Wyoming Thorofare Elk Questions

[Fever Buck]

September, 1st rifle, you are basically guaranteed to get into elk. They havent been pushed or shot at yet. All the guides have their opening day spots where they know elk are every year for openers; That does not guarantee you a big bull though. If you look at photos, you will see far more under 300" bulls than above being taken each year. People who have never been up there seem to think big bulls are in every herd, and its just not the case. I spent years guiding up there, and have covered basically all that country between summer pack trips and fall hunting.

The reason for the extra cost like you are asking...That late hunt in october, if there isnt any snow, you could spend the entire hunt riding 20 miles a day, and not see a single elk out of the park. Once the resident elk get shot at for a few weeks, they disappear, and without weather, it can be very tough hunting. YO is a great outfit, and they know their country very well and no doubt will hunt hard. But nobody can change mother nature. And there are plenty of years, the migration does not occur till after that season ends up there. IF you get snow, it can be a great hunt and possibility of seeing some good bulls. But, that is far from a guarantee that time of year.

Thanks. Seems like we should opt for the Sept rifle hunt then.

 

[Grundy53]

I'll be with CQ second rifle this year. I hope!

Same here!

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[toddh]

Which dates?

 

[julius]

I hunted with Yellowstone Outfitters twice. I shot a 340 bull and my wife got a 280 bull. Great location. 30 miles in by horse.

 

[Fever Buck]

I hunted with Yellowstone Outfitters twice. I shot a 340 bull and my wife got a 280 bull. Great location. 30 miles in by horse.

On average, do you think most bulls were +300?

 

[DanMan]

I've hunted near the Thorofare 3 times, once in 56, twice in 59 and had great times. Finally going into the actual famed region this fall pending the draw.
Myself and buddy are booked with CQ for the last week of rifle. Rolling the dice to hit the migration.

 

[Grundy53]

Which dates?

The first rifle. I think September 19th-26. Or something like that.

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[Cassettajp]

Anyone going with Yellowstone outfitters first rifle week sep 19-28?

 

[LA Hunter]

Have you thought about renting llamas? Llama outfitters usually allow you to rent their trailer for a nominal fee and you could rent a truck through Turo to trailer it.

Horses require a lot more maintenance, feeding/food water than Llamas and are more dangerous. Plus the Llamas are good about sending out a bark/sqeak alarm when danger (bears/wolves) come near.

Granted, you can't ride them, but if they are carrying your stuff, you can get in deep.

 

[Rem300ultra]

I know there are a number of threads on the Thorofare in Wyoming, but I had a few questions that weren't quite answered by those threads.

In short, I'd love to hunt the Thorofare. Being honest, I'd love to do an archery hunt, an early rifle hunt, and a migration hunt there. However, I currently don't have that OnlyFans money rolling in, so I'll probably have to pick one. My main priorities on a Thorofare hunt are 1. See and experience the country, and 2. Have a chance and getting a bull. I love archery hunting elk, and that has led me to two questions.

1. Would it be better to book with an outfitter for the archery season, or talk to the outfitter about going first week of rifle (starts September 20) and taking a rifle and bow, and bow hunting the first 4 days and rifle hunting the last 1 or 2? (If outfitters would even go for that)

2. Are there any outfitters that have a good reputation for archery hunting in the Thorofare? (I'm mostly looking at Constant Quest, Yellowstone Outfitters, Triangle X)

3. Most of the Thorofare outfitters are booked years in advance, but are there any, knowing I'm a Wyoming resident and can get the tag any year, that will be able to squeeze me into a trip without waiting multiple years?

Other notes of information, I'm currently a Wyoming resident, so obtaining a general is pretty easy (at the current moment, no telling what will happen in the future with my residency), and I've done some on foot day hunts from trailheads on both the Jackson and Cody side of the Thorofare, but not going very deep (especially when considering the size of the Thorofare). I've gotten into elk on both sides, just no kills yet. You might wonder why I don't just keep doing that, and the answer to that is, those experiences have been awesome, with lots of potential for future awesome, but still not the same experience as being mile deep on horseback in the wilderness. I'd love to just saddle up some horses and go DIY, but I'm also fully aware of my current lack of skills as a horseman to attempt that. (Also something I'm planning on amending).

 

[Indian Summer]

I would almost suggest the guided hunt because it sounds like you don’t have a ton of experience. Almost. But nope. As a resident of Wyoming, you just need to start the learning process. The things that you could buy with the money it cost, especially for the first rifle hunt, is just too much to hand over to an outfitter.

Make no mistake. There’s a learning curve. I had a friend of a friend pack me into a non-wilderness area last year. He had a few decent horses and had packed out some bulls just prior to me getting there in September. He nearly died getting me to where I wanted to go. Refused to come back up the mountain. I ended up running a couple horses from Yellowstone outfitters and packing myself out.

Do not go into the mountains with livestock until common sense tells you you’re ready. I have guided people who claimed they had riding experience. Sam, who even owned their own horses. But when they bought in the mountains, they were completely completely out of their element. They never rode on steep hills. Never rode in the snow. Never rode in the dark.

