle hunt and how they approach it will help. Asking about specific bulls they know about could help decide which one will be better.
Either way make sure to post back on how it goes.

 

[gledeasy]

I don't know the Red Creek guy, but I'll second Russ as my recommendation for that unit. Super good dude, knows the unit, and just flat out gets it done.

Good luck and let us know how this hunt goes!

 

[Syncerus1]

OK, my $.02 worth, if you will listen. This is a OIL tag unless you are very, very lucky. Do yourself a really big favor and hire the best guide you can afford. Go into debt if you have to. Whatever the cost amortized over 15-20 years is nothing.
Second and MOST important, GET YOUR BUTT TO THE RANGE, with your weapon of choice. SHOOT, shoot, and SHOOT some more. Be competent and confident out to whatever range you can. Accuracy trumps EVERYTHING. Bullet placement will kill. Lastly and this is most serious, use a gun and scope that will let you hit 600 yards MOA nearly every time, off a variety of rests.
I can tell you shots may be close, but odds are high they will be along ways out there. 600 yards is a good happy place to land. You may have opportunities further, but hey just take what you can make. Don't go out of your comfort zone. A trophy elk deserves your best, not the memory of a wounded critter lost that replays in your mind forever.
What do I know... oh I Hunted Fish Lake Mid Seson GUIDED last year. I can shoot far, and I had to borrow a over the horizon gun to even be in the running for a shot. Didn't take one...
Best of luck!

 

[WaWox]

Does anyone have an opinion on Mossback vs the other guides mentioned here? Thanks!

 

[realunlucky]

Does anyone have an opinion on Mossback vs the other guides mentioned here? Thanks!

By law only two guides can assist a single hunter in utah. Supposedly that even the odds some but no doubt some well known outfitters have lots of cooks in camp.

If you have the check book Mossback will put you on the top bulls.

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[WaWox]

Looks like Russ Nielsen, Billie Robb, and Mossback want about the same dollars, so my question is now to figure out which hunt will be most enjoyable, with biggest bull being a close second most important concern. I am assuming no one here has hunted with two of those?

 

[PathFinder]

No idea about Red Creek, but Mossback will probably have a ton going on. Lots of spotters/guides and likely multiple clients. If you book with Russ you'll be his only client for that hunt I'd imagine; that's how he likes to do hunts.

 

[WaWox]

Thanks for the info! I am a bit unsure which way this breaks. Instinctively, I want to go with the guy who is only paying attention to my hunt. But from pure trophy potential (which is not primary concern for me -- I want a good hunt more than a number of inches) having more people in the field probably means more bulls with eyes on them?

 

[TaperPin]

As for what to do between now and then - get in good shape, wear your boots a lot, especially the month before the hunt. The two weeks before the hunt wear them all day long even if you’re just watching TV. Most of what people call breaking in their boots is really toughening up your feet to the pressure points the boot puts on them. I took over an IA fire crew with guys in great shape, but there were a lot of blisters on steep slope fires - the guys only wore their broke in boots on fires and that was a problem. Required them to wear boots all day on the clock and blister problems went away - there’s no short cut to developing tough feet, but it’s also not that hard.

You will kick yourself if you miss a shot completely, miss it because you took too long, miss it because you went prone at a close animal and couldn’t see over vegetation, or have to pass a gigantic broadside elk at 400 yards because you didn’t practice at long range. All this luck, preparation, and winning a lotto on the way home won’t amount to much if you can’t efficiently shoot when the time comes.

When a new relative is getting ready to start hunting elk, they go to the range, shoot cans with their friends, and seem to spend way too much time on ballistic apps. I cut them a 28” square piece of plywood, about the chest depth of a bull elk, and suggest they prop it up against a bush way out there and use field shooting positions.