Wondering if anyone has personal experience or recommendations on specific outfitters for a 2012 archery elk hunt? We have a group of guys with some elk experience - looking to go during the bugle, do-it-yourself, drop camp, etc. Open to any of the western states, but probably prefer Colorado or New Mexico. We are not trophy hunters (this would be my first elk), though we would welcome the opportunity for a big one. As a whole, we are very accustomed to doing our own thing, and wish to expand our horizons with elk. I appreciate any advice you can give...
Sat, 2012-02-11 11:44
Archery Drop Camp Outfitter Recommendations?
Sat, 2012-02-11 12:03
#1
no, but
I'd first decide on where I was going, not just which state, but also which area. That will significantly reduce the number of choices you have and should make your job a little easier.
Sun, 2012-02-12 05:51
#2
NM
The odds of drawing in NM are slim, as said above, figure out which State first.
Kevin
Sun, 2012-02-12 09:06
#4
more resources
I'm not going to suggest a unit, but I will point you to some additional resources. Because you want to do a backcountry hunt, take a look at this map and the % of wilderness in each unit.
Now compare that to the either sex OTC archery map:
Before you go to the stats page, realize that units with the most wilderness will usually have the lowest success rates due to the physical difficulties in getting at the elk. The vast majority of hunters are not backcountry hunters, but nearly everyone who comes onto a forum claims they are or will be trying it.
So, there's a couple of ways to look at the stats. If you're staying with the wilderness-heavy units, hopefully you have a couple in mind by now, then look at the past 3-5 years of archery only success rates. Don't worry about rifle or muzzleloader stats, once again, that's a product of access and visibility as much anything. It doesn't reflect elk density very accurately, you can compute that separately.
Another way to look at the stats is to throw out the wilderness stuff, and just find some of the better success units with low hunter numbers that you can either draw with however many points you have (assuming 0, and there are limited units that can be drawn with 0 points) or are OTC. Then to narrow things down, take a look at those places and determine if you can get into the backcountry there(not necessarily federally designated wilderness). In some places you may be able to find nearby horse rentals or an outfitter willing to drop you off. Some places you might be able to find a way to camp 1-2 miles off the road (which can be enough to eliminate a lot of pressure) in an area without too much elevation gain or loss, so you can do it by foot.
Once you set a few parameters your choices will quickly narrow down.
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