New Mexico 16B Drop Camp?

[Forrpowpowpow]

Hey guys, I drew a 16B late rifle bull tag. I’m normally a very tried and true DIY guy but I’m toying with the idea of a drop camp. I’m curious if you guys have any experience with drop camps and what I can expect with one. Also what would I expect to pay. And bonus points if you know of any outfits who operate drop camps in the Gila wilderness. If you guys have any experience hunting 16B late rifle that would be cool to hear as well.
Thanks!

 

[elkliver]

You might call san francisco river outfitters. They guide in 16B and are very good

 

[SDHNTR]

Tom Klumker’s (SFRO above) daughter used to do pack in and outs. I dunno about drop camps, but she could pack you and your gear in and hopefully a bull out. You definitely want a packer to make the most of that tag!

 

[Cahunter805]

I’d also recommend calling tom and Paula of SFRO. Last I heard their drop camps were about $1750. Great people!

 

[KS2MOHUNTER]

Was in 16B last year for 1st Archery. We got 6-7 miles in there with Frontier Outfitters. Very glad I did. Any water hole in the first 2 miles had people sitting all around them............we watched one on our way out that had someone on two sides of the hole.....then a father son came and plopped themselves down on it the join the party. Feel free to PM me and I could fill you in on my details. That place was truly an amazing adventure.

Its really one of those places where you truly feel remote and isolated. Maybe it's the desolation of getting there, and then the vastness of the area.........unlike some of the other states where you are driving through area with some sort of development and then go in to the backcountry..........in the Gila you drive for two hours through desolation and the adventure hasn't even begun.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Let me know what you find out. I’ll return the favor as I’m looking for a decent drop camp with horse support for 16b/22.
Never, ever thought I would draw an archery tag in the gila. I will honor this tag as an OIL with my heart in it.
My background is that I’ve guided CO for 15 years including many tours in 76.
So, I will call/stalk for myself. But given the nature of the Gila (which I have hunted previously, general 16 deer) I feel like it calls for support. After reading what you vets have said in this thread, I’m having second thoughts. would no drop camp and only DIY be a better more mobile/dynamic experience? definitely see the more rewarding side of a DIY. My concern is hiking out a bull 2-4 miles back without spoiling? I can physically pull it off. Just don’t want to F up something this sacred.
thanks and good luck Fransena!

Thanks for bringing this up. My post from yesterday. Good luck on your hunt

 

[Mjay]

Hey guys, I drew a 16B late rifle bull tag. I’m normally a very tried and true DIY guy but I’m toying with the idea of a drop camp. I’m curious if you guys have any experience with drop camps and what I can expect with one. Also what would I expect to pay. And bonus points if you know of any outfits who operate drop camps in the Gila wilderness. If you guys have any experience hunting 16B late rifle that would be cool to hear as well.
Thanks!

Wife drew first rifle. I called and talked to her uncle that lives in Silver and now we have pack in pack out “FREE” I prayed for Favor this season and I might have some extra, 2 older guys that just wannna “get out more”and they have a team . We are gonna go down this weekend I’ll talk to them, only big factor I see is weather on a later hunt.

 

[Forrpowpowpow]

Thanks for bringing this up. My post from yesterday. Good luck on your hunt

I’ll be following your post! Good luck on your hunt. We’ll have to share some end of season thoughts when it’s all wrapped up

 

[Riplip]

I did a drop camp with San Francisco Outfitters. They get very busy, but I would highly recommend their services if available. Feel free to PM with any questions. Great tag and great place to hunt. Congrats

 

[BrokenArrow]

I’ll be following your post! Good luck on your hunt. We’ll have to share some end of season thoughts when it’s all wrapped up

Copy that.
Ill
Let you know what I learn. I have about a 6 hour drive down there (closer than most) and will get at least a good scout in about 2 weeks before season.
I actually bought an antelope hunt around T or C thinking I would never draw one of those either. Turning out to be one hell of an expensive year. But I ain’t getting any younger.
talk to ya soon

 

[Forrpowpowpow]

Copy that.
Ill
Let you know what I learn. I have about a 6 hour drive down there (closer than most) and will get at least a good scout in about 2 weeks before season.
I actually bought an antelope hunt around T or C thinking I would never draw one of those either. Turning out to be one hell of an expensive year. But I ain’t getting any younger.
talk to ya soon

Funny you say antelope, I drew a unit 21/24 rifle antelope tag as well. We must have good taste

 

[Big Bore]

We used Utrail with Jim Mater in 16B, two years ago. And his operation is a borderline scam. Stay away.

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

I would agree to use San Francisco river outfitters if available. Also, Canyon Legends (find him on Facebook) does guided hunts in there, think he does drop camps as well.

 

[GoBig]

Weather is usually not a huge factor in SW NM, you may get some rain, or even a little snow but it won't be much and it won't last long. Hunted several later hunts in that country and you can have cool mornings and T shirt during the day.

 

[Forrpowpowpow]

Weather is usually not a huge factor in SW NM, you may get some rain, or even a little snow but it won't be much and it won't last long. Hunted several later hunts in that country and you can have cool mornings and T shirt during the day.

Awesome. Any luck finding bulls within reasonable backpacking distance from roads?

 

[GoBig]

I haven't had the luck of drawing a 16 unit, ever... I have hunted the late muzzleloader in 15 several times. 16B is a big unit and reasonable is always dependent on the person or packers, lol. I have killed plenty of bulls in the range of reasonable and questionable... I can't answer anything specific on the elk hunting in 16B except its a big unit with lots of wilderness and large areas that don't have elk. I would concentrate on the burn scars, find a good vantage to glass lots of country, find what your looking for and figure out if its worth the effort. Best of luck to you, wish I had that tag!

 

[NCSU_Lewis]

I hunted it on my dad's 2nd rifle 3 years ago. He was ~60 and in fair shape. We camped at the truck and saw tons of sign and heard a bugle. My biggest regret was not chasing it, but we would have ended up further from the truck than we wanted to be (4-5ish maybe). Where we were we saw no other hunters. It wasn't an area conducive to glassing which I think hurt us, but we had a blast. Hope to go back one day.

All that said, I think a drop camp would have served us very well, but it can be done.

 

[Jeronimo 56]

Following along - I have a 16B/22 Rifle tag and a unit 16 ML deer tag as well... the more I study the more I find the vastness of the wilderness to be. Headed down to scout later this month.

 

[proselio]

Hey guys, I drew a 16B late rifle bull tag. I’m normally a very tried and true DIY guy but I’m toying with the idea of a drop camp. I’m curious if you guys have any experience with drop camps and what I can expect with one. Also what would I expect to pay. And bonus points if you know of any outfits who operate drop camps in the Gila wilderness. If you guys have any experience hunting 16B late rifle that would be cool to hear as well.
Thanks!

I got my first archery tag this year in 16b and looking for same thing, did you have any luck finding anyone who did drop camps?

 

[proselio]

I did a drop camp with San Francisco Outfitters. They get very busy, but I would highly recommend their services if available. Feel free to PM with any questions. Great tag and great place to hunt. Congrats

I drew a 2022 archery tag in 16b and just wondered how the outfitter you used was?