JoeBada
FNG
Sorry, just had to re-watch Animal House on this rainy Sunday morning here in New Hampshire after watching the Doug Kenney movie on Netflix... still the best introduction of all time...
A bit about me: I'm a generalist when it comes to hunting here in NH - black bear first week of Sept, wood ducks, mallards and upland birds with my filed lab during Oct, (and archery whitetail if we get a good cold front) and of course the whitetail rut in November with bow & gun. Chase and kill a few snowshoe hare during the winter, but it's more taking the dog & shotgun for a hike than anything else.
Anyway, wanted to come on here and introduce myself because I need help inserting archery elk into my mid-Sept plans. I've gone twice now, once about 10 years ago in Durango CO, and this past season in Breckenridge, CO. Was in slightly better shape the first time, but a lot more knowledgeable (thanks to Corey Jacobson elk 101) this time around. In both cases I hunted with a friends who lived in the unit and were able to provide some logistical support, though we were unable in each instance to get close to the herd. In Durango we hunted very hard (never saw camp during daylight) but the herd bulls were 15 miles in according to some guys we met on horseback. In Breck the herd bulls had worked the cows into some back bowls about 7-8 miles in, but we would never have been able to pack a bull out of there in a reasonable amount of time, or without killing ourselves.
So what I came on here to ask is, how do you fellow out of state DIY'ers feel about hiring packers to get you into the back-country and help you pack your meat and gear out?
For me, elk hunting is just as much about getting away from civilization and into the vastness of the West as it is about filling the tag, and even though we hiked all day in CO unit 37 to camp on top of the mountain, we could still see all the lights of the various towns below us and hear the faint sounds of wedding music on that cool clear night. Just not the kind of experience I am after...
My problem is, I have no idea how to find a good packer, or outfitter willing to offer non-guided drop hunts? Any guidance you could offer in terms of: avg cost, max your pack should weigh, what questions to ask them or even actual recommendations is greatly appreciated. I'm pretty much open to archery elk hunting in any state in the west, but would probably prefer staying out of the desert, as I'm planning a January coues deer hunt in Arizona this yer as well.
Thanks again,
Joe
A bit about me: I'm a generalist when it comes to hunting here in NH - black bear first week of Sept, wood ducks, mallards and upland birds with my filed lab during Oct, (and archery whitetail if we get a good cold front) and of course the whitetail rut in November with bow & gun. Chase and kill a few snowshoe hare during the winter, but it's more taking the dog & shotgun for a hike than anything else.
Anyway, wanted to come on here and introduce myself because I need help inserting archery elk into my mid-Sept plans. I've gone twice now, once about 10 years ago in Durango CO, and this past season in Breckenridge, CO. Was in slightly better shape the first time, but a lot more knowledgeable (thanks to Corey Jacobson elk 101) this time around. In both cases I hunted with a friends who lived in the unit and were able to provide some logistical support, though we were unable in each instance to get close to the herd. In Durango we hunted very hard (never saw camp during daylight) but the herd bulls were 15 miles in according to some guys we met on horseback. In Breck the herd bulls had worked the cows into some back bowls about 7-8 miles in, but we would never have been able to pack a bull out of there in a reasonable amount of time, or without killing ourselves.
So what I came on here to ask is, how do you fellow out of state DIY'ers feel about hiring packers to get you into the back-country and help you pack your meat and gear out?
For me, elk hunting is just as much about getting away from civilization and into the vastness of the West as it is about filling the tag, and even though we hiked all day in CO unit 37 to camp on top of the mountain, we could still see all the lights of the various towns below us and hear the faint sounds of wedding music on that cool clear night. Just not the kind of experience I am after...
My problem is, I have no idea how to find a good packer, or outfitter willing to offer non-guided drop hunts? Any guidance you could offer in terms of: avg cost, max your pack should weigh, what questions to ask them or even actual recommendations is greatly appreciated. I'm pretty much open to archery elk hunting in any state in the west, but would probably prefer staying out of the desert, as I'm planning a January coues deer hunt in Arizona this yer as well.
Thanks again,
Joe