In the meantime, go lease some horses and use them. You will not have year-round expenses. They’re all wormed and have good shoes on them. They come with saddles and packing gear. Everything you need. I would invest in a trailer so you can be mobile and avoid pricey delivery fees. That would be a good place to start.

I’ve leased Horses from Yellowstone Outfiiters for 13 years. Never had a single problem. They are good people and if I was going to book a hunt, I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them. But don’t expect monsters. I’ve seen 390+ bulls in their barn when picking up horses. But that’s not the norm. Some years there are no bulls like that killed. Lots of variables including weather patterns for the entire spring and summer. All you can do is hunt. But to spend $8000 on a chance at the lottery is a bit much.

 

[drdrop]

Have you thought about renting llamas? Llama outfitters usually allow you to rent their trailer for a nominal fee and you could rent a truck through Turo to trailer it.

Horses require a lot more maintenance, feeding/food water than Llamas and are more dangerous. Plus the Llamas are good about sending out a bark/sqeak alarm when danger (bears/wolves) come near.

Granted, you can't ride them, but if they are carrying your stuff, you can get in deep.

I have done this in the Thorofare and do not recommend llamas. It took 2.5 days to pack in what normally takes a full day for a fit fella to hike. Since I don't kill elk in the evening when in grizzly country, llamas really only gave me 3 days of hunting for a 9 day rental.

 

[LA Hunter]

Why did it take so much longer? Is it the extra precautions in grizzly country?

 

[Crowmangler]

adding to what Indian Summer said... you will definitely have encounters with G bears in there. You have no idea how those livestock will react to seeing / smelling them. Especially if they never have. Be prepared for them to go bat shit crazy. My guide & I had some close to us when trying to leave an evening hunt. It was pitch dark & they were very jumpy & skittish. He helped me get on mine & that SOB took off like a rocket straight up a long rocky hill (on a rough trail) & it was all I could do to hang on for dear life, getting scraped & slapped by trees & branches for a ways before I could get it under control & I guarantee you if I had fallen off it would have made a bee line to camp without me.

 

[drdrop]

Why did it take so much longer? Is it the extra precautions in grizzly country?

Llama wrangling. They were not 'swift' so to speak. I imagine a seasoned llama packer familiar with each llama's unique personality would have done a quicker job. It only takes one bad apple to ruin the llama train.

 

[wreckem6]

I’ve worked for tx (not hunting though), know the owners of Yellowstone pretty well, and have briefly met the owner of constant quest. I’f I were booking a hunt, it would be with Yellowstone for the first rifle hunt. IMO they have the best camp, and the first rifle hunt is your best bet for a big bull. All of the camps are close enough to the park that when the lead starts flying all the smart elk tend to head towards the park. This last year two huge bulls were taken by Yellowstone during the first rifle hunt (very high 300’s). Migration hunt can be incredible but is snow dependent and if it doesn’t snow the big park bulls are not coming out. There is a reason that Yellowstone is booked out for so many years.

Yellowstone Outfitters I'm guessing?

Wyoming Elk Hunting Outfitters | Guided Trips | Yellowstone Outfitters

Learn more about Yellowstone Outfitters hunting trips here. We are experienced Wyoming elk hunting outfitters, ready to guide you to trophy elk.

www.yellowstoneoutfitters.com

 

[DanimalW]

I would ask if you could donate a week of your time for the next few years setting up camp, taking care of the horses, and cooking in exchange for a free horseback trip in. I imagine they’re always looking for good help. You’d get to see all the country and scout it out. I think it would be fun to just tag along…

 

[teamsprock]

I did one guided Thorofare trip (2010 era). It was amazing, but there are a lot of people back there. We rode the trail with countless other folks. For me, that took away from the trip, I just couldn’t understand why we would ride that far just to camp alongside others. We went 1 for 3 on elk, and the elk that was killed was a young rag. I had my chance and missed a good 300”+ bull. All in all, I still recommend the trip, but hopefully this perspective is helpful.

 

[JP7]

Appreciate all the input and stories shared! I'd love to go the DIY route, I do have quite a bit of experience hunting elk, but no experience hunting elk with horses. The horses are the hang up. Was kind of hoping I could use a guided trip as a way to get some learning on using horses in the mountains. After really examining it, I knew this goal would get pushed to the 2025 season as I'm halfway through my master's degree. And then my rotator cuff solidified some serious alterations to any and all hunting plans I have for 2024. But love all the advice and experiences shared!

 

[Buckshot10]

I was able to book Yellowstone for 2024 in the early summer of 2023. I happened to call to see how far out they were booked (through 2028 then) but they happened to have a cancellation shortly before I called for a single spot. I'll be hunting with strangers but couldn't pass up the opportunity and I'm sure will all be famous friends when its all over. Long story short, it wouldn't hurt to book for the future but see if you can get wait listed in the meantime. Particularly if your willing to go without acquaintance like I am, and given the all around price increases (outfitting and license) there may be some opportunities. As an FYI, I believe many of the Thorofare outfitters are requiring their hunters to apply in the special drawing. YO is.

Are you hunting the first Rifle season with Yellowstone set 19? I am hunting with them that season. Where do you live? I’m from WV